A Babe in Sheep's Clothing

Whoa! It has been over a year since I have posted!

2009-08-20T19:28:00.003-04:00

Life got a little out of hand so some things got put on the back burner. Anna Mary's food allergies which led to her not sleeping well at all really turned our world upside down. Luckily, that is in the past. Her allergies are much more under control now...I have found many pieces to the puzzle that is Anna Mary. Thankfully, she is now thriving and much happier...and so are we!

In the past year I have made a lot of things. I don't think I could remember them all. I guess I will just talk about the recent things I have made.

I am in full Christmas crafting mode with the new baby coming this fall. So far I have made placemats and napkins for my mom and a robe for my niece. I will start a robe for my nephew as soon as this weather breaks and I can stand working on the first floor which is not air conditioned. After the robe I hope to get some placemats and napkins made for my dad. Hopefully, these projects will be done before 8/30 when my sister and nephew leave to go back to MI after a short trip here.

I have lots of other plans for Christmas, but I will keep those to myself now. If I mention them now and do not finish them I will feel like a failure :)

I have all the baby stuff out, washed and put away. The house is almost decluttered. The upstairs is decluttered and I hope to get it good and cleaned and get the downstairs decluttered and cleaned before next Thursday when Lisa and Will come. Then I can cruise with just light cleaning until the baby comes :)

I've been tagged

2008-07-09T14:24:00.002-04:00

My friend Alison over at Daily Treats virtually tagged me and now you are all going to learn a little more about me :)

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was in graduate school down at Lehigh University. I had just completed my first year and was enjoying that last summer of freedom before grad school got really serious. More importantly, I was newly engaged. Tom asked me to marry him on May 8, 1998.

Five items on my to-do list:
1. Finish a pair of capri length longies for Anna Mary
2. Weed
3. Pick up the downstairs
4. Find some chocolate to get me through the rest of the day
5. Check out cabins for next year's vacation

Snacks I enjoy: I am not a big snack person, but the one food I cannot do without is very dark chocolate (85% cocoa or higher). I am also enjoying cherries alot this summer.

What would you do if you were a billionaire? Take care of any debt that we have, buy a modest house in town and a modest house in the woods. Make sure my family is taken care of and use the rest to help others.

Places I would live: For the last 10 years or so I have dreamt of living in New York City. I love the city and unfortunately these days am unable to make the trip in. I guess this question ties in with the previous one as we would have to be billionaires to live there comfortably with a growing family. The only other place I want to live is right where I am, NEPA.

Jobs I have had: Babysitter, Checker at Wegman's, O-ring assembler, Teaching assistant, Instructor in a training program at Lucent (I don't think Lucent exists anymore), Tutor, Mom

I am supposed to tag 5 other bloggers, but since I am fairly new to blogging, I don't know even one person to tag.

Some recent projects

2008-07-09T13:57:00.012-04:00

I just wanted to share some recent projects that we have completed.

Therese decorated this cake for a 4th of July party. It is her own interpretation of Old Glory. At first I tried hard to get her to make a perfect flag, but it was obvious she wasn't having much fun. I calmed down and just let her at it and this is what she came up with. Either way, the cake tasted great and Therese was proud of her creation!!

Next is a bag that I crocheted for Therese. I am still thinking about the kind of reusable grocery bags that I want. Although sewing is so much faster I think I will end up making crocheted ones out of all the acrylic yarn I have laying around. This is a first attempt. It is too small, so it is a bag for Therese.

These next pictures will be of no interest to most, but for those of us who have to live in this house, or for those of you who visit for periods of time these pictures are of great interest! First up is the downstairs bathroom, which was plagued with a unbelieveably slow filling tank (this is putting it mildly) and no toilet paper holder. Earlier this week I put in a new supply line and a new fill valve in the tank. Now it fills so fast! There was so much sediment in the line, so I am not surprised it filled so slowly. I am glad I took the extra step to replace the supply line as that probably made a huge difference. Today, I put in a toilet paper holder. I got to use my new drill for the first time!! I have actually never used a drill before, so I was a bit scared, but it wasn't scary at all. The holder is a little crooked, but it works, so that is what counts. Without further adieu, here are the pictures from the downstairs bathroom...

