Faves

Bee's favorite things to do right now:
go to the pool
dig in sand, dirt, and gravel
drink watered-down juice
climb... also, climb
watch trucks haul, scoop, or convey stuff
hang from bars, pull-up style*
interact with big kids
talk energetically about this one time when we saw a parks crew
   employee get lifted up into a tree by a cherrypicker

*She doesn't have a ton of opportunities to do this, but she makes the most out of playground equipment and drawer handles.

Bunny Puppet

Man, some parts of parenthood are really fun. Apparently I get to assemble a (secular) Easter basket for Bee every year! So, here's one for 2012: pail, sand toys, bunny puppet, marshmallows, orange scarf for crazy toddler dancing, and some wooden musical instruments.

I knit the bunny puppet -- and finished it with a full 24 hours to spare before Easter. I know, go me. And I'm happy to share my pattern with you. (For personal use. You know the routine. Please don't make these and sell them, or sell the pattern.)

Worked in one piece with the exception of a very quickly-finished bobble-esque tail, the Bunny Puppet is nearly seamless, and the knitting itself is uncomplicated: stockinette stitch with a moss-stitch border to prevent curling. It's knit from the bottom to the top. The only technique that is at all off the beaten path is the shaping of the ears, and even that is pretty straightforward -- similar enough to knitting the fingers of a glove, actually. Choose any smooth worsted-weight yarn you like for the body, and any white- or cream-colored yarn (fluffy is nice) for the tail -- only a tiny amount is needed for the latter, so definitely look through your odds and ends.

Bunny Puppet
(http://aimeehj.blogspot.com/2012/04/bunny-puppet.html)

Skills:
knitting in the round on dpns
stockinette stitch
moss stitch (*k1, p1, rep from * around)
kitchener stitch
a basic embroidery stitch of your choice for facial features

Materials:
5 #5 dpns
2 small stitch holders
stitch marker
1 skein worsted for body
small amount white or cream fluffy novelty yarn for tail, worsted weight
Embroidery wool for facial features

Directions:
CO 49
Join and pm.
Work moss st for 6 rounds.
Work st st until piece measures 8" from CO edge.
Sewing needle and thread to match bunny's tail or body (you choose)

Shape the ears:
You need an even number of sts when you shape the ears, so dec 1 st as follows:
k tog the last st and the first st of the round (you'll have to remove the marker to do so). Replace marker after the k2tog. Work to last 4 sts of the round, then k the last 4 sts on a new needle. Slip marker and work the next 4 sts. Keep these 8 sts on their own needle. Break yarn.
Place next 16 sts on holder, place next 8 sts on another holder, and leave the last 16 sts of the round on their own needle.
So, now, just to check in: you have 8 sts on one needle, with a marker in the center; you have 16 ear sts on a stitch holder; you have 8 sts on another holder; and you have 16 "live" ear sts on a dpn. It is these last 16 sts that you are going to work in the round for ear #1.
Ear #1: Rearrange the 16 sts on 3 dpns. Attach yarn and work in st st for about 18 rows (or desired length of ear). Place ear sts on two dpns and use kitchener stitch to close.
Ear #2: Return to 16 sts on holder arrange on 3 dpns. Attach yarn. Knit and close as with ear #1.

Tail:
CO 2 sts loosely.
R1: (kfb, k1) in each st. 6 sts. rem.
R2: kfb each st. 12 sts rem.
K for 8 rows (or 6 rows for a smaller puff).
NR: (k2tog) across. 6 sts. rem.
NR: (sl 1, k2tog, psso) twice. 2 sts rem.
Fasten off: Pass 1 st over the other, then pull last st. through.

Finishing:
Use kitchener stitch to graft the remaining 16 sts at top of bunny's head.
Weave in ends. Lightly stuff tail and sew to back of bunny.

Embroider facial features as shown, or take this opportunity to design the bunny face of your dreams.

Above: don't hop away, little bunny puppet! we loves you!

Wordless Wednesday

Candleflame cowl.

Tired of goldenrod yet? Me neither! Here's my first of two goldenrod cowls. What a cute pattern (Rav link) and a fun knit! If you knit it, be sure to use a really stretchy bind-off; I went up a couple needles sizes for the bind-off, and it still wasn't enough. But it fits over the head, so we're square.

Contagion!

Ben, Bee, and I had a super-flu of PURE EVIL for a little over two weeks. Ben, who never misses work, stayed home for three days, two of which were for the purpose of taking care of the toddler while I languished in my sickbed, delirious and dry-mouthed.

Not to boast or anything, but I had it the worst. I can really do a flu (and sinus infection) up right, guys! At one point, I felt that I did not even have the energy to lie there, and it fleetingly occurred to me that probably more than one soul has left this world (although maybe not due to a sinus infection) because they just didn't even have the energy to lie there anymore. I also suffered some terrifying fever dreams, and at one point dissolved into tears because I was heartbreakingly thirsty and felt certain that my husband did not love me enough to ever come in and check on me again, much less bring me a glass of water.

Midway through my illness, during a brief coherent period, I did find the physical power to get up and try to perform some basic hygiene exercises -- and, Dear Reader, I truly and honestly thought I was going to have to cut the knots out of my hair after lying motionless in my sickbed for four days. It took a quarter of a bottle of hair conditioner to get me out of that mess. (Did you know you can just put rinse conditioner in your hair and leave it there, and the hair care police will not come and arrest you? Voilà! Leave-in conditioner and a narrowly-avoided pixie cut!)

If my Facebook feed is any indication, this flu and/or ones like it have been sweeping the nation and reducing families everywhere to wool-blanketed lumps. So wash your hands a lot, and freeze some soup in case it hits you. Okay? Please! I admit I've been avoiding other humans* for the last several days, for fear of reinfection. Ours was one of those bad and apparently highly contagious chest/sinus/head flus, not a throwing-up thing, although poor Bee did have one inexplicable night of puking. (Ben sat up with her and played the intro to Fraggle Rock over and over. Netflix Instant saves the night.) But, we're all better now. I've got a bit of a lingering cough, no biggie, and Bee and Ben are both back to normal. And I once again have the energy to exist, if only just.

* More than usual, and especially children.