finger thumb

what's on

Here's a bit of what's on around our place these days.

What's on my stove:  Home made ginger beer. Courtesy of Hubs. He's a man on a mission, and despite the fact that over the past couple of years he's made ginger beer a handful of times, he still feels that he hasn't "cracked the code" on the perfect recipe yet. He considers this iteration a disappointment, as he says its neither sweet enough nor fiery enough and didn't ferment very quickly (he's blaming that on acidity and possibly the use of cream of tartar) but I actually really like this batch. Its mellow and subtle. He'll make a few adjustments and try it again (different sugar, less lemon, or maybe no rind this time), and has big plans to try making his own Root Beer or Sasparilla. (I can't say that word with out feeling like Yosemite Sam)

On the tape deck:     I cannot tell you HOW MANY TIMES we listened to Cinderella this week. Suffice it to say, it was a lot! But of course, I took this picture yesterday, and since then he's changed it up to being all Rumplestiltskin, all the time. I asked him what his favourite part of Cinderella was and he said "the hear ye, hear ye, guy". That's the part where the king sends out a decree inviting all the eligible young ladies in the kingdom to the ball. He has a very funny voice, and there is a trumpet blast, and for some reason, L.D. really likes that. His favourite part of Rumplestiltskin is where the Queen tries to guess his name and when she successfully does, he gets so angry that he stamps his foot so hard that it makes a hole in the ground through which he disappears and is never heard from again. We act that out a lot, which is very funny, especially when he wants me to be Rumplestitlskin, and he has to guess names. Because he'll start with a couple of real names "Casper? Bill?" and then move on to place names "Gallilee?" and then just make shit up "Schmoo-Schmo? Blaggle?" Then when he finally shouts "Rumplestitlskin" I have to stomp and spin around and fall to the floor with a howl. And I like to really do it up, because he loves it, but I totally gave myself a headache the other day after, like 7 spin/shout/falls. 

On my needles:   Rock Star Doll. Can you guess which rock star. I'll be impressed if you do, and no, neither Bert nor Ernie are rock stars. I've been enjoying the activity of knitting after all the quilting I've been doing lately, but remembered why I don't generally do a lot of doll/toy knitting. Its so bloody fiddle-y! Its a baby gift for a friend, so I have to see it through, otherwise I'd have abandoned it by now. By the time I'm done I'll bet I could have used the same amount of time and made a sweater. Well, ok, a kid's sweater. Or maybe a scarf. But you know what I mean. 

On my sewing machine:  Another play matt quilt for the baby. But I'm going to make this one thicker, because he needs the extra padding when down on the wood floor in the dining room. He's SO active and while he still can't crawl, he somehow manages to be constantly in motion. He's like a little coiled baby spring of activity. I'm telling you, it sometimes feels like he never stops. Even when I'm feeding him his legs are pumping and he's slowly windmilling his little arms around, pulling his ear, rubbing his head, sticking his fingers into my mouth. Its quite funny. Getting a diaper and sleeper on him after his bath is a full body aerobic workout. Speaking of which....

On the floor:  The world's happiest baby! Such a smiler he is. My sister says he sparkles, and its true, he is positively effervescent. He's just within the past week figured out how to pop himself up really high on his arms like this, and when I get out of his sight line, he turtles his little neck up like this and jacks himself up on his strong little arms to get a look at me, so he can warble and squeal in my direction. I love it. 

On my windowsill:  This sweet little flower in its tiny little cup. The vase is actually a little KLM shot glass that Hubs got at a V.V. once. (I wish I could say we got it on a plane, but its been awhile since we've flown anywhere, especially via KLM) The Little Dude picked me this flower, hence the very short stem. It makes me smile every time I see it, because it's happy and orange and was picked and presented to me with the same nonchalant comfortable love that characterizes my Little Dude so well. I was taking this picture, and actually stopped to clean the window in the background, and was annoyed that there were still spots, even though I did inside and outside the window, so I moved it to the table where I thought it might work better. Then L.D. came along to 'assist' me.

"Don't DRINK it!" I yelped when I realized what was going on as it was snatched out from in front of my lens. He looked at me quizically and said, "I was just smellin' it."

Duh.

un-pregnant

There have been a number of little reminders lately that I am no longer pregnant. Pregnancy is such a funny state of being, and so all encompassing in both your mind and body, that sometimes I forget that I'm not pregnant any more, until I am suddenly reminded. For example, I went out for a walk with the Little Dude yesterday, and with great ease, did up the zipper on my coat. But it wasn't until after I zipped it up that I realized that I could. You know what I mean? It was very satisfying and shocking at the same time to realize that I was no longer pregnant. 

