In Preparation

I feel as if I'm now as prepared as I'm going to be for the *big* day that will hopefully arrive soon. All of our bags are packed, the house is at least semi-clean (thanks, Mom!), there are some frozen meals in the freezer, and I've finished the last of my baby knitting.

This afternoon I finally sewed the buttons on to the Harvey Kimono that I made for our new arrival. This is actually the second Harvey Kimono I've made (I made one for Matthew shortly after he was born), and even though all of the seaming is a beast, I just think that it's such a sweet pattern. I also love the yarn: Green Mountain Spinnery's Cotton Comfort. It is such a treat to knit with and the perfect yarn for baby garments. I highly recommend it! Underneath the sweater in the photo is a stroller quilt that my very talented friend made. I am very fortunate to have her in my life and be the recipient of such a sweet handmade quilt (thank you!).

A week and a half ago, during one of my ultrasounds, our little guy measured to weigh a little over eight pounds! I am thankful that he's a healthy size, but I have to admit that it scared me just a bit. I thought that for sure I would have had him by now, but here we are, still waiting. I have another ultrasound on Thursday and, based on that, my OB said that we'll "revisit our options." I am afraid that he'll push for either an induction or a c-section, neither of which we would like to do. Of course, we'll do what's best for the health of the baby and my own health, but we really have our hearts set on a natural birth. Please send prayers and thoughts our way for our little guy to come soon, preferably before Thursday. :)

Spring Break

Over the past couple of weeks I have taken a little bit of a break from knitting and have worked on crochet instead. I wanted to make a little something to add to Matthew's Easter basket, and when I found the Birds of a Feather pattern, I knew it would be perfect. Plus, it's free! ;) I decided to do embroidery for the beak and eyes instead of felt or buttons/beads for safety reasons, but other than that, followed the pattern. I used Peaches & Creme for the yellow bird and Knit Picks' Main Line for the purple. If Matthew doesn't like them, then I'll just have to keep them for myself!

I also decided to make a little something for myself. :) I used the Raspberry and Lime purse pattern from Interweave Crochet Spring 2008. It was my first time working with tapestry crochet, and I was pleased with how it turned out. The tapestry crochet also gave the bag some sturdiness. For a decorative touch (and to cover up a little flaw!) I added a crocheted flower with a button center. Doesn't this bag just remind you of spring (which I hope will SOMEDAY come!)?


And finally, a pregnant belly! I am not sure that I'll last three and a half more weeks...(hopefully I'll clean my mirror during my "nesting" stage!)

Dough!

I survived my weekend on my own and perhaps even planned a bit too much. We had so much going on Saturday that we didn't have much time for outside play--something that is a must with an almost-two-year-old boy. Right now it is snowing (and actually sticking!), and we've been having high winds all week. Typical New Mexico spring weather. So, I've been trying to come up with more inside activities, especially because I'd like to have a little arsenal handy for when little brother comes.


Last week we made play-dough using my favorite recipe:

4 cups flour
2 cups salt
4 T cream of tartar
2 T vegetable oil
4 cups water (with food coloring added, if desired)
Mix together and stir over low heat until dough is stiff. Turn over on counter, let cool and knead. Store in an air-tight container.

This recipe keeps very well, although I have heard suggestions of keeping it in the fridge (we haven't, and it's been fine). I like the feel of it so much more than store-bought play-dough, plus I know the ingredients that went into it. Yup, I have a play-dough eater!

I have enjoyed searching the internet lately for activities to do with toddlers. Although I was an elementary teacher, I never took any early childhood classes. I am sure learning a lot now, though! Having a child is definitely the most hands-on, rewarding, practical, and difficult course I've ever had! Anyway, here are just a few of the websites/blogs I've come across:

The Toby Show (Click on the "Cheap and Easy" button)
Chasing Cheerios
The Crafty Crow

I'm sure there are many more out there--please let me know if you have any recommendations!

Update: The snow mentioned above brought about six inches and a snow day--yay! Spring break starts Monday, so this year it's extra long. :) (I care because my husband's a teacher).

Vintage Dish Towel

My husband is leaving tomorrow for the weekend to visit his sister and her family, as well as his mother, in Tucson. I've never been on my own for that long with Matthew before, so I'm a little nervous. Being 34 weeks pregnant doesn't help, either! I have several activities planned including attending a friend's baby shower, dinner plans with my parents both Friday and Saturday, and I even stopped by Hobby Lobby today to pick up some craft supplies "just in case." Hopefully it will be Sunday before we know it!

