Babies come with hats

I have been a crafty lady lately. Sometimes I ask myself why I didn't start making things while I was pregnant. I had almost two wonderful months to myself before Lewis was born last year and I could have filled those days with all the projects that now fill my head, jostling to get to the front of the line and actually be created! Instead I filled those months sleeping (bliss), walking on the eastern cliffs (also bliss) and watching the entire series of Buffy....ok so those two months were pretty perfect....

The point is that I now face a daily battle to keep my house under control (there are those close to me who may say I fail in this regard), my active little boy entertained and indulge my growing crafty side.

My sister Jacqui taught me to knit not long after Lewis was born and I took to it like a duck to water. That is not to say that I was good at it right from the start or am even good at it now! On the contrary my first works were impossible tight, odd looking creations filled with dropped stitches and lots of swear words. What I did take to in a duckish manner was the feeling of knitting, the slowness of it. I love the click click of the needles, the connection between the mind and the hands and the way that it invites people to come sit with you for a long leisurely chat as the rows multiply.

Soggy Bob was a happy result of these early knitting lessons from Jacqui. Knitted by Jacqui as part of my instruction, he comes from this Steiner book.

Lewis showing appreciation for Soggy Bob the sheep and Jenn's shoe at the same time

Our Christmas trip to England produced a new knitted labour of love. I knitted Lewis a Christmas stocking complete with a knitted Christmas tree decoration. For any knitting enthusiasts out there I may try to post the pattern I made up for the tree closer to the festive season. The stocking was special because it holds stitches knitted with love by many helpful hands. During the trip I happened to be surrounded by many experienced knitters who were rather appalled at my abilities and speed...so they helped :) Granny B and Nanna Jenny helped A LOT as did our wonderful friend Liz who demanded that I give her the knitting just to see if the lovely rose wood needles I was using were the reason for my snail like progress ( turns out they weren't). I love the feeling of community and collaboration that this process invoked, it reinforces for me that the process is just as important as the result when it comes to creating.

Lewis unpacking his stocking at his first Christmas and Granny B's friends popped in for Christmas Eve coffee and joined the production line

A month or so ago I reached my knitted pinnacle so far. I have two not one beautiful babies in my life (well I have far more than that!). Lewis has a special friend Mabel Wren who is his senior by one week and I have a special friend in Mabel Wren's mother Sarah Mac. I wanted to make cozy hats to keep these babes heads warm this winter so these little hat were born.

Hats with ears what more can I say??

To make these hats I watched this video tutorial and then did a whole lot of adapting of my own. Basically I just knit a rectangle, occasionally hold it up to a nearby baby's head to check for size and go from there. I'm not big on patterns and being exact me...