Introducing... the most amazing thing that has ever happened to us.

Chenille sheepie postponed no longer

This chenille sheep with wool embroidery is for our baby. Snuggly! The bottom photo is of its rear end and nubby little tail.

I began knitting this fella about four years ago, when our now-apparently-fully-formed-and-ready-to-debut baby was, as they say, but a twinkle in the eye. Four years! That's how long it takes me to finish anything that calls for multiple knitted pieces to be assembled with thread and a needle, because I kind of hate sewing; the finished pieces knit up quickly enough, but then sat in my closet* for years. Also, embroidery is not my strong suit, so even after assembling him, I put off giving this sheep a face. But there's nothing like the approaching birth of your baby to prompt the eleventh-hour finishing of a variety of long-deferred knitting projects. No more dithering! This week I've got two pairs of baby Mary-Jane bootees to bring onto the front burner!

* At least two different closets in two different cities. Pathétique!

Pompoms and earflaps and stripes

This is the first hat I've made for our baby -- pink and red and peach stripes, fluffy red pompoms, and warm earflaps, 'cause in my mind, our little one deserves the whole nine yards. I'd have sewn on an actual bell or whistle or it weren't a choking hazard.

More bootay

A toddler pal of mine will be receiving these in the mail next week. They may be a little too warm for the upcoming Cleveland summer, but that's what happens when I don't do any knitting all winter long, and pick up the sticks again in mid-May.

I actually made a second bootie!

In this case at least, I am victorious in the struggle.

Toddler wears hat

My dear friends Jenifer and Greg have a small son, and that son has a wool hat (knit by me). Stay warm, bro!

Don't cuddle me, I'm a scientist.

Any of ya'll read S.'s blog? She gives us thoughtful
posts about parenting, academia, and being a
grown-up. Oh, and Ben and I think her toddler,
Dutch, is some kind of genius. Here's a recent
post we both loved.

"Dutch came into the livingroom and sat down with a
crossword puzzle and a crayon, and started coloring
in the boxes.

Cook: What are you doing, Dutch?
Dutch: I'm just sciencing.
Cook: Really?
Dutch: Yeah. I'm just coloring and thinking. That's sciencing.

Later she lay down on the couch next to Cook and he
put his arm around her, whereupon she said 'Don't
cuddle me. I'm a scientist.'"

Little hat for little Ben

His mom might read my blog (hi, Jen!), but I'm pretty sure toddler Benjamin (not to be confused with husband Benjamin) doesn't. So it will still be a wooly Christmas surprise. It's a total delight to knit for a three-year-old who DEMANDS to wear his green hand-knit mary-jane slippers every morning.