hang on

i'm still alive i promise. i'm working on a loooooong over-due update post but until that's up i thought i'd share a little piece of my space with all of you.

i feel like one minute it was the last few hazy days of an indian summer and then BAM fall was almost over. one day 'the tree' was covered in vibrant ruby leaves, dancing in the breeze ,and the next only a few dry, wizened ones were left clingy to the branches. i've been watching leaves sail through the billowy, grey skies all morning and am suddenly aware that before long it will be snowflakes rather then leaves twirling about.

beautiful african fabric given to me as a "thank-you"

not alot to blog about lately. were still settling in and getting back into the swing of things but I can feel my fingers itching to do some watercolour painting or some sewing. my house is crying out for some art on the walls and some colour and texture. i was given a very generous thank-you giftcard to chapters {along with the fabric pictured above} for some design work i did so i've been oogling and making a wishlist. one thing i've decided is that with books it's a never ending list. in the meantime i've got a birthday party tomorrow to plan {my name is colleen and i'm a procrastinator} numerous knitting projects on the go or on my mind, cupcakes to bake, a house to clean and a teething baby so my hands are, needless to say, full. hope you all have a wonderful weekend

suburban paradise

well we survived our move and are trying to settle into our new home. i have to say that so far i am loving it here and i really think we'll be very happy while we are here. one thing that i am particularly excited about is our japanese maple tree in the backyard {ie small cement patio=tiny piece of concrete heaven} growing up we always had one of these trees in our front yard so they always feel like "home" to me.

stay tuned for posts on our little herb garden and a gimp tutorial for a friend

ahhh strawberry season. i love this time of year when yummy fruit are in season, and days are warm and seemingly endless. these berries were imported from california and while tasty enough they are nothing compared to the tart, flavourful local berries just coming into season. i got my first sampling of local fruit yesterday and boy, there is nothing better. takes me back to my childhood of sunfilled summer days in the country at my grandparents home scavenging for wild strawberries amoungst the brush. they were hard to come by but soooooo worth the hunt.

count down is on

in one week from today we pick up the truck and begin our move. i'm sooo excited to settle into a new place and start to build a home for the four of us. some things i'm looking forward to about our new space are:

• having a backyard that is ours! i've already been imagining early morning coffees out on the patio, wathcing my son playing various things.
• living so close to a playground, outdoor pool and waterpark.
  
• being within walking distance of family, especially because we are a one car family so I'm without a vehicle on weekdays.
• our kitchen is very nice. i can't wait to do some baking in there. first up on the list is some sourdough bread. i've been dying to start a sourdough starter but have been holding off until after we move.
• having space to garden, even if it is not a lot of space or mostly container gardening.
  

these are just a few things. i can't even tell you how stoked i am. stay tuned for picks of the new place.

something I'll miss

something I'll miss, originally uploaded by colleensimply.

on to #7

i may be a little scarce around here for the next couple of weeks. we are moving. again. in the (almost) 6 years since we've been married we've lived in 6 places. moving used to be sort of thrilling. my husband and i both enjoyed the fresh start in a new place but now two kids later {one of which is still very much a baby} it is dreaded a little more then anticipated. anyways just wanted to give a heads up that i may not be blogging much in the next few weeks. then again i may actually blog a little more what with all the time i'll be enjoying while procrastinating packing things up

posies and toesies

posies and toesies, originally uploaded by colleensimply.

a little bowl of sunshine

{frozen mangos & peaches}
a staple around here and a favourite breakfast treat or afternoon snack. my son eats it like it's going out of style.

i.heart.gimp

lately i've spent a little of my spare time playing around on gimp and using tutorials to learn some new photo editing techniques. for being a free software i'm super impressed. i'm just breaking the ice in curves and presets and all those fun things. ok, so here is the photo i started with:

and here's what i ended up with:

{for anyone interested here are the tutes i used. a. b. c. d. }

coming soon

i've been busy cutting out some diapers for my daughter. i've had some of these fabrics stashed for quite a while, just waiting for the perfect project for them so i'm excited to be using them. i admittedly have a very hard time making that first cut into a beautiful fabric. to me fabric feels like art so i always feel a little guilty to just ruthlessly chop it up. i'm really excited to see the finished product of these though. stay tuned. hopefully i'll find a few moments to myself over the weekend to sew.

