No, Mom…

They didn’t ’stop being cute.’

See?

(Also, it’s a well known fact that hats with babies in them are like, ten times cuter than hats without babies,and we’ve tried and failed to calculate how much the cuteness factor increases when you place two babies together…)

From the Pumpkin Patch

It’s October, and something strange is growing in the pumpkin patch.

Strange, yet utterly adorable. The boys have been moved in to share a bed with each other, and are more are less disconnected from stuff. We’re still not sure how long they’ll need to stay in the hospital, but things are moving in a good direction.

Perhaps I will post the pattern for the pumpkin hat later. Before I go, though, how about another gratuitous baby shot?

BABIES!!!

Super Monkey Ball!

(Gratuitous Nintendo reference ftw!)

So, to round out the little collection, I made the boys a monkey. I think it may be my favorite of the three - look how cute he is! Look at the startled little face, hahaha. The best part, really, is the ears. They’re so nicely three-dimensional.

I think they look good together. Now that I’ve got that out of my system, I’m trying to get some more work done on my shrug, which has languished unfinished for FAR too long.

More Ani-balls

Let me just lead with a less washed-out picture of the lion I made:

See? So much cuter in the sunshine! That goes for the tail view as well:

It’s been raining for days. It rained this morning, as a matter of fact; long and hard and thoroughly. I was afraid it might not dry out enough for me to get outside for  some shots of the aniballs in their…’natural’ environment, but in the evening enough had evaporated that we cautiously ventured out.

As you can see, Charlie got his elephant:

and I must say, it’s even a bigger hit than the lion. It’s slightly larger which makes it easier for little hands to throw and catch, and the boy’s have had the grandest time making elephant  sounds as they throw it around. The elephant has a little tail of its own, as well:

Although not long enough to use as a handle. These little guys are fun!

A Chat with the Focus Group

Obviously, any time I design a toy it’s with my boys in mind. Once it’s finished, I get various levels of feedback from them (generally just whether they like to play with it past the first day it’s done or not), but they’re getting to the point where they have things to say that are not only amusing but interesting as well. So, when I finished a little project today, I sat down with my mini-focus group for a chat and a game of lion-ball catch.

Basically, this is a ball with a tail and some comically alarmed facial features (since this poor little lion’s purpose is to be a projectile). We tossed it back and forth, and as we did, I conducted the following interview.

Me: So, you like the lion?

Charlie: I like the eyes.

Me: The eyes?

Charlie (stopping to poke them): Yeah, they’re black and white. And the pretty pink nose. Oh, look at the brown hair!

Me: Yeah, it’s nice hair, isn’t it.

Charlie: Yeah. Catch!

(The tail makes a better-than-anticipated launching handle for people with small hands.)

Me: What about you, Max? What do you like?

Max: I like about the pink nose. Hey, Mommy, let’s play again!

(Game resumes briefly)

Charlie: Look, his brown tail!

Me: His tail?

Charlie: Yes, ’cause he’s a ball!

Charlie (after a few more tosses back and forth): Look, he has ears!

Max (to Charlie): Do you like his ears, bub?

Charlie: Oh, yeah, and his pink nose. I like his pink nose.

Max: I like his pink nose!

Charlie: No, I like his pink nose!

Me: Boys!

(Squabble forgotten in giggles as the lion gets tossed around again)

Charlie (to me): You have to make a elephant.

Sweater Number Two Plus Something New!

Well, I finished the second sweater!

Sheesh. I really don’t like doing the same thing twice. This may become problematic… Still. They turned out well, and they look cute together.

Plus, if after all these babies turn out to be girls (the doctor told us she’d give us a 20% chance that they were not boys. Woo!) they’re gender-neutral enough to do well. Do you like them? Well, if you want to make one of your own, you can find the pattern over at Inner Child Crochet. (For free!)

Now that I’ve finished them, I’m taking a brief baby-clothes break to work on something for myself:

Pattern is Shrug Springs Eternal by Nikki Adams. (Rav link!) I need to expand my lightweight shrug collection, since all of the knee-length or better maternity dresses I can find are sleeveless - and I don’t do sleeveless. I’m using Red Heart Lustersheen Multi in Ocean, and I think it’s a beautiful color. Hopefully I’ll have that finished soon!

That’s One Down

The sun has come out around here, by which I mean - the sun has FINALLY come out around here and it looks like we’re finally going to get some real summer weather. I forget still that when the seasons change, a gigantic wind comes in and literally blows the old weather system out of here. (It’s pretty awesome to watch the massive cloud blanket break up and blow away, even if it’s rough to be outside at the time. Poor Charlie got an eyeful of gravel dust because the boys could not wait to play outside in the sunshine until the second or third day, when the wind’s exhausted itself.)