Also, I can stand up from a sitting position on the floor with no assistance whatsoever. And I can sit with the Little Dude on my lap, front and centre as it were, while I read him a story. Also, I cleaned the bathtub this evening. That doesn't really sound like something you'd want to celebrate, but just the mere action of bending and leaning over into the tub to scrub it was something that I would never even  have dreamed of doing a couple of weeks ago. Not that I dream of cleaning the bathtub now, but again, you know what I mean.

And I'm starting to feel like my old self. There are still a few aches and pains left over from pregnancy, and of course, lactation is a whole other thing to get used to, but in general I'm feeling pretty pleased about my non-pregnant self. Oh, and the best thing about not being pregnant any more?   This guy! He's just a smidgen jaundiced, (nothing to worry about) but we're supposed to lay in the sunlight any chance we can get. So we have these nice little sunbathing parties on the big bed in the afternoon, which are just the perfect photo opportunities. 

Look at those delicious little feet! And what shall we put on those little feet?

 These naturally! My mom and dad went out to visit my Aunt Rita today, and she sent these lovely little booties along. This is a pattern that my Oma always used to make, and they are just the best. They really stay on, and have such a nice boot-like quality, if you know what I mean. And they are so beautifully knitted. I do my fair share of knitting and know my way around a set of four needles, but these are just perfectly knit. The tension is gorgeous throughout, and there are no lumps or bumps anywhere!

 My Aunt Rita also knitted this. I'm hoping that it will fit the New Baby soon. Its so cold in the house lately (even though it is weirdly warm and damp outside) and we could really used a cardigan. 

Humour me with the detail shots ok? I just love a nice close-up of a hand knit. 

Also, just one more of these:
 I've said it before and I'll say it again; I wish the internet had a smell function. This kid smells so good. I could just live with my face buried in between his sweet little shoulder blades. 

killing time at the V.V.

We've really been trying to get it in gear with getting a room ready for the New Baby, but its been hard. There is so much going on otherwise, and great mounds of stuff to do before he arrives. There is paperwork to be done for maternity leave benefits, and a whole pile of stuff to get for Home Birth supplies. And then I should also pack a just-in-case bag for if we have to go to the Hospital. And there are a lot of books I need to read (of both the parenting and fiction variety). And there are some movies I need to go out and see before the chance to see movies is sort of off the table for a while, since I'll be breast feeding. And I should get my hair cut. Also, I need to see a Chiropractor. And renew my passport... You see what I mean. There is a never ending list of stuff to do before the blessed event. But really, he needs a bedroom, so we tried to prioritize that this weekend. Chose a colour, bought some no V.O.C. paint, and Hubs had big plans to paint both the front hallway and the New Baby's room. But of course, the Little Dude wanted to help. And not that we don't often welcome his participation in projects around the house (that is how they learn after all, by mimicking us), but really, no matter how low the V.O.C's are, I'm still pregnant, and its still a pain to wash any kind of paint out of a toddler's hair. So the Little Dude and I decided to 'help' Daddy paint by leaving the house. For two days in a row we spent an hour or two at the library while Hubs sanded and spackled and replaced trim and put on base coats. But on Saturday he needed another couple of hours to do the final coat. And we/I was tired of the library, so we needed another place to kill a couple of hours. 

So off the the Value Village we went. 

Which was good in some ways, and bad in others. On the one hand, we both had a great time, (up until a lil' meltdown at the cash register over L.D's need to get a toy from their display of bagged baby toys. But Mama said 'no'. And the Little Dude was not so happy about that. Though I had pushed our visit well into lunch time, so I suppose I was asking for it. I held my ground despite the tut-tut-ing of the old ladies around me, and we made it out the door without the toy. And all was forgotten once we were finally in the car) And aside from that last minute meltdown, it was a really nice hour and a half, looking at books and knicknacks, and toys and bedsheets. 

On the downside, it was much more expensive than the library. Ahem. True, each individual item is only a fraction of what you would pay for it at new retail prices, but when you leave with a cart full, (as I inevitably do) it does add up. 

