Today

K has been sick all weekend, so we have been lying low: holding, rocking, reading, wearing, driving aimlessly through backroads to let her have a nap, because stopping at a red light would wake her up, and napping without the car was just not gonna happen.

Two moments I want to remember from this afternoon: napping in the Ergo (has been awhile since she napped in a wrap or carry), and her picking out every single bird on this page of one of her new favorite books (the one from Santa), and proclaiming for each one “bird... bird... bird.”

Knit, read, repeat

Well, we are 11 days into January and I’m still finishing Christmas things (are the Christmas projects ever done before Christmas?).  This year I made two tiny versions of the Softies from Posie Gets Cozy to be ornaments and I love how they came out.  K loves them as well, but to be honest her favorite ornaments are still the birds.

For the pattern, I just photocopied the regular pattern at 58%, but you could do any size.  The only limitation would be the thickness of the felt not translating well to a super tiny one, but still there are so many possibilities.

The baby Juniper kitty has a little pink velvet dress to match K’s Christmas dress – calling her June berry.  She has little embroidered paws to match the felt paws I added to Juniper kitty from her birthday.  I knit a tiny Clara dress for each doe, calling them both Snowdrop doe for Christmas connotations, and just finally finished last night.

I started working on these last spring, mostly on late nights where I stay up after K goes to bed to decompress and to make.  I should be sleeping, but often, no matter how tired I am, I need time to make things first, and so slowly the nights and the stitches add up, and things get finished.

So that’s the knitting.  I’ve really only been reading children’s books this year, and this one is so sweet.  The little bear wonders where all the colors have gone in the snow, and each animal brings objects for the snow tree that symbolize something to remember or to be thankful for in each season.

Knitting and reading with G Sheller.

Colder Weather

It has been down in the 20s for most of the week, and we are bundling layers on layers to venture outside. Most of the snow we got melted before the freeze, but parts of my commute are still through snow dusted trees and it adds a sort of magic to having to drive to work in the dark and drive home in the dark.

Keeping a toddler warm is not an easy task as she delights in ripping off hats, mittens, shoes, blankets.  These have been our favorites since about September, but more than ever now with the added chill.

Mittens that really stay on, Bogg boots (fleece lined, and waterproof!), Carters fleece pjs (I was a late convert to these since I prefer natural fiber in general, but these are just so good. K is crazy about this set because they have monkeys on them), and the JJ Cole Bundle Me Toddler – so, so, so good for the stroller. We zip the top part off as a blanket in the car seat for really cold days.