Elijah the Elephant

I first made this little elephant two years ago as a baby shower gift.  It was my first stuffed toy that I had made and I have been wanting to make a second one ever since.   It is also fun to look back at the photos of the first one I made and to see that my knitting has improved some since then!  I have a feeling I will be making another one of these since Elijah the Second is about to be gifted just like the first.

(After taking all these photos, I realized that poor Elijah does not have a tail yet.  I must remedy that before putting him in the mail!)

Pattern: Elijah

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK (Discontinued colour)

Ravelry

(If you want to see my first Elijah, look here)

Puzzle Ball

I don't really know how to sew.  I've tried a few times and successfully hemmed curtains and made pillows and thanks to you tube videos I have managed to sew in zippers too.  Over the last few years I have tried a few different things including baby bibs and making prefold cloth diapers into burp cloths (other tutorial's that will come soon to the blog).  I went to Crafty Planet here in the Twin Cities last week and they had this Puzzle Ball on display.  Will reached for it and loved it instantly so I thought I'd try making one for him.  It turns out it was quite simple to follow the pattern, even for someone with minimal experience.  In fact, this was the first thing I have ever made from a pattern and I was quite pleased with the result.

Pattern: Puzzle Ball

Fabric: London and Polka Dots from Crafty Planet

Tutorial: Month-by-Month Baby Onesie's

 I love the idea of having photos each month to mark Will's milestones.  He's now 7 months old and I already LOVE having the photos to look back on.  I have some ideas for what to do with all 12 pictures at the end of the year, but in the meantime I'm just soaking up every minute with him today.

Materials: 

• 12 onesies or infant t-shirts.  (Note: I made the above set based on size and weight listed on the labels since it was a gift. For Will's I have all the numbers printed and just iron it to one of the t-shirts that fit him each month.)
• Iron on transfer paper for fabrics.  (I found Jet-Pro SofStretch by Neenah Paper to be the best and I found mine on Amazon.  It washes well and doesn't crack or peel like some of the other brands do).
• Template's found here, here, and here.  (Thank you Martha Stewart)
• Ink jet printer.  (I think you need special paper to print on a laser printer.)
• A good sharp pair of scissors
• Iron

Getting ready to iron on.  They will print 4 to a page so you'll need to cut them out.  Since I'm printing on white t-shirts, I just cut as close to the colour as possible.

The numbers need to be printed backwards, that way once they're ironed on they will be readable.  These templates are already mirrored.

Center on your t-shirt about an inch down from the collar.

Iron according to the instructions that come with the transfer paper.  You need a very hot iron and apply a lot of pressure.  Remove the paper backing while it's still warm.

 And you're done!

For more of today's photos, look here

7 Months!

Our little boy is 7 months old today!  He is more mobile than ever rolling and scooting around, loves to eat solid food and is able to sit up on his own (until he gets distracted and tips over).  We're having more and more fun with him each day.  We love you little one!!

I'm starting to agree with the masses that Will and I look related.

It's challenging to get a photo of him laying down these days.

Handsome Valentine

Will's first Valentine's Day and he's the most handsome little man around!

(I'm not biased or anything, I promise!)

He was way more interested in his shoes than anything else!

Playing with one of mum's knit hearts.

Knit Giraffe

Will got to meet his new giraffe today.  It was love at first sight and is now sufficiently covered in drool.

Pattern: Giraffe from Itty Bitty Toys
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca
Ravelry

Mystery knitting

All the pieces are coming together.  I've been working on this off and on since Christmas.  Does anyone have a guess as to what this project might be?

Yes, this looks like squash.

I have many of these

Knit Valentine

I'll be honest, Valentine's day has not ever been my favourite holiday.  I don't have any bad memories associated with it, and I'm not one to rant about or complain about it either.  In fact, I should love valentines day because I love hearts, chocolate and flowers.  Both pink and red are my favourite colours.  And I really love all the candy that is on sale on February 15th.

That being said, last year I decided to make Grant a knit valentine.  Knitting is not exactly his forte, but he loves to receive (and give) cards and I love to knit.  So this seemed like a perfect fit.  A little of me and a little of him.  I think I might just have to make another one this year... or if anyone would like me to make one for you to give to someone special (on short notice), I'd love to do that too!