dear santa

Oh, the crunch before the holidays. Work is crazy busy and even though I have a hundred things I should be doing tonight, sitting at the computer is about all I can manage. But I will quit my whining.

I have been wanting to show this fabulous nesting doll for a while. She is handcrafted by local potter/artist Julie Moon, who is still showing her work at Art101 in the UpCountry store on King Street. Anyone in Toronto looking for a unique gift should take a look - they are wonderfully charming.

Next up, a tower of knitting. I have started three new projects in the past three days - as if I wasn't busy enough already. I also visited (and purchased at) three knitting shops this weekend: Knitomatic for lovely Koigu, The Knit Cafe for Fleece Artist merino sock wool, and Romni for Xmas goodies for a certain special Mom that I know. So much wool, so little time.

Then lastly, the message I wish I could send out to everyone. This card is by Snow & Graham, and my camera doesn't do the letterpress justice. Suddenly I'm craving the camera my friend Max has - a Sony Cybershot DSCT10, which takes decent video and the most incredible macro shots I can imagine from a simple point and shoot. But alas, I'm not sure that Santa can afford it this year...unless I can justify that it's a tiny price to pay to have videos of Sadie with true audio. That's a good argument, right?

'tis the season

We have a tree! Well, we have a potted shrub that will eventually go in the front yard, but this is the closest thing to a Christmas tree that I'll ever get. Jay isn't so fond of Christmas for completely understandable reasons and most years I plunk dead branches in a bucket of sand and hang my ornaments off the bare twigs - it may sound awful, but really, it looked pretty great. Even so, the scent of pine and real greenery is by far my first choice. Sadie's eyes just lit up when I plugged the lights in last night (my brother's birthday is today, so my Mom always tried to have the tree up by now) and she has been describing each ornament and counting the cardboard stars ever since. I took photos of two of my favourite ornaments - the first is one that Jay made (there's a little bit of Christmas in him yet!) It's a rubber baby frozen in epoxy and when the light comes through the bubbles just glow. The second is a see-through scene with one little girl looking out a window from inside and then another little girl looking in from outside. My Mom gave it to me in 1984, and it's just so charming and sweet. It's the one I'm excited to see every year - and I have to say, it suits this whole "live" tree much better.

I just hope my neighbours can forgive me for digging a huge hole out in the front yard that will stay empty for at least another month. Oops.

warm feet

With winter looming and a busy work schedule, I figured the time was right to finally attempt socks. I started with small toddler socks, but that didn't make the project any easier. The first sock took four, yes four tries until I got it right (at least the small scale wasn't so heartbreaking to undo). Needless to say I was well practiced for the second sock and it was a smooth knit. Sadie likes wearing them around the house but only on top of other socks, so I can't say they are very practical. However, I do agree that the process is quite magical when the heel takes shape, so I think more socks are in my future. And maybe for my feet next time.

In case anyone wants to know, here are the details:

Pattern: Two Tone Socks from "Simply Baby" by Debbie Bliss
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino
Needles: 5mm DPNs
Mods: None, except for needle size. I did the 6-12 month size, but with larger needles than called for. Oh, and I only used one colour.

mail heaven

Ahh, mail. Just before we left for New York I got this wonderful package from Julia at Moth Heaven. Fabric, beads, badges, patterns...the bounty was endless. It's such a powerful feeling when someone you've never met understands exactly what you like. The detail shot reveals the sweet spot: pages from a 1914 mini calendar. I don't know what I will do with them yet, but the type, scale and age make them a prized new addition to my paper things. Thank you Julia!

When we returned from New York another package was waiting for me, this time from Dawn. Gertrude the Bunny is the lovely creature in the corner, and she is just one of the many dolls Dawn has been making for Supermaggie. With any luck I'll be able to find some time this weekend to get packages out myself so that power of mail karma can keep working.

As for New York, Jay and I had a great weekend away. I tried to visit Seedhouse to see if I could get a glimpse of Tamar's fantastic creatures, but unfortunately it wasn't open. Giant Robot was a more successful venture, and then a small splurge at the Camper store in Soho. We toured the MOMA for the first time in 10 years and I could have spent hours with the artist's books in the "Eye on Europe" exhibit. Oh, and speaking of books, when we walked around Chelsea looking at galleries we stumbled upon the first ever "Artist's Book Fair" sponsored by Printed Matter Inc. Again, I could have spent hours there, but it wasn't totally Jay's thing. I still managed to walk away with a small treasure - a book of poetry by Simon Cutts called "The Smell of Printing". What a perfect title, and what a perfect trip.

