While we wait...

Still no baby in the house!

We had nothing on our schedules except "have a baby", so when that didn't happen, we took this past weekend's free time as a bonus. I know that we're out in the woods every other day or so for a hike, but Sunday afternoon rolled around and we were just sitting in the living room, we decided to hop in the car and drive to a different state forest for some hiking {me} and mountain biking {Calder and Ca$h}.

It was fun to get out on a new trail. This forrest is about 45 minutes south of our house, and it seemed like it was just a bit further along in budding out.

Every time I'm out on a hike I think it could be the last one before the baby, and then it isn't. So I'm sure I'll be back in a couple of days with more pictures from the woods*

Baby {Sweater} Watch 2013

No baby yet! And I have to say, I'm glad that it doesn't seem like he has plans to arrive today, although we thought a tax-themed first birthday would be hilarious, I'm sure it would get old by the time he's twenty.

So before you run off to mail your taxes, check out the sweater and socks below. After knitting the other sweaters, I made up this one without a pattern. It has a seamless circular yoke that opens on the left shoulder to fit what I'm assuming is going to be a big head.

The yarn is just a combination of bits from the craft room

Baby {Cocoon} Watch 2013

No baby yet! We're just patiently waiting for this little guy to make his move, and with the extra time, I was able to quickly knit up some more props for the gazillion newborn photos we are sure to take.

Pattern :: Baby Cocoon
Yarn :: Lion Brand Homespun
Cuteness Factor :: Off the Charts

Baby {Blanket} Watch 2013

The circles blanket is done! If I wouldn't have put this aside for months at a time it would have been a really fast and easy project.

Pattern :: Sunny Spread
Yarn :: Lion Brand Amazing {colored centers} & Pattons Wool {white borders}

My crude notes on the adjustments I made to the original pattern :: Added an extra double crochet border around each square, by double crocheting 17 along the side, then making two double crochets into the next three stitches at the corner {resulting in 23 stitches along each side}.

I then whip-stitched the squares together. Once all of the seams were sewn, I singled crocheted around the entire blanket, doing two single crochets into the two stitches where each square meets. I then finished the blanket with what I’m referring to as a “crocheted blanket stitch” around the edge.


Cash was super happy to be included in this photo session, can you tell?

The Amazing yarn was a great choice for this project ~ just four or five skeins gave me this much color variation, making it really affordable for a large, colorful project like this...

We survived!

We survived that long, long March, where every day seemed to bring anything from a few flurries to a few inches of snow. Even though my belly's getting heavier, this weekend's hike felt so light without the winter coats, hats, and gloves.

I took the walk slow, bending down to investigate the mosses and lichens and little acorns beginning to sprout.

Cash didn't have time to slow down, there were chipmunk chirps to follow, birds to chase, and swampy puddles to wade through.

New Directions

We're changing the direction of this blog :: forget crafts, it's going to be all Ca$h all the time. He'll take you on walks in the woods, discuss the ins and outs of mange, and even show you how to install a kitchen sink!

When it comes to sinks, the best advice he has is to just "get in there". I may be paraphrasing, but I think he said something like this :: "Get as close as you can, give a heavy lean-against-the-leg for good measure, and remember, no matter how big or small the job, they all require a good lick."... oh, and when the job rolls over into a two-day project, he says: "naps are necessary, as long as you remain within licking distance of the master plumber."


Next Up :: Ca$h shows us which sunglasses make the best chew toys, how to clean your ears with a good shake of the head, and provides tips for tracking those spring bunnies.

 Happy April 1st.