bootie baby: take two.

the babes are abounding! last week a lovely's sister had her first wee-one! as a firm believer in babes having handmade items, i quickly cast on for a sweet weekend project!

as i mentioned in a previous post, i thought i'd try to make a different bootie pattern for each new babe this year and then decide on my favourite(s)!

this time i tried this pattern from the handknit librarian. i modified it slightly with a colour change (i ran out of the grey and le boy expertly suggested the navy!) and rather than continuing up the tube, kept on with the 1x1 rib for 6 or so rows...

they almost look like small athletic socks! and i absolutely adore the detailing around the ankle.

baby knitting is oh so satisfying - no more than a few hours total, and oh so sweet when it's finished up!

aprons!

as a thank you for hosting a wonderful bridal shower i wanted to give my sister and mom something handmade. being short on time i knew it had to be easy, and transportable. it also needed to be possible to make on my mother's old rickety sewing machine that i'm secretly hoping i can one day steal enjoy!

 it's a pain to work with, but man isn't it pretty?

on to the crafting:

i wanted to give them a copy of the hummingbird bakery cookbook. hummingbird is an american style bakery in london and most definitely takes the cake (pun intended) when it comes to baked goods. for sticky toffee or spotted dick (an actual dessert, i assure you) any kind of fruit crumble or anything that potentially tastes good with custard, the brits have it sewn up. however if we are talking cakes, cookies, squares or pie, the winners definitely reside on the other side of the pond! sometimes when one is a little homesick or wishes to take a great treat to a dinner party, the only reasonable answer is hummingbird cupcakes! what's even better is that the secrets have been released and the homebaker can also enjoy (no hummingbird is not compensating me for this endorsement, they're really just that good!).  i wanted to spread that love to a.b.barton and marvellous. a.b. is missing the hummingbird now that she's firmly ensconced back in TO, and well marvellous, she's retired now so surely there's time for baking?

but really, one needs a cute apron to bake in properly!

i found this super easy tutorial on skip to my lou. it uses a tea towel and ribbon to make a sweet and fast apron, with only two (!) seams! i got these tea towels from anthropologie, i can never imagine really using them to dry dishes, only to pretty up a kitchen (this may change when we are married and i have my own kitchen!) or in this case, make baking a little more fashionable.

a.b.barton has a thing for english bulldogs, so she was an easy choice. and mavellous likes anything that is made for her, so a sweet utensil motif did the trick!

i wrapped the aprons around the books rather than using bags or wrapping paper and used the ribbon as well, a ribbon! they were adored by both recipients - i just hope that the next time i'm home they're sure to put the cookbook to use!

i would definitely say this is an easy project that can be done in minutes, and makes a great gift, it's also a lovely way to use prettier tea towels!

known II

i wrote on a similar topic last week, by coincidence, or maybe because this topic is just really on my heart right now...

i had a friend over for supper last night. she arrived at my house in her running kit, with a backpack strapped to her back, hair in her classic high ponytail. she was hot & thirsty. she's marathon training (again!) and that means she needs to find ways to build her run into her life, running to my house from work was a natural solution.

it was a great night, good food - chicken parmesan from simply recipes, make it, tonight - great company, a time of laughing and fellowship and encouraging one another, of discussing the events of the week and hashing out what to do next in a whole lot of areas. i was so grateful for the time with her. i was so happy to open my home for her, fill my table with food and linger over a meal as a cool breeze floated through the windows. it was a blessing.

as i walked her to the train station she said - thanks for dinner, there's very few people who's house i could turn up at, sweaty and tired and expect a meal...you're one of them.

and that comment got me to thinking. isn't that just how god asks us to come to him? tired and dirty and in need of the bread of life?

you can show up at your best friend's house looking less than fantastic and still be welcomed because you know that you are known. you know that she's seen you at your worst (and this isn't it) and she's run hundreds of miles alongside you and understands that all one wants at that stage is a glass of water, and a plate of food, and a welcoming smile that says 'good for you, you did it again'. and so, there's not a worry that you're showing up in a less than stellar state. she definitely doesn't care anyway...

God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. Exodus 2:24

and this morning i realised, that god's just asking us to show up to his dinner table, despite us being weary and worn. because he's waiting to open the door to us, to hand us a glass of water, and a plate of food. he's hoping for a lifetime of good conversations and laughter and encouragement and love. god see us - god knows.