Perfection was shot to hell when we got home though - Sadie has decided she doesn't need to sleep. All week we haven't been able to get her into bed until midnight. Midnight! She is an irritable walking zombie and tonight is the first time I've been able to even sit down at the computer. I sure hope it's a phase and not punishment for us leaving her. Two year olds...I can't say I wasn't warned.

two years and counting

I apologetically admit that in our house, birthdays pass without much fanfare. With Sadie they definitely seem more important, but until she knows that it's her special day we get away with stretching it out or even celebrating on some other date that works for everyone else. It is no surprise then, that her birthday party was held on November 11th...even if her birthday was October 6th.

To make birthday matters worse, this photo isn't even from either her birthday or the party. I've chosen it because I feel that it presents her "twoness" if such a state of being exists. No longer can I refer to her as my baby - she is most certainly a little girl. She often chooses tights over socks, she knew instictively what to do with a rolling Dora suitcase, and she speaks to us in little sentences that two months ago she couldn't even imagine. She's two, she's a toddler and she's the most fabulous creature I know.

Hey, it's been a while and the mommy in me just had to gush.

noggin warmers

There seem to be babies popping up everywhere, and this time around I think I understand the size of a newborn head. So a series of hats simply had to be knit, based on the hat from Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits. I first made this hat before Sadie was born and she still has a few years left of wear in it - it was that big! I love the shape and it's an easy project...even when there are five of them to make. One of the mothers is having twins, so I also finished a special hat just for her, Louisa Harding's Flora Hat. Moms need recognition too.

I was surprised recently when I found a new Debbie Bliss book, Simply Baby, that was just like Baby Knits in terms of level and amount of cute patterns, but this book is half the price! Somehow seeing a $14.95 sticker meant I had to have it, as though this was some fantastic deal for a girl with more pattern books than is ever going to be necessary. If I didn't have hobbies I would be a rich woman.

Which reminds me of the other photos. This is my new knitting bag which I picked up during my week off. It's by Shinzi Katoh, and I couldn't resist. The fabric is so charming and I have quickly learned that the flat open design is great for knitting projects. I'm too scared to look through his other designs because I may not have enough reserve. As it is I'm thinking of this bag as a Christmas gift to myself.

Help.

it's all about colour

Every time I choose variegated wool I'm not thrilled with the result. Wait - correction - I did like Sadie's Swing Thing. So one time I have been thrilled, all other times a touch disappointed. So why did I get more? Well, yesterday I knew there was going to be time to knit in the car and during family visiting so I decided I needed to start a hat for myself now that the cold weather is here. I told myself that since my scarves are all solid colours I should be more adventurous with the hat. Using my happiness with Koigu as a guide, I went to the Knit Cafe hoping to find something with lavender in it. But look what I chose...did I go crazy? Oh sure, there's lavender in there, and about 600 other colours. Plus this isn't the Koigu that I used for Jay's scarf. So much for plans.

At least the trees know about beautiful colour.

So do these fantastic knitters: Coloursknits, Fig and Plum, Grumperina, Moth Heaven, Kate Gilbert and Yarnstorm. Sigh.

i heart red

This past week has been so relaxing. I took time off work but kept Sadie in daycare - which meant it was all ME time. I haven't had that since Sadie was born and even though I may have felt a tiny smidgen of guilt it was oh-so-wonderful. I went to a matinee, got a massage, found a great new store, bought wool, lunched on my own...it was heaven. I also watched the entire first season of Grey's Anatomy - how much of a guilty pleasure is that?

Of course this seems to have nothing to do with red. Here's my red story: I am always drawn to red, every hue from blood to cherry catches my wandering eye. I used to paint my rooms red too, but Jay has put an end to that (we're now an all-beige household). I love what red can do to a space, physically and mentally. I especially love what red can do to my feet - I have been looking for a pair of red shoes to replace red mary jane's that I wore out and I finally got lucky. I dress fairly plain, so wearing red shoes is such a treat. The boots above are my holiday find; the make is Pikolinos and I love the black line that crosses over. Sadie wanted to model her almost-red shoes too when I tried to take the photo, and the polka dotted thing is a wee suitcase I found at a great kids store called Polka Dot Kids. And still on the subject of red, I also noticed that our unattended clematis has red berries right now which I have never noticed. They seem so out of place in our messy backyard, like a transplanted set of perfect marbles. And for the last photo, even though we exist in beige there are bits of red everywhere, from honey jars on top of the fridge to any cushion surface I can cover (he's never been against red fabric...just paint).

