Granny Knitting

Two months ago, on my due date, my water broke first thing in the morning. It was Sunday, the day of the Advent bazaar and nothing could stop me going there, not even having a baby (I wrote about it here).

Ever since that day I had in mind to visit the ladies who make those Barbie doll clothes (and socks, bags, afghans, decoration) for some lifetime advice on knitting.



What I found out:



For them it is always Christmas, as they craft once a week, all year long, for the Advent bazaar.



Therefore, Froebel stars in January.

It is a charity thing, all earnings are invested within the parish or reinvested in wool and other material.



I was told making a cake from scratch tastes better than buying one.
No picture to prove that.



But a crochet curtain made by the lady who also informed me about cake.



I was even given some vintage fabric.



My usual perspective:



By the way, the lady who makes the Barbie clothes was away on a four-week-vacation. Never mind, a reason to come back.

Help!

Usually blogging is a source of constant pleasure for me, but this week it was pure trouble. Not because of anything terrible in my life, but because of a virus or trojan that keeps shutting down my whole computer.

It looks like this, in German:

None of the above is true... and yarn porn doesn’t qualify.

They just want your money. Who are they? Even though I could thank them for limiting my Internet time and do some meditation instead, I would like to decide for myself when to turn off the computer. And computer viruses just don’t promote inner peace.

The computer got infected for the first time at the end of December, but with the help of some Internet research (this trojan was going around) and a free anti-malware software I was able to successfully remove the virus.

But then it came back this week. And it keeps coming back, no matter how often I start the anti-malware programs and remove it.

Any computer experts out there?

Baby Surprises

This post is about a certain sadness and how you can’t hang on to things, how time passes and how sentimental you can get all along. About first and last times and about NOW, not then.

Last week I had to say goodbye to the baby surprise jacket Carolina had been wearing since she was born.

She started looking too tight in it. Within these six weeks Carolina had turned from delicate newborn into a chubby baby girl.

Well, well, I thought, give it a good last wash, put it on her for the last time, take one last picture – and put the jacket away for further (grand)children, together with some exquisite memories (or had I promised Clara to give it to her doll Lilly?).

Anyway, it went into the washing machine with some cloth diapers and Clara’s big sister dress (a machine first-timer, too). I had softly hand-washed the jacket for the last weeks, but after checking the kept wool label I was assured that machine-wash would be fine. So I thought.

When the laundry came out of the machine, the cloth diapers looked as always. Fine. So did Clara’s dress. But the baby surprise felt different... it had slightly felted! Oh no, I felt a sinking feeling in my heart, I will never be able to put it on my granddaughter...

But should I be sad about a jacket I was about to put away for the next who-knows-how-many-years and that might be moth-eaten and forgotten by then, if I could enjoy my life and my baby now? No.

While Carolina was growing in and out of the baby surprise jacket, I worked on another item of the Zimmermann surprise series – the baby bonnet, like she wrote in “The Opinionated Knitter”: „in the same idiom, but not quite so surprising“.

Stitch by stitch I knitted, row by row, sometimes only a few stitches a day and sometimes my mama brain struggled with EZ’s “pithy instructions”, especially when I had to pick up and knit the back of the bonnet. My Ravelry notes here.

And as the baby surprise jacket is too small now, the baby bonnet is still way too big, probably something for the next fall/winter season. I will pack away the jacket now, pink witness of Carolina’s first smiles. And when the times comes round for the bonnet, which first times will it see – first tooth, first word, first step? Surprises.

You know that your Husband loves you...

... when he brings home some chocolate, because it reminded him of your favourite TV show.

Mama's Drug

I have not been a big chocolate lover before. But these days chocolate seems to be my drug of choice, being often the first thing I reach for in the morning and the last treat that calls it a day at night. I have been tasting my way through all the different brands that crossed my path, and I must say: the more cocoa the better. And pricey wins the race.

Promises

While when you look above you are reminded of the season we are in,



the world coming out of the earth speaks quite another language.



I noticed the first curious buds about a fortnight ago.
(and so did Johanna)



No wonder with this mild a winter around here in Northern Germany.



The promise of snow has just not been kept (yet).

Mama & Baby Knitting

The mama & baby breakfast and knitting club is back!



After a cozy start at our home two weeks ago, Carolina and me ventured out into the rain today, on a bus through town, to a friend's house.



Crafty mamas, as usual. And a crafty mother-in-law who knitted these socks for Mama B. for Christmas.



One pattern, two knitters.



Two interpretations. Waldorf-educated Mama A. added some extras.



Mama B. has started her first sewing course this week, the more sewing experienced Mama K. could show some very encouraging results.



Quick change trousers
(pattern by Anna Maria Horner in "Handmade Beginnings")



And a gift for Carolina - a lovely hat for spring.



WE enjoyed it all from our usual perspective.

Triple Potty Power

This gaudy potty party accompanies Carolina's and my playing, elimination communication and diaper-changing sessions, next to the changing pad on the floor.



The small blue one - the original from china, also the home country of the (in)famous split pants, was used a lot in the first weeks. The bigger yellow potty, which is actually just a mixing bowl (from Poland), gets more use these days. And pinkie is for holding the used cloth-diapers and is recently often quite lonely, while the morning diaper is still in use (and dry, of course) when Carolina's papa comes home in the evening.

And that doesn't mean that we stare at the potties all day long - no, we nurse, we sleep, we cook, we eat (a lot), we clean (a bit), we do laundry (only every second day now), we read, we blog and we do computer work, we knit, we watch mama's favourite TV show (prerecorded and with the baby sleeping), we are on the phone, we have friends over and we also leave the house... we go for walks, shopping, get Clara to kindergarten and back and to most of her afternoon activities, see friends and started doing mama & baby yoga this week.

And amidst all the things we do - we try and rest, enjoy and marvel.
Yes, it is WE, US - Carolina always with me, cuddled into the baby sling.
I think that is part of the secret, always connected, always in touch.

Baby at Work

Carolina Aura's first mama & baby yoga class

My first day back on the mat teaching, with a 7-week-old Carolina in the sling, she slept through the whole thing.

What, no knitting book?

on my bedside table

Home 2012

What will my new home look like?



There is some great other wallpapers, too.

The World according to Clara

Hello, my name is Clara.



These are my parents.





They take me to strange places where grown-ups do strange things.



I'd rather go to Princess Land.



With fireworks every night.



I like drawing.





And my doll Lilly.





There is always enough healthy food I am being offered.





My papa also likes his "apple a day".



My mama likes knitting.



Recently my mama knits much less, but that doesn't mean she has more time for playing with me ... she is very busy with my little sister Carolina.





As found on my kids' camera (and selected by my mama).

Home 2012

I will really miss that wallpaper...