Anyhow, here are some of the lovely things I found:

The one (1!) toy that the Little Dude was allowed to purchase. I'm so glad that despite the plethora of crappy, broken, plastic, battery operated toys that were available to him, that I was able to gently steer him in the direction of this wooden car. I know I won't always have the input, but while I can, I will. 

A whole bunch of lovely old Crown canning jars. These aren't actually for me, but are for a friend of mine who is getting married and wants to do her floral centre pieces in these kind of jars. She lives in Toronto, where they charge a mint for this kind of thing ($3-$8 dollars apiece!) but out here where I live I could score them for .69 cents each. Yep, things to like about living in the sticks. 

The most adorable apron. It doesn't read well here, and would be a way better photo if I could model it on a body, but with the huge pregnant belly I'm sporting these days, aprons look rather ridiculous, unless they are of the smock variety. And even then... 

It is made of the most awesome dancing ballerina fabric. Very 50's in the colour choices. I'm always so pleased when I find a really good vintage apron. They used to be much easier to come by. 8 or 10 years ago when I started collecting aprons the racks at the V.V. were full of cute vintage aprons. But now, whether a lot of other people are collecting them, or just that there are less of them out there, I find that the apron rack is mostly dreck. Lots of recent, plastic-y commercially made ones, mostly advertising businesses, or featuring recipes from Kraft foods. So its really a treat now to find one of these.

And actually the same goes for really good vintage knitting patterns. I mean 70's and earlier. I used to find piles of them, but now the pickings are much slimmer. I only found one this weekend, but it had such great pictures in it. 

Isn't that adorable? The gauge is super fine. I could never imagine knitting something with this many stitches. But it sure looks cute. 

I love the pictures of men's sweaters. The way they are styled is always so funny, with these hyper-masculine props. You could do a whole gender study on the pictures in knitting magazines. The women are allowed to just sit there, and be passively looked at, but the men must always be on the verge of action. There are usually weapons of some kind, or at least a nod towards killing wild life or fixing cars, as if to say "Don't worry, we haven't been emasculated by wearing hand-knit items, we are still very, very manly!"

Oh, and I LOVE this kind of tea towel. The kind that are made of real linen, and have some sort of touristy printing on them. Note the squirrel under British Wildlife. Both of these are nicely broken in, and super soft and absorbent. They are certainly my preferred towel, and don't worry, they will be put to use, not just collected in a box somewhere.

And then I hit the bed linens section. Always my favourite part.  Awesome pillowcases.

This one deserved its own picture. My favourite kind of pattern. Lots of contrast, very bold. And it is that really good, thick cotton, if you know what I mean. 

I have this one already, in shades of green, and I just love it. Please excuse the not very good photo. Lots of dust and wrinkles. I did not have time to wash and iron before I photographed, because trust me, if I'd waited it never would have happened.

This is another one that I already have, but have almost entirely used up. It makes such a good quilt backing, so I snapped it up as soon as I saw it. 

And this one is just gorgeous. I love the addition of just that little bit of dark green/black. It really makes the design pop. Very early 60's.

These are some of my favourite colour combinations. That green/turquoise/taupe combo. Will also make a great quilt back. 

And I was SO PLEASED about finding this one. I used to have a little pillowcase made of the same fabric, which I have cut up and carefully used in just every which way, but have now run out of, save some random scraps. And this is a whole twin sized flat sheet! Yay! Its a bit faded, but I don't mind. 

So all in all, it was a very successful day at the V.V. And when we got home, Hubs had finished painting the baby room and the front hallway, and once L.D. had some lunch in him, all was well with the world. 

more fun stripes

I'm cold these days. Its cold out, and since we're cheap, its not exactly toasty inside either. And the answer to that problem is a) put on another pair of socks b) have some tea and c) get out the afghans. 

I have yet to get around to making myself the lovely, fun, cozy, watching-tv-and-knitting lap quilt of my dreams. One day. But in the meantime, I don't really need it, because I have so many nice blankets and afghans, both thrifted and gifted. Here's one of my favourites. 

This is a simple yet beautiful striped afghan that my mother-in-law knitted for us a couple of years ago. I have yet to attempt to knit something this large, and am in awe of both her perseverance, and her skill with colour choices. Next time I'm stumped with my little ripple blanket, I'm going to refer to this afghan for inspiration. Also, its made mostly of mohair so its both warm and light. And obviously, I'm not the only one who likes it. The Little Dude has lately started to enjoy playing "its bedtime!" (though let it be noted that this game is only fun when its not actually bedtime). He loves to either climb up in our bed, or make a pretend bed in a chair in the livingroom, and then go through the steps of story/song/lights out/close eyes/fake snoring/'wake up time'! Very cute. Here he is all tucked in under Oma's afghan, doing his story reading before pretend bedtime. 