There's nothing like the perfect vacation. I'm so relaxed I don't even mind the thought of going back to work. And hey, it's a chance to wear my new red shoes.

pigeon play

I kept telling myself to finish the feet before I posted photos, but it's just taking me too long. I have tried a number of wrapping and fabric options, all failures. I think paint is my next choice and I'll try it out this weekend. But enough of the apologies - here is the start of something new. In conjunction with the cross stitch I'm doing I want to create pigeons that will carry stitched messages (you can see another pigeon body hanging out in the background). I'm keeping the materials and approach simple, which allows the handstitching to stand out. I've also included the drawings that sit above these fellows, inspiring me to keep going. Perhaps this all doesn't look like much, but it's proving exhilirating to me. I've always loved showing the seams and the proof of process, but for a long time I have made very clean, tailored dolls. All this mess is making me feel free again, reminding me that there are no rules when you feel compelled to create. An idea can take shape in whatever form you choose.

This new direction reminded me to visit a past inspiration, Annette Messager. Her choice of imagery and materials combined with her dark approach to assembling installalations has always intrigued me. Check out these works in particular: My Vows, The Boarders, and The Pikes.

bescarfed

Last weekend I started two new dolls, so I decided I had to finish another project at the same time (if only to make the mental space to take on something new). So Jay's scarf was the closest to finished and wow, it sure feels good when you weave in that last end. He's already worn it too because it's been downright chilly this week. This wool was wonderful to work with plus the colour looks great on Jay.

One done, only about a hundred more projects to go. My goal is to have a shot of the dolls by the end of the weekend. It's been way too long since I've had new dolls to show, and these are very new - the bodies aren't stuffed, instead they were created first out of newspaper and twine. The fabric comes last...

cross eyed

Thank goodness I'm nearsighted - this cross-stitch work is intense! I decided to start with natural linen so I have to count every weave, and to make matters worse I chose a fairly tight weave because I loved the citron colour of it. This is still just a detail, but it gives away a bit of what I'm doing. This message is something a friend told me her husband said to her and I can't get over how beautifully simple it is. Words of love and words of lust...that's where this project is headed. As soon as my eyes see straight again I will finish one entirely. So far I've been excited by every letter form, so I haven't gone beyond them to finish the borders.

Plush You II starts soon - and there's a little part of me that wishes I could have flown to Seattle for it. As it stands I will be heading to New York at the end of October to attend Jay's opening in a Chelsea gallery. It's pretty exciting - a solo show in New York, and needless to say, he's absolutely stoked. I am too, plus I'm totally proud of him.

Uh-oh, my fever-ridden Sadie just woke up. Jay's out of town and she's been miserable all day and night with either molars or just a rotten cold. Time to go be Mommy.

things to come

Here are the bits and pieces of what I'm up to. The two knitting books are waiting to be reviewed by me in some form; the first is Sexy Little Knits and the next Morehouse Farm Merino Knits. I have gone through both with the intention of trying a pattern from each. Unfortunately the cover of Sexy Little Knits is more inspiring than most of the patterns (unless you liked fashion in the 80's), but Morehouse Farms will be easy - the patterns are simple and the children's mittens are adorable so I think I will start there. Sadie will need to keep those little hands warm soon enough.

Next up, my knitting. Jay's scarf is half finished and I am still in love with this wool. It has a wonderful weight and bounce to it, plus the mottled effect of the dye is stunning (I'm not sure the photo does it justice). The other wool is to make a scarf for myself, though I don't know what pattern I'll attempt. I'd like a lacey scarf, but there's too much risk that I'll never finish it so I may just go with seed stitch like Jay's scarf. Tried and true, right?

Last, but certainly not least in my mind, is a tiny preview of my cross stitch project. It looks fairly boring in this state, I know. Trust me that it is going somewhere and I'm really just getting the hang of which materials to use and how to get through a lot of text without going bug-eyed. I feel really good about this project so I'll keep you posted as is starts getting somewhere.