Next is a picture from the upstairs bathroom. The handle on this toilet always needed to be jiggled because it was broken. Well, I can't believe I didn't fix this sooner...it took less than 5 minutes. Here is the new handle...

I have also made some more pillow case dresses, but I have not taken the time to photograph them. I hope you enjoyed all the pictures of toilets in this post :)

Produce bags

2008-06-29T16:32:00.008-04:00

This weekend I sewed up a bunch of reusable produce bags. Basically I followed this tutorial. I made 24 bags (I think!) using 3 yards of tulle. The tulle was only .99/yd, so these were some cheap bags. Half of the bags were made for a thank gift for a friend for running our church's vacation Bible school this past week. Therese had a blast at the camp learning about Mary the Mother of God. They prayed the Rosary, did a craft, and learned some Marian hymns each day. Ok, back to the bags, I hope that they are sturdy and hold up to the wear and tear. I didn't realize how thin the tulle was until I got it home. We will see, if they fail I am not out alot of money, although I will feel bad that I gave my friend such a shoddy gift.

Here are the ones I made for our family all together. Therese loves the bags!
These green ones are approximately 11"x10"
These red ones are approximately 8"x16" These orange ones are approximately 11"x16" I made 2 of these little red ones, measuring about 8"x8". We will use one to hold small things in the dishwasher that are top rack only (like the valve to Anna Mary's Foogo sippy), the other is a toy for Therese.

Clothespin bag

2008-06-23T19:53:00.006-04:00

I have been hanging to wash out for about a month now. In that time we have used the dryer only when it has rained and made it impossible to get the clothes dry outside. I must say, that even those times we used the dryer the clothes were dried at least in part outdoors.

I had been carrying my clothespins to and from the house in 2 half gallon ice cream containers. It was a pain as they always spilled out. I found this pattern for a clothespin bag and decided to give it a whirl. I got some denim fabric from JoAnn's (I should have cut up some old jeans, oh well) and sewed it up in probably about 20 minutes. It isn't perfect. I think this is because of the hanger I chose to use and because I don't have a printer and so had to fudge the template for the opening. But it works great. I used it tonight when I hung out the diapers. I love practical things. Even more, I love practical things that I make! Here is a picture of it I have been wanting reusable grocery bags for a long time. First I was going to buy some material and make some, but that seemed too costly. Then I was going to crochet some out of some old acrylic yarn I have lying around (I may still do this). But today I came across this pattern. This is my next project after I finish the rest of the girls' pillow case dresses.

Ok, now I am going to share some mommy fluff. Therese decorated some graduation cards for a party that we went to this past weekend. She was simply told to draw some pictures on the cards. This is what she came up with.

This first card is for Sarah. Sarah recently fell off her horse and sustained a serious injury. We have been praying for her recovery for weeks. Therese said that this is a picture of "Sarah riding on her donkey very gently."
This next card is for Peter. He was lucky to get a Shimkus family portrait in his card!
I am so proud of how beautifully she writes her name! Not bad for a 3yo. Of course, she is often a bit over zealous with the flags on her Es!

A pair of shoes

2008-06-19T17:39:00.015-04:00

I used some leftover material from the making of a pillow case dress to make a pair of shoes for Anna Mary. These shoes are *so* not perfect. Thankfully, my Anna Mary doesn't stand still long enough for anyone to notice. Here they are.

And here they are on my cutey's feet!

Today I got 8 pillow cases. Penney's was having a clearance on bedding so I got them pretty cheaply. They are just solid colors, except 2 that are polka dotted. I am excited to get to work on them!

Now I can't help but share some fun pictures. Here is the cutest 1yo in the world hamming it up for the camera! Here is Anna Mary enjoying an oatmeal, mango, kale, and sweet potato facial. She was so dirty that I found sweet potato in her ear even after her bath!

And here is Therese enjoying her time out in the little pool.

Happy Birthday Anna Mary!!!

2008-06-15T06:39:00.012-04:00

This time last year I was leaving for the hospital in order to be induced. I was 42 weeks pregnant. I had mixed feelings, I was excited because I knew that by the end of the day I would be holding my sweet baby, but I was sad because my body had failed to go into labor on its own. It was a long day dealing with alot of bad hospital staff, but in the end, I was holding my sweet 9lb 2oz baby girl at a few minutes before 11PM. I was so grateful for the support of my husband Tom, my dear friend Mary Ann, and one great nurse named Janine. My baby is now one. It has been an up and down year, but I am so glad that she is thriving now. What a joy she is!