And here he is, pretending to sleep. 

Its interesting, we are playing a lot more 'pretend' games these days, pretending to cook, pretending to eat, pretending to sleep, pretending to skate. Its really lovely to see him making the leap and understanding the difference between real and pretend. 

baby news

So today was the day I had my ultrasound. I know not everyone is into extra medical intervention during pregnancy, and really, I suppose that unless one expects that there are issues, an ultrasound is not, strictly speaking, necessary. But I'll tell you what it is; its COOL, that's what! I'm not a huge fan of hospitals and excess equipment, but I can't tell you how amazing it is to see that little person inside of me. And to actually SEE little hands waving, and little feet kicking. The technician did her millions of measurements, as I lay there with goop on my belly and a very full bladder (they make you drink a litre of water AN HOUR before the appointment. I was so full of pee, I thought I'd burst! And then they spend 20 minutes poking at your belly. Not the most pleasant sensation) and we chatted etc, and then finally she said we could call Hubs in, so that he could see too. She did a sort of run down, and showed us the head and the heart and the hands and the feet, and I kept wanting her to slow down and just hold the viewer thing still so I could just watch my baby. Because, oh, the sweet little movements! To see the hands flicking around and to feel the feet move at the same time as you see the feet move! So crazy. And then she said, "do you want to know what the sex is?" and we said yes. So she moved the wand around again and showed us. 

Drum roll please.....

Suspense....

Wait for it, wait for it.....

Ok, now I'm just messing with you because there is no way you can tell the sex from this ultrasound photo. But you can see what a lovely profile my son will have. 

Ah ha! Subtle eh?

Yep, we are having a boy. So the Little Dude was right about it being his 'brudder'. And now that I know, I can really get down to my knitting/sewing for the New Baby Boy. You know, in all that free time I have. But I've been dying to make this sweater, so I think I'll get it cast on soon. In a nice charcoal or forest green perhaps. And this one is awfully cute too. Sigh, so much knitting, so few trimesters left. We watched the documentary Babies tonight, which I totally recommend, very watch-able, and CRAZY cute. It totally brought me back to those early baby days of floppy soft little newborns and the excitement of watching a little person struggle to lift their heads and make their first sounds which has me eagerly awaiting them again. Though of course, there will be much less livestock in my version (see the movie, and you'll see what I mean, I was so worried that little Mongolian baby was going to get kicked by a goat)

Can't wait to meet you New Baby Boy! 

If I had the time....

Ok, here is the lovely crazy (and in some cases, crazy lovlieness) that was inside those knitting books and leaflets. Though really, this is only a small portion of the retro goodness; I just don't have the time to scan them all! I'll start with the oldest one, this is the inside front cover of the Lux knitting book from the 1940's. 
Love, Love, LOVE those illustrations. And there are patterns to match every single one of them! Someday I'm actually going to get around to knitting something from one of these books. I literally have hundreds of old knitting leaflets and patterns, but I have yet to knit an actual garment from them. Accessories yes (hats, gloves, the occasional ascot) but never a proper sweater. I'm usually scared off by the crazy small gauge, and the correspondingly huge number of stitches to cast on. Also, fit differers quite a bit from then to now, or so I'm told. There was much less 'ease' in garments from the '40's so you have to get your measurements bang on, or else your finished sweater will be strangling you and biting into your armpits. Not a huge fan of that. But I'll tell you what I am a fan of...

...somewhat surly looking curly-headed little boys! How awesome is this? Really, the resemblance between this reluctant knitwear model, and my own Little Dude is hilarious. But pattern wise, I'm also down with this. Really, I have no problem with little kids in head to toe knitted snow gear. For all of L.D.'s first winter in Montreal, he proudly wore an adorable knitted carriage suit (pants with feet, sweater-coat, hat and matching mitts that I had thrifted from the local Salvation Army store) every time we went out. Now granted, we were not exactly rolling him around in the snow, more like just walking across the street to the car, but still, it was a surprisingly cozy and functional outfit. Again, if I had more time on my hands.....