And now I might take a break to start reading a biography of Margaret Mead's. Thank goodness it's a long weekend!

camera ready

Not quite two and this girl knows how to pose. The other great update in her world is that she has a little polar bear named George, but coming from Sadie's mouth it sounds more like "Dorge!" (insert great toddler excitement as you say it). I love hearing it and find every opportunity to coax Sadie into saying it over and over again. Bad mommy.

Summer is almost over and like last year, I'm feeling a burst of "making" energy. I've started a scarf for Jay out of hand-dyed Koigu merino wool (it's so soft and light, I wish I'd tried it loong ago), a cotton sweater for Sadie, and best of all, an actual art/conceptual project using cross stitch. I'm so addicted to it that I was even stitching on the subway today behind Sadie's stroller as she said hello to everyone around her (while also offering complimentary Melba toast). I'll take photos soon, promise. The other reason for finding some creative momentum has been that I have way more workspace now; before Sadie was born I had our big bedroom as a studio but it became a bedroom for all three of us once Sadie arrived. But Sadie's happily been on her own for a while now so Jay suggested we take the big room back as a shared studio for both of us. What a fantastic suggestion - not only is it a great space, but we'll also get to spend more time together while working. It's a win-win all around. Yeah for husbands with great ideas!

girl power

On August 3rd, my Great Grandmother turned 100 years old. 100! It's such a shocking thought. During her celebration we snapped this picture of 5 generations of women, because really, it's pretty special. All the daughters of daughters. Sadie might not understand the significance now, but when she's older I hope she appreciates this picture and the fact that the women in her family have lasting power. My Great Grandmother has been through a lot, seen a lot, and she's still going pretty strong. We all hope to have inherited her strong genes, right down to the little two year old she had her hand in creating.

Life sure is a wonderfully complex thing.

mitsy and bitsy

Phew! These two ladies are done. I've wanted to turn my little sweaters into dresses for some time now and Plush You II seemed like a great reason to go for it. Sure it's about 120 degrees outside, but these two mice are toasty warm. They stand around 13" tall (bigger than I usually make, but I made the dresses first - oops!) and are quite a close pair. I can't wait to see the rest of the submissions for the show and I hope these gals have a good time in Seattle.

Now onto a new project, starting tonight!

toy collection #1

With this post I am instituting a new rule for myself - no matter what I'm up to, no matter what I have or haven't made, I will post ONCE a week. Promise. This blog picked me up out of a creative funk last year and I owe it to the virtual world gods to keep it going (I also have a sneaking suspicion that I may be making more again now that Sadie goes to bed at 8:30 and Jay and I have decided to give each other free time). So it's a brand new day.

One of the BIO questions for Plush You II was whether we had toy or plush collections. I'd be surprised if none of us did, but I also thought what a great thing to share as points of inspiration. Eagerly I started taking photos last night of a few finds of mine and hopefully Jay will start letting me take pictures of his great toys too. I'm starting here with a doll I found in a Kingston market when I was a student. I couldn't afford him so I used my food money (seriously). His clothes are so detailed and next to the vacant face...well I just find the whole combination wonderfully awkward.

Any other toy collectors out there?

london bound

Well, that sure was a big break from posting. There has been so much going on that actually creating things has taken a permanent backseat for far too long. But I have a deadline for Plush You II coming up so tonight I hope to finish a little knitted dress for a new animal friend. Fingers crossed, of course.

The piece above is one of Jay's newest, and it is currently on display in London, UK. The show info is at this link, and there are also details there about his artist's talk. Getting ready for this show has been one of the many things going on around here. While I was on maternity I completely forgot how swamped my summers always are at work; I go to bed thinking of work and wake up with a new to-do-list. We have a vacation planned in August that we're really looking forward to - everyone in this house needs a break. And some rest.

On the weaning front, it is all done. I am sad to even type it which might also put into perspective where my head has been this past month. I wish I could have let Sadie lead the way, but life happens and some things couldn't budge. She took to it quite well, but there is truth in what everyone told me: it's harder on the mother. Cheers to that one. And for a mom who swallows guilt daily for being the one going to work and leaving her little girl, it was one of the things that I knew she really needed me for. Of course, this is a new stage and she is just as content when I play with her hair or dance with her or read her stories, but nothing will ever compare to that wonderful first bond. I'm almost through the mourning of it, but wow, it's a biggie.

tax evasion

It's a pretty sad fact that I haven't yet done our taxes, and here it is, the beginning of June. I don't absolutely detest the task, but really there are so many other exciting things to do with my small amount of free time that I just keep putting it off. This weekend is it though ... except for the gardening I'd like to get to.

