Sheet sling

A super easy cheap alternative to buying yet another sling. I used a full sized sheet that I had purchased at the Goodwill. Here's the site where I got the directions to do this. http://www.mayawrap.com/n_makecarrier.php It is pretty similar to the Over The Shoulder Baby Holder without all of the padding. I am not using it a ton , but it is coming in handy when Cheyanne will just not go to sleep on her own or when we go for a walk.

Love,

Amy

Puffy Pillows

Nana had picked out some fabric last summer to make some dresses for Isabella. As we were digging through her sewing basket this week, we realized that only one of the dresses ever got made. So, Nana used the leftover fabric and whipped up some cute little pillows for Izzie's crib. They are just adorable. She is going to allow Justus and Elijah to pick out some fabric and create some pillows for them too.

Love,

Amy

Another inherited goodie

I had mentioned that my gram was an extraordinary knitter, among other yarn crafts. My mom had saved one of the sweaters that she had knitted for me when I was 2. I wanted to share a picture of Isabella wearing that same sweater for Resurrection Sunday morning. How awesome that after 30 some years it is still absolutely beautiful. She looked like a total baby doll. There is another similar sweater made from the same yarn that will probably fit her when she is closer to 4 years old. I just love these priceless heirlooms.

Love,

Amy

Pretty in Pink

This is my second attempt at knitting something useful. I picked out a nice, sweet, colorful bulky yarn and a size 10 bamboo needle. I wanted to make sure that I really had my basic knit and purl stitch under my belt before I went any further. This is the basic Stockinette Stitch where you knit one row and then purl the next row. There were a few spots where I messed up, but for the most part it turned out super cute. As you can see, Isabella loves it.

Love,

Amy

First Knitted "scarf"

I am not quite sure if you could call this a scarf. I started it with the intention of giving it to my mom as a surprise. My grandmother was an avid knitter, so learning to knit is a bittersweet experience for me. I got part way through this scarf and realized that it might benefit me to use the right weight of yarn with the appropriate needles. Go figure. So, I bound off the end and chalked it up to practice.

My mom taught me a few basic crocheting stitches a few years ago, but I never really made a super huge effort in learning anything other than the basics. I decided to take a different path with knitting and teach myself step by step how to knit like my Gram used to. My goal is to be able to not only enjoy the art of knitting by creating my own masterpieces, but to also be able to follow a pattern. There are some really great websites available that will walk you through the process. I learned quite a bit from 2 or 3 of those. I was finding that there were times when I needed a still picture sitting right in front of me on my lap in order to tackle whatever was giving me troubles. I bought a beginning knitting book from Joanne's and it has been great. I also checked out a few books from the library and am having a blast searching through them finding easy beginning patterns and picking up different tricks. One of my favorites is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Kitting and Crocheting. Not too fond of the title, but love the simple patterns and pictures that it contains. I will post a few of the things that I complete so you can keep up with my progress. This is such a great hobby to have when there are a bunch of little ones that just want you hanging out in the living room with them. They're happy, I'm happy, my fingers are happy...knitting is great!

Love,

Amy

An Heirloom

I always thought it was so neat when people owned furniture that belonged to an ancestor of theirs. I love looking at things that have a story. I am not into material things, but that sort of stuff fascinates me. I am definitely a visual person. When Rich and I left our homes in Pennsylvania and set out on our own over 10 years ago, my mom offered me her rocking chair. This chair was her great grandmother's. Let me tell you though, that it was one "disco-groovy" looking piece of furniture. So, I have carted this chair around the 7 times we have moved in the last 10 years and always hidden it in a basement or under a quilt. For my 33rd birthday last month, my sweet husband and dear mother decided to have get a total overhaul on "the chair." We were able to pick it up today and I wanted to share a photo. I was wishing that I had some before photos. I will have to check with mom. This is such a lovely addition to my home.

Love,

Amy