And speaking of children's wear, take a gander at this little number from a 1980's booklet: 
 Every single other item in this book was either boring or ugly, but I had to pick it up for this sweater. The shape and colour were not really much to get excited about, but Holy Crap! Check out the embellishment/focal point: 
 DUDE! Is that a three dimensional appliqued HAMBURGER? Yes, yes it is. Complete with crocheted lettuce and tomato hanging out the sides. Be still my  beating heart. I may someday have to make one of these for the Little Dude. Or maybe it will just be a decorative pillow. I don't want to express my ironic sense of humour/love of crocheted trompe l'oeil at my son's expense. I have a heart people. 

Ok, moving on to what I think of as the main event. The '60's and '70's. For those were the decades that brought us what I think of as the golden age of crocheted absurdity. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you......
...the knitted bikini. Or in this case, I believe that monokini might be the more technically correct term, as the two disparate pieces are joined into one insane whole. 

Ah yes, a clothing item as impractical as it is adorable. Really have you ever used a knitted dishcloth? Gotten it wet and then hung it up to dry? Great scrubbing power, but very little elasticity or resilience. Now, imagine using the same technique to make a bathing suit. Very, very impractical. Unless you plan to never get it wet. In which case, why are you at the beach? 

Oh. Ok, so you are not going to get it wet. Its just a SUNBATHING suit. Fair enough. And I suppose this one is not so bad.

I guess, this one is ok too. Alright, just don't go in that water, promise? I'm just sayin' that is going to take forevah to dry. By the way, one thing I also really like about crocheted bikini patterns from the 60's and 70's is the total lack of plastic surgery on the models. Sure these ladies are slim and mostly still conform to today's beauty standards, but hey, there is not an implant in sight, and I find that refreshing. They look like human beings instead of LA clone bots, which I think is nice. 

 I've accumulated quite a solid little collection of vintage bikini patterns, but I'm always looking for more, so if you find some, point me in the right direction, (or buy them for me and I will totally pay you back). Someday I'm going to scan them all and make a nice little photo album on flickr, so that they will be out there for the whole world to appreciate, instead of just here in my filing cabinet, making me happy. But for now this is all I've got. Enjoy!   

vintage goodness

We had another weekend away, this time the Little Dude came along with us. We went out to good ole' Hamilton to visit with friends and see family and go to art openings and film screenings. Very very fun. Its like a spa visit for my soul, to see my good friends again, and get to spend some meaningful time with my sister and her kids. Little afternoon visits on special occasions are fine and everything, but there is nothing like being together for a more serious block of time, even if it just involves eating breakfast and running errands together. I love being in a space together and just doing the mundane. I don't know why, but sometimes mornings in track pants involve more meaningful bonding than all the birthday parties in the world. 

But it wasn't all track pants and errands. We also had fancy dinners and events, which Hubs and I were able to attend, thanks to the gracious baby sitting skills of my sister's entire family. The Little Dude cannot stop talking about his cousins. So awesome. 

Anyhow, despite all the good times and big events, what I really need to tell you about is the thrifting. Oh. My. Gosh. The Thrifting. There is a new Value Village that has opened near my sister's house, and the past two times I was there, I kept thinking to myself "if I have an extra hour this weekend, I need to go to that V.V." But of course, there was never and extra hour. Until this weekend. We went, en famillie (Hubs, the L.D. and I) and it was INSANE! 

First of all, its a new V.V. so none of that staff were surly or passive aggressive (yet), and there was not the usual pall of dinge over the fixtures. And organized! I have never been in a V.V. so beautifully organized. The management is still pretty keen, I'm thinkin'. I mean, the fiction section was arranged by colour, just like I do my books at home, but of course, the impact was much better at the V.V. because it was on a much grander scale. I wish I had gone back in with a camera for a picture, but alas, I did not. It also had the most amazing knick-knack section I've ever seen. And the dishes! Not too heavily shopped, and nary a hipster in sight. Just elderly suburbanites, out for a bargain because that's the way they were raised. In other words, no one was looking for what I was looking for, so there was some good pickin's I tell you whut!

Anyhow, it would take too long to tell you about everything I bought, so I'm just going to show you what I'm really excited about: the knitting patterns.

I collect vintage knitting patterns. By which I mean mostly '70's and earlier, but occasionally '80's if they are really crazy. Anyhow, this place had a whole stash that had clearly never been picked over, and look what I got. 

Every decade is represented here. To begin with, the '40's. 

The 50's.

