October 27th, 2011 -- Posted in angels |
Another October, another time for lighting candles for our 3 angel babies…
Also another time for our annual donation to the March of Dimes for the work they do with families with premature babies, NICU babies and those who have lost a baby or fetus. I know their Berreavement package was very helpful to me when I was grieving my losses, and I want to make sure that good work can continue.
Previously, you may remember, I had created one for our 2nd lost baby, willow… This year for our donation, I created a band for sienna:
sienna’s band
Next year I will try to remember to create a third band for our other miscarried baby so that they all have one.
If you are someone who makes regular donations to charities, please consider making a donation in the name of one of our angel babies, or just towards the March of Dimes in general.
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August 9th, 2011 -- Posted in EZ-blog Oven, knitty/stitchy |
So I suspect my cross-stitch drawer may have been getting more lonely over the past little while, especially in the recent year as I’ve taken up knitting. I mean no offense to it, but those teeny-tiny squares *are* a little more difficult on the eyes! And wielding a small needle seems to be a little more tiresome on the neck muscles as well, which is something I can’t afford these days.
Nonetheless, I have not been ignoring this craft completely! Even though I only created maybe one or two cross-stitch patterns last holiday season instead of the usual “bunch” of them, I’m never without a project in the works. I still find it to be one of the most portable crafts to take on the go; I do most of my stitching while waiting in doctor’s offices and in the car and things like that!
Right now, there are a couple of birth announcements in progress for babies born in 2011. I like to give them no later than the baby’s first birthdays, so it helps to start them way ahead of sched! These little boys were born in April, 2 days apart even though they were due more than a month apart! They are also cousins so I made them matching designs. I’ve mostly finished the main part of the pattern but now need to add the birth details.
Last year I only had to do a couple birth announcements… a cute horse and frog. I didn’t get a chance to grab a photo of the Rocking Horse one (maybe next time I see my friend I’ll ask!) but here is the Frog one…
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July 19th, 2011 -- Posted in friends, knitty/stitchy, pics |
Earlier this spring, there was a bit of a baby boom in my group of friends! My high school friends are all having little ones and it seems now there is constantly at least one or two friends who are new moms or expecting. Now that I’ve been knitting a while, it was a great transition to start to learn to knit cute little baby items!
It’s been a tradition of mine for a while to do baby birth samplers (in cross-stitch) for each new baby. If I wasn’t able to have it ready as a “new baby” gift, I’d often give it at the baby’s first birthday. This is something I may or may not continue, but I find cross-stitch is getting a little trickier for me these days. Knitting is more comfortable for me and less straining and tiring. And the results and still just as a personal, yet are practical and enjoyed more on a day-to-day basis!
When I decided to start learning, I jumped in head-first! I bought one booklet with many baby patterns and several balls of coordinating yarn in blues. I had 2 close friends in mind for the first projects, whom I had known since grade 7 and grade 10, and whose little boys would be cousins! I admit now I probably *should* have started off with something simple, like a cap or a pair of booties. But no, I really fell in love with this little sweater pattern and had to start that right away!
The details were adorable: little stripey hoodie, nifty pattern along the v-neck collar…
It was a very challenging project and I plodded along pretty slowly! Lots of pieces and steps. I put to use all 3 stitch-holders that my son had bought me for Christmas (well, with strong encouragement from Daddy!). But finally, it was complete!
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