more fun with felt

i was in the mood to create something this morning but needed a quick fix while my 4.5 month old was napping. so out came the felt and my handy snap press {which hasn't been used as much as it should be} and minutes later i had a couple finished objects to satisfy my creative itch.they are v e r y s i m p l e . just 2 layers of felt cut into a square and a pair of snaps for each corner and presto! a box to store loose change, cellphones, sunglasses, keys...pretty much anything you want.

photo

i've been busy uploading some pics to my flickr and just had to share this pic.
{i'm completely in love with that vibrant chartreuse}

nostalgia

, originally uploaded by Tаnya-B.

a good friend posted this photo of her sweet son splashing in a puddle and i was instantly transported back about 20 years. growing up in the pacific northwest, i spent many many hours happily playing in the rain. there is something comforting and magical about a rainy afternoon. her photo inspired me to make a mosaic of some of my fav rain inspired pics on flickr

1. after the storm, 2. Storm, 3. Rainy day, 4. Raindrops: Poetry in Motion, 5. Like an instrument for a song, 6. A Raindrop in a Suburb, a Suburb in a Raindrop, 7. Splash!!, 8. Red Shoes Liberty Dance, 9. Calm after the Storm, 10. A common sight..., 11. Let the FUN begin!, 12. a summer rain, 13. puddle jumper, 14. English Summer, 15. Rain drops keep falling on my head..., 16. shelter in the rain, 17. Rain, rain go away..., 18. Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain., 19. Memory of Rain, 20. 365x3.104 • they say rain

oh where could it be...and a new project

we move. a LOT. somewhere during our last move my iron disappeared. now, i'm almost certain i've used it while we've been here (we have been here for just over a year after all.) but for the life of me i can't seem to find it. i started sewing a cute little boxy bag over the weekend but I really need my iron. a good pressing makes all the difference i feel and i can't tell you how frustrating it is not to have my iron. we are moving again at the end of next month so maybe the mysterious vanishing iron will resurface during all the packing and unpacking.

we had a long weekend here and i was inspired to start a sewing project that has been on the back burner for a few months. i've wanted a boxy little bag for quite a while to store knitting projects or DPN (double pointed needles) or whatever i need to tote from one place to another. i recently came across this tute and thought i'd give it a whirl. I've made a few modifications (like measurements, strap placement and the finishing of the lining, but i'll go more into that in another post. for now here's a little sneak peak at how the bag is shaping up.

new header

i felt like it was time for a little more colour on the blog so i made a new header this morning. whatcha think? in case you forgot what my previous banners have been they started as this:

and then i had this one:

i just needed something a little more cheerful i think and i'm a bit restless when it comes to layout (as i'm sure you've noticed.) a fresh change is always a good source of inspiration.

my son is ALL boy. he's noisy and rambunctious and constantly playing some form of hockey. oh the hockey. he eat, sleeps and breathes hockey. he's been that way since he learned to walk. it's not an uncommon thing to find him dead asleep with his stick or a puck grasped tightly in his little fingers.

i tell you this only to come out with this truth....my son LOVES pink. if given the choice he will always pick pink, whether it's the pink straw or the pink juice or the pink cup. i like to think that it is because he was suddenly surrounded by PINK everything when his little sister arrive at the beginning of january (that's when he first started to show his preference) and that his love for the colour is a reflection of his love for her. in all honesty i have absolutely no problem with it. i mean, who wouldn't love pink. it's a very cheerful colour.

anyways, i've been working on his sweater (which he is super excited about, sweet boy) and yesterday afternoon we were chatting about it, i asked him what colour buttons he wanted on it. he paused for a moment and then brightly replied "PINK!"

woot woot

aahhh finally!!! my much anticipated, much awaited parcel made it's way to my doorstep this morning. and what might it be you wonder? here's a little peek.ok so that's a pretty big clue ;) but if you're not sure it's a set of knitpicks options. oh the possibilities! first up...a cardigan for my sweet big boy who will be 3 at the end of june *gasp* and a tamarind cowl in that delicious malabrigo i snagged up a couple weekends ago. ok and before i leave here's a pic of the complete set.

things I love about being a mom

most days i can hardly believe i'm a mom let alone a mom of two but when i really stop and reflect on it i feel very blessed by my kiddos. they are, by far, what i am most proud of. anyways as mother's day is just behind us i thought i would share a few of my favourite things about motherhood.

