Thursday, December 29, 2011

One

Cat’s Couch turns one today.

It’s been a year since I had the inspiration to start a blog while teaching a prenatal yoga class, just after Christmas and before the New Year. It has become a much-loved habit to steady my days and see the inspiration and goodness all around me, to make me more conscious and to share my creative adventures.

And interesting enough, soon after I had conceived my blog-baby, the idea of another real baby began to flourish in my mind and soul. And before not too long also in my body.

(source here)

To celebrate my first blog anniversary, there will be a giveaway.

A whole pack of yarn!

Lanna Grossa in a festive golden brown. To give you the details: six balls of Toccata, a cotton yarn, for needle sizes 3,5 – 4,5mm and seven balls of Rondo, a ribbon yarn, a cotton-viscose-polyamide-blend for needle sizes 5-6mm.

To win, just enter a comment in the comment section until midnight MET of December 31 (you can tick the Anonymous box and just mention your name in the comment). The winner will be announced on January 1 2012.

Thanks to all the readers of my blog for taking the time to read my words, to those who have been with me from the beginning, to those who have come here during the course of the year and to those who drop by now and then. Whether I know you personally or not (yet).

Happy blog anniversary! Happy New Year!

EDIT: And the winner is... STEINREICH! Have fun with all the gold!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Little Monsters

Every time Clara sees somebody knitting on TV, she immediately calls me. I just love the intensity she calls me with. She knows what makes me happy. So when she watched her evening show on the children's TV channel last night, I was delighted to see that the creators put some positive knitting power into it.



Good colour choice, too!





So not only little fairies knit, but also little monsters.





Knitting mama monster, knitting baby monster.





Happy mama!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Fresh & Organic 41

The Christmas Box:



Fruit: pineapple, apples, clementines, oranges

Vegetables: cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, corn salad, cucumber, onions, red X-mas bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, Hokkaido pumpkin, avocado, parsley root

This is the last delivery of the fruit & vegetable box for 2011. And this will also be the last photographed and posted box. Not posted anymore, but still be eaten, for sure. This year we were convinced by the benefits of fresh, organic and mostly local produce - this baby of ours was born with the words fresh & organic written all over her body.

From 2012 I will be making new space on Saturdays.

Wishing you a yummy & peaceful Christmas season!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Pink Princess Party Muffins

For her girly birthday party Clara had one confectionary wish - Princess Lillifee muffins...



Every time we passed the cake mix in the store for the last year, she reminded me of that. She didn't want mama's yummy vegan muffins... (Princess Lillifee... that reminds me of my one and only German post of this blog from last December, about this fairy who actually knits birthday presents).

What can you do? Buy the ready to bake mix and get started.



The pink icing didn't taste too bad actually.

A more correct view of the baking process would be this.



All this pink, but who can be blamed, I thought. And then my recently started knitting project caught my eye.



I shouldn't wonder.

PS: Just to end this post correctly, I would like to add Clara's judgment: Mama, the muffins looked good but didn't taste too well.

Yes, my friends, just because it is pink, it doesn't have to be yummy (apart from wool, that is).

Thursday, December 22, 2011

EC/PC Pants

... like Elimination /"Pee" Communication. I have written about it before (if you knew me in person, I would talk about it A LOT, because I am really amazed how good it works, even with a newborn). BUT (there is a but) - all this dressing and undressing and dressing and undressing... there must be an easier way. The Chinese found it - split pants!

I found a free pattern on Ravelry and gave it a try. Ravelry notes here.



It comes in different sizes, this is for a 0-3 months old baby.
We'll see how it will work.

I wanted non-scratchy yarn, something durable and machine-washable as well, but a trip to the yarn store was a bit out of reach last week. So the only yarn in my stash in the right weight was shocking neon pink... I am not quite sure anymore where I got it from, either Clara wanted it or it comes from London. I had worked with this brave colour before for bootees that never got finished, and while I was riding high on the pink wave and made an I-cord for the pants, I thought, well, let's get over it and make two ties for the bootees.



I am a brave mama or colourblind, but my baby doesn't mind.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Five



My winter baby of five years ago had her birthday the other day.



She woke up to the first snow of this winter.



Happy, happy birthday, Clara!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Three Funny Guys on the Bus

On the way to the cozy Advent meeting of our Oldenburg Knit Group, Clara, Carolina and me encountered these guys.



I asked them the reason for their performance.
Just for fun, they said.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Fresh & Organic 40

The fresh, cabbage free and half-orange box:



Fruit: Navel oranges, juice oranges, clementines, lemons, apples, pears, bananas

Vegetables: Hokkaido pumpkin, carrots, potatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell peppers

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Pink India Multnomah

The second traveling companion has hit the home zone.



