I’ve finished the first baby bootie, and I am tickled pink about how cute it turned out. I can only fit two fingers inside it, but they are a couple of toasty fingers. Perfect for keeping five adorable little toes nice and warm in January.
The next step is to run it through the wash to felt it up a bit and shrink it down to size. Felting will make it even warmer, because it will help fill in the little holes between the stitches.
On to the next little bootie.
Fun projects:
Posted in Knitting | Tagged baby booties, crochet | 5 Comments »
Yesterday, a friend that I taught to knit awhile back returned the favor by teaching me how to crochet. I’ve been wanting to learn how for a while, but couldn’t figure out on my own how to do it so that it actually looked good. Of course I had to rip out everything that I worked on yesterday after the tutorial and start afresh today, but I think that I’ve gotten the hang of it. I’m pleased at how even I’ve been able to get the stitches.
This project is also another first, the first thing that I have started to make for baby. It is going to be a pair of royal purple baby booties with little lime green toes and ankles. I’m going to felt them so that they are nice and warm for my winter baby. The nice thing I am finding about making baby stuff, as opposed to adult sizes, is that it goes so much quicker.
Baby's first handmade baby booties
Miscellaneous fun stuff:
Posted in Baby Stuff, Knitting | Tagged baby booties, crochet | 2 Comments »
Hubby and I had a wonderful time in Vermont. The weather was delightful, we got to eat s’mores every night, and the scenery was stunning.
Many people have been awed by the fact that a pregnant woman would choose to go camping on her vacation, but I must say that it actually felt quite luxurious. We stayed in a well constructed lean-to that overlooked the woods, slept on lovely camping air mattresses, and had mosquito netting that made the whole thing feel quite cozy and romantic. We got to wake up to the birds chirping and lovely panoramic views of the trees and animals, and the mosquito netting enabled us to enjoy this all completely unobstructed, yet without any insects.
As much as I love backpacking, this definitely could not qualify as anywhere close to as difficult. We were able to take warm showers and had access to clean bathrooms. There was no worry about rain or dirt getting into a tent. Most importantly, sleeping on an air mattress on a wooden floor two feet off the ground means that there are no rocks sticking in your back.
Hubby serenading me at our campsite
Lovely Vermont:
Posted in Slowing Down | Tagged camping, lean-to, Vermont | 4 Comments »
As we were driving the other day, I made hubby stop and turn around. We had just past a roadside stand for fresh organic blueberries, which sounded too delicious to pass up. The stand was just a little hut with a fridge and a money box, the owners relying on the honor system for their sales. The blueberries were just as tasty as they sounded, and we had enough to have some scrumptious blueberry oatmeal the next morning as well.
The food in Vermont in general is very good, and focuses on natural locally-grown produce and meat. I love reading the menus, which often list which farms the ingredients come from. It is nice to see such a great state pride, which is obvious nearly everywhere you go.
Delicious Roadside Organic Blueberries
Beautiful Vermont:
Posted in Adventures in Food, Slowing Down, Sustainability | Tagged blueberries, eating local | 1 Comment »
All the adorable yarn stores, not to mention the sheep and alpaca farms. Yesterday, on our first day in Vermont, I stopped by VT Beads and Fibers. This store has a great selection of local (and global) yarns that are beautifully dyed. It is located in Middlebury, a charming collage town with a fantastic little shopping district.
After probably about a half an hour of touching every single yarn in the place, and ooh-ing and ah-ing over the colors, I finally settled on two very pretty sock-weight yarns. Hopefully, the pair that I have been working on will be done soon, and I can start on a whole new beautiful pair.
A smattering of beautiful, locally made yarns at Beads and Fibers
More knitting and vacation posts:
Posted in Knitting | Tagged Add new tag, Beads and Fibers, vacation, Vermont | 3 Comments »
It’s so cozy and warm. Unfortunately, I look like a crazy person wearing only one sock, but it is worth it. I knew that wool socks were better than normal socks, but I have to say hand-knit socks (although I suppose I should still be using the singular here) are the best.
I’m moving along quickly on the second one, so hopefully, I will have my very first pair just in time for our family camping trip to Vermont. I can’t think of anything better to keep my feet toasty warm by the campfire.
My First Completed Sock
I’m not obsessed with knitting these socks, really:
Posted in Knitting | Tagged hand-knit, knitting my first socks, socks | 6 Comments »
Well that wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought that it would be. It took me some time to get to the point that I could do it without thinking about it, but I didn’t have to rip-out anything either, which is usually my definition of success.
If anyone is thinking about taking up sock knitting, I highly recommend this site. Her sock video demonstration made so much more sense to me than any of the written instructions that I have found. I think that unless you are a master at understanding patterns, actually seeing a sock being made is far easier to visualize.
Hopefully, I will soon have completed my first sock. They feel so good that I can’t wait until the pair is finished and ready to wear.
A Heel Turned
For more on this sock, and other knitting fun:
Posted in Knitting | Tagged sock knitting, socks, turning a heal | 3 Comments »
A New Old-Fashioned Gal 