Holiday Wrap Up

Writing about the holidays now is a little like going to an extended relative's house in January and having another Christmas... fun but it feels a little odd.

We'll just get caught up quick and move on. To possum yarn. No seriously. Really, this time for real.

We had a great trip to visit the grandparents and aunties and uncles... Little E made out like a bandit with books, toys, and more outfits than one little girl probably really needs. Her favorite part of the trip was smiling at all of the new faces, and being the center of attention for about two weeks.

 She sported reindeer horns (a longstanding tradition in my family)

 Helped make press cookies (she REALLY liked the jars of sprinkles)

 Was introduced to a special gift from Grandma - Badger Annie!

 Met her cousin for the first time and celebrated New Year's Eve in a snazzy outfit.

 Cheered on the Packers (Her daddy actually went to the game in Green Bay... brrr!)

 And had fun watching the Badgers in the Rose Bowl... despite the loss.

Returning to our little house under a hill in MA was a little dreary - only mommy and daddy and the kitties to play with! We'll be trying to spice life up in the near future by attending some classes - yoga? Dance? We'll see.

Ok, the holidays are caught up.
Next: Cozy Give Away! Possum Yarn! Other fun things! Not quite as many baby photos!

A little baby knitting

I'll admit it, I've taken full advantage of knitting for a wee one over the past year. How could I resist when there are books like Kristen Rengren's Vintage Baby Knits? The book is full of updated, adorable patterns... I finished E's pixie hat and immediately cast on some purple yarn for a sweater. I'll let you know how it goes.

Our little pixie

In case you had any doubts that these were legitimate vintage patterns... here is E's great uncle modeling HIS pixie hat back in the '50s.

Shop Handmade!

Remember to shop locally this holiday season! Follow the link to join a group of folks who are dedicated to handmade vs box store gifts.







Here is a fun collection of items to get you started - a baby boy treasury in honor of our good friends from Michigan who welcomed a healthy baby boy into their lives yesterday!

 

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/Njc4NDAyMnwxMDU3OTIxMTEx/a-new-baby-boy

You can also find a great group of artists at www.artisansofwmass.com - for all of your holiday gifting needs. Shopping handmade! Woot!

Baby Wipes - Tutorial

We try to be reasonably green around here... and I like to keep the chemicals touching my baby to a minimum. We cloth diaper as much as possible and I wanted a way to use plain water to wipe the little baby bottom. Although we ended up with several baby washcloths from a variety of sources, I didn't really like them for wiping. Most were just not squishy and absorbent enough to do the job.

I grabbed some 100% cotton WASHABLE worsted weight yarn and went to work.

This is the easiest knitting pattern. Ever. I mean, seriously, if you can't knit a scarf but want to knit your friend a baby gift? THESE ARE PERFECT. And if you can knit decently, they'll just go really fast.

I used size US 9 needles... I happened to grab my trusty dps, but straights work just as well.


Cast on 16... or 18, or 20. Your wipe will just be slightly larger.

Knit back and forth in garter stitch until the wipe measures 2 inches or your desired width. This is about 16 rows. No purling, just knit. See how easy?

The finished product! These wipes are also great for facial cleansers... not the same ones as the baby wipes of course... perhaps color code?

So they look pretty freshly made, but you may wonder how they hold up. The following is a picture of some wipes after heavy use and many trips through the washer (Hot water!!) and dryer (Hot air!). They actually become MORE absorbent the more they are washed... just like cotton cloth diapers.

Happy Wiping!

And... We're back!

When I last blogged it was early spring and things were just beginning to grow, including me! Throughout the spring and summer I nurtured the garden and a little baby. Now it is fall, the garden is done, and and baby is here and not so little! I'll be trying to catch up with some good posts as I'm able (the long awaited Kiwi yarn post, applesauce and PIES), but in the meantime I'll leave you with a few photos of the babe and me.