Our backyard was a gravel pit when we moved here - honestly - and over the years we have rescued it from it's ant-ridden fate by building a deck and taking a stab at gardening. My father is an expert in the garden so I'm fully aware that my attempts are crude and haphazard, but that hasn't spoiled the fun for even a second. Last year I put zinnias at the foot of the deck for some colour (that was Dad's suggestion of course) though this year I think I'll try something different. Dahlias? Poppies? Wildflowers?

And on the emotional rollercoaster known as weaning, we're down to one feed a day right now. I've been teetering hormonally the whole time but I realize that it will be a great evolution in my relationship with Sadie, and I'm so impressed with her flexibility. Really, my little girl is such a trooper - she adjusts to anything. Now if only she could convince her mother to do the taxes...

the beginning of the end

As I type this entry Jay is putting Sadie to bed. Without me. Without nursing.

I'm still not sure what I feel; we've been at this for 20 months now and that's a pretty long run. Sadie took to nursing like it was her only passion plus she has a milk allergy which made extended nursing almost compulsory. But for the last little while there have been times when I resent not being able to get in the house after work without my shirt being pulled in all directions. Or that I keep getting to work later and later as her morning feeds get longer and longer. Or that I forget what it's like to have my body to myself, keeping my chest as more of a mystery to strangers. Sure, gone will be the days where we could count on the backup nutrition of breastmilk, but hey, we are parents now and we should get a handle on feeding Sadie a balanced diet (well, avoiding milk and eggs isn't so easy...we're working on it). Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this whole experience for anything in the world. We're taking it slow, but it's just that tonight is the night.

The beginning of the end.

corner collection 3

Here is another corner, revealing our one and only black door. Four years into the house and we still have 6 more to go. Sigh. And admittedly, this isn't so much a corner as a small space for sentimental things, such as the embroidered portrait of my old cat Cleo, perfectly captured by my wonderful (and dearly missed) friend Kristen, and the photobooth photo of me and my Dad when I was six and we were taking the train to Chapleau (I remember it was close to midnight, but my Dad and I went to hunt down some candy...some things never change), and a rare photo of Jay and I together at a friend's wedding (Jay wore his Dad's royal blue and orange suit, circa his parents wedding, 1970). These personal items only hang out in our bedroom, part of a decision we made a while ago regarding what goes where. But now that Sadie is here, meaningful memories are making their way into the public parts of our house too.

Thank you, Sadie.

siesta

Ahh, we're back from a sunny and sweltering Mexico. This prim and proper bunny has been half finished for some time now and after returning home I felt he had to be finished (plus he was a gift for friends who truly deserved his company). I've been feeling short on creative time, but I hope the springtime changes that. My new plan is to embark on weaning, keep my day job work to the daytime hours and get back to sewing.

Fingers crossed.

big eyed lady

Sadie hasn't made an appearance here lately, though it's not for lack of great things happening in her world. She's very found of saying hello (said as "halloo") and bye right now, plus she sings along with us in her own tune and space language which makes for many hidden giggles between me and Jay. A-year-and-a-half is a pretty cool age, but really what age hasn't been?

paper houses

Ahh, a long week done. I spent many late night hours this week building small paper houses, which was way more difficult than I imagined. It was great to play with paper again.

Sadie's "Swing Thing" is finished, but unfortunately it's HUGE. The sleeves are terribly long on her; overall it ended up more in the 3-4 year size (oops, but at least it wasn't too small right?) As for knitting, I came across a shawl/cardigan yesterday on a lunchtime shopping trip that is a linen/cotton blend and is based on the basic style of this design (though what I found was lacier and quite pretty). My only question - is this style too old? Will I feel like a grandma wrapping myself in it? Because I gotta say, it feels oh so cozy...

corner collection 2

Ahh, my nightly retreat. Sometime around 10pm this is the seat I sink into, hoping to knit or maybe catch up on The Daily Show. The basket lamp might not count as task lighting but if I sit just so there is enough light to illuminate my little projects.

