What I’ve been up to

And by that I really mean what I’ve been up to, not my kids.  I do occasionally find time when I’m not actively taking care of them, and this is what I do when that happens: 

This little hat is something a dear friend of mine requested for her baby that is due in November.  I was beyond thrilled to actually find the right pattern for it, here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/brookeslittlestitch?ref=seller_info

By the way, she’s got some awesome stuff in her shop (not a paid advertisement – she’s just cool).

And once you get me started, I have a hard time putting on the breaks, because in that shop, I also found a pattern for this:

It’s a dragon hat!!!  SO CUTE!!!  Especially because my friend has a connection with dragons.  Her little girl NEEDED this hat.  So I obliged. 

I also have a sister-in-law who’s having her first baby this fall.  I felt inspired to try my hand at quilting.  I’ve watched many a quilt get pieced together; my mom and my grandma are pros.  I thought it would be easy.  Turns out, I thought wrong.  It was a mite bit tricky.

 

Still, I think the final result was acceptable. 

I am pretty good at crochet, though (see above hats).  I made my first blanket when my sister had my nephew more than ten years ago, and I’ve made blankets for my babies, hats for family, and any number of other things.  I even told my sister-in-law, “Just tell me what you want, and I’ll figure it out.  Who needs a pattern?”

I really like the stripes on this one, and it’s thick and heavy, just right for a winter baby.

When I finished those projects, I got around to something I meant to make at the beginning of the summer (instead of at the end, when it actually got done).  I have one little picnic blanket that I keep in my trunk, but I wanted a bigger one.  Much bigger.  So, I bought 2 1/2 yards of 60 inch rip-stop nylon and the same amount of fleece to made this picnic blanket.

J saw the camera and got in the way, but you can still see the blanket on the couch behind him.  It’s large and wonderful, and I love taking it to the park!  I look forward to using it more next year, because our park days are limited this year.

Just when I thought I’d done with my hats this year, I had another friend start posting baby hats on facebook.  She was looking for something cute for her new baby boy.  All she did was put ideas in my head, and when another friend of mine said she thought she needed one, I didn’t need any more encouragement.

This little giraffe hat?  ADORABLE!  I was glad my friend had a baby to put it on! 

Little Hoot Owl hat?  Yes, Please!

And when I found the baby’s nursery was going to be decorated in owls … well she just NEEDED to have this:

The pattern didn’t call for tail feathers, but come on, HOW CUTE IS THAT?!!!

I’ve also had a few things coming in from my garden.  I’m not the best gardener, but zucchini thrives anywhere, and I’ve found my beets come up well.

My family only eats beets if I pickle them.  Have you ever tried pickled beets?  They’re actually very sweet.  And yes, I still tease C about throwing away the beet greens …

Ok, I lied, my kids are gonna end up in this post anyway.  They helped me pull all the stuff left in our garden the night before we got our first frost.  The carrots were their favorite:

Can you tell L did her own hair that day?

J was fascinated.

S was adorable, as always.

And this is why you grow your own carrots.  Just so you can see the crazy shapes the form, and for when your oldest pulls the carrot from the ground and proclaims, “Mama, look!  It’s an octopus carrot!” 

And then you make zucchini lasagna for dinner because your counter is covered in zucchini and you’ve been frying it in butter all summer long.  And your husband takes a very small piece, eats it, and says, “Well, it doesn’t taste that bad!  Honestly, I wasn’t hoping for much …”  Then he helps himself to a quarter of the pan.  You’re welcome. 

And for the last thing I’ve been up to:

Wrestling my baby into a tiger costume (an action he interprets as attempted murder).  Give mama a smile?  No way.