The pattern is the Osito Infant Bear Hat (pdf link). Tres adorable, non? =)

I added ear flaps just to cover those tiny little ears from getting cold. My first time improvising with crochet increases/decreases. Easy peasy for a sleep deprived momma, I’m impressed and proud of myself.

Now that my little guy’s head is warm, let’s hope he sleeps better. Sigh.

Right after birth; all cleaned up and meeting mommy for the first time:

Daddy and baby checking each other out:

Hanging out in the bouncer:

Big yawn:

Want to hear something funny? I was scheduled to be induced this past Tuesday, but the baby decided to get things started naturally a couple hours before the induction. And I had a crochet project packed away in my hospital bag. Yep, I figured during the induction I would be bored. Turns out, by the time I got to the hospital, I didn’t have time for a thing (things progressed way faster than anticipated). I suppose that crochet project will have to wait. (Maybe during nursing sessions when I’m also catching up on Project Runway and Top Chef episodes? Hehehe)

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ETA: If you can handle it, the birth story is here (password: nathaniel) =)

Here’s what it was, in it’s pre-frogged form:

Pretty, right? Loved the cables. It was supposed to be a cabled handbag. Just to indulge myself, some close-ups of the cables:

And then, here it is, frogged. I had forgotten that I was knitting this handbag with the yarn DOUBLED. I knew it was going to be a sucker to untangle the mess.

Untangling it all WAS a big pain! It took several hours. But it is finally over.

I wonder what this yarn will reincarnate into next? (My favorite part!)

My first time working with stones and settings (all the parts laid out):

The finished products:

The beginnings of a tennis bracelet – not much to see eh? This is the “backbone” of the bracelet.

I haven’t quite finished the tennis bracelet – it’s currently stalled at the moment because the wirework is a lot more difficult than I anticipated. We’ll see if I’m successful at it one of these days.

And a fun pair of dangly earrings:

=)

First, she made a double sided UCLA fleece blanket. Hubby was ecstatic about the UCLA print. After all, UCLA is near and dear to his heart. Plus, the blanket is SOOOO soft!! (We know it’s intended for the baby, but we just may steal this for ourselves instead haha)

The underside of the blanket:

And a matching baby hat to go with it! Too bad it doesn’t fit Hubby’s head. I would have made him wear it all over the house… haha!

And then a very pretty nursing cover for me. I love the print!!

And lastly, this is not really homemade, but I appreciate it just the same – Hello Kitty socks! For my hospital stay!

Thoughtful, handmade, personal. We love it. Thanks Les!!

A handspun, handknit, and handsewn Baby Surprise Jacket!

It’s reversible too, with a very cool lining. I absolutely love the colors:

Complete with Cheri’s etsy shop label (so professional and clean looking too! So impressive!):

(Visit her etsy shop here for all things children’s apparel, handspun yarn, and other gifts: Enchanted)

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And then there is a quilt that was put together by my high school friend Karen:

Aren’t the colors gorgeous?! I am so in love with this blanket, I know it will be one of my favorites. I was so touched by all the time and effort she put into this. And it has a yellow fleece underside:

And another delightful label lovingly placed at the edge:

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Lastly, handsewn baby leg warmers by Esther! Aren’t they adorable??

And just for kicks, I always love the gifts given by other fellow moms, who are always thinking practically.

Love the handwritten note on top. Thanks Esther! =)

The only thing that I came up with that I felt somewhat OK making for the little guy was my very own basil blanket. I’ve made several for other friends in the past, and I was needing a project that was not too challenging, but not terribly boring, for all those doctor visits and appointments and things (I am seeing up to 5 people every other week, and all the waiting room stuff gets boring really fast).

So here you go, my very own basil blanket:

I chose the brown edging like what most everyone recommended. The best thing about this pattern is the edging – so seamless and smooth, no sewing involved!

It worked out really well and coincidentally, it even matches some of the colors in our baby stuff/gear (see car seat below):

The car seat is the single most important baby thing we have not gotten yet. We will probably purchase it (along with other important items leftover from registries) after all the showers are over.

This pregnancy has whizzed by so fast, I can’t believe I have less than 8 weeks to go. I have never been so excited and scared and nervous with anticipation at the same time. It’s all very surreal.

The thing with bento boxes – not only are they uber cute, but they are great with portion sizes. And when I pack a lunch, I know I am eating something healthy and in the right serving size. And it just makes packing a lunch that much more fun. =) So here are a couple of bento items I use the most:

This was among the first containers I ever purchased. I got them in college and I have used them for nearly 10 years. I still use them. I love how I can fit dry cereal or snacks in the Goldfish container, and I can pack a sandwich in the Wonderbread container, and know that it won’t get squished.

