Birthday Prep & Sickness

My boy is turning 2 in under 2 weeks! I have to shift gears to birthday prep and try to enjoy the anticipation of this anniversary.

As I've been thinking ahead to this birthday I have been mourning the loss of my baby, my snuggly love bug who occasionally stood still. This crazy toddler boy I have now is awesome and so much fun, but I do miss the occasional silence and I definitely miss the snuggles. I guess it's a mixed blessing then that the boy has come down with RSV (again!) and doesn't want to be anywhere except in momma's arms, in the rocking chair with a blanket around us both. He wants lots of kisses and demands to be held with both arms wrapped around him. As much as I want him to get better and get his energy back I guess I'm glad to know my 2 year old still needs his momma like this :)

Hatmania

As promised here are just a few of my recent knitting projects. Enjoy :)

actually an adult sized hat, but it fits Q pretty well huh? Made with Noro Kureyon yarn.

I'm in love despite the fact that it was supposed to be for me and it's too small

another noro yarn here - noro silk garden yarn. Lyon hat.

The ear flaps button off and it's so freaking adorable, another love

this one out of cascade 220 superwash merino yarn, a very simple beanie for my darling husband

I've been hat crazy as you can tell.

I've made this pattern above three times so far because family members keep asking for them! That feels good :)

I think my favorite hat so far is the one I finished yesterday. Soulemama's Rosa. I did it a little differently from hers because I didn't care for the super poofy, gathered top and I'm quite happy with how mine came out.

and here it is sitting on my little model

and I have one other hat that's almost done, a very valentines-y hat actually. Not planned that way but it is rather fitting ;) pun intended :)

phew, that's a lot of hats (and that's not even all of them!). I'll show you some of the other projects I've been working on in another post :)

....and we're back

What can I say? Holidays, family, winter. It was not my intention to be gone for over a month from this blog but here we are. Happy New Year! Welcome 2011! My boy is going to turn 2 this year, this month in fact. That's just crazy.

We had a wonderful holiday season, always crazier than you want it to be and I always have so many ideas about how it will be different (and better) next year and then I forget them in the final weeks. Like how I'm going to make all my gifts, and make an advent calendar, not get Q too many gifts, have less plans, be calmer, etc. Yeah, that flies out the window during that last week where I tell myself - just one more thing, just one more party in there, we can do it.... I always regret it though. Mark my words, it will be different next year! I'll write a blog post soon about all the things I'm going to try to do different.

Since then we've been home just trying to keep up with life. Hard stuff with a toddler underfoot. I have tried to carve out some time for crafting. I've been neglecting my sewing (among other things, like this blog!) for knitting and have been churning out some woolen wear to get us through the cold weather (and snows) we've been having. I don't think I enjoy anything quite like I enjoy seeing my kid wearing things I knit.

I can't wait to show you the knitting and other things we've been up to! I promise not to go away for so long again :)

{This Moment}

{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. Inspired by Soulemama

{This Moment}

{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. Inspired by Soulemama

Toddlerhood

Toddlerhood has been kicking my butt these past few weeks so I thought I would share this quote that lives on my bulletin board. I put it up there when Q was just a few months old and I was consumed with making all sorts of decisions about sleep training, breastfeeding, vaccines, etc.. but it really has helped me now as well when I am struggling with diet, discipline and routine.


Peaceful Problem Solving

There are no absolute rules about raising children and no guarantees for any parenting techniques. Raise your children how you choose to raise them and in ways that are right for you. Within the range of your comfort zone, modify your approach for each of your children based on their needs, personality, and temperament.

Address only those problems that are true problems to you, and don't create or imagine problems because someone else things you have them, no matter if that person is family, friend, or expert.

Keep your problems in perspective and take ample time to plot the best course of action. Solve your problems by analyzing possible solutions and choosing those solutions that are right for you and your family. Know tat there is rarely one right answer, and often it will take multiple routes before getting to the best destination.

React, listen, and learn constantly, but always sift what you learn through the strainer of your own personal beliefs and parenting philosophy.

- Elizabeth Pantley

Somewhere between a WIP and a FO

It's Thursday. I was going to post some pictures of all my Works In Progress yesterday, and then all my Finished Objects tomorrow but since yesterday didn't happen (like so any of the blog posts I've been writing in my head lately) I thought I would pop in today.

We've been busy gearing up for Christmas, for more cold weather, and for time with friends and family over the next month. I think it's the cold weather most of all that has infected me with knitting bug. There's nothing like knitting needles clicking away with a pile of wool yarn on your lap to keep you warm during the cold. So here are a few of my recent projects - knitting and otherwise.

First, my first pair of socks! not as hard as I expected thank goodness. The yarn is a beautiful handpainted merino fingerling yarn spun up by a friend of mine. These will probably be in Q's stocking.

speaking of stockings. I had planned on knitting everyone a pair of socks for Christmas and having one of those be their stockings but that didn't happen.... So then I thought that I would buy us each a pair of nice wool socks and those would be our stockings.... but then that didn't happen either. So in the end I just got frustrated with my knitting one night, set it aside and whipped these up with some fabric scraps I had

another Christmas knit for the little boy is this wizard hat

doesn't look like much now but it's a HUGE hat that will then be felted down and some decoration added and it will be a wizard hat! trust me ;)

And one more felted knit project and another first for me - mittens!

the one that's finished I have felted some already and tried it on Q, for some reason the thumb is freakishly long so I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that yet, this one is sort of hibernating while I figure that out

and last but very much not least on my knitting needles this week is my first sweater! Sweaters have always daunted me but no more! super easy!! This was also #20 on my list.

This photo was actually taken a few days ago and the sweater is much more completed now, just waiting for one last sleeve to be sewn on and I can show you some pictures of it all finished up! Unfortunately I think I'll have to make some adjustments once it's done because it seems a little bit short for Q.

I also finished this pumpkin hat a few weeks ago, it was a super quick and easy knit and something I've been wanting to make for a while now. I made it a bit longer than called for so that it could roll down over Q's ears but I still wish I'd added another inch to it because it's so damn cold outside. I can't wait to use this pattern again in the spring to make a strawberry hat :)

That's most of the knitting I've been doing lately, and it's all for Q! I did find time to make myself one little thing, very practical but very handy as well (pun intended!)

Fleece-y fingerless gloves!

Can you tell how incredibly easy these are to make? yup, it's just a tube of fleece with a slit on the side for my thumb. Fleece is so easy to work with since it doesn't unravel at all, I love no hemming! I need to do more decoration to these but I've been using them a lot as is - especially when I get in the car first thing in the morning and the steering wheel is so cold.... fleecy mitts to the rescue!

I actually have a few more finished things to show but I need to find them and snap some pictures of them, between the cold weather, the crud going around and a toddler it may be a while though :)