The '60's and '70's (from right to left)

And of course, the '80's. As I mentioned, I rarely buy '80's patterns, but there were a couple of gems in these books. Come back tomorrow, and I'll show you what made it worth my while.
And cheap! I'm willing to pay for these things, since I love them so much, but its nice when you find what you like and its a bargain. The most expensive one was 69 cents. That Lux one from the '40's was only 49 cents, thats just 14 cents more expensive than its original cover price. Not too shabby. 

art in the afternoon

This weekend we took a little road trip to see some art. When we lived in Montreal, Hubs was part of an art-ideas studio/lab led by artist Ingrid Bachmann called IEL, which stands for the Institute of Everyday Life. Their work was being shown in an exhibit called FABRICation: Studio Production Textiles for Interiors. It was running at the same time that Fibreworks, the contemporary Canadian fibre art biennial was going on, so there were all sorts of textile/fibre events and things happening in Cambridge, which is a smallish Canadian city, with a really beautiful old downtown area (that you get to after you drive through a really ugly commercial area, its kind of like a reward at the end of a difficult hike). My mother-in-law is visiting us from Vancouver this week, and she is also a fan of all things fabric-y, so we packed up the Little Dude and headed out to Cambridge.

Our first stop was the Cambridge Galleries to see the art. 

These are some big coiled felt stools made by Kathyn Walter of FELT studio. How I love felt. I wish we had one of these big grey stools at home, and so does the Little Dude. 

 
 After having absorbed quite a bit of art, we went outside to burn off some energy. They have a lovely square there, with a war memorial, and a fountain that was built to commemorate the Centennial, I think. 

 
 There was a sort of metal medallion with the Centenial logo on it in the sidewalk that the Little Dude promptly sat on, which gave me this great shot. 

The big dramatic centrepiece of the Fibre Arts weekend was the Knit Bridge, which was an installation done by Sue Sturdy who is this year's Artist in Residence for the Cambridge Centre for the Arts.  
She covered the sides of the Main Street Bridge in downtown Cambridge with knitting. It was pretty impressive, especially when you consider that hundreds of people contributed their knitting to it. 

 The best part of it was watching the Little Dude interact with it. He seemed to love all the colours and textures, and that he was allowed to poke and prod at it (which, after an afternoon of being carefully shepherded around the galleries learning not to touch things was a great relief I'm sure).  

 He literally go into it at one point, tucking his head under a dangly scarf-y  bit. He was pretty pleased with himself for that. 

Then, he noticed all the confetti on the ground. It was probably left over from the opening ceremony.  

 He was very excited about it, especially after Hubs showed him how it worked. Gather it up, throw it in the air, and voila! instant fun.

It pretty much summed up our afternoon: experiencing everyday things that are beautiful or extraordinary when found out of their usual context. Which is a really art-catalogue-y way of saying we had a lot of fun, and slept like logs when we finally got home. 

The Oma Sweater

As I may have mentioned before, my mother-in-law is an incredible knitter. And when the Baby was first born, she called and asked if I would like a sweater knit for him. I said yes, of course, hand spun yarn, hand knit goodness, sign me up! Then, like a good handmade gift giver, she asked me what kind of sweater I would like knitted for him, and I said a cardigan please, and she said what colour, and I said grey please, and she said, what? Really? A grey baby sweater? She mentioned that grey is not really a happy or fun colour and I said but I really like grey, and also, the Baby looks good in grey. Hm, she said. But being a good mother-in-law, and a wise woman, she kindly went ahead and accomodated my whim. She made it well over a year ago I'd say, but knit it in a toddler size so it has been waiting for the day when it would finally fit my little Nugget. It sat carefully folded in tissue in the 'special clothes' drawer, and every now and then I would pull it out to show another knitter who would appreciatively stroke it and say how lovely it was and how good it would look on the Baby someday. 

So, its spring and we wanted to go outside the other day, and it was too warm for a coat, but cool enough that we needed something, and it struck me, this is PERFECT Oma Sweater Weather. So I ran downstairs, retrieved the sweater from its drawer and returned triumphant as I eyeballed the sweater and how it looked like the perfect fit for my toddler-boy. "Look" I said to him excitedly "you can wear the sweater that Oma knit you when we go outside today." I held it up, and reached for his arm to slip it on.

And he said "No."

"No?"

"No."

"Oh now, don't worry, we just need to put this nice warm sweater on before we go outside" I said, reaching for him again. But he twisted away and slipped out of my grasp, and as if to make it perfectly clear that he was not going to wear that sweater he ran to the far end of the dining room, stood with his back to the wall and said quietly, and sweetly, but very clearly "No, no, no, no, no."

