camera happy

The new camera is fantastic - I hadn't realized how much I missed the control you have with a 35mm. Finally I don't have to totally doctor my shots in Photoshop, they are good to go as is! For fun, I took a shot of one of my current knitting projects, a Louisa Harding lace scarf knit in Naturally Fur Merino, and the cover of a pattern book that I couldn't help but frame. Floating baby heads? It was just too great - and somewhat creepy - to file away. But of course I've been shooting a certain someone incessantly...so Sadie is included too.

learning curve

So I'm taking some time to figure out more template tweaks. I've put a new header in just to see if I could figure it out - and now that I have, it's back to the drawing board for something more compelling. Also we just got a new camera that I need to figure out, a digital SLR, so hopefully my photos will improve too! I'm such a techhie all of a sudden.

I have been knitting non-stop though, and enjoying perusing knitting blogs. Here is about 1 percent of the places I'm visiting: buzzingbee, knitfix, angryknitter, elizaboothy and my all-time fave naive knitting. As far as projects go I've started a Louisa Harding scarf, tried out double pointed needles, and almost finished Sadie some legwarmers...oh, and I so want to make myself a pair of these knitted maryjane's. There's just not enough time in this working-full-time-with-a-toddler girl's life.

slow to start

Finally I am getting to work again. There are a few knitting projects currently unfinished, but I feel like I have abandoned the Month of Softies for far too long. Above is a sneak peek at my "Fairy Tales" entry - what a great theme idea. So many possibilities, and only the time for one doll. I've also included a photo of my miniature work space; before Sadie arrived I had an entire room to myself and now I'm lucky to get this tiny corner of our bedroom. My sincere thanks go out to the Anonymous Baby residing over my table - thanks to his/her chubby goodness I have been able to make it work!

rumble tumble

Who wouldn't want a jolly game of Rumble Tumble in their life? Can you imagine a more wonderful gift? Great friends of ours - who totally understand what Jay and I dig - found this for us recently. I just love the illustrations and check out the doll in the little girl's arms! The game is completely intact and so simple to play. And speaking of these friends, they also spoiled us with a Camilla Engman calendar! Lucky for them, Camilla's "aqua in strawberry pants" came to live at their house and I am just dying to see and feel the little fella person.

I think next year I will vow to do all my Christmas shopping over the internet for only handmade goods. Anyone with me?

knitting fever

Oddly enough, I have never knit myself anything. Jay, Sadie, friends' babies, countless stuffed creatures...they've all enjoyed the fruits of my needled labour. So when deciding what to do next and devouring the first season of Lost on DVD I started a hat and became addicted to finishing it. The pattern came from a Louisa Harding book of accesories, and the wool is black alpaca and an angora tweed from a long time ago. Perhaps next I'll knit a scarf in a total wave of selfishness? Then I absolutely promise myself to get back to other things, like little woolen creatures who desperately need their own knitted treats.

'tis the season

Every year I try to make something for my Mom at Christmas. I wish I could make all of my gifts, but I think my Mom is the only person who doesn't tire of my handmade efforts (though she has quite a collection of dolls and cushions by now!) This doll was inspired by a previous entry; my Mom mentioned the mom-and-baby duo a few times so I thought trying another would be a safe bet. I knit the baby's blanket and used a linen for her dress that is almost the exact colour of my Mom's living room.

Now that my gifts and projects are out of the way I don't know what to do next. So many options and two weeks away from work. Knitting? Sewing clothes? Starting a new idea? Hmmm...

who's that girl?

Every so often, the camera captures a Sadie I don't know yet; a more demure, more independent little girl that has waved goodbye to babyhood. This is one of those moments from the future even though at the time she was a true toddler making an awful mess of my closet, emptying a box of breast pads and tossing sweaters over her shoulder (you can catch a glimpse of me trying to sew in the background...this is how chaos begins!) I hold on to every moment now because at 14 months Sadie is the most charming creature I've ever known, and I won't apologize for the cliche. I fall in love with her every weekend, especially when I take an extra day off. Tomorrow morning's reality of heading to work will be that much harder, but I'll just have to rush home at 5pm to catch my baby before these little glimpses become the norm.

bouncing bundlies

Four more Bundlies have been added to the shop!

And for those of you who live south of my border, Hilary of Wee Wonderfuls is selling her great "Christmasbot" postcards for a total steal. I received mine recently and they rock!

Next up for me, a special Christmas gift for my Mom. And it'll be a secret until Christmas since she reads my blog religiously, but I promise to post the photo afterwards.

sale synopsis

I had great intentions of taking photos before the sale, but somehow we were setting up until the first person arrived, so these are the only reasonable photos I got! The cushions up top were a last minute idea to use up more of my wool blankets, the second photo is one of our shelves filled with goodies and the last photo shows Jay's pieces all on one wall. The blue and red pieces are rubber doll parts placed to look like butterflies (ears) or flocks or birds (noses). Luckily two were left because I just couldn't part with them! The sale was a great success though I'm relieved it's over. Last night I actually started a knitting project for myself - I'm using Louisa Harding angora wool to make a simple garter stitch scarf, what a treat.

I've started a wee shop for my wool creations, so come on over and visit . . . a few Bundlies are hanging out there.

better from the back

First - a photo to explain what I have been doing these past two weeks. I may be totally sick of little wool bits by Saturday, but at least there will be many bundlies and softies for sale. If anyone is in the Toronto area the cider will be warm and the uniques gifts plentiful!

The new creative dilemma I've hit is this: while embroidering my own "birdbabies" for cushions I have fallen in love with the backside of the embroidery. This happens to me often, I generally like quilts from the back with all the threads hanging loose and the seams fraying (I'm a deconstructionist at heart.) I will finish these pillows as they should be, but I think in the new year I'm going to work with this usually ignored side. Once the sale is over it's on to less functional diversions to give my brain a shake-up. I have attached one of the birds, front and back - anyone else smitten with the back?