quick fix

Thank goodness for baby gifts. Two nights on the sofa and voila, a baby hat for a friend's baby boy. I used Dream in Color Classy, which comes in a 250 yard skein so I have plenty left over to make Milo something (a vest, of course). The colourway is called Gray Tabby and I love how subtle the variations are. It never totally dips to black, and the gray is the perfect charcoal shade. I can imagine knitting lots of garments from this colourway - I mean, how perfect a cardigan would this make? Or a man's rollneck sweater? Or a toddler's hoodie? So many options.

The pattern is a variation of the Simple Hat in Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits for Beginners. It's easy and quick - basically the perfect go-to pattern for baby gifts. I just hope baby Dexter likes this little hat by the time the cool weather comes back.

juggling

It is going to take me a while to figure out this whole being-back-at-work thing. Two weeks in and I only have remnants of energy after the kids are in bed. The sofa calls my name (along with a bowl of popcorn) and I ignore even my knitting needles. But on the weekend I squeezed in a little sewing for Milo because having extra summer clothes for him means less frequent laundry for me. I re-drafted Milo's pants pattern for woven fabrics though I should shorten the rise for the next pair. I had some denim scraps from shortening jeans for myself and I thought they made cute kneepads, plus the colour looked great on the gray linen I had. And the t-shirt is the craziest Father's Day gift out there: Jay found this vintage t-shirt last summer and requested that I make something for Milo out of it. A year later and the request has been filled and being Father's Day today, Milo is going to wear it for his Dad, even though it sort of implies that he is a Dad. That would be the twisted part of the gift, and hopefully we'll get some unusual looks when we venture out in public.

Fingers crossed that my body and mind adjust soon to this new schedule. Time spent making is just way too important to lose.

right now

Right now a shawl is slowly taking shape. This pace is something I will have to get used to.

Right now words are finding their way back in to my days. Whether it's inspiration for work or a novel I've been meaning to read for years, words are always a wonderful way to find perspective.

Right now sewing is a joy. I'm pretty sure I have Kids Week to thank, because suddenly I am having success sewing for myself, which is just in time for a much needed back-to-work wardrobe. I guess I can ditch my army-pants-and-random-t-shirt look once and for all.

And right now I am thankful that a little boy's fever finally broke. After two "transition" visits to daycare, some form of sickness was practically expected, and I doubt this is the last of it. Extra cuddling was all he wanted, and I was more than happy to spend my final days being a doting mom.

Next up, a whole lot of change.