Baby's Got Socks

In my last post, I shared a story about Baby Girl. I have to be honest. Over the past couple weeks that's been a stock story for me. You know... one that you share with everyone that you know. Even to the point that I had to start asking, "Have I told you this already?" Anyway, the general response was laughter and encouragement.

BUT, from the knitting community, I received one extra piece of feedback. More than one person mentioned that they hoped it wasn't a handknit sock that Baby Girl threw in the toilet. "Oh no! Thank goodness it wasn't!" I replied. What I didn't share, though, was that....sigh... it couldn't have been a handknit sock because Baby Girl didn't have any! You noticed the past tense there, didn't you?

Pattern: Baby's Bootikin from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush

Yarn: Koigu KPPPM (color 411) and Lang Jawol (color 0033).

PAUSE for a second here. I just checked Knit Happens' online store to figure out which color I used for the Koigu and they are having an incredible online sale. I had to make myself a little order before I could continue!

Comments: These may be baby socks, but they're worked on 00 needles (aka the smallest needles I've ever used) and over 60 sts. So, they weren't exactly a super quick knit even though they are baby sized.

As soon as I finished the first one, I had Baby Girl try it on and since it fit so perfectly, I had to cast on for the second one immediately. Second Sock Syndrome was not even an option. I'm not sure that she'll get a ton of wear out of them since the seasons are changing and she's growing, but I love them anyway and I'm so happy it was brought to my attention that she needed them! (They won't even be going near the bathroom, though!)

Pot-ty!

For the past few weeks, we've been slowly working on the potty issue. I hesitate to use the word "training," because I think that's more for older kids and done in a much quicker fashion. I won't bore you with all the details because it's long and boring and boring. But, I will share one of the fun stories.

The other day, Baby Girl asked for the first time to go to the potty... by saying "Potty."

"You want to go to the potty?!" I exclaimed more than asked.

"Kay." She replied.

I ran her to the bathroom. As soon as she was on the toilet, she did her thing. The necessary celebration ensued... lots of clapping and such. I decided to give her a minute to finish in case all my cheering had interrupted her. I took my eyes off her (I'm sure that everyone knows this is where the fun part of any parenting story starts). When I turned back to her, she had taken off her sock and used it to wipe herself and, of course, thrown the sock in the potty.

Sigh. Well, it's still progress. She knows when to go to the potty and that she should wipe herself.

Oh, and I finished this scarf. My So-Called Scarf. Using one skein of Henry's Attic Andromeda Silk & Merino, which I ordered eons ago from Theresa at LTK.

The yarn has been in my stash forever. I ordered it because it was pretty and on sale, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. Finally, about a week or so ago I decided that this would be the perfect pattern for it... and it definitely works except that I forgot that I had ordered two skeins of the stuff, so now I still have another one leftover.

Cleaning house

Today I'm expecting company. My step-mother, sister and her two little ones are coming for a visit. So, I should be cleaning. But, as I often do, I've found myself stuck on a small insignificant project instead of the home as a whole. I don't feel like doing the laundry or dusting, but what I will spend huge amounts of time doing is trying to remove the rust from this lamp the Husband and I purchased eons ago in Morocco. Unfortunately, all my hard work has had little effect. So, I'm hoping someone who reads here will have some advice. I have no idea what the metal is (it is silver in color). I've tried Brasso and didn't get very far with it. Anyone? Advice? I would really love to have this thing cleaned up.

Baby Meathead

Awww. A baby meathead. Baby hats are cute, but baby versions of adult hats are even cuter. It's like the hat had a baby.

Pattern: Larissa's Meathead pattern. This pattern is soon to be published, but Larissa is offering it for sale one last time before publication with a chunk of the proceeds going towards a friend of hers who recently lost her husband. Definitely a good cause and a good hat. Can't go wrong. Buy one yourself here. Oh, and be sure to check out the super cute Flickr group for ideas on embellishment.

Yarn: DB Cashmerino Aran. Held double using US 10 needles.

Adjustments: I just changed the size of the hat by adjusting the yarn and needle sizes so that the gauge would be 12 sts over 4" instead of the 8 sts over 4" as written in the pattern.

Comments: This hat was knit for a baby boy who is due tomorrow. I really wanted to do something exciting for the embellishment, but I couldn't come up with anything that wasn't too feminine. So, I decided that I would adorn it with the flag of Tatarstan, since that's where the baby's parents are from. Haven't heard of Tatarstan? Well, you're not alone. Even the spell check on the computer doesn't recognize it. Anyway, I'm not sure if the flag was a stroke of genius or just a dumb idea (I think I'd feel pretty silly putting a hat with a US flag on Baby Girl), but either way it's there now and I'm not changing it.