I also want to wish a happy Fathers' Day to all the dads. Last year on Fathers' Day we brought Anna Mary home from the hospital. Of course, that meant that instead of me waiting on Tom that day he was waiting on me, but he didn't mind. He got the best present a dad could get, a new baby.

Here are some pictures from her birthday party yesterday. She had a blast, even though in some of the pictures she doesn't look happy. I just didn't get the best shots...it is hard to get a very busy 1yo to hold a pose for long!

Here she is playing with her balloons before the big party.

She got right down to business opening her presents!

Here she is giving a kiss to the baby doll she got from big sister, Therese.

She loved her Little People school bus!

And finally, here she is during the singing of happy birthday. She doesn't look happy, but she was. Although, I think she wanted her daddy to put her down so she could get back to playing.

Well, I just had to come back here and put up some pictures of Anna Mary when she was born. I have been looking at the pictures and I miss that little baby. But I am so happy for the toddler she has become.

I can't believe how long her legs were and how big her feet were. It is amazing that she fit inside me!

Here she is flashing the peace sign.

It's official....I'm addicted!!!

2008-06-13T06:46:00.010-04:00

Well, I have made 3 more pillow case dresses and I am scouting around all the time looking for more pillow cases to make into dresses. I have found some cute ones on ebay; I might have to bid on some. This first one was made from a pillow case that was made by my great Aunt Minnie. I got the cute lavendar flower trim at JoAnn's. Isn't the model such a cutey?!?

Here is another dress made from a pillow case made by Aunt Minnie. I love the flower trim on this one. Therese is doing a little dance in this one.

Now this last dress is so special to me. This pillow case was made by my Grandma Elsie. I was so excited when I found this among my Grandma's linens.

More pillow case dresses

2008-06-09T08:47:00.005-04:00

I made each girl another dress and I have more that are cut and pressed and waiting to be sewn up. Therese looks a little crazed in this picture!

Pillow Case Dresses

2008-06-05T08:19:00.007-04:00

I can't believe it has been close to 2 months since I have posted. I haven't completed a project in so long. The girls have kept me busy this spring, especially Anna Mary with her allergies and skin issues.

I made a pillow case dress for each girl yesterday. It went much faster than I thought it would, especially the second one. I used this tutorial. The pillow cases came with a set of sheets that I bought at Target. I added some pink rick rack along the bottom hemline. Now that I see how easy they are I hope to score some cute pillow cases at yard sales this summer. I have a beautiful white pillow case that my grandma embellished with embroidery that I can't wait to use. I will be making more for each of the girls. I love them because they are so cool and airy. I think that around the house they will be all that the girls will wear this summer. Therese loves dancing in hers! And I love having Anna Mary in something that will keep her very cool since her eczema seems to be exasperated by heat. We actually went out and bought 2 ACs yesterday as we are expecting 90 degree heat this weekend. Here are the pics...enjoy!

Ladybug "capris"

2008-04-19T11:45:00.007-04:00

This week I finished Anna Mary's ladybug "capris". I am calling them "capris" because I made them ankle length. They will be capris soon enough though. I was inspired to make these by some fabric that I bought to make a pair of shoes for her. The fabric has a yellow background with flowers and ladybugs. I am pleased with the capris. The only thing I don't like is that the right flower on the drawstring has the wrong side showing. It isn't a big deal; no one will notice when she has them on. Now I just have to find her a shirt to wear with them!!

Here is an up close shot of the ladybug. I just winged it, which is rare for me. I usually need a pattern, but a ladybug isn't that hard.

And here is an up close shot of one of the flowers.

And here is a picture on our model. Notice I managed to get my toe in the shot!

I have started my next project which is a pair of capris (I will make them capris this time) made with Peace Fleece Baltic blue with their Lena's meadow for the trim. After that I plan to make another pair of capris (or maybe shorties) using Peace Fleece Latvian lavendar and Lena's meadow again for the trim. I also have to make Anna Mary's ladybug shoes, but I still need to get the suede to go on the bottom. That project will have to wait as my next sewing machine project has to be hemming some pants for Tom.

