yarn along: rosa and taproot

taproot + handspun rosa

My number of works in progress has gotten out of hand recently, so I hesitated to cast on anything new. But I needed a project that allows me to work without a pattern because my two-month old permits only short bursts of activity that don't involve him. Soulemama's Rosa hat fills this need perfectly; I guess she's figured out what works after five children. I've been toting this hat from room to room, knitting a few stitches here and there when the baby falls asleep on my shoulder. And this morning I knitted two rounds during a 15-minute car ride. Two rounds in one sitting! Some of the previous rounds have taken me days to complete.

The yarn is a plump handspun Shetland and alpaca blend that feels soft in hand. It's a thick and thin two-ply in blue and gray, colors that remind me of our trip to Maine.

I'm slowly reading the latest issue of Taproot at bedtime, although sometimes my eyes close after only a sentence or two. My days have been so full lately and a few sentences of Taproot are a wonderful nightcap.

* * *

What are you up to this week? 

Are you yarning along too?

* * *

P.S. See my previous Rosa here.

old man baby pants

 

Old man baby pants make me smile. I hope they do the same for you.

a friend quilt

This handmade quilt has become our downstairs playtime quilt. It's where J spends his time taking in this big world, one room at a time, and where he gets some much-loved tummy time. 

I swear, this kid can't wait to crawl. He lifts himself up and kicks his feet something fierce. After several minutes of not actually going anywhere, he gets tired and sucks his hand. That's pretty much the extent of playtime at five weeks of age. Sometimes we read him a book or attempt to interest him in toys, but generally he's content to lie on his quilt and marvel at all there is to see, such as dust bunnies under the couch and vast expanses of white ceiling (exciting stuff!).  

The quilt was a gift from my longtime blogging friend Amy, who writes the blog During Quiet Time. She's an extraordinary seamstress who makes complicated paper-pieced patterns and screen prints. I love this fun, colorful quilt she made, and I love that it reminds me of her every time we use it. You can see her post about the quilt here. Thanks, Amy!

* * *

{P.S. Jan wrote about the baby gift basket from my previous post and included links to the tutorials she used. It's a great resource if you've got babies to sew for!}

basket of goodies

I promised to show off some of the handmade baby things we've received, so here's a start!

K's aunt Jan (who blogs about her sewing, spinning, and knitting here) sent us a basket full of goodies she sewed just for our little guy. She chose such great colors, too: bright yellow and blue with red accents.

Want to see what's inside?

Appliqued boat towels and a personalized bib, all which look so pretty and pristine. I joked with Jan that the baby will be allowed to use them only when he is clean. ;) And the item at the top that looks like a cute clutch, that's a portable changing pad.

It folds out to the perfect size and even includes a pocket, which will be great for stashing cloth wipes. I've already tucked this into the diaper bag so it's ready to use. 

* * * 

I hope you're all doing well! I've been reading your blogs on my phone, but comments take ages to type out on it, so you may find I've been quiet lately. My hope is that once J and I get into a routine I'll have a little time to keep up with blogging and commenting. 

these days

J at three weeks

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments to welcome our baby! You all are the best! 

* * * 

More than three weeks have passed since Baby J entered the world, and it seems that we're just coming up for air. We've been in a fog of newborn busyness: a fog both delightful (tiny toes and fingers to kiss! milky cheeks to cuddle! baby smiles and grimaces to coo over!) and overwhelming (how is he hungry when he just finished eating? he's gone through how many diapers today? why is he crying?).

Each day feels remarkably the same, and with the lack of sleep, my timeline is hopelessly skewed. My husband and I have lost track of when things happened. "When was that?" we ask each other. "One of the days that came before today," has become the reply.

However, we are finally finding a little rhythm to our days and getting more comfortable in our new roles. This week I squeezed in a tiny bit of gardening, bread baking, knitting, and walking. And even though I barely made a dent in the weeds and I'm knitting a sweater that may never fit (what size will my body be come winter?) those moments felt like some of the biggest accomplishments.

My favorite moments of all, though, are holding J for the first time each morning. His chubby body is always still warm from being swaddled, and he looks up at me with the brightest blue eyes. *Swoon*

* * *

P.S. My mom and I made the baby quilt in the photo as our practice quilt. It was the first real quilt for both of us. I received the vintage sheet squares a long time ago from this prolific quilter and had been saving them for just the right project. Also, I still need to take photos of the other quilt my mom and I made and some handmade goodies people made for J. I'll post them soon-ish (on some day that comes after today).

hatched

sweet baby jude

flew into our lives one week ago

a tiny bird at only 5 lbs., 11 oz. and 18 1/2 inches long.

he is now nested cozily with us.

i'm still in awe that this perfect baby is ours, and we are his.

we are so lucky!

*

yarn along

Today is my final day of bed rest! I'm looking forward to going for a walk, going upstairs (all my crafting supplies are there), eating at a restaurant (and at a table!), and organizing the nursery. Now the wait is really on for this baby. He could come in a few days or five weeks. But, oh, I really hope it's sooner rather than later.

* * * 

I'm participating in the yarn along for the first time in ages. I've been speeding away on the Umaro baby blanket, trying my hardest to finish it before the baby decides to arrive. I think I can manage to finish it by this weekend. I still have to follow along with the pattern on each row, so it isn't the most relaxing knit, but I'm getting faster. I love the classic look of the texture and lace.

And that's a yarn cake I wound with my own swift and yarn ball winder! Such magic!

* * *

I've been reading M.F.K. Fisher's How to Cook a Wolf, a cookbook she wrote during World War II. It's fascinating to read about food economy and rationing during the war and to learn tips for eating well even during hard times. I can't keep my attention focused on a plot for long these days, and this book is great to read in short snippets.

*

What are you working on this week?