Wool Pants

(Apologies to those of you who have been hoping I might someday post about making something NOT for Little R. I’m afraid there is not much chance of that. She is pretty much in constant need of clothing so I have to channel creative energy in that direction.)

Recently completed: Two pairs of wool pants for the baby, one knit and one sewn.

The blue pants are from Elizabeth Zimmerman’s baby legging pattern. Or at least, I started with the pattern. I gave absolutely NO thought to sizing, or gauge, or anything, just cast on, and then changed a few things as I went. Happily, they fit quite well, so while it was a chance for me to learn my lesson, I’m not sure I did!

The pink pair, more properly “pants”, are sewn from a thrifted sweater. I just traced “generously” around a pair she already had to make a basic pattern.

The wool pants are the newest item in our approach to EC. We have been doing very well with no diaper, only one or two “misses” a day, so I decided to try putting her in pants. I’ve lanalized them, so if they do get wet we only need to hang them up to dry. (Wool is wonderful this way.) I guess it is sort of the same concept of using a wool soaker, except we aren’t using a diaper. She also goes “no diaper” on our walks, and wearing wool ensures that if she did happen to pee she would not get cold. I think I’ve only been peed on once so this is pretty rare.

Casting on for Tomten

I am a little bit in love with Elizabeth Zimmerman right now. I’ve been a fan for a while, but there is something about winter and wool and a certain mindset which makes me want to work some “EZ”. Oh, and even more so for her championing of wool for babies. Before Little R was born, when I began knitting baby stuff, I always wanted to work with wool but felt a bit hesitant. Now that she’s here, and wearing her wool knits, I know that Elizabeth was right. And I know you can get machine washable wool, but regardless, wool just doesn’t need to be washed as much as if kind of cleans itself. (more on this later) And it’s warm.

Today I am casting on for a red and cream Tomten. I’m hoping it doesn’t take me this long, but if it does, I figure the colours make it a perfect goal for Valentine’s Day.

Walk With Me

I have things on the go (eternally on the go, it would seem, sine not much is getting done) but nothing finished to post about. So come for a walk with me instead. Little R and I go every day. It is a shame to have a day without a walk, and by the same token, if all we “get done” in a day is to go for a walk, then it’s all good. I can’t get enough of this landscape.

This Moment

Inspired by Soulemama: “This moment – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.”

 

New Year’s Good Intentions

As the New Year approached I found myself thinking back to the resolution I made last year and cringing. It was pretty much a failure, and unfortunately, a documented one as I shared my goal with all on my blog. The less said about that the better. I’ve been doing some thinking about resolutions, as it is generally a topic of conversation this time of year. I found myself explaining that I know when the summer comes round I will have more or less abandoned any resolution I make, especially if it was ambitious. One could feel badly about this, of course (and we do, don’t we?) but then I started to think about the New Year more as a new sketchbook. You know the feeling – those lovely crisp white pages, unblemished and inviting. I love this, and fully enjoy a sketchbook at this stage, but I don’t expect it to remain in this state. With use it will get tattered and dog-eared, a bit dirty, and full of sketches, yes, and also grocery lists and phone numbers. And I will rip pages out for something and spill tea on it. The thing is, it is just a beautiful at this point, just very different. You see where I am going with this? The New Year is upon us, and like many others I am excited about the “fresh start” it represents, but I don’t expect it to stay that way and that is fine by me! So, in my lovely fresh “sketchbook” New Year I will begin by sketching some good intentions. (say nothing of the  ”road to hell”…)

My “good intentions” surround the dinner table. I want to burn candles every evening at supper. I want to make some more cloth napkins so that we have enough to use, and wash, and loose. I want to bring the food to the table, either in serving dishes (oh so fancy) or just in the pot, so we can serve ourselves from the table and do less of the popping up and down to get this and that. Oh, and I’d also like to get and use a water jug.  In general, as you can see, I’d like to build in a little “ritual”, if I can use that word. There is nothing ground breaking here, and I expect it is quite achievable so maybe these “good intentions” WILL manage to survive all of 2012 but I’m not bothered about that now, I’m just enjoying the clean page.

Polka Dog

Introducing Polka Dog, my Christmas present to Little R. He was made following a basic Sock Dog tutorial by Martha Stewart.

I decided against (at least for the time being) adding eyes, since sometimes you can do too much and I think he has quite a lot of character as he is.

A Jacket for Solstice Eve

I’ve just (almost) finished a Solstice Eve jacket for Little R. It’s very basic and sort of a mix of several kimono jacket patterns which I tailored to her size. I had, as usual, elaborate plans to of handmade seasonal outfits for her, which I set aside in favour of probably the simplest garment one can make! We are headed to a family dinner tonight, Solstice Eve, so it’s finished just in time!

Now I’m just waiting for Little R to wake up so I can hem the bottom and sleeves to the perfect length.

Ho, Ho, Hot Peppers

It started innocently enough. I needed to make a little decoration to adorn a gift. After several lame attempts I took inspiration from the gift itself – a jar or hot pepper jelly. Peppers are red and green, Christmas….red and green. The only red fabric I have is a flannel printed with Santa Claus. Done and done; the Ho, ho, hot peppers were conceived. I know you are groaning. So am I. But still.

Simple Advent

I had big plans. I kept thinking that this Christmas should be the start of a myriad of tradition, despite the fact that Little R is too young to notice much about Christmas, and an advent calendar was one of them. Not just any advent calendar, but something really special. I didn’t want it to be about getting treats every day, but more something that would mark the days passing and celebrate the happy anticipation. I wanted it to be something that we could use every year and (this is perhaps the most tricky) something that we could add to as the years went by, and that Little R could contribute to when she is a little older. Oh yes, I had quite the tradition/family heir loom in mind. But as so often happens, I found myself needing to re-access once “reality” was factored in. I’m sure many of you can identify with this. Babies are great reasons to simplify your ambitious crafting dreams, but there are many many more. And while the drive to make things this time of year is a wonderful one, and something many of us very much enjoy (so much better than the commercial Christmas) it’s no good if you beat yourself up for falling short of your Christmas crafting goals! I told myself that there will be lots of time in the coming years to create this “advent calendar supreme”  (note to self: BEGINNING WORK IN SUMMER!) and let go.

 

So instead this year I have a very simple advent plan. Every day I , or we, will cut a paper snowflake and put it in one of the 24 pane of glass in the front room windows. Simple. Intricate or basic, as time allows. This, I think, is manageable. A tiny, meditative moment. Moreover, each time I make one I’m sure it will remind me to simplify; to ENJOY the making, as much of it as there is, and  let the “undone”  melt, and diminish in importance!

Christmas Stocking

A Christmas Stocking for Little R. It’s made from a felted wool sweater.

I have two more to make (for us!) and I might try to take photos of the process, for a brief tutorial.

Oh,  full marks for spotting the crochet circle….