 Are you kidding me?  How did this happen? And how did I not see this coming? Honestly, this kids has never refused to wear one single item of clothing before. Sure, hats were an issue for awhile there when he was a really little guy, but we just tied them on so he couldn't pull them off, and then we were fine. But this refusal - this was a first. 

I decided to be calm and not make a big deal about this. I know enough about toddler psychology not to insist, so we put on a hoodie instead and held off on the sweater for another day. And I tried again a couple of days later. "No." I had Daddy try instead. "No." Then I had Grandma try. Still "No." And never a tantrum, or a tear, just his quiet, sweet "No" and then he'd put a lot of distance between him and The Sweater.

Now let me assure you, I examined this from all angles. Was it itchy? Not much, and he always had a long sleeved t-shirt or two on underneath. Maybe it smelled funny? Not really, but I stored it with his daily-use clothes to make sure it took on a 'normal' smell anyways. Was I making too big a deal about it? Possibly, so I attempted to put it on him without talking about it, or making any fuss at all. And still, no luck. 

So I guess what we have here is a classic example of The Knitters Curse. The more time, money, effort and emotional investment you put into something, the less likely the recipient is to actually use or wear it. ESPECIALLY when that person is a small child. The math goes something like this: handspun yarn + made by loving Oma + from her own pattern + for her darling Grandson = Child will never want to wear Sweater. The inverse is also true. If you make a cheap ugly piece of crap for your kid, they will wear it till it falls apart and then ask for another one. This just goes to show that knitting, like life, is unfair. 

But I am patient. And wily. And I love that sweater. And I bided my time. Until another beautiful, but not-so-warm day came along. We put on shoes and a hat, and headed outside. And I did not put a jacket on the Baby, but I did bring along The Sweater. So we got outside, and it was sunny, but just a little brisk. We took a little walk down to the end of the driveway to watch the cars go by. And the wind picked up a bit, and I said to him "Now, you don't want to get cold, better put on your sweater" and quick as a wink, I slipped it onto him and buttoned it up. He took all of a second to look down and register that he was wearing The Sweater and pulled at a button, but then a concrete mixing truck roared by, and he was completely distracted. And that was the end of it! He happily wears The Sweater now, very regularly when we go outside. Though I never put it on him when we are indoors. Maybe it was just too warm. Who knows? And it will probably remain one of the toddler mysteries. But I'm glad he has finally taken to it. It looks great on him, and I can promise you it won't be his last hand knit sweater, so I'm very relieved that he has grown accustomed to it. Its a pleasure to see him wear it. 

baby needs a new pair of...mittens

Ok, I did it. The mittens are a fait accompli! I'm happy with the way they turned out and would recommend this pattern to anyone knitting for a toddler.

I used this pattern, from Quanah's web site. The yarn is Zara, which is a lovely merino wool made by Filatura di Crosa. I absolutely love this yarn. It has a nice roundness to it, which gives great stitch definition which is something I really like to see in my knitted projects. It comes in a lot of weights, but this one in their Fine weight which gauges in at 23 stitches per 10 cms. I used the charcoal grey which is colour number 1468.

The nicest thing about this pattern is the generous cuff, perfect for tucking inside the snow suit sleeve, and then the decreases at the wrist which make it much less likely to come off. You could even run a little cord through the stitches at that point and tie them on if you've got a real mitten tugger. I have a friend who's kid would never keep mitts on, even if it was freezing. She said he could shuck them faster than a pro-hockey player about to brawl. Good mental image, especially for the more combative toddlers.

This gives you an idea of how big they actually are, which is smaller than my hand, but bigger than I thought they would be, which in numbers is 5.5" from top to wrist. I have such a hard time eyeballing sizes for my Baby. I still think of him as a little baby, but he's actually a full-fledged toddler boy, and looks more like a kid than a baby most days. Sigh. He's growing up so fast. Cliche, cliche I know, but its true.    

My mother-in-law thinks its funny that I make grey and black things for the baby, and its true, he probably has more grey and black clothing than your average kid. But I just love those colours, and he looks so good in the dark neutrals, with his fair skin and strawberry hair. But these are maybe a bit too sombre for mitts. I think I'm going to embellish them with a little duplicate stitch in a nice bright red. Not sure what motif, but when I figure it out, I'll show you.