Happy Earth Day!

 

I took this photo nearly a decade ago (how is that even possible?!) at a small outdoor restaurant along the coast of South Africa. It's an old buoy, but it has always reminded me of the earth. 

The Sailor, the Peanut and I just returned from South Africa, and while we were nowhere near this restaurant, we at least enjoyed the outdoors as well as the spoils from Oupa's garden. We missed peach season, but we still had fresh carrots, tomatoes, onions and potatoes to feast on. We were just in time, since much of the garden was gearing up for the winter.

We introduced the Peanut to grass, which he wasn't too sure about at first. 

He soon figured that grass was great to crawl in, leaves make wonderful crunchy noises, and Dexter the Wonder Dog is fun to pet. 

I got to sit under my favorite tree.

We introduced hammocking to the Peanut as well. 

He didn't stay in the hammock long, 

but I think he liked the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. 

  
Earth Day might only come around once a year, but I kind of like the idea of enjoying the outdoors all 365 days.

Now that we're back in the Northern Hemisphere (Spring already sprang while we were away) it's time to think of our own garden. This year we're planting tomatoes, okra, peas, carrots and broccoli, plus maybe a few other goodies. 

I'm thinking maybe sunflowers? 

Whatever your day brings, I hope it's full of sunshine, and happiness equivalent to leaves crunching in a baby's hand.

Happy Earth Day! 

 

Bah Bah Wooden Sheep Buttons

Once upon a time, the Sailor and I took a short road trip and I realized I could knit in the car while he drove. 

I nearly finished this sweater. 

When we got home, it took forever to finish it because the Peanut was trying to help me. 

Then when I finished it, I still needed buttons. 

Even my giant button stash didn't have five buttons that suited this little cardigan.  

(If you need to clear out your own giant stash, read this post...)

I finally made it to the local knitting store, where I scored these wooden sheep ones. 

I had seen them before when I went to look for buttons for this cardigan, but I liked the black ones more against that green one. 

Then the buttons sat there while the Peanut learned to get into everything. 

Finally, during two separate naps, I managed to get the buttons sewn on. 

Just in time for Spring. 

{Sigh.}

The End. 

Pictures are worth 1,000 words...

I kind of liked my photo recap the other week and I decided that since I seem to be blogging less, I should post lots of photos more often. One photo after all, is worth 1,000 words. So it makes sense that a few photos should make up for a lack of blogging on my part, right?

So here's what I've been up to: 

I've been waiting for Spring, and the sunshine finally started streaming through the windows a little more this week. 

The Peanut took his first flight across America a few weeks ago! 

He did great. His mama was pretty exhausted, though.

I started to crochet a blanket, using this pattern.  

(I also wrote about the blanket with the same pattern here.)

I made it into my local yarn store to pick up some buttons for this cardigan.

This gorgeous pile of yarn came home with me from Idaho. (Every time I visit this store, I break my promise to only use my stash and I make a yarn haul.)

These awesome scissors also made it into my bag. Cutting yarn is now even more delightful.

I am very much looking forward to the return of the Sailor in a few weeks. The Peanut is also missing him.

I'm a little excited to be using this cool vintage yarn holder I found at an antique shop a few weeks ago.

The Peanut has gone mobile. My little guy crawls all over the place and is now pulling himself up onto everything he can grab. 

 

And finally, this happened tonight... thanks to the aforementioned mobility of the Peanut. The little guy is into everything.

Welcome to my somewhat chaotic world nowadays! 

Baby, It's COLD Outside

We moved south for several reasons: one of which was to escape the gloom and frigid temps of the north. Imagine my surprise when I saw the single digits and snowstorm predicted for this week. 

I've said before that I once interviewed a 102-year-old British lady (she went on to live to be 104) and she used to say she didn't mind the weather, as long as she was dressed for it. 

I tend to agree, but I'm still looking forward to warmer temps. In the meantime, I've been using up the leftover yarn from my own warm cardigan. 

(Have no fear, Peanut. Mama is frantically trying to finish another sweater for you before you outgrow it.)

Pattern is from Love Knitting for Baby February/March 2014. There's no photo, but it's a basic baby cardi with ribbing. This one, Little Coffee Bean, is very similar, only with stripes. You can see mine here.

Stay warm everyone and if you're snowbound, I hope you've stocked up on yarn!

The Week in Pics

While perusing my past few posts, I realize I've been excessively wordy and very light on the photos. 

So, here's a little view of my week in pics. 

I kept the plants alive. 

