applehead

garland for a deer....

I finished the garland for my friend's deer head ...tried it out on mine just to check that it was OK. Now I think I'm going to have to make one for myself....

stitching and drawing....

A friend of mine has been busy making lots of tawashi(s?) to sell at a market to raise funds for charity.I did my little bit by helping with the packaging .

small luxuries

knitted washcloth with crochet picot edging, in a favourite organic cotton found here....
I have knitted many variations of these- somehow I've never managed to keep one for myself.
This one is ready to be packed and posted ...maybe the next one might make it's way into my linen closet.
 

Thank you for all of the suggestions about how I might deal with Grace's cradle cap. I'll give them a try (although not all at once). The coconut oil sounds good - she'll smell just like summer...

At the moment I'm trying her  Bottom Balm on her head - it's a thick mix of sweet almond oil, beeswax, lavender and other good smelling things. Seems to work wonders on her bottom so fingers crossed it will work it's magic on her head!

neat...

I'm really very happy with how this crochet roll has turned out.
Fabric from the stash and a big red button to finish it off.


There a few gift giving occasion coming up so I am trying to get the handmade gifts sorted out early.


Simple, useful and satisfying.

almost a cat...

I bought this book more than a year ago and worked diligently until I had finished all bar one leg. And the poor thing has languished in the bottom of the workbox ever since. I just couldn't face doing any more of this blanket last night (especially as the lovely Alex over  moonstitches thinks that the stitch pattern I have chosen actually does tend to develop a bit of a lean...I knew I should have asked for advice before I ripped back two thirds of a finished blanket! You live,you learn I guess!)
So here finally is Amineko, admittedly still in many pieces, but at least complete in that all of his body parts are done. I'm hoping that I'll summon up enough energy to stuff and sew him together tonight.
I'm not even sure who he will end up with ( I suspect Charlotte, who has been a little cross about the number of things that I have been making for the baby.And then of course Rose will wonder what I might be be making next for her.....)

Incidentally if you want to make one of these cuties,just click here  for the link to the authors website. She has very kindly posted the pattern in both Japanese and English.
Sort of wish I had known that before I had finished grappling with the charts and instructions in Japanese.....

perfect match...

You would have thought that the lovely Tamara had enough on her plate fashioning beautiful bows..however, out of the blue, a parcel turned up on my front doorstep containing this piece of loveliness for the baby in progress...

Tamara chose the colour scheme especially to match the crochet blanket, (draped over the top),  that I am making. (I forgot to take a picture of the back but it in a chocolate brown spot fabric). Such a thoughtful and generous gift - really makes me appreciate the amazing friends I have made via this blog.
(As to her suggestion that if I didn't really like it, I could maybe use it as a playmat or something .....I'm thinking  not!)

By the way the blanket was progressing beautifully- I say was, because once I had reached about the two thirds point, I realised that it had taken on a distinct lean to one side. More of a parallelogram than a rectangle. Don't know what I did, or why I didn't notice it earlier but after a few days of looking at it, I decided to rip it all back to the first five rows . Which I did. So now I am working away at it again, hopefully to end up with a non- leaning blanket!

Thank you, Tamara, for your gift...it will be will used and treasured ( and no doubt dribbled on and covered in baby love!) Oh and happy one year blog anniversary ( Tamara's having a celebratory giveaway so drop by and say hello!)

a good start....

on the blanket for the baby made with this lovely cotton.

Although I have quite a few other tasks that have higher priority on my to-do list, I couldn't resist trying out a few rows to see how it looks. And then of course just a few rows more....
I was initially inspired by this beautiful striped blanket and after numerous swatches,decided to go with alternating blocks of off white and coloured stripes. The stitch I have used is called 'Catherine Wheel 1" from "The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches -The Harmony Guides (ISBN 1-85585-990-4 ,published by Collins & Brown).

Now the challenge is to finish it in the (hopefully) 10-12 weeks I have left before the baby arrives...after I have ticked off a few of the other more pressing tasks, naturally.....

bears and blankets....

After doing the boring but very necessary chores ( like reorganizing the plastics cupboard...yawn) I finished a tiny knitted bear for the baby, made using the pattern found in this magazine and organic baby alpaca (in dark brown and light brown fox) bought online at EcoYarns.  The red scarf was crocheted using left over silk and merino from this hat.  He's only a very small bear ,standing about 15cm high- the perfect size for a newborn.

(colours from top left clockwise: azul,orchid,espresso,drift,thistle,honeydew)

After much deliberation I finally chose and ordered some colours to make a crocheted cot blanket....Blue Sky organic cotton found here.
It arrived just a few days after I hit the 'buy now' button -I'll  most definitely order from fabulous yarn again- really fabulous service indeed!
Still haven't quite decided how it's going to look- if I find time tonight,I might make up a few swatches.Really, there are other things I should be doing first( sort through the bathroom cupboard- another yawn) but the texture and the colours of this cotton is very, very tempting.....

Oh and I'm glad I didn't crop off my head in the belly photo from my last post- so many compliments on how glowing I'm looking ,that I actually began to feel a little less tired and heavy and a bit more earth goddess! Thank you!
Just what I needed - next time I need a little pick me up ,I'll know just where to find the little boost I'm after. Never say no to a pretty compliment, I say, especially when you feel like you're carrying a tonne of bricks around strapped to your belly!

chicken love.....

Look what turned up from the generous Ute in Zurich, with a bundle of Marie Claire Idees, chocolate, buttons, ribbons and sweets.....

Chicken eggwarmers! Ute's great aunt, Mamie Jeanne ( who lived to be 99!) taught her how to make them. Mamie Jeanne knitted hers- Ute has adapted the pattern and crocheted them instead. Ute suggested that if you didn't fancy boiled eggs, that they could be used as a finger puppet instead. The girls loved them both with and without egss! With Ute's permission I am planning to try and make a few for stocking stuffers - thanks Ute and of course Mamie Jeanne!

chicken love.....

Look what turned up from the generous Ute in Zurich, with a bundle of Marie Claire Idees, chocolate, buttons, ribbons and sweets.....

Chicken eggwarmers! Ute's great aunt, Mamie Jeanne ( who lived to be 99!) taught her how to make them. Mamie Jeanne knitted hers- Ute has adapted the pattern and crocheted them instead. Ute suggested that if you didn't fancy boiled eggs, that they could be used as a finger puppet instead. The girls loved them both with and without egss! With Ute's permission I am planning to try and make a few for stocking stuffers - thanks Ute and of course Mamie Jeanne!