Shorties for Baby G!

Here's custom shorty order I finished recently! I LOVE how this yarn pooled up...so fun!

Pattern: Sheepy Pants

Materials: Purewool 3-ply Merino in "Zeus"; US 5 and & needles

Finished: May 24, 2012

 

I am in the process of starting something very exciting...a small business venture, out of my home that may or may not be cloth diaper related! I'll save the details for later, but it's something I've very excited about! I'm in the process of getting ramped up, but hopefully in the next week or two I can share it with you all!

Happy June!

Summer Bloomers for CJ

The needles have been clicking again! I have been waiting for details and supplies for six (!!) custom longies orders to roll in, so I whipped up a pair of summer bloomers for CJ!

 

Pattern: Bubble Bum Baby Bloomers by Tara Thomsen

Materials: Aran BFL in "Justin" dyed by Lickety Stitch (a pal of mine); US Size 5 & 7 needles

Finished: May 18, 2012

Ravelry project page here.

 

These turned out more like boy shorts on CJ...really, really cute boy shorts! All my measurements were correct, so I'm not sure why where wasn't as much "boom" happening, but I love them nonetheless!

I have finished one of the custom orders, and am working on a next. Just waiting for dyes to come in for a big custom knit and dye order of 3 pairs of longies and a pair of overalls. And get this...they're for a GIRL! I finally get to dye/knit super girly! I am so excited to be able to branch out a little bit!

Catching Up!

Well, hello there! Sorry for such radio silence...life has been crazy! Our work has been very busy, including mine. I am in the middle of being promoted, and have had additional "clients" added to my portfolio (my communications shop works on a client model...I have different departments as my clients, and I picked up a few more these past few weeks). It has also been the end of the academic year here at the University of Minnesota, and even though I don't work in an academic unit, it is still always busy this time of the year.

And of course we have a toddler who is in FULL on toddler mode. I love it terribly. Yes, every meltdown, every slap or hair pull, and every banana thrown at my head...I love it all. Because with those prickly moments come those magical moments, like when CJ can tell you what a cow, dog, owl, or elephant says. Or when he can have near-full conversations with you in sign language, or when he brings all of his favorite books over to you, plops down on your lap, and you spend an afternoon lost in books. THESE are the moments I longed for as an infertile woman. My baby is growing up and I have the enormous privilege to watch it and life can't get much better.

Here's a little bit of what we've been up to, in pictures.

CJ is slowly getting into "real" animals. He loves them in books, but not so much in real life. No matter how small they are, like this baby goat at his school spring party, he's still on the fence about them.

Bunnies are ok apparently.

But he loves his kitteh Bailey. Like, A LOT. Bailey is so attention starved that he puts up with CJ for the most part...except for the whole tail grabbing thing.

 

We had a nice Mother's Day weekend, complete with CJ's first ride on a carousel. This is his new favorite thing. He had this look of pure joy while we flew around in circles! He signed "horse" for the next couple of days after his ride. So cute!

And last but certainly not least, ball pits have been discovered. Let the good times roll!

 

And I will leave you with my little pride and joy busting a move to some Baby Einstein jams. We are working on his musical tastes.

 

National Infertility Awareness Week

This National Infertility Awareness Week. Us fun folk over at Bloggers for Hope are doing some give-aways and are posting every day! I wrote the kick-off post here.

There's not much else I can say that I didn't write over there, but I just want to reiterate my love and support to those fighting the Good Fight right now. And even when you leap your hurdles and become a parent, the scars of infertility never leave. You may move past it, but it's always there in the back of your mind.

When I have those bad days...those jealous, bitter feelings when I read or hear about pregnancy announcements, I find a picture of CJ and remember the journey we went though to be his parents. And it's all worth it.

 

Whirlwind April

Hi there! We are still here! I know it's been a while since my last post...life is just been pain old busy! CJ is movin' and groovin' all the time, and has been having some difficulty with separation anxiety and sleep (plus a few new teeth on their way), so there has been little crafting happening. I have been making some fleece soakers and pj pants, but they get used so often, they are always in the laundry so I can't ever seem to get a good pic. They are cute though!

Easter was nice. CJ was not really having it that day though, between teething, being newly mobile at my in-laws house, being constipated, and not napping. It was also my birthday on Easter, but I kind of forgot about it due to the above mentioned toddler issues. But I will have to say that even with all it's "toddler-ness", and am LOVING this age! CJ will be 15 months-old next week, and I just kinda of want to bottle this stage. I am having so much fun.

Since I don't have any craft photos to share, here's some random iPhone pictures:

BK had way better crowns back in the day, amirite??

I adore this robot print...CJ has a pj set, WAHM pocket diaper, Goodmama fitted diaper, and an WAHM cover in it. And I want MOAR retro robot stuff!

The U of MN Women's Hockey team won the national title! The Men's Hockey team lost in the first round of the Frozen Four. Leave it to the ladies to bring home the hardware. :)

Easter CJ is not impressed.

       

Someone is learning about comedy.  

       

 

Bailey approves of CJ's new feeding arrangements.

Pinksplosion!

The nice thing about knitting for sale is that I can knit girly things! I just finished up this par of ultra girly-girly longies:

Pattern: Sheepy Pants by Mandie Harrington
Materials: Cascade 220 in "Tropical Punch" and "Cerise" (trim); US size 5 and 7 needles Finished: March 22, 2012
Ravelry project page here.

Ruffles on the bum? Check.

Ruffle bell bottoms? Check.

 

Girly overload? Check and double check!

 

These are over in the shop here! And now I move on to a pair of overalls I'm making for CJ for Easter. Aaand I just saw the long range forecast, and it looks like it'll be 65-70F. Perfect weather for wool overalls. Yeup. O.o

 _________________

I have a follow-up story to CJ's rat attachment. It seems like he has now entered that phase where he's attaching to lots of things. One of them is this jacket:

He has decided that his Goldy Gopher fleece jacket is his new lovey. He drags it around the house, snuggles it, and holds the hood up to his face for cuddles. He gets mad it I try to put it away in his cubby when I drop him off at school, and his teachers have mentioned that he will point to the cubby and sign that he wants it. It is hilarious and the cutest darn thing ever. I'll see if I can get photographic evidence of this attachment. Have a lovely weekend! It'll be back up in the 70's and 80's here in Minnesota. Spring? Who needs Spring.

Oh Rats

I've been searching high and low for that perfect item for CJ to attach to. Something soft and comfy, either a
blankie or a sweet stuffy that he would sleep with and drag with him everywhere. I got him a handmade doll with his skin tone and a flannel body, a soft chenille froggy to match his beloved frog WubbaNubs...and I even made him a blanket out of cuddle fabric and satin binding.

What does he attach to? A stuffed rat from Ikea that we got the cats years ago.

 

A rat. Seriously. I have come around the corner and been freaked out by this thing in the past. Its tail is especially...ratty. But what can you do when he gets so happy and excited to snuggle it? I'll just have to hold my squeal reflex and smile pleasantly when he cuddles it while drifting off into dream world.

Shudder.