And then I got this super cute pink bento box – it’s got several layers, dividers, and chopsticks on top. I use this a lot when I’m packing rice, leftover stirfry, etc. The dividers are great so I can separate my meats from my veggies and whatnot.

Lastly, this is my absolute FAVORITE bento box set up ever!! It’s Totoro!

I love the zipped bag it comes in, and it fits everything in perfectly.

Here are the actual bento containers – a small thermos, two little plastic containers, and a fork + fork case.

I purchased a separate pair of chopsticks (in Totoro of course!) to go along with this set:

It’s perfect!!

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And since I’m talking about cute things, I can show you some onesies I put together recently. It’s not terribly crafty, since I purchased the iron-ons as is (they were on sale at Joanns!), but they were awfully cute.

Here are some of my favorite ones:

Can you tell by the colors what the baby’s gender will be? =)

*****

I finally finished the scrapbook! Well, to tell you the truth, it’s not really a scrapbook, but a compilation of advice and bits and pieces from friends for an upcoming bride (with no pictures). Well, OK that was another half-lie. She’s no longer an “upcoming” bride. She’s been married nearly a year and a half. But hey, better late than never, right? The book itself was given to me by a friend, and it was just too cute to pass up, so I used it for this project. Here are a couple shots of the very late Bridal Guidebook:

Cover + Ribbon:

Recipes page layout:

Words of wisdom page layout:

I think this scrapbook/guidebook project has shown me that I am NOT a scrapbooker. I admire my friends who do it, but I just can’t get into it. And that’s OK. I have plenty of other crafts I’m trying to juggle anyways. =)

*****

In other news, Hubby and I spent a weekend out-of-town to celebrate our 7th anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been 7 years! I am incredibly happy with where we are at, and can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. We had great weather on our weekend excursion, and I even got to squeeze in some relaxing knitting in the beautiful scenery!

So I’m knitting a green basil blanket (is it a coincidence that my blanket color looks identical to my handbags’ shade of green?). I’ve done a bunch of basil blankets for friends, not to mention lots of baby items for everyone else, but nothing for myself. Is that strange? It was hard to find inspiration. For some reason it’s easier to find inspiration for gifts for others, rather than for myself. I felt a little guilty (after all, shouldn’t I not deprive my own child of lovely homemade things as well?), and plus I needed a mindless (but not terribly boring) knit to pass the time in doctor’s offices and other places. I figured the Basil Blanket was perfect – it’s a mindless lace, but not boring stockinette/garter stitch that would make me want to shoot myself. And plus, it’s practical – I can definitely use it.

The only catch – and I openly admit that I am terrible with colors – I can’t seem to figure out what color the edging ought to be. Here are the three options presented to me:

Blue - I really like this shade of blue. Not sure if I like it enough against the green, but by itself, it is such a pretty shade.

Orange - My husband’s vote. (He thinks orange is underrated.) A friend mentioned that if the orange was a bit darker and more “burnt”, it could work. But this orange is a bit on the sherbert type… not really my style… =P

Brown - The safest choice. Something dark and neutral, and it “grounds” the blanket look a bit.

And I couldn’t find a darker green fitting enough to go well with the current green I’m using, so that’s out.

What do you think?

In the kitchen:
Apple squares! (Recipe here) They are sort of a cross between apple cake but denser… sort of like brownies, but instead of chocolate, apples + walnuts instead. They tasted GREAT straight from the oven, hot and moist and soft and dense!

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On the needles:

Yes, getting my butt in gear to finish up my Owls Sweater. All I have left is to seam the armholes, block it, and contemplate whether or not to put the “eyes” buttons or not.

I don’t know if I’ll fit into this sweater, as I am already 6 months along with a tummy to match, but even if I don’t, that’s OK. Maybe I’ll fit into it in the fall, when things (hopefully) shrink back..? We’ll see.

* * * * *

An attempt at a new craft:
OK so this project I’m a little embarrassed about. This is a scrapbook that I attempted almost 2 years ago, and it was intended for a friend as a bridal shower gift. Well, this friend is now married a year a half already. Yes, embarrassing. But better late than never, right?

But I do have to admit, from this experience, I learned that I am NOT a scrapbooker. This craft is not my style. It’s too open-ended for me. An empty page scares me a bit. I’m more comfortable with crafts that give me guidance and instruction, rather than just an open canvas.