For that matter, as soon as I saw how sunny it was, I whipped the buttons on and the ends into the first sweater so I could get a decent picture.

It was harder than it looks to get this shot: the wind kept flinging the sweater up onto me! (Look, you can have the sleeves cuffed…)

(or uncuffed.) I think little sleeves with little ribbed ends are just adorable. Now, the second striped sweater is completely finished except for the ends and the buttons - so as soon as I get my buns in gear and do the finishing work on it, I’ll get some pictures of that one, too.

I Suppose I Might as Well Tell You

Since, given the nature of the blog, you ought to figure it out pretty quickly. When I had my appointment the other day, we had another ultrasound. There was some pretty strong evidence that these babies are…

Boys! (Yes, we did ask the doctor to double-check. Let’s just say the images were pretty convincing.) We were more surprised than anything else, because we had been so sure that we were getting girls. And I am a bit bummed that I don’t get to make flowers and dresses. AGAIN. But do you know how much knitting I would have to do to outfit two girls in everything I’ve ever wanted to make for daughters? A LOT. Like, an impossible amount. So that’s a bit of a relief. Let me say, too, that the amount of mayhem we expect to have with four boys - so young - is both daunting and really, really exciting. It will be a zoo…and I’ve always loved the zoo.

But! Most of you will have just stopped by for the pattern.

Basic Baby Beanie

Materials:

• Lion Brand  Wool-Ease (197 yd/180m
  per 85 g/3oz skein); about 50 yds per hat. Hats shown in Denim.
• H/8 -  5.00mm hook

Gauge: 12 sts x 10 rows in hdc = 4″

Size: Newborn (to fit approximately 15″ head)

Abbreviations

• ch = chain
• hdc = half-double crochet
• inc = make two stitches in next st
• sc = single crochet
• sl st = slip stitch

Note: US pattern conventions used.

Directions:

Do not join rounds.
Rnd 1: Ch 3; make 8 hdc in 3rd ch from hook.
Rnd 2: [Hdc inc in next st] around. (16 hdc)
Rnd 3: [Hdc in next st, hdc inc in next st] around. (24 hdc)
Rnd 4: [Hdc in next 2 sts, hdc inc in next st] around. (32 hdc)
Rnd 5: [Hdc in next 3 sts, hdc inc in next st] around. (40 hdc)
Rnds 6-15: Hdc in each st around.

To finish, sc in next st, sl st in each of next two sts. Finish off, weave in ends.

These hats are very quick to make (I made both of them last night while Greg tried out a new video game), and you could easily make two out of a  ’standard’ 110-yard skein of worsted.

Watch this space for more baby boy items. I’m feeling better.

Hey, I Made Something

No, seriously, I did. I looked it up in my Ravelry notebook (I never miss a chance to put in a new project there, so it’s not like I missed one) and I have not completed a project since March. Maaaaarch. That, more than anything else, is a true measure of how completely wiped out I have been. At any rate, I crocheted something this weekend.

I had another medical appointment today (since this whole thing started, I’ve had tons) and I had to leave my kids with my friend Julie…once again. She’s been really good about watching them when I have to go in for another test or exam or scan without the tiniest hint of unhappiness or irritation, and I would have had a much harder time without her. Now, one time when dropped off the kids, I brought their supplies in a bag I made last year (but apparently never blogged…curious. At least, I can’t find it, so here it is.)

Anyway, Julie asked me what I would charge to make one for her. HA! As if she’s going to get away with paying me for one of those after she’s spent at least 12 hours watching my children over the last month.  So - I made one for her.

Pattern is Econo-Shopper Mesh Bag (free online); I made the large size using a J hook and some Sugar n’ Cream in Cornflower. She liked it! I hope it holds up as well as mine has.

Random FO Driveby Post

So, wisdom teeth out! Ouch. I’m feeling much better now, and maybe I’ll actually start posting again. (Driving in Japan part 2 is still hanging out around here somewhere…) Somehow I knit something while I was spaced out on painkillers, though, and I thought I’d share a picture!

Pretty cute for drugged knitting, right? A friend of mine is having a baby girl but doesn’t want to go in for ruffles and flowers, and I thought she’d like it. (She did, actually, I gave it to her tonight and she thought it was awesome.) If you want to make your own the pattern is free over at Coffeebra. I used size 6 dpns and Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Oxford Grey, Dk Rose Heather, and Rose Heather. It was fast and fairly easy, but if I make it again I won’t be joining the brim as directed. In the pattern you’re supposed to knit the ribbing, then fold it up and knit together around to form a casing, inserting the brim as you go, so that your brim is all done once you get to the stockinette. Clever, right? Well, yeah - but knitting the cast on edge and the live stitches together was a pain, even worse where the brim was, and it made it hard to knit the stockinette above the brim for abour five rows, as well. I think I’ll stick to sewing up the brim at the end.