I am sending this dish towel and dish cloth with my husband as a gift for my sister-in-law. The dish cloth is similar to others I've made, except that this time I did an edging of single crochet with a hanging loop. The dish towel is the Mitered Hanging Towel from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines, but you can find it here for free. Both projects just took two balls of Peaches & Creme, total. You have to love that!

Ribbitt!

Over a month ago I made these cute little bean bag frogs using the Purl Frog pattern. It's free, easy, and you can make four little guys with two contrasting fat quarters (or two from one fat quarter). I was going to put these in Matthew's Easter basket, but he found them before I could hide them. They have already been well-loved and are full of dirt and pet hair. But that's what they're made for, right? :)

The Purl Frogs even have their own Flickr group if you want to check out some more froggy cuteness.

A Fun Article

When I received my new issue of Mothering Magazine (or, as my husband likes to call it, Smothering Magazine) on Friday, I was thrilled to see an article about crafting/blogging mamas. Five women were showcased, including Amanda Blake Soule from SouleMama and Amy Karol from Angry Chicken. It was fun and inspiring reading about these two crafting/blogging "celebrities" who I have been following for quite some time now (I also have both their books!).

If you're not familiar with Mothering, it's a natural parenting magazine that's a little off the beaten path. I look forward to every issue and read the magazine cover-to-cover. I even read all of the advertisements (and I can't say that about any other magazine)!

Baby Blues

Thankfully, this post is about what's been on my needles lately, not post-partum depresson! I can't believe that it's already been a month since my last post, but I have been keeping pretty busy. I've had so many projects-in-progress and really wanted to finish all of them before blogging. Of course, life got in the way as well, as I've been tackling my "to-do before the baby is born list" and taking care of a sick kiddo.

First up I have my third pair of Stay-on Baby Booties from Knitting for Baby. I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and although it is super soft, I do like the Koigu better. The gauge on this pair is a bit off, so they're probably be a little big for a newborn. Hopefully they'll still get plenty of use!

After seeing Soule Mama's beautiful kicking bag, I decided to make one of my own. I even had some sock yarn in my stash that worked out wonderfully. This did take a while since I was using size 2 needles, but it the was perfect project for car rides and watching tv. The wool/cotton blend will also be perfect for the summer: our days can reach the 90s, but our nights are still quite cool. (The kicking sack looks like a giant water-bottle cover just in case you're wondering; I just liked this close-up of the mock-cable ribbing the best of all the pics...)

Now this next project I finished months ago. For some reason I just wasn't very motivated to get out the camera. With Matthew we ended up doing part-time cloth diapering, but this time around I am determined to go full-time. I have learned a lot about the dos and don'ts, and hopefully this little one won't have Matthew's very sensitive skin. I purchased this pattern, the Hybrid Rib Soaker, more than a year-and-a-half ago from Little Turtle Knits, but this is the first time I'm actually knit it. It was super quick and a great stash buster (I used leftover Paton's Merino Wool from Pat's Cobblestone Pullover). The pattern comes in many sizes (perhaps 5?) and with the option of using either dk or worsted weight yarn. This cover is a size small and is just so adorable. I can't wait to meet its wearer!

Finally, everybody needs some good washcloths. A couple weeks ago, out of the blue, I had an itch to make some washcloths. I even had some Peaches and Creme cotton lying around (another stash-buster, yay!) and found this pattern after searching Ravelry (there is actually a VERY similar pattern in Knitting for Baby, but the Grandmother's Favorite is free). There's just something nostalgic about knitting washcloths for babies, don't you think? Anyway, I figured our new little one would appreciate his own washcloths instead of stained hand-me-downs from his brother. I plan on knitting many more in the future!

Finally, I'd like to thank you for all of your kind comments on my last post. I sometimes hesitate about sharing something so personal, but I do believe that those ups and downs of pregnancy, motherhood, and life in general, are all very real. I don't know of any "perfect" families, and although I often just enjoy highlighting the positive aspects of my life on this blog, I believe that it's more honest of me to also mention some of the trials. Life is good, but sometimes the road can get a bit bumpy.

Have a terrific weekend!