the boy turns ONE!!

 well, it has finally happened, despite my best efforts to turn back time, little mister O turned 1 year old on Dec 1st.  i can't believe this year has gone by so fast, when i think back on the teeny tiny baby i brought home last january it just doesn't seem like this could be the same one.  he is crawling, standing up, drinking from a sippy cup, tearing up paper and getting into all sorts of innocent mischief!  he can clap, babble in nonsense syllables, play peek-a-boo, bob his head up and down in time to the music and give super slobbery kisses!  for all these things i am truly grateful.

 happy birthday little ollie!  (as you can see he was NOT crazy about that chocolate cupcake... i didn't even change his shirt because i knew he would barely touch the thing and i was right)

Thanksgiving 2011

 although this is a little late, i still wanted to post our thanksgiving day meal!!  maybe not as elaborate as some of our other years, but leaps and bounds better than last year (since i was on bedrest and no cooking was done!)  we made our favorite sage-roasted turkey (see below) as well as roasted garlic mashed potatoes, candied ginger and orange cranberry sauce, brown butter green beans with toasted almonds and maple-glazed carrots!  delicious!

i have so much to be thankful for this year.  i can't begin to name all of the blessings in our lives, but at the top of the list is my healthy, beautiful little family and dear friends near and far.  what else matters right?  so here's to another thanksgiving day here and gone.

adventures in cloth diapering

who knew there were so many options out there when it came to cloth diapering! i started looking at all sorts of options while i was still pregnant, trying to decide which would be the most practical for me as well as the most affordable. i initially stumbled across g diapers in a baby magazine at my OB/GYN office and thought they were cute and such fun colors (i mean seriously, who can resist that cute little white "g" on the butt of a baby?). the more i looked into the hybrid cloth/disposable design the more excited i got. we initially purchased four covers and 6 cloth inserts as well as the disposable inserts to use when we were "out about town." although to be honest, the disposable inserts fell into disuse and we are pretty much exclusive cloth option parents now. the cloth inserts, while nice, were super pricey so i decided to make my own.they may look like kitchen dishcloths but they are actually made of an old flannel sheet (100% cotton) from goodwill. i used this tutorial and made about 20 prefolds out of a king-size sheet and some old towels and automotive microfiber cloths. the cloth inserts basically just lay right into the breathable liner and the cover velcros shut. like so:with this set-up you can simply replace the cloth insert for a diaper change or if needs be (when it's more than just a wet diaper) you can unsnap the whole liner out of the cover and replace both! Oliver has outgrown the small size and is now in mediums, so we started over with the homemade prefolds, hunting at the goodwill for some old, quality bedsheets and found a purple and a plaid flannel, way more exciting than just plain white. so, bottom line (no pun intended) is that we are loving them. and a happy bum makes for a happy baby!!

p.s. please forgive me for not posting in so many months, i have no good excuse really, just too lazy to put down the handheld itouch internet access and walk over to the actual computer! after all, convenience usually trumps all else!

the diaper bag project

this was one of those projects that i had planned to work on while i was on bedrest, but that chunk of time got cut short with oliver's arrival (also it would have been a little difficult to pull the sewing machine up to the couch...) when my in-laws were here a few weeks ago, i finally found the time to make a diaper bag! i used a nice, heavy home-decor fabric for the outside of the bag and a cotton, quilting fabric to line it.

the inside features six pockets around the sides that stay fairly closed due to the elastic trim. these have been perfect for storing extra burp cloths, outfits, bottles, you name it! and then larger items, such as blankets (see below) can go in the main space.
i fashioned an adjustable strap out of D-rings mostly so that my husband could use it as well (and he actually picked out the fabric too!).last, but not least, we have one large, divided pocket on the front of the bag, perfect for papers, calenders, and appointment cards (you can tell we've mostly just taken the boy to the pediatrician and back).it works great! i unfortunately didn't keep track of how i made it, so if i ever need to make another one, i'll be making it up as i go, like i did with this one. and now i'm just waiting for opportunities to use it more!