1. i love seeing the relationship between my son and his little sister develop. he truely loves her and regularly showers her with kisses and affection. i think the feeling is pretty mutual. she has her eyes glued on him whenever he is around her and he was the first person she smiled at. i can imagine there friendship in the years to come and am just so excited to see how it grows.
2. my son who is almost 3 is a little spitfire. he has a quick temper and very strong ideas on how he wants things but he is also one of the most affectionate little boys i know. he just feels things a little stronger then most i think and expresses exactly what he is feeling. one of my favourite things is when he wraps his arms tightly around my neck and says "i love you soooo much mommy" *melt*
3. i love that my daughter (4 months) is so smiley in the morning. nothing better then a big gummy grin.
4. being able to wear my babies not only allows me to have my hands free it lets me snuggle them those few extra moments. one thing if come to realize is that my kids will be little for such a short time and the time is going faster everyday. babywearing lets me forget that for a little while.

my family, may 9th 2009, mother's day weekend

viva...

my husband was away this past weekend on a trip with some hockey buddies down to vegas for a hockey tournament. besides the gold medal he came home with, he also brought me back this kitschy mug. now i should have prefaced this by saying that i love a good mug and the tackier the better. i {heart} this new addition to my collection though. all other previously loved mugs have been shamefully neglected. my vegas mug is just the perfect size and shape and it was bought for me with a lot of thought which makes it even better. i can't get enough!

trying something new

i stumbled upon this tutorial on how to change your blog from the standard 2-column layout to 3 columns. just trying it out and playing around a bit so my blog may be switching up a bit until i get it just right. let me know what you think. i'd love the feedback.

and while you wait here's a recent pic of the promise of summer fruit

yummy

this yarn is sooooo soft and dreamy. can't wait to knit it up. i'm still trying to pick the perfect project though....any suggestions?

*oops i just realized i completely forgot to spill the beans on what exactly this yarn is so incase you were wondering it's malabrigo yarn merino worsted in paris night. a perfectly dreamy colourway name for an equally dreamy yarn.

darling buds of may

I love this time of year!

shipping notice

i have something very exciting on its way. i just received the email that it shipped today and i can hardly wait the 5-10 days shipping for it to get here.....but you'll just have to wait and wonder what it could be ;)

all things girl

confession: the fact that i have a little girl to sew things for completely thrills me. i have visions of ruffles and whimsy and perpetual golden summer afternoons. i came across this tute for a sweet ruffled skirt that i'm definitely adding to my "must-make" list

saturday morning fun

a little bit of elastic + some scraps of felt + an old bandana = pirate fun

a little taste

beginnings of a bog jacket

on the needles

i've just started knitting my first sweater. it's not the modular tomten by EZ that i talked about in this post but it is a Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern. it's the bog jacket from her book "knitting around." i'm making it for my 3 month old daughter out of leftover yarn from my sister's christmas mittens and some latte coloured yarn from my stash. i thought it would be good practice for the tomten i'm going to make for my ds and i had the stuff to whip it up. so far so good although it's a bit like knitting a giant scarf but i just keep telling myself the finished product will be so much more rewarding. sorry no pics yet but check back soon.

things to come

i've developed a little obsession for wooden dolls, well reall wooden toys in general but i really have a softspot for wooden dolls. one of my favorite finds on etsy is the little wooden dolls from goosegrease. they remind me of these little wooden clospin dolls that my mom painted up as ballerinas and soldiers and hung in our christmastree as a little girl. very whimsical and i really loved them. anyways i mentioned to my mom that i wanted to get a set of nesting dolls and paint them myself and wouldn't you know it she had a set that she bought years ago but had never painted so she passed them on to me. they are so beautiful as is that i almost feel bad to paint them but i'm really excited to see them finished at the same time.

