belle epoque

So remember how I said the Stella Pixie Hat was my favorite hat ever? Well, I just finished a Norwegian Baby Cap for a friend’s baby and I think it takes the cake


And one without the baby in it, if you like that sort of thing.

Of course this is for someone else, so I will have to make another for Miss E, or perhaps even a grown-up sized one for myself! I did make some changes to the pattern, and the details are over on Ravelry. I’m putting off the kitchener stitch on the other Pixie Hat I had on the needles, but once I do that I will be almost done with my WIPs! Next I’m going to make something for myself…

Since my sewing room was taken over by a tiny person, I’ve been doing a lot of knitting. The more I knit, the better I get at it, and the more inspired I am to try interesting and different things. I have yet to complete a large-scale project like a sweater, but a book I recently received, Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans has me thinking about even leaping over the sweater milestone to attempt something ultra-large-scale like an afghan. When it arrived, my mother and I spent much of naptime going through it together, oohing and aahing.

The designs are amazing–many of them I would put more in the category of tapestry or wall-hanging than blanket. I surely wouldn’t let my littles pick at or spit up on the Winchester Winter or Still Life designs if I made them! But there are simple ones as well, and a lovely crochet called Irish Floral shown at table runner scale that I’m eyeing with dangerous intent.

I also think the idea of a book designed purely with one brand/style yarn is an interesting one. I’ve never knit with Berroco’s Comfort, but it is pretty amazing how many colors are on offer, and what different effects can be achieved with this one yarn. There are even some free patterns over at the publisher’s website– for the Greenway Afghan and the Autumn Haze design as well. If you’d like a look at the book, jump in with a comment! I’ll pick a name at random in a week’s time and a copy will wing its way to you.

I’ve actually finished a project or two lately, so I’ll be back again soon with some crafty goodness to show you!

Thank you guys for the warm welcome back! I have put off posting to show you something finished. But I’ve been putting it off too long so thought I’d show you my little heap of works in progress

There’s another crop of babies coming from my friends, meaning I’m working on three baby hats at the same time. I have a bad habit of starting a bunch of projects at once, which means everything goes more slowly, I get bored and I want to start yet another something new. A good reason that, given my druthers and a craft room, I’m a machine sewing person rather than a knitting person– I just knit too slowly to suit my butterfly mind. But I shall persevere until these hats are done, then not do another baby hat for awhile! I’m thinking about a simple pull-over cotton sweater for HMB, as she seems to like pullovers, and it will be good for the ever-chilly SF summer. Plus will go faster than the totally stalled adult sweater I’m working on and considering frogging…

I’ve been given a delicious pile of craft books by a lovely friend, which are SO inspiring, so hopefully I’ll be back shortly with some book talk, if not a small project or two.

What a long maternity break from blogging that was! If I am still showing up on your feed readers, thank you for waiting for me and coming back! I’ve been busy taking care of these two for the past few months

Miss S. has been joined by Miss E, also known as “Her Nibs.” Miss E came right on her due date, December 17th, all by herself. After a rocky 6 week adjustment period, we’ve all been getting along splendidly for the most part. I think I showed you guys the Stella Pixie hat I made for Her Nibs before she was born. I liked it then but felt lukewarm about it. But people, on a baby?! Holy Moly

It is hands down the most complimented thing I have ever made! It is also perfect for carrying a wee one in a bjorn– it covers both neck and the entire head/ear area and doesn’t come off when they move their little noggins around. I love it so much. And of course the little fuzzy head it covers.

As that little fuzzy head is currently occupying a crib in my former craft room, all the crafting I’ve been doing is knitting and handwork, but I have been doing it! For Miss S’s second birthday(yes! she is TWO!) I made her a little family of piggies

This pattern came from one of my latest favorite knitting books, Knitted Animals by Anne-Dorthe Grigaff. The designs are super-simple and easy but so very charming. The quality of the yarn makes all the difference– the piggies were knit with a lovely angora blend that is super-soft.

I’ve got a ton of other projects in the works, including my very first sweater, for me! And some older projects I never managed to blog about before my baby-break. I’ve missed this space, and you guys! I’ll be back soon…

So, I’ve got HMB’s basket of knit vegetables all ready to go- just have to think of a clever way to wrap them for Christmas-

with a garden stowaway

The veggies are all from patterns in Amigurumi Knits, and the snail is from this adorable free pattern.

I realised that Twosie should have a few presents under the tree too, so I got the chance to make the Toadstool Baby Rattle that I’ve had my eye on at the Purl Bee since they first posted it

I put a nice jingly cat toy in the cap and hopefully this baby will not be allergic to wool so she can play with it!

Moondoggie is away for the weekend, meaning both that HMB will be missing daddy, and, as an upside, there might be some time for sewing around here after HMB goes to bed– if so I have a bunch of things in the works that I’ll hopefully be able to finish and show you next week. In the meantime, I hope you all have happy and crafty weekends!

I’m still here! I haven’t had the other baby super early or anything, I’ve been knitting obsessively. It must be an hormonal thing– I just can’t stop. I have a painstakingly made Waldorf rag doll finished for HMB and she is totally nakey because I just keep knitting and don’t make time to sew her tiny little clothes.

Anyway, I’ll show you what I’ve got– first what I’ve made for Twosie (second baby), the adorable Stella Pixie Hat from Vintage Knits

and Saartje’s Bootees to match

And of course HMB couldn’t be left out of the knitting action and got a little vest

Which she modeled for me while saying “cheese”, though it looks like she is growling

I’m still obsessively knitting– nearly finished with a somewhat full complement of vegetables from Amigurumi Knits for HMB’s Christmas gift. I’ve just got the garlic left to go… I’ll show you those guys when they’re done, and then hopefully I’ll be able to dress the poor cold rag doll and show her off too.