arrival of the kiddo

i am aware that it has been a million years since i have updated my blog and there is a very real possibility that no one is even reading it anymore (except my sweet sisters right?). please accept my apologies. words can't do justice to the roller coaster ride of the last 4 months, but i'll throw out just a few to give you the basic idea: bedrest, 2 months premature, NICU, etc... to show for it all, we were finally able to bring home our little boy Oliver Odin. we are blessed to have a healthy little kiddo who is about to be 3 months old, he's an absolute fighter and is doing great. now that he is home and finally fattening up, we will be trying to reestablish some form of normalcy. i do have some fun projects to share, but it will have to wait for another post, as the aforesaid little one is in my lap with the hiccups and a funny look on his face (probably a disaster in the diaper area). so, again accept my apologies, life has been wild.and please don't write me off completely, i will try to get another post up before another 4 months pass by.

for the boy!

so, these projects came out of the yummy box of yarn that i showed in my last post, and i love the way they all turned out. first this little hat, it's super soft and made from a neat slip-stitch pattern that makes it really squishy and soft, i can't wait to slip it on a little head (and see if it actually stays there, as i understand some kids just can't take that...which makes me think i should make a few little hats that can tie under the chin, hmm, another project?)
second, we've got the little knitted bell-bottoms. which i just couldn't resist making, although now that i've got them done, i'm pretty sure they will fit poorly over a diaper, but they are still cute and they were a quick knit, they are pretty small, so maybe he'll get to wear them a few times. the yarn is sooooo soft (and fully machine washable and dryable)!

this little green sweater is one of my favorites so far! it is the perfect spring grass color and is super soft and stretchy, great to slip over a little onesie! i just can't wait to try these on an actual baby (with my luck they won't fit or something sad like that...) but i couldn't be happier while knitting them, they are just so cute and small!
i started one more project this weekend, another sweater, but once i finished it i felt extremely unhappy with it and am now just building up the nerve to unravel all the hours of work. i love the color and the yarn, but somehow it doesn't look like it would even fit my hand, much less a baby! it's so tiny, i can't quite figure it out, so i have resigned myself to unraveling and i will post it when i have made it again (it really is a good thing these things are so small.)

SO, there are the recent items to be added to my stash of baby knits. i will probably take a break for a few weeks from baby items so that i can knit up some christmas spirit...exactly what i will be making for the holidays is still to be decided, but i love christmas knitting!

i hope everyone is enjoying fall! it's soup & bread, sweater & scarf weather, my favorite!!

Little Boy Blue Elephant

such a sweet, powder blue elephant to fit in a little baby's hands. this one was commissioned for baby "j", a nephew of one of my coworkers. he is super cuddly (i'm referring to the elephant, although i'm sure the baby is too!) this yarn is cotton-ease, which is one of my favorites to use for toys and baby clothes. it is machine wash & dry and can be found at michaels or joanns, which always seem to be close by! and as a bonus it comes in nice colors!

and although this little elephant is already on its way to a new owner (sigh!), i do have a few other baby boy items that have found a home in my house... just a few done so far, but oh so many more projects in the works! i have to make sure that our new arrival is warmly provided for given his january due date!



even more projects are on the way, sometimes i wish i had more hands (or maybe i could train my feet to knit), so you will have to stay tuned as the finished projects come off the needles. i know that at this point a lot of you are doubting that i will have any more blog posts for a good 2 more months, understandable given my track record (and i haven't lost the irony of my last blog post being titled "i haven't disappeared" and then indeed no further post for 2 months...) but i sincerely hope to share my projects with you several more times this fall at least.
now, take a deep breath and get excited about the possibilities that new yarns can offer! aren't the colors awesome? and a whole box full of new yarn always makes my heart melt (this one was a birthday present from my sweet husband!).okay, i will post again soon, i have the most gorgeous cashmere, lace scarf to share as soon as i remember to take a good picture!

i didn't disappear...

but i wouldn't blame anybody for thinking such a thing. my camera program is still installed on our "retired" laptop and so everytime i am on the computer and think about updating my blog, i say to myself "i don't feel like it right now since i have to get out the other laptop, so i will do it tomorrow" and of course the proverbial tomorrow never comes. so i'm doing it today, better late than never.
i have a few new projects, some which are surprises though, so this is the only one i can share right now. one of my friends just added a little boy to her family and this bear had to come along. it's a debbie bliss bear pattern that i've been wanting to try, a lot smaller than my other favorite bear pattern (see my february 28th post), but still big enough to squeeze well. washable and dryable if necessary.i am headed to my little brother's wedding in salt lake in a few days, and hopefully will be finished with and be able to post my other projects upon return... until then.