this was taken less then a month ago. note the icy little snowflakes precociously resting on those poor little buds. we've had such a long winter this year with more then one surprising snow falls so it's wonderful that we've had a few warm sunny days that seem to be encouraging things to grow. i'd be a little skeptical if i was them

hooray for sunshine

oh the excitement

i waited....and waited....and waited for my name to be at the top of the holds list at my library. finally i got THE email saying it was mine all mine. i can't even begin to tell you how stoked i am about this book. i know it looks a little outdated (ok a lot) but there is such a buzz about Elizabeth Zimmerman if you are a knitter and i just wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about. i think i get it. it's not that her patterns are the most fashionable but it's the technique behind them that makes then so inspiring. it's really more a formula to use to get any result you can imagine. i'm thoroughly looking forward to whipping up a modular tomten jacket for my son (in blue because he asked for a blue sweater and how can i say no to that) the only thing i'm disappointed about is that i only have this book for 2 weeks. this may be one i haave to splurge on. i don't buy books often because i have access to such a great library but this is the kind of book i can see myself referring back to more often then i could have it checked out (it aparently has a LONG wait list)

first tastes of spring

it's been a long, cold winter this year but we are starting to see little glimmers of spring. finally. something about the emerging buds of spring always entices me to head out to the trails to snap some photos. Aahh SPRING! the promise of a summer on it's way.

I was tagged by my friend Cheryl to do this

Go to the pictures folder on your computer
Choose your 6th file
Choose your 6th picture
Tell us about it

this is a picture of my husband ;) i think it was taken about a year and a half ago driving somewhere. I swear I have a couple dozen pics just like this since we started dating 10 years ago. Why I feel compelled to take his pic while we are driving somewhere I have no idea haha but there you go. (p.s. it looks like he has a mullet but I swear he doesn't LOL)

I was tagged to do this meme

1. Have you ever been on TV?
Yep, when I was little we were visiting family in Alberta and my sister, dad and myself were used in a commercial for local TV by my uncle.

2. Have you ever sung in public?
yeah I was in choir for a yeah in highschool, I also did a duet for a talent show in the 5th grade

3. Have you ever dyed your hair blond?
yep...never again unless I get it done. at-home blonde dye=uber unattractive glowing orange hair LOL (the sad thing is I've done this more then once, you'd think I'd have learnt the first time)

4. Have you ever eaten frogs’ legs?
Umm...no

5. Have you ever received a present that you really hated?
not that I can think of off hand

6. Have you ever walked into a lamp post?
I don't think so but I've walked into a lot of other things haha

7. Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 15 people?
Nope

8. Have you ever fallen or stumbled in front of others?
more times then I can count...some more embarrassing then others ;)

9. Have you ever done volunteer work?
yep

ok so I'm supposed to tag people now but I really have no idea who reads this so basically if you're reading this right now consider yourself tagged ;) just leave me a comment so I can come check your post out.

been a little busy

so 2009 started out with a bit of a surprise. my water broke on the 3rd and I ended up having a little girl on the 6th. I wasn't due for another 6 weeks (the middle of February) but she's doing very well and thankfully only had to spend 6 days at the nicu. we are all completely in love with her and I'm constantly having to reminder her big brother to let her sleep and not kiss her so much haha, but I figure it's better that then having him be jealous so I let alot of it slide. anyways once I'm getting a little more sleep (or once my body gets accustom to this lack of sleep, whichever happens first) I'll hopefully get a chance to do something creative. a new baby is very inspiring so I'm already compiling a mental list of ideas and to-do's

on to 2009

we had a lovely Christmas day this year. it was my first time hosting at our house which was a lot more relaxing then previous years that had us running between various houses and get-togethers, never really getting to enjoy any of it. My husband and I were reminiscing about one of our first years we were married and how we had to be in 4 different places on christmas day. I just remember crying in the car as we drove from one place to then next haha. thankfully with children comes a slower pace to things. this year we got up at our own pace and enjoyed openning our stockings, just the three of us, before my parents, sister, and grandparents arrived. the snow fell all Christmas Eve day and continued on most of Christmas day as well so we were treated to a delightfully white Christmas...a very rare treat and possibly my favourite gift this year!

I was inspired by today's weather (note the snow in the background) and by a recent post over at the purl bee and whipped up this felt snowflake while my son napped on the couch after a wintery romp around the block. It was super quick to sew up and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I'm sorry to say that I don't get to keep this, my mom is the lucky recipient, but I figure I can part with it only because it's her birthday and I love her.

Happy Birthday Mom!