As promised, another look at a great craft book you might either like for a gift, or use to make gifts for people on your holiday list! Knowing that I’ve been on a bit of a knitting bender, my lovely friend Natalie passed along Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh

I’ve been impressed and intimidated by amigurumi crochet– it is all adorable but I’m sure it would drive me totally insane to try to do it (see my previous post regarding an inability to figure out where a round begins or exactly where to stick my hook in the last one). The knits in this book, on the other hand, were instantly appealing. I love working with double pointed needles, and the photographs that illustrate the various techniques for increases, bind-offs, cast-ons etc used in these projects are FANTASTIC. The author also did a great job knowing which steps of the projects to illustrate with a photograph, which in my opinion can really make or break a craft book– often things that make sense if someone shows them to you make no sense at all written in words. This book does a great job of showing you what you need to see when words alone aren’t enough.

How do I know this? I made her adorable knitted tomato and found it utterly addictive

I did not have the right type of yarn for the stem and leaves, so I ended up with a slightly wacky variety of heirloom tomato, but I just love it. You can’t really tell in 2-D how truly tomato-shaped it is, and how fun it is to squeeze. I plan to make a whole vegetable basket for HMB for Christmas with the other totally cute veggie patterns– an eggplant, peapod, carrot, cucumber and head of garlic! And perhaps a child-sized crocheted market bag to carry them in if I have the time.

Not knowing much about amigurumi, I’m not sure if its origins are in children’s toys or purely adult love of kawaii, but the author’s bio suggests that she started her knit amigurumi as toys for her son. Every project in this book would make a terrific child’s toy. I know the title Cool Knitted Toys probably wouldn’t appeal as much to childless crafters as Amigurumi does, though! But I have the sense that some of the projects in this book would please one of the hardest child demographics– the precocious and clever tween boy. Vis:

A jackelope, giant squid or loch ness monster? Definitely cool enough to display openly in your room, and perhaps secretly cuddle when no one is looking…

I’m sorry to be posting this so much later than I heard about it, but I’ve been on a knitting binge– as it is a craft I can do while I lie in bed, watching shows on Hulu or Netflix while HMB naps (I’m a lazy sort of pregnant lady). Anyway, the wonderful folks over at Melanie Falick Books are offering a TON of really great patterns from their beautiful books *for free* over on their website. Go check it out! Some of my very favorite craft books are from this publisher(promise, I don’t work for them!), and the patterns they’re offering for free are great, for sewing, knitting, hand printing and more. I’ve already made this one with a few changes

and I’m working on this one. I actually own Vintage Baby Knits and couldn’t recommend it more–the patterns are charming and at the least the ones I’ve tried are cleverly constructed and pretty quick and easy for patterns that call for small yarns and needles. And I’m *not* a great, patient or detail-oriented knitter.

One of the highlights of our fall season is another set of mama/baby classes at the San Francisco Waldorf School. HMB and I are taking a seasonal cooking class, and a craft class. She eats at least two portions of everything we make in the cooking class (apple crisp! porridge!), and is surprisingly willing to be patient while I knit with the other mamas in the craft class(perhaps the lovely handmade dolls to play with, and the promise of yet another yummy snack at the end of class helps with that?). Anyway, I finished my first project for the knitting class just this week– a very easy and adorable tam for the little miss

It’s of a golden Debbie Bliss alpaca/silk blend, and she was also surprisingly willing to model it for me, from the front

from the back

and in motion

And then she whipped it off her head with a quick “Bye bye!” and used it as a bag to carry around her tiny plastic Elmo. It is large enough to have quite a bit of wear in it, so hopefully it will still fit when she’s a bit more willing to wear hats for real.

Oh friends, I’ve missed you. It has been a weird kind of busy/angsty around here that I’ll just file under “Spring Fever” and have done with it. I’m hoping now that it is May we can all accept that it is spring already and have no more fevery flibbertyjibbetness around here (and no more middle of the night business from a certain person. But I’m afraid there is always a bit of the flibbertyjibbet (sp?) in me, so I make no promises.

I’ve been missing out on my bloglines lately too, and now that I’m catching up– WOW, there are so many great tutorials, cute articles of clothing and other goodies out there. I’ve recently fallen into the trap of starting more than 2 craft projects at once which means I get overwhelmed and nothing gets done so I sit here not crafting and not blogging, feeling wretched. Sadly seeing all this cuteness popping up all over makes me all the more inspired to take on even more projects. But I must be strong.

What I have been doing since we last met
*Baking bread- I gave in and got a pizza stone and container so I could try my hand at the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. It was both good looking and pretty delicious, though my crust could use some work

*Knitting- HMB and I have been attending wonderful classes put on by the SF Waldorf School since she was 6 months old. Now we are in a *very* clever craft class that allows the moms to craft while the toddlers cruise around and play. There is singing and a warm snack too. I can’t tell you what a bright spot this is in our week! We’ve already made a crocheted market bag, and now I’m working on these

One down, one to go!
*Cooking, again and more and always.
*Re-reading Anne of Green Gables, and realizing how woefully miscast Meagan Followes and that guy who played Gilbert Blythe really were, as much as I enjoyed the CBC series when I was younger.
*Failing miserably at spring cleaning! Though you know, I have gotten into the habit of making the bed every day and *really* cleaning out the fridge every grocery day. So that’s something. But the craft room is taunting me with its clutter and disorganization, as ever.

Anyway, that’s about all here. I’ll try to pop in again before then but if I don’t–HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! to all of you amazing, inspiring moms out there– I don’t know how you guys do it, crafting like crazy, cooking delicious food, looking great and raising amazing children too. I’m sort of hanging on by my fingernails most of the time, so I salute all of you out there making it happen!