Busy fingers

I'm so close to finishing a gift for a baby shower I'm attending down in Houston this weekend. Just when I think I might be baby-free, another dear friend or loved one gets pregnant. And it's so easy (if a bit time-consuming) to craft something handmade, and it means ever so much to the recipient. At least, we makers of handmade things hope that it does.

I'm making a variation on this blanket for the shower this weekend.



Blankets are easy for these Texas babies, because they can be used nearly year round. Spread it on the floor and set them on top of it in the summer, or tuck it 'round them in the winter while they sleep. Alternatives being hats, booties, sweaters, etc., and no Texas baby is going to get a whole lot of use out of that.

So when a New York friend had a baby this spring, I was all set and determined to make it a little sweater. The winters go on forever there (or at least, it feels that way), so I know it will see some good use.



Its owner is named Luca and he's beautiful and cute as a button. I hope I get to meet him when I go visit my former city this fall. I'd never made anything with this many seams before - it did fry my brain a little. I dragged my feet and even more so when it came to simply sewing on the buttons - the last step. It seems I'd rather have yarn between my fingers than thread.



Although, if that's the case, I may not like my next endeavor as much: embroidery. I've been reading through this book lately, in preparation for starting my first projects.



I really think I'll love it though. It's a new way to make gifts or prettify things around my house. I want to have a whole stash of pillow cases like Alicia (geeze, I link to her blog a lot, don't I? Really though, that is one of my top five Alicia blog posts ever). I also want to make a set of days-of-the-week dishtowels (yeah, probably these) and swap them out for my raggedy, mismatched set. I'm finding that having pretty dishtowels makes kitchen time that much more fun.

Okay, must go watch SYTYCD now. I'm not going to say who I'm rooting for because frankly, I'm a bit torn. But they're all good eggs I think, so am hoping either way I'll be happy with the result.

Farewell Mr. Potter

Did anyone else make this connection?




Surely I wasn't the only one. Or maybe I've just seen It's a Wonderful Life too many times. Yeah, maybe that's it.

My other takeaway from the inauguration fun times (aside from the fact that the whole day felt like the opening sequence to Sesame Street), is this groovy scarf that some muckety-muck was wearing on TV.



Isn't it cute? Sorta like a ripple blanket except long and narrow. And I like how it's striped but then there's a little surprise color at the end. Maybe I'll make one for next winter (tho in different colors). My one new scarf for the year. Because I have about 98273498 scarves already. Although this one is also in the running. But they're so different... Maybe I'll do both.

Yup, work on Tuesday was weird, hard to concentrate, and full of never-ending little thrills. Like hearing "President Obama" for the first time (and pretty much every time since). I feel like I'm living in some sort of alternate universe, like on 24 (except without all the carnage and torture, etc.). It still feels that otherworldly and surprising and unexpected. As if suddenly all your expectations were met. How often does that happen?

Plus, the man can bust a move. So if nothing else, we can be proud of him for that.



Is that a butt-bump he's doing there? God bless 'im.

As for my beloved friends and family who are perhaps not as excited about this as I am (not that you're not excited about a black president - we get it, you're not racist), I'm going to say this, and then we'll just agree to disagree and let it be. I hope, I really do, that you never feel half as alienated as I have at times during the past 6 or so years (the first two weren't that bad I guess). I hope you never feel as though a great portion of the country hates you and is out to take away your rights and those of your friends, and I hope your leader who you put your faith in never condescends to you and disappoints you at nearly every turn. All ribbing aside: it's a terrible feeling. Truly. So, I hope you never feel that. Because despite our opposing viewpoints, I do love you guys - you crazy, conservatives you! (Smooch!)

Oh, and before I go, I just want to say how excited I was to find out I won this book in the Holiday Kal-Cal this year! This was my first holidays to be a "crocheter/knitter" and I had lots of plans to make handmade gifts for friends and family. The Kal-Cal (that's knit-a-long-crochet-a-long for you yarn newbs) was a great way to keep track of those plans and share the results. I'll definitely do it again next year!

A few of the things I made for the holidays:



A crochet shawl for mom (pattern from here).



An LSU scarf for Mary Laura (though they had a crap-ass season, but there's always next year).



A washcloth for my sister-in-law (part of a set of four).

If you're on Ravelry (and you're into that sorta thing - that being all things yarn), I'm mandat on there. Making gifts by hand rocks. Speaking of, I better get back to that baby hat, ASAP. The babies, they just keep-a-comin'!