Yarn bought in February, cast on in May, well traveled through the American South West, then deserted it took a well-deserved rest before it climbed the last gentle slopes of pregnancy and finally entered baby land. Blocked yesterday and finally photographed today besides a Christmas cactus for some festive atmosphere. Ravelry notes here.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Fashion News from the Baby Room

First rule of blocking: It is desirable that blocked finished knitted object and baby sling (French style) have matching colours.



Second rule of fashion:
We love stripes.

Third rule of blogging:
Find random connections in everything and post it.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

My Lifeline



The yoga mat doesn't get rolled up these days. It just stays on the floor - a constant invitation to find some rest and some gentle "cat streching". When the baby doesn't need my attention, when the household doesn't need my attention (or I decide to pay no attention), when the rest of the family can get by without my attention for a while or when my body and mind just NEED some attention. And then there is some knitting, too... aaaah... exhale...

Monday, December 12, 2011

Baby La La Land

What I enjoy:



***Baby nursing and nap times are great mama reading or reading-to-Clara-times (I had to accept that knitting while breastfeeding is too uncomfortable...)***



***The Carolina-and-Clara-sticking-out-tongue-contest - who wins the crown?***



***The Rishikesh Blanket is perfectly sized for our newly acquired second-hand baby playpen (a.k.a. baby jail).*** EDIT: We gave the playpen back, because Carolina didn't like it and it didn't feel right either



***With Clara - making wool hedgehogs from the ends of the ends of the blanket.***



***Baby knitting that fits, like the baby leggings.***

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Fresh & Organic 39

The wrapping:



The contents:



Fruit: bananas, apples, oranges, clementines, kiwifruit

Vegetables: carrots, potatoes, cucumber, beetroot, red bell peppers, Hokkaido pumpkin, leek, avocados, tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley

Friday, December 9, 2011

Especially for Anja

A photo of the mama.



With Carolina Aura in the sling, warmed by my new mama & baby jacket, ready for a walk.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Carolina Blue

With this baby it was Papa's turn to choose a name.



Wikipedia: "Carolina blue (occasionally referred to as Tar Heel blue) is the shade of blue used as one of the official school colors of the University of North Carolina. The name is derived from the popular usage of "Carolina" to refer to the university."
Oh, sweet memories... says Papa, Carolina dreaming...

I hope you don't mind me posting yet another picture of my little one... you might know, what parents/mothers/bloggers and their infatuation are like. And in addition to having a wonderful baby, I have a fitting model now. This time even with her eyes open.



The soaker I knitted in October in a newborn size... really fits my newborn. And she seems okay in it. I could really knit more of them. Yes, we jumped on the nappy free wagon, but it is still more a gentle "elimination communication", getting to know each other and learning the signals. We have had some encouraging success so far and I just love the waste we are not producing. Just a bit more laundry.



So today was a Carolina blue day.



With a little pink on the left side, of course.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Just what the Doctor ordered



Carolina had her first trip outside the cozy nest yesterday, when we went to the doctor's for a newborn check-up required by the German law. Grey skies, rain, car ride, never mind.

All the check-ups up to the age 5 are documented in a little yellow booklet.



Looks a tad boring, doesn't it?

So while Carolina was asleep in the sling...



and the baby surprise jacket was having a well-deserved soak'n'wash (Clara criticized me this morning that the baby wears the same clothes everyday... but there are only oh-such-a-few sweet days that Carolina will fit into it before it will be handed down to Clara's doll Lily)...



... I brought out the sewing machine again.



And sewed a cover. I used leftovers from Clara's cushion and my maternity pass (blogged here in early May where I hinted at my pregnancy, you also find a link to the video tutorial for making these covers there).



Carolina didn't mind the sound.





The old has gone, the new has come.

Monday, December 5, 2011

What used to be an old Towel



... became my first postnatal sewing project.

A lot of things you need for a baby you only find out when the baby is actually there (and I am not the best planner in the world anyway...), like a lot of (a whole lot of!) washcloths. Especially if you are trying to reduce waste and not use too many wet baby wipes. So before sending my lovely and oh-so-attentive husband (it's true) off to the store, my wonderful and experienced midwife (that's true, too) suggested to cut up an old towel. And having already experienced my love for the crafts (that's not too hard to find out coming to our house regularly), she also suggested that I could use my serger to neaten the sides and avoid fraying. Hooray, serger, here I come!

While Carolina was sleeping on the couch...



I went into whirlwind mode on the machine.



Practical, resourceful and PINK!