I watched the Peanut grow. 

I crocheted a hat for a friend's little girl. 

I looked up basket patterns to go with this yarn. 

(I feel like I need more baskets to contain the Peanut's stuff...) 

I put the Peanut's stuff into baskets. 

(I'm trying to teach him to put his stuff back after he's done playing with it, but he hasn't gotten the hint yet.)

I read from each of the four books I have going, both traditional and on the nook. 

And sometimes in between, I daydreamed about stories I have yet to write... 

 

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Matching Cardigans (well, almost)

Last week during our little getaway, I feverishly worked on a cardigan for the Peanut. I tend to get a little car sick when knitting, but since I hardly get any knitting in these days, and I knew this was my chance, I kept telling myself it was all in my head and I persevered. (And thankfully didn't feel sick!) 

I had one gray skein and a bit leftover from my own cardigan I started around this time last year, when I was pregnant. The Peanut never got to wear his Newborn Vertebrae sweater (August babies don't really need cozy cardies...) but lately he's been wearing his Ouma's white sweater nearly ever day to ward off the chill. 

And I know he's going to quickly outgrow that thing. 

So I'm making him a new gray cardigan. It will almost match mine, but not quite.

I'm thinking of keeping it in the car so that the next time we drive two miles up the road, I can get a few rows done. 

Oh and that granny square blanket? My own grandma made that many, many moons ago. I found it in my box of treasures this week and I decided it was useless sitting there under cover. Treasures should be used and loved — especially granny square crochet blankets. Not many kids can say that have something handmade from their great grandma, can they?

Mid-Week Getaway and Tips for Traveling with a Baby

This week, the Sailor whisked the Peanut and I off on a quick two-night getaway in the middle of the week. I love that our often unconventional 'schedule' is so flexible! (Of course it also sometimes means that I neglect the blog... apologies!)

Besides the first few days at the hospital, the Peanut has never slept anywhere overnight except in our apartment, so we decided it was now or never. Besides, I had been a little crabby lately. I blame the hormones and the lack of sleep. Deep down, I think I just wanted to get out of town. I realized last week I hadn't been outside the city since last March when the Sailor and I drove to the beach. March!

I used to collect stamps in my passport. Now I collect dirty diapers for the laundry. However, even though I haven't booked an international flight for a long time, we could at least drive a few hours away to see a new aquarium. 

As a teenager, I wanted to save the whales and become a marine biologist. Nowadays, I'm happy saving money on those cloth diapers. 

Nevertheless, I still love aquariums and sea life. Apparently, the Peanut does too. He's been to two different ones already and those fish usually put him right to sleep. 

We've only had one overnight outing so far with the Peanut, but I'm already storing up tips for the next trip. Maybe they'll work for you, too! 

* Start driving around your little one's nap-time. The Peanut usually nods back off about 9:30, so we set off on our little adventure right around then, and he managed to take an extended nap through most of the drive.

* Bring something for your baby to roll around with on the floor. We have one of those activity mats that someone gave us. The Peanut long outgrew the need to lay there and look up at the stuff dangling from the top, but he loves to look at the animals on the mat. I dismantled that thing months ago, so we just took the mat with us. Chances are, if your child is as mobile as the Peanut, he will end up on the hotel floor at some point, but at least the mat can serve as home base. 

* Remember a few books and toys. The Peanut loves books already, so I brought two small ones with me and we just kept reading those over and over. Other items that made it into the suitcase included Sophie la Giraffe and another teething toy. 

* It is possible to travel with cloth diapers! More on that (and cloth diapers in general) in a later post. 

* Splurge if you can, for a hotel within walking distance of attractions. We decided to forgo being cheap this trip and we decided to just book a nice hotel that was near enough to walk to the sites we wanted to see. This is especially helpful if you want to head back to your hotel for lunch, to nurse, or to change your baby. It also meant we were schlepping less stuff around with us all day. And, we saved on eating food we brought with us. 

* Consider room service if you want a meal out, but don't want to head back out with a bambino. After a full day of site-seeing, we didn't think any of us would last at a restaurant for dinner. Room service wasn't much more than a meal out would have been, and it saved our sanity. 

* Bring along a knitting or crochet project if that's your thing! I finished half a sweater for the Peanut in the car and at the hotel, thanks to the Sailor driving, and me not having to cook or do dishes for two days. 

I'm hoping this was just the first of many fun road trips to come. What tips do you have for traveling with little people? 
 