mr. monkey

one of my coworkers is expecting a little girl in july. i was excited to give her this little monkey this last weekend, and admittedly a little sad to see it go, i liked it so much. two different recycled sweaters contributed in the yarn category, both being very soft and fully washable/dryable...which i'm sure will come in handy with a little one.my "etsy" shop is only days away from being updated! i've got a few turtle rattles, some hats, a doll and some jewelry to post. i don't know why it always takes me so long to get an update together, but i'll let you know you when you can check it out. in the meantime, enjoy the end of may!

it's a bird, it's a plane....

it's SUPERMAN! batman is no longer the only soft, stuffed superhero in our home. tonight i finished up superman's cape/lining and got him all put together. there is something uniquely satisfying about finishing each one of these toys.the superman symbols on his chest and the back of the cape are partially embroidered to get better detail in the shape.the yellow shield shape underneath the embroidery and superman's hair were my first efforts with intarsia knitting... which i have to admit always held some degree of intimidation for me, but upon completion made me supremely happy. the cowboy's head (see previous post) was not knit with the intarsia technique and i felt it could have been better, so i made it a goal of mine to try it on this doll, and it worked awesome! a definite must for any larger chunk of colorwork. on the needles now: a baby shower gift for one of my coworkers who is due in July... but the baby shower is in a few weeks, so i will be able to post the completed project then. and after that...who knows?

batman makes a friend

i recently got an order to make a cowboy for a friend of mine in Utah. upon completion, the cowboy seemed to make himself right at home and chum up with batman... this is the way they looked on the morning i mailed the cowboy off to his new owner (my husband is the prime suspect in this "match" seeing how they were not left in this position the previous night). but the end had to come and the cowboy is now on his way to be a little boy's birthday present, hopefully he likes him as much as we did. here are just a few shots to remember him by.the handle-bar mustache was nate's genius idea, as well as the main design for the cowboy hat, which was somewhat of a knitting-engineering dilemma (the key is pipecleaners...) and the rest of the details just kind of fell into place. yeehaw!!!
i really love making these toys. for anyone out there reading this, i'm always up for custom orders! in other knitting news, my lone mitten also got a mate. i am all finished with another great project (well, finished except for the blocking). thanks again to my mom for the book of patterns. i can't wait to make another pair, and i really can't wait for winter to roll around again so i can actually enjoy them out in the real world.what's on the needles now? well, since batman lost his cowboy buddy, i'm whipping up a suitable superhero friend to fill the void. check back soon.

making my return to blogland...

even if this post doesn't amount to much, i am sure that anyone actually reading it will just be silently thrilled that it is something new... i did not fall off the face of the planet i assure you, i just became a really bad judge of how quickly time was passing. this cute bear has been keeping me company for a few weeks as i've sewn up his seams and made sure he is sufficiently stuffed, but he will soon be shipped off to a new home and hopefully become a fast friend of a new baby girl in my husband's extended family. this is one of my absolute favorite knitted toy patterns from toys to knit, and i've made him several times. also happily eating up my time has been the following mitten (soon to be mittens) from a pattern book that my mom gave me for Christmas. the patterns are so fun and it's the first time i've knit with laceweight yarn and size 0 needles (which is basically the equivalent of string and toothpicks). the process has been a little slow, but so fun and satisfying to see the end product!this little girl is another trial of my doll pattern that i wrote last fall. the same pattern as the batman, but obviously with girly variations and i think it turned out pretty fun.i again must apologize for subjecting the few of you that check this blog to "the last post of 2009" for a few months now. i will try to be better about not letting my posts become rare and stagnant. in the next few months i hope to get around to so many of the projects that i have had my eye on for awhile... and will attempt to not get sucked into the void of time again. maybe i should make a rule for myself that i have to post something at least once a week, if only a single snapshot of something that happened! i will try this out and see how i fare. (feel free to censure if i am slacking)