No new dolls are in the making, so I think I better start using my day job as the excuse. It's an awesome job, but also pretty demanding. By the time 10pm rolls around, this seat is all I can think about as I put my brain to rest.

march break

It may not be a vacation, but March has certainly been a break from "making". Jay's show is up and the opening over, so life can return to normal now. Sadie's Swing Thing is getting there - slowly - but here is a picture in progress. I've started a sleeve and the Noro is working up quite differently; it's less stripey but still a great combination of colour. And the best surprise of the month is this great Camilla Engman softie called Kola. Friends of ours got her for us as a good luck charm (we're so spoiled!) and the whole family is smitten with her. Sadie danced a jig and Jay moved around old collections to give her a prime spot on the mantle. I think she'll bring me some charm for sure - time to get back to creating!

corner collection

We have a small, small house. When I took this picture I was only 4 feet from the other exterior wall, actually we could lay Jay down twice and make it from one side to the other. We don't even have many corners, but somehow a photo like this makes your space seem bigger. I've had great fun poking around the Flickr group "Corners of My Home" and I especially enjoy Tracy's submissions. I'm not ready for the Self Portrait challenge, but I could use a good reason for tidying up the corners of our tiny home. This is across from the computer and all of Sadie's books are on the bottom shelf. She likes to sit tucked in behind the chair reading to herself. And these shelves - built by the industrious Jay - hold a number of our collections. We are confirmed pack rats and a small house keeps us in check...in theory.

recovery

I wanted to call this entry "stomach explosion" but it would have tainted the image above for all the wrong reasons. So before the recovery story, here is the invite to Jay's show which opens Wednesday at le.gallery. The opening reception is Friday, March 17th for anyone in Toronto, and Jay will be exhibiting new Gum Blondes that haven't even made it to his website yet. I guess they're hot off the . . . jaws?

As for the recovery story, all my knitting and making came to a grinding halt as a nasty stomach flu took over our house (never good before an art show, but it'll work out.) Jay and I were totally struck down, the details - far too disgusting to share. Thank goodness my Mom came to our rescue! She stayed with us, took care of Sadie and even slept on our couch to give us the help we so desperately needed. She was the ultimate MOM, and I feel incredibly lucky that she was so quick to help. Thanks Mom - you're the best!

wool explosion

Once upon a time I was addicted to knitting miniature sweaters. I really thought my knitting would stay small and repetitive, but something has gone terribly wrong. Here is a sweater for Sadie, partly based on the idea of the boat neck baby sweater from Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits but knit without a pattern which explains its HUGEness. At least she'll get two winters out of it, and by next year that tiny ponytail might actually stay in her hair (they last about 7 minutes now!) And then if that wasn't enough, my good friend Elizabeth at the addictive Elizaboothy started the Swing Thing from Magknits and I felt compelled to try it too, so at the height of Saturday's windstorm Sadie and I walked to Knitomatic and picked multicoloured Noro for it. You can see the yoke almost finished in the left side of the third photo. The rest of the wool pictured is from a trip today to Romni; the rust Silky Wool is for me to try a top-down raglan, and the mauve Jo Sharp is reserved for Sadie, because I'm sure I'll figure out something else to knit for her.

I've completely lost control.

pink, oh so pink

Today, my Olympic news is a bit better than the Canadian Men's Hockey team. Pictured here is my completed challenge, fuzzy pink fringe and all. I didn't actually sign up for the Knitting Olympics, but I perservered in the shadows and finished my project with time to spare. I'm not crazy about the stripe effect; variegated wool is new to me having spent the last five years knitting with solid colours and the occasional tweed fleck for kicks. As simple as the pattern looked, I had to make adjustments so that Sadie's noggin' could fit through (though her noggin' might be extra-large, I have a C-section scar that would swear that's the case!) She's not wild about wearing it yet so I'm leaving it on the floor with her pile of hats hoping that she warms up to the idea. Yeah, right.

mouse nap

Sadie's nose is oozing unpleasant stuff but on the bright side she took a three hour nap this afternoon. After a bit of internet time I gave myself a stern talking-to and dragged my tired Sunday body to my sewing corner to make good on the time she was giving me. Under the spell of an old Cowboy Junkies album and a foggy just-before-falling-alseep idea last night this little guy came to life, snout and all. I've used wool suiting instead of blankets which means my stuffing job will have to be improved. I think mice have been filling my head since seeing Vicki's little squeeks, though I'd also like to get going on some bird babies in a fashion similar to Little Red. Of course I hope Sadie's nose clears up, but it's terribly nice of her to give me lumbering naps every so often.

(P.S. It probably goes without saying - my absolute first choice is to hang out with Sadie all day. The mice and birds, as cute as they could be, can't rival my girl.)