Anna Mary has started to prefer walking to crawling. She has been walking a little since right before she turned 9 months. Now at just 10 months she is walking everywere. If she doesn't have a toy in her hands she waves her hands while she walks. It is very cute! Here is an action shot, although it doesn't really doesn't illustrate her walking well.

Glorious weekend!!!

2008-03-30T17:32:00.012-04:00

Ok, this is supposed to be a blog about things that I make, but I couldn't help but post about the beautiful weekend that we had. It wasn't too warm, but it was sunny and for NEPA that is a really big deal. These days I think most people don't care how cool or breezy it is as long as it is sunny.

On Saturday, Therese participated in her first Easter egg hunt. It was held at our church. I took her there, Tom and Anna Mary stayed at home. Before we left Tom gave Therese a pep talk telling her to not talk to the other kids, but to stay focused and get as many eggs as possible without pushing or hurting the other children. Therese did her daddy proud. She took off so fast I had a hard time catching up! She was all over the place and made out really well. Here she is before the hunt,

during the hunt,

and after the hunt.

Sunday was just a sunny and beautiful as Saturday. After church we went out for lunch and then to the park. Anna Mary got to ride on a swing for the first time. She really enjoyed it. In the pictures her crinkled brow are because she is screaming with joy!

Anna Mary also had a good time seeing how many wood chips she could get in her hand and playing in the sand.

And here are just some other random cute pictures of the girls from the weekend. Here is Therese reading a book while hugging her baby Rosey. Poor Rosey, we have lost her clothes again!

And in this picture, Tom put Anna Mary on the stool. I just think she looks so cute!

Holy Saturday baking

2008-03-25T10:36:00.007-04:00

Holy Saturday was a busy day of baking getting ready for Easter. I started in the morning with non-alcoholic grasshopper pie. Therese was a big help making the crust out of oreo cookies. At first I told her to use the rolling pin to roll over the cookies and crush them. She didn't find that too effective so she came up with her own method.

After the pie I made a rosewater pound cake as well. It is so delicious and makes the house smell *so* nice.

Later in the day, before we went to church, Therese and I made the Easter story cookies. Here she is crushing the pecans.

Here they are ready to go into the oven.

And here she is sampling the finished product while sitting next to her Easter basket.

I made some more Pascha bread and was more pleased with the taste. I will be giving these loaves away.

I am *still* finishing up the Wigglebunz longies. It is taking me a long time, mostly because my evenings are busier with Anna Mary not sleeping well. Once I get them finished I am going to start a pair of yellow capri pants for Anna Mary. I am going to embellish them with red and black lady bugs and perhaps some flowers. I also have some cute fabric to make her another pair of shoes that will go perfectly with these capris. I can't wait to get started. I will be following for the most part the Morning Glory pattern from Ladybugz. It will be a bit challenging as I need to figure out how to put a slit on the side, so it should be fun.

Christ is risen!

2008-03-23T17:28:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to post Chrysostom's Easter sermon. It is read at Resurrection Matins. Unfortunately, we had to leave last night before it was read.

Saint John Chrysostom's Easter Sermon

Let every pious and God-loving soul enjoy this splendid and luminous feast; let every faithful servant enter joyfully into his Master's joy! Let the one who has borne the burden of fasting now receive his pay, and the one who has toiled since the first hour, let him obtain his due reward! If anyone came after the third hour, let him gratefully join in the feasting; and the one who tarried until the sixth hour, let him not be afraid of missing anything. If there is one who waited until the ninth hour, let him come unhesitatingly; and even the laborer of the eleventh hour, let him not fear for his sloth. For the Lord is generous and receives the last even as the first. He has pity on the last and serves the first; he rewards the first, and gives freely to the last. He receives the fruits of labor, and accepts good intentions; he honors the deed, and praises the effort.