Wooly Hat Weather

Winter is here and a proper hat is a MUST in these frigid temps. I'm a huge 100% wool fan (pity the person allergic to it...) Wool socks are amazingly warm and a wooly hat is no different. 

Elizabeth Zimmerman, sage knitter of yesteryear, advised that people start clothing their babies in wool from the start so that they'd get used to the scratchiness and wouldn't be bothered by it later in life. I'm not sure if my mama bathed me in wooly goodness from the start, but it's never bothered me.

I've started small and crocheted the Peanut a wool hat. I still had a stash of wool yarn from these slippers — both the blue and grey pairs.

This pattern is super easy, straightforward, versatile and FREE! I love all of this site's designs though, and I know I'll be purchasing that safari helmet pattern for when the Peanut is older. 

The Sailor already thinks the Peanut looks like he's wearing an antique motorcycle helmet in this wooly hat, so I guess I managed to make even the baby look a little vintage-like. I can assure you, he looks cuter in it than the clock. 
 
Stay warm! And make somebody a hat.

Hope, Joy, Peace

Years ago, when I had time to stage photos and create my own Christmas cards from scratch (unlike now: see last post), I made these postcards:

On the back I penned something quite meaningful about the three words and how they were all given freely 2,000 years ago, and how they're still part of the greatest gift ever given. 

I still believe that to be true. But this year, hope, joy and peace look a little different around my household. 

I have HOPE that the Peanut will sleep better this next week. 

I think JOY is possible even in the 2 am feedings. 

And I believe that PEACE can certainly be found in between those why-is-this-baby-crying-again moments. 

Wishing you and yours hope, joy, and peace in whatever form you need it in this year.

 

For a little more Christmas cheer, check out last year's thoughts here. 

Speaking of last year, this holly garland is about the only decoration up besides our mini tree, the star, and a few lights.

 

 

(Is it just me, or did the holidays roll in quicker than usual this year?)

 

Little Golden Books

Thanks to the Literary Library Baby Shower, I haven't had to purchase any books for the Peanut.

Until today.

The antique stores beckoned -- and even though I have plenty of Pyrex, I thought it would be fun to head out and at least browse. 

Browsing at antique stores is a bit like going to a museum without having to pay an entrance fee. As an added bonus, you don't have to wait for the gift shop at the end of your tour to make a purchase -- everything is for sale.

Today's trip yielded these Little Golden Books. 

 

They will go right on the shelf next to The Sailor Dog. 

I loved it when my mom read to me and I hope the Peanut grows up with a fondness for books like his Mama and Grandma. 

I think we're off to a good start!

A Little Recap of the Week

I seem to have more time to read these days, especially during long feedings with the Peanut. Remember I have a magazine obsession? (Don't forget this list of what to do with your magazines when you're finished with them.)  

My mom sent me a Bird magazine of all things over the summer... and while I'm not a bird fan, I have a new thing for hummingbirds. I saw my first one, finally, the day after we brought the Peanut home from the hospital. Over the past few weeks, we've seen nearly one hummingbird a day! Apparently we're right along their flight path as they migrate south -- and September is a prime viewing month.

Birds aren't the only things I'm reading about though. The other day the Sailor and I were in town and I had a rare moment to run into a craft store to grab a magazine. The pickings were slim, until I saw that Interweave has just come out with a special edition Crochet Scene magazine! I was hooked and of course I had to have it. Knit Scene is one of my favorite magazines out there, although admittedly, I've skipped the past few issues since I knew I'd be making baby things instead of sweaters for myself in the months to come. 

Although, let's face it, thanks to the generosity of my friends, I have lots of cool clothes for the Peanut and probably don't need to knit many more just yet. And because of that, I've been writing a ton of Thank You notes. My top tip lately for writing multiple thank you notes? Make sure you keep a list of who gave you what. I have a running list, and then I just tick the name as soon as I write and address the note. 
 
(However, I did splurge on the crochet magazine!) 

I mean, how cute is this bag?! Hopefully I can get more than just a dishcloth done in the near future with the Peanut. 

Speaking of the Peanut, he is swiftly growing out of these jeans! Aren't they the cutest things EVER, though?

The Peanut of course is growing, because he's eating a ton. (As am I....) Having the Sailor home for so long meant that he cooked a lot during the early newborn weeks. Grilling season may be over in some parts of the States, but where I live, it's still gorgeous out and frankly, a little cool in the air is the perfect time to get your BBQ on. Here are the Sailor's top grilling tips. 