"...the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there..."

we've had a busy couple of weeks. Between my many appointments for this pregnancy and having the flooring redone in our suite, we've hardly had a chance to breathe let alone enjoy any time for crafting or decorating for the season. We finally go a chance this weekend to dig all our Christmasy things from the crawlspace and venture out in the windy cold to pick out our tree. we're still putting finishing touches here and there and of course I have a few projects lined up. here's a sneak peak at one of the things to come

updates

Just thought I'd update on some of my projects seeing as how I haven't done much blogging in the last little bit. I finally pulled out that pixie had and sewed up the seam. Amazingly it totally fit's my son. Boy it would have been huge on him last winter. I still plan on doing a few decorative things to finish it off a bit but I can't make up my mind so there it sits. I also finished the mittens for my sister's Christmas gift last week...my first FO. I think my gauge was slightly tighter on the second one but not enough to really notice i don't think. I really enjoyed knitting them though and can't wait to do a pair for myself once the hustle and bustle of Christmas has slowed down. I've had to put the bag for my mom on hold until I can get out and find more yarn. I'm short about 100 yds and the yarn is now discontinued so I'll have to find something of similar wait in a contrasting colour. Not the end of the world but annoying just the same. Note to self: when buying yarn for a specific pattern double check that you are getting enough yarn and get a little extra just in case. One of the things I love about knitting is that it's a constant learning curve. I get bored with things easily leading to a lot of unfinished projects, but I'm finding that if I pick a pattern with a new technique or some other challenge then it's just enough to get me hooked.

I woke up to a ground covered in sparkling silver frost, one of my favourite things about this time of year. I'm still holding out hope for a white Christmas but frost is almost as pretty...I'd settle for a frosty Christmas too

Mmmm

I grew up on homemade bread. It's something I crave whenever the weather starts to cool down. There's nothing like homemade toast and tea on a frosty morning to get you out of bed. I tried a recipe I found at The Frugal Mom for Amish white bread a couple months ago and it turned out great but didn't quite taste like my mom's so this time I made a double batch but used half the sugar and one 1 tsp salt (rather then the 1 1/2) I think it tastes a lot better, although I may still tweak it a bit to get it perfect. My mom does it by feel so she doesn't have a recipe anymore that she follows...I may just have to get her to make bread with me a few time to get a feel for it.

one down, one to go

I finished the first mitten for my sis last week and then didn't pick up my needles again until last night. Hopefully the second will go just as quickly as the first (minus the frogging, of course).

a few of my favourite things

a collection of knitting needles, some new, some bought from a local thrift store but most passed down to me from my Grandma. I love the history behind them.

knittin' mittens

My sister requested some mittens for Christmas so of course that's what I'm making her. As little girls we got a pair of hand-knit mittens every year from our great grandma so I have to admit I'm feeling pretty nostalgic about these which influenced me a bit when choosing a pattern. Anyways, I thought these would take a lot longer but I started last night and am already half way done the first mitten.

what i'm working on

a few of the things that are keeping me busy in the evenings.

the infamous hat that I started a year ago but forgot where I'd gotten the pattern from. it needs to be seamed up and have a few other finishing touches added, but I'm pretty pleased with it since it's my first knitting project.

the booga bag that I am knitting for my mom for christmas.


a cozy neck warmer for me. it'll have 3 chunky wooden buttons and crocheted button loops to hold it on.

a little repair

before my son was born we briefly had a puppy, named Charlie. He was the first dog I'd ever had and I loved him despite the fact that he destroyed anything he looked at and left many an object completely mangled and unrecognizable. He was a chocolate lab crossed with a german short-haired pointer and he was full of spunk and curiosity. One particular weekend he somehow managed to get into our bedroom even though the door was tightly shut and when we got home we were welcomed to a confetti of chewed and scattered debris. Amongst the rubble was this super long scarf of mine that I loved and it was completely torn in half with many other holes and tears in the remaining bits. I didn't know how to knit at the time but being the pack-rat that I am I've hung on to it for the last 3+ years. I finally pulled it out tonight and unravelled it past all the damage and have started to re-knit as much as I can with the scraps that are left. it may end up a little shorted and not quite as perfect but it's a fairly chunky, garter stitch so I figure it won't be too noticeable. Hopefully I can graft the two ends back together easily enough. I've never attempted that but I'm aways up for a challenge.