And so, enter into your Master's joy: you the first and you the last will receive the bounty. Come together, you rich and you poor: abstinent or indulgent, honor this day. You who have kept the fast and you have not, be joyful now: the table is laden, take of it all of you without any scruple. There is enough of the fatted calf for all: let no one go away hungry. All of you, come and taste the banquet of faith; all of you enjoy the abundance of mercy. Let no one bemoan his poverty, for the Kingdom of us all has appeared to us; let no one complain about his sins, for pardon has risen from the tomb; let no one be afraid of death, the Lord's death has delivered us: He has destroyed it by enduring it; He went down into the Abyss and stripped the abyss; He made it bitter for having tasted of his flesh. That is what Isaiah had foretold: the Abyss he said, was made bitter when it met You beneath the ground; it was made bitter because it was reduced to naught; it was made bitter because it was fooled; it was made bitter because it was put to death; it was made bitter because it was annihilated. It seized a corpse, and lo! discovered God; it took hold of earth, and behold! encountered heaven! It captured the seen, and fell before the unseen.

O death, where is your sting. Abyss, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are cast down; Christ is risen, and the demons are crushed; Christ is risen, and the angels sing for joy; Christ is risen, and life has overcome; Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of the dead: for Christ the Resurrection has become the first fruits of the dead. To Him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

Pascha Bread

2008-03-22T09:35:00.011-04:00

Well, this is going to be a really picture heavy post. I made my Pascha bread yesterday. It was the first time I have ever done it and I am really pleased with how they turned out. Well, I should say I am pleased with how they look because we can't taste them until tomorrow. I must say it has been a tremendous sacrifice looking at and smelling these beautiful loaves of bread and not being able to taste them. I loved making this bread. It was really fun making the braids. I plan to make more in the next couple of days to give out to friends, so I am hoping to learn from my first experience. The one main thing I want to do differently is to put the braids around the top of the 2 loaves with the crosses instead of putting the braids along the sides. I still think they look nice, but the braid is supposed to resemble the crown of thorns and I think that is a little lost on my breads.

Anyway, here are the beginning shots, right before they went in the oven. This first one was a long braid that I made into a spiral. I am pretty happy with it, but next time I will make the strands thinner so that the spiral is longer.

This one is just a ball of dough with a braided cross. I think it looks cool.

These next 2 are just round loaves with the braid around the loaf and the eastern three bar cross.

And here they are right out of the oven. My bread looks a little different than the traditional Pascha bread because I used whole wheat flour instead of white.

Today I will be making some desserts to take to Easter dinner tomorrow at my in-laws. In addition, Therese and I will be making these cookies, whose recipe I got from an online friend:

Easter Story Cookies Recipe
To be made the evening before Easter
You need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300°F (this is important-don't wait til you're half
done with the recipe!)
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the
wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was
arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar
to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave
His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and
brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty
tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read
Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because
He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and
John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks
are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's
eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18
and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie
sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus'
body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that
Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the
oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was
sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the
cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first
Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9

I will post some pictures of the making of the cookies and of the finished product.

Most importantly, today I will be getting to Confession and then tonight we will go to vespers, Divine Liturgy and Resurrection Matins. I think that Therese will really enjoy Matins if she isn't too tired once they get started.

The Easter outfit is complete

2008-03-21T09:53:00.012-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I put the finishing touches on Anna Mary's Easter longies/skirty. This morning I weaved in the ends and took some pictures. I still have to wash and lanolize them, which I better get done soon so that they are ready for her to wear to church tomorrow night. Wow, that took alot of yarn. Originally I ordered 2 skeins of yarn, but I ended up having to get a third. I used all but a small amount. The skirt alone took over a skein. I used 2 skeins of the limey blimey colorway from
Beth at Doodlebirds, which is composed of violet and a lime green, and a skein of the violet (also from Doodlebirds). I am please with how they turned out. The pictures do not do justice to the colors, in my opinion. I also had Beth dye me 2 shirts to go with the yarn. I took pictures of Anna Mary in the violet shirt, but since she was not a very willing participant I held off on putting the green shirt on her. Here are the pictures of the finished product:

And I just had to include this picture of a very unhappy Anna Mary.

I think she looks so cute!

Yesterday Therese colored Easter eggs for the 4th time! She really gets into it and her hands show it:

That is a picture of her hands several hours and washings later. She also has streaks of dye on her forearms.

Yesterday afternoon we were all hanging out in the sunroom and Anna Mary was trying to climb all over the picnic table. She managed to get herself on top of it! I didn't get any pictures as we were all too busy trying to keep her safe. Tom ended up sitting next to her and sitting her at the table. After a few minutes she put herself in a little baby jail.

It seems to be a great way to keep her out of trouble! But, trying to get her out when she was no longer having fun was no picnic.