And, what goes in must come out! The cloth diapering experiment is still going strong, and frankly, I'm actually enjoying it. My current vote is that I love basic flats with a simple diaper cover over them. I hope to do a longer cloth diapering post later... in the meantime, it's probably time to change the Peanut. 

Hope you are having a wonderful Fall-inspired weekend! 

Receiving Receiving Blankets

Many moons ago, I happened to be visiting a friend in Canada when she went into labor. She had a home birth planned, but my plan was to be on a plane before the baby made an appearance. 

As it happened, she delivered her third baby boy a little early. While I didn't witness the actual momentous occasion (I sat at her kitchen table trying to concentrate on a crossword puzzle), I do remember the midwives calling out for me to put a bunch of towels in the dryer, which I dutifully did.

That was my contribution to the birth. A few towels in the dryer. 

I never knew what they did with those warm towels -- I just figured they were important based on the urgency of the request. 
 
More recently, while shopping for the Peanut, I noticed 'receiving blankets' everywhere I went. For some reason they reminded me of those towels I tossed into that dryer all of those years ago. 

Receiving blankets often make their appearance at baby showers as gifts. I even bought a pack of them myself when I first started swooning over small items for the Peanut. 

And then after I washed and folded them, I thought: 'What in the world do you use these things for?!' Apparently the original use was to 'receive' a baby at the hospital after delivery (probably the same thing those warm towels were used for in Canada.) 

But beyond that... what do you do with these things? Most receiving blankets I've seen are too tiny to actually swaddle a baby.

However, in the whole six weeks I've been a mama, I've discovered a myriad of uses for what I assumed were useless blankets. 

So, if you're on the receiving end of too many receiving blankets, fear not. You'll find a use for them! Here are some ideas: 

1. If they are big enough, you can actually swaddle the baby! I received one flannel blanket from my mother-in-law in South Africa that is huge. It's perfect for snuggling the baby after a bath. 

2. Use them as a portable changing mat. So far, I've only changed the Peanut in one public restroom (yeesh). You can bet your bottom (and your baby's) that I didn't put him straight down on that changing table. I put a receiving blanket under him and then that thing went straight into the wash as soon as we got home. 

3. Use at home with your changing mat. I don't know about you, but my little Peanut made a mess with the first few changes at home. (Operator error had a lot to do with it.) And the little changing table attached to the Pack 'n Play was frigid. It was just easier at first to throw a receiving blanket on the pad and then wash that if it got wet or dirty. Plus it was a little cozier for the Peanut. 

4. Keep a few in the car. They're useful to wipe up messes, or to use as a changing mat in the car when the public restrooms are too scary (see #2).

5. Use as burp cloths or to pass the baby off to other people who visit (who knows what germs are on people -- hand them a receiving cloth to use a barrier!) 

6. Fold the smaller ones into cloth diapers. I haven't tried this yet, but I figure in a pinch, they are about the same size as my flat diapers and I could use them as back-ups, or even as an extra layer overnight.

7. Use as small towels or washcloths. After mine start to deteriorate, I'll probably go ahead and cut them up and then zig-zag the edges to prevent fraying, and use them as smaller washcloths. 

So you see, receiving receiving blankets isn't so useless after all.

Knit One, Purl None

In the past five weeks, I've managed to knit one washcloth. 

ONE.

Remember this is my go-to 'in between' project. It's not like I just learned to knit... But I am learning that sometimes you need more than two hands to knit with a newborn in tow. 

Baby steps, right?!

Growing Into the Knits

Dear readers, I don't know what happened to August, but all I know is I have a rapidly growing one-month-old babe who will fit into this little cotton cardi before I know it. 

I think I'm officially in denial. 

One month already?! 

Despite August whizzing by in a blur, I managed to quickly pop into the local yarn store last week and I found these great buttons. I held off on putting the buttons on this cardigan I made in July, until I knew whether the Peanut was a boy or girl. I don't often see black on baby clothes, but I think these wooden buttons are the perfect accent for a little boy's cardigan. (And, remember to save that extra yarn in every project -- even if it's not much. In this case, I used a bit of leftover yarn to sew on the buttons!)

Changing the calendar to September always makes me think of Fall, of going back to school and of cooler weather sweaters. Although students here have been in school for weeks already, and the temperatures outside are still hotter than blazes, I know Autumn is right around the corner. 

Even though I'm sad to see summer go in a few short weeks, I'm glad my little guy has some fun handmade knits to get him through the changing seasons. And let's face it, they're far faster and more fun to make than the adult-sized versions!

Happy September, everyone!