EB Sewer's Kids Clothing Swap

Moday was opening day fro this swap, where I sent this:


Okay, so that doesn't show you much, but I will blog it properly when it has been received. I sooo wanted to keep the t-shirt for Austy, so another is on the cards especially for him this time!

Here is what I received from Tina, for Madelyn. She read my notes on Madelyn very carefully and knew anything with cupcakes would go down well, and teamed it with a very sweet handmade clip to match.

The clip was being clutched by an eeensy meensy little panda bear that I haven't been able to photograph - it's a new favourite for Maddy! I opened the parcel whilst giving her the bedtime feed last night. It wasn't enough to make her stop feeding (she is a little milk mad!) but she started giggling and clutched him to her chest as soon as I showed her.

It is VERY hard to get decent pictures of her these days (and at the moment it is especially difficult since she is unwell) but I managed to capture her "dancing" in her new dress. Not a brilliant picture, but you can at least get an idea of how it looks on her.

Please excuse Penelope on in the background while I got the back shot - it was the only way she would stand still! The dress looks so cute on her, just a tad tight and short (she is a bit bigger than the average 20 month old and quickly catching up to her brother). It seems the warm weather is a while away yet though, so hopefully that will give me a chance to modify the waistband to include buttons (there were some tears getting it on and off) and move the buttons down on the bodice so it adds a little more length as it only just clears the nappy. I hope you don't mind Tina - I just don't think it will get worn how it is as it is just too hard to get on and off.

Another baby gift

Finished just in the nick of time (and gifted still damp!) for a relative's baby shower yesterday, was this "Small Things Romper" in my hand dyed Appletree colourway (with BWM "Stone" trim). Super snuggly, and quick to knit, this is fast becoming one of my favourite baby patterns, and knitting with a hand painted yarn always makes it more interesting.

If I had more time, I was contemplating making apple tree themed fimo buttons but alas time is something I can never seem to find much of (perhaps it is my poor time management, or perhs I just get a little too ambitious sometimes!). Nevertheless I think these buttons I foiund at my local sewing store fit the bill perfectly, and keep the garment unisex. I am thinking to make a little teddy bear or bunny "blankie"with the animal head done from the contrast and the blankie part done with the left over hand painted wool. I will be making up the pattern as I go, but have a month before the baby is due, and some long hours in planes and airport terminals that I should be able to fill with knitting now that they have decided that knitting needles are unlikely weapons!

I am off to Michigan again, thistime on my own for work as I did when Austy was 2. It's going to be harder to be away from my little cubs this time though, since there are 2 of them now, I have never left Madelyn over night and have ALWAYS fed her to sleep at night (yes, still going with the breastfeeding). However a rushed decsion at work last week had me booked to fly out next Saturday, and no time to wean her, so the poor little princess is going to have to deal with me gone and no more breastfeeding to sleep all at once. I will be back by the end of the month, but arriving home oin a Sunday afternoon and expected to show up at work at 7:30am on the Monday morning, so I can't even take a day to "reconnect". Luckily I haven't gotten around to putting in my form to go back to work on Tuesdays, so I will keep that Tuesday as my last Tuesday off work before I have to start going back to full time work.

I also finished this little apricot wrap jumper for Madelyn from one of my favourite knitting books. It is a bit big and falls off her shoulders a bit (hoping next winter it will be perfect for her) but other than that I love the effect of the cables and lace. Unfortunately the little Miss has not been too well lately - an ear infection and cold the last two weeks and just as she finished her antibiotics for the ear, the coughing started and she now has MORE antibioitics for acute bronchitis, so I decided not to bug her with sitting still for a photo this time.