Baby Things

Darlings, don't drink the water!! It seems as though EVERYONE is pregnant, or knows someone who is!! I'm making baby hats, baby booties, baby blankets like a boss! I just updated my order list. I've got four baby blankets and two baby dresses on my docket right now!!

One of my coworkers at the opera is due in two weeks. She's having a girl. She has a sweater in which to bring her precious angel home from the hospital, but she wanted a girly little hat. So I made one of these.

 It's a new pattern. I'm really happy with it. And I had extra time and extra yarn, so I decided to make her some coordinating booties as a gift with purchase. They strongly resembled this.

I started with a pattern, then I went rogue on the tops of the booties and used the same lacy pattern that I used in the hat.

Baby things are awesome to make because they're so cute and tiny, and they take so much less time than grownup stuff. Those booties took me one act of an opera to make, and it was my first attempt at that pattern. I think this is the time to rekindle my romance with all things adorable and tiny. I'm always seeking to up my crocheting game, and I think it might behoove me to start small. And people tend to spare no expense for adorable baby things, so that's a nice bonus.

That's all the news for now. This week's stitch 'n' bitch is Wednesday from 7-9 at R Public House. And don't forget my Friday morning Toddler Music Jam from 10-11 at the Common Cup! Until next time, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!

Mothers Make Invention Necessary

Darlings, have you met my mom? I adore her! She's my best friend, my strongest supporter, my head cheerleader. She's sweet and funny, she has a very generous spirit, she's exceptionally kind to all of God's creatures, and she bakes a mean cookie! I may be eating some of the aforementioned cookies as I type.

When this amazing human needs something from me, I try my best to deliver. Just last evening, as she was dropping me at the Metra train station after we'd seen the Chicago Harp Quartet at Fermilab and had a lovely dinner at the Country House Restaurant, she asked me if I had any new crocheted designs that she could buy for a friend for her birthday. Well, I've been spending most of my time on music, not on yarn, of late. I knew it was time to find some new projects. All I needed was a little push! And when the woman who birthed me, put me through private school, and saw me through my goth phase in the eighties asks if I have new crocheted awesomeness, then new crocheted awesomeness I will create! 

I got on the train, logged on to Ravelry, and started searching for something fun and quick to make. I decided on slippers, probably because it was snowing and my feet were a little cold. There are a lot of really delicious slipper patterns available on Ravelry. I searched through all of the patterns and decided on these. 

So cute, right?? And the pattern looks really easy. Here's a link to that pattern. I'm going to make purple ones with grey trim. I can't wait to go button shopping! I'm going to make these adorable slippers at my Stitch 'n' Bitch at R Public House this Wednesday, January 14, from 7:00-9:00 pm. 

And that is how necessity became the mother of invention, or how my mother made invention necessary! I hope my mom's friend (whose identity and birthdate I cannot divulge in case she's reading this blog right now!!) really enjoys being the first gal on her block with a pair of these from my hook. Mom's getting a pair for her birthday next month too. She already knows -- I'm not spoiling anything!

That's all the news for now. I hope to see you Wednesday night at RPH!  They've got new stuff on their menu since I was there last. I'm excited to try something new! Friday morning, my guitar and I will be at the Common Cup for Toddler Music Jam! The first one was a huge success!!

Poster design by Matt Andersen, IMGmatters.com

Also, you can hear the Chicago Harp Quartet tonight from 8:00-10:00 on WFMT, 98.7 on your FM dial. Until next time, my darlings, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!

My Brush With the Plague

Darlings, my two weeks of funemployment is over! Today I return to work. And I spent my last day of vacation in bed, nursing a cold.

I felt the cold coming on for days. The sore throat would lurk in dark doorways and leer at me around corners. I could hear the footsteps of sinus pain following me home at night. The earache would pull curtains aside from darkened windows and ogle me as I passed. And then on Saturday, the symptoms got bolder. No more peeking and sneaking -- they were nodding and tipping their hats at me when I entered a room. Rude little bastards -- why were they wearing their hats indoors when a lady was present? My throat hurt. I was congested. My ears felt funny. I couldn't get warm. 

I went about my business as planned, but I knew the Plague awaited. I took my temperature; a respectable 98.3°. I tend to run a little cool. I pushed water, ginger tea with honey and lemon, vitamin C, and clementines. **Side note: clementines are my new obsession. Nature's candy!! So delicious!!** I filled my vaporizor, climbed in bed, and watched "White Christmas" to soothe my spirit. I would not let the Plague win!

And then I awoke Sunday morning to the dreaded realization

               that the Plague

                                   had won.

My head was pounding, my ears were achy and kind of draining a little, my sinuses felt as though there was an anvil on my face. And my throat was so very dry and scratchy. So I did what any Gen Xer would do -- I turned off my alarm, rolled over, grabbed my cat to snuggle me, and went back to sleep. For four hours. I made more tea, heated up some soup, and headed back to bed. 

I spent all of Sunday babying myself, drinking tea, eating soup and my beloved clementines, and alternating between napping and watching documentaries on Netflix. I began, slowly but surely, to feel better. The pain and pressure have subsided. And in retrospect, Plague or not, that might have been the best way to spend a snowy Sunday at the tail end of my Christmas break!

That's about all the news for now, my angels! Tonight is the first Stitch 'n' Bitch of 2015 at Rogers Park Social. I'll be there the first and third Monday of the month. And don't forget that my Toddler Music Jam starts this Friday morning, January 9, from 10:00-11:00, at The Common Cup. Be well, avoid the Plague, and as always, until next time, Peace, (Radical)Love, and Yarn!