a bit of inspiration

I can't get enough of the purl bee. If you have a free moment (or hour) I'd highly recommend checking it out. I've already started a mental list of project ideas from the many tutorials there. Why is it that there is always more projects then time? anyways I just stumbled upon these amazingly cute embroidered covered buttons. Can't you just imagine them on sweet little knitted mary janes or down the front of a cardigan for a little girl (or boy for that matter depending on what you embroider on it.)

a little obsession

I have to admit that I have a little obsession with bird things. anything that has a cute little bird on it or is shaped like a bird catches my eye. I'm not sure what it is about them really, maybe because I was called chickadee by my mom my whole life, maybe because they seem so cheerful and free-spirited. Whatever it is I can't get enough. I've been oogling things like the bird in hand mittens by Kate Gilbert (I don't know if you can tell by the pics but there is a tiny little bird on the inside of the thumbs) these satisfy my obsession with mittens as well but then that's a whole other post. I also love these mittens from the Vogueknitting fall 2008 (I need to get my hands on this issue hmmm) ok enough mittens! Etsy is particularly dangerous because there are endless lists of drool-worthy things such as these sweet bluebird charms, this charming necklace, or these simple and graphic notecards. I remember a sweater I had as a little girl that had buttons down the front with little bluebirds, thankfully I have a mom who is sentimental and loves to save buttons so if I can find these buttons in her button box I'll have to use them on some project of my own. I could go on and on but I'll leave you instead with this pic of something from my current bird collection, a bird shaped lemon sqeezer-thingy for tea (very technical I know but I'm not really sure what else to call it)

note to self

if you knit something following a pattern from a book from the library writing the title or even the name of the author done before returning the book might just be a good idea, especially if you haven't finished the project.

seems obvious right? you would think, but last fall when I first took up knitting a started this adorable little pixie toque for Oliver from a book I had out from the library at the time. It knit up super fast but I had never sewed up a project before (well actually I this was my first attempt at knitting anything other then a few gauge swatches) so I put it off in fear of ruining it...fast forward a year and a move later and I decided to pick up my knitting again. The book had long since been returned by this point and I have absolutely no idea what book it was from. I'm pretty sure if I saw the cover that I would remember what book it was, but the trouble is that not all books on the library website have cover pics so I just request a few books that sound interesting and hope that eventually I'll come across the mystery book. Well my first batch of books were on hold at the library so I went to pick them up and wouldn't you know it! as I'm scanning the books to check out there was the cover with THE hat on it. I almost squealed out loud. so needless to say I've added the book to my library on ravelry so at least it's documented now. oh and for those wondering the book is Knitting for Two by Erika Knight. It's a great book full of cute patterns.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect pancake recipe. I have to admit that I'm pretty picky about pancakes. I'm not a fan of mixes, I find they just taste like chemicals and who can enjoy that. So the other day I decided to make pancakes for lunch so I turned to my trusty Martha to search for a recipe to try. 30 min later I'm completely amazed at how many different types of pancakes are out there. who knew! I decide on her recipe for basic pancakes. They are AMAZING. so fluffy and tasty and better yet the recipe is super simple. I'm thinking of mixing up a couple of batches of the dry ingredients to have on hand although it goes together so quickly I'm not sure it's really worth it. I'd share a picture of these pancakes with you but I don't have one so you'll have to settle for the little boy who gobbled them up.

hello

I never know where to begin with a blog. This isn't the first blog I've started....I'm pretty sure it won't be my last as I'm sort of a restless blogger. I always feel a little silly doing an intro of sorts as I'm not really convinced anyone really reads my blog. Anyways I'm hoping this will become a place that keeps my creative juices flowing and possibly inspires a few along the way. Lately I've been feeling the pull back to creating and making things, something I've always loved and based my pre-motherhood career around. It's funny how a couple years of very little sleep or adult interaction can make your mind go sort of blank, but I'm looking at it as a clean slate to start new hobbies and try new things.

Recently, I've taken up (again) knitting. I taught myself last fall/winter by watching The Art of Knitting & Crochet while I would put my son down for his naps. Worked like a charm! I learned to knit and it inevitably knocked my son out within minutes. Like usual I was sidetracked by some other creative pursuit but with a new baby on the way I find myself invested in creating a little stash of hand-knit things to bundle it in. Thank goodness this baby is due in the winter.