Today is Good Friday, the most solemn day in the Church calendar. We will be going to the Burial Service this afternoon at 3 at our church. It is a beautiful and moving service. Tomorrow evening we have vespers, Divine Liturgy, and Resurrection Matins. The Matins are so beautiful, but we probably won't be able to stay for long as our girls like to go to bed very early. Right now, my Pascha bread is on it's first rise. I will be making 4 loaves out of the dough. I will post pictures of them when they are done. I always imagined this to be a daunting task but since I make bread all the time anyway and have a Bosch it has been very easy. Next year I hope to get a basket together to take to our church's basket blessing. I have never done it before mainly because we are vegetarian (alot of the traditional things that go in the basket are meat) and I wasn't raised in the Byzantine church and so I was never taught this tradition. I really want to pass this tradition down to our children, so I will go to the blessing tomorrow to see what all the families have in their baskets. I also hope to cross stitch a basket cover before next Easter. I am hoping that someone at church can point me in the right direction for this project.

Easter Shoes

2008-03-20T06:43:00.007-04:00

It has been a while since I posted anything. That is because it has been a while since I completed any projects. There has been alot of sickness in the house along with a complicated refinance of the house and a new car. I am working on Anna Mary's longies/skirty for Easter and hope to finish that today along with make Pascha bread and help Therese color eggs once again.

Yesterday I sewed up these Easter shoes for Anna Mary. This is the most complicated sewing project I have ever attempted. I am totally self taught with sewing, meaning I totally wing it. I used this tutorial from Michelle Quigley. My work is nowhere near as nice as hers, but Anna Mary moves too fast for anyone to notice. She tried them on last night and they are the right size and stay on well. They will come off her feet more than her other soft soled shoes because I used thin cotton for everything except the sole, which is suede. I bought some other fabric to make her a yellow pair with lady bugs and that too is thin. But in the future I will use something a little stiffer.

Here are the pictures of the shoes. I hope to be back later to post pictures of the skirty and maybe my Pascha bread if it turns out well. This is my first attempt at it.

This is crazy. I just looked at these pictures for the first time and noticed that I managed to get the same part of the pattern on the top of each shoe! How's that for beginners luck?!?

Peace Fleece has come!!

2008-02-20T16:38:00.003-05:00

I got 24 skeins. They are all so beautiful. Right now I think my favorite is the Lena's Meadow. I can't wait to start using these!

I also heard from Doodlebirds yesterday that she will be working on my order this week. I can't wait to get my hands on that yarn. I am also hoping to make Anna Mary a cute pair of cloth shoes to go with her skirty. It will be the first time I have ever sewn a pair of shoes, but I have a really easy pattern with a nice tutorial so I am confident I will be able to do it.

Inaugural Post!!

2008-02-18T14:47:00.002-05:00

This is the first post on my first blog! I am using this to chronicle my crafting and most particularly to talk about the woolies that I make for my baby.

My most recent completed project was a pair of sock monkey longies. I used the Ladybugz pattern using Paton's classic merino. I wish I had put some white above the red ruffle at the bottom, but otherwise I am very happy with them.

Before the sock monkey longies I completed a pair of Fibonacci striped longies using Peace Fleece's Volgassippi Blue and Firebird Orange.

I learned to crochet about 8 years ago over Christmas vacation from graduate school. My mil gave me a book and a hook and the rest is history. I started by making scarves and blankets. About a year after our first child was born I decided to try my hand at making wool soakers. I love doing it and am kicking around the idea of getting a cottage license in order to sell my wares.

My current project is a pair of Wigglebunz longies. This is a test of the pattern for the mama who designed the pattern. I am using Peace Fleece again, this time Kamchatka Sea Moss.

Speaking of Peace Fleece, today I am receiving a big order of 24 skeins!! I am so excited to get it and see all the wonderful colors. I like working with Peace Fleece because it is a very durable yarn and it does soften up with each washing.

After I finish the Wigglebunz, I will be making a pair of longies with a skirt for my baby for Easter. I will be using Blue Faced Leicester yarn dyed by Beth at Doodlebirds Creations. I have never worked with BFL so I am excited to see how it feels and works up. I am getting a skein of the Limey Blimey Violet for the skirt part and the violet for the longies.