Baby birds!

What a beautiful spring day here!  I am loving it!  We went to the playground and had a picnic lunch. I have the best banana bread in the world baking as we speak (I needed to use up bananas).  The chickens are roaming the yard, happy as can be.  I’m about to go outside and plant my lettuce in the raised beds.  It’s sunny with a little breeze and I have been hanging outside in only a long sleeve t-shirt.  What could be better?  A post about baby birds, you say?  Why yes, I agree!

Clara has become obsessed with the idea of eggs and baby birds hatching.  Just in time for spring.  What a coincidence.  Actually, I had next to nothing to do with this obsession.  I only played off of it because it is awfully adorable to watch a toddler “hatch” plastic easter eggs in a nest made of pillows and then pretend to teach the baby birds how to fly.  We really have been doing a lot of that these days.

Grandpa Bob sent over this awesome bird’s nest in a bird house that Daddy built to look at. The eggs were so tiny! Smaller than jelly beans, even. I wish I knew what kind of bird’s eggs they are!

We have also been reading this “Cat in the Hat” book a lot. Clara has become a little obsessed with it. Which is okay. For our first real non-fiction reading, it’s not too bad. There are a ton of them, too, The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library, so I may be getting more from the library. But, for now, I will be reading Fine Feathered Friends: A Book About Birds multiple times a day.

With this obsession in mind, I made her a little present. I knew she would love it. It was not a surprise, as she saw the book that I got the pattern out of and demanded that I make it for her, even though I was planning to anyway. It took me about a week of evening knitting after she was asleep. It would have been faster, but I was too tired on some nights to work on it. Which came first? The birdie or the egg? In this case, I know the egg came first ’cause I made it.

The baby bird hatches out of the egg, then can fly around the room to his heart’s content. I just used all sorts of leftover yarn that I had in my yarn bag, so the beak color is a little funky, but I like it. I took some pictures of Clara playing with it. Notice the attitude in the first one? The second is of her hatching her little egg.


I can think of worse things for a toddler to be amazed with! Maybe we’ll have to make a point of filling our bird feeder so we can see what comes to visit in our yard.

Baby Booties!

I haven’t posted a whole lot about knitting recently, but that is not because I haven’t been knitting. I have. I have made three baby hats, two pairs of baby wooly pants, and two pairs of baby booties in the last few months. Baby, baby, baby. Knitting such small items is so rewarding. They are fast, cute, and usually pretty easy. Anyway, these baby booties are my new favorites, since I have a ton of unused sock yarn in my knitting bag. I used this pattern. I learned from knitting my first set for my niece, Chloe that this pattern is a bit small. She wore hers for about 30 seconds before they were off (see the only photo of them, below). I made Nancy’s about an inch longer, so hopefully they will work. My babies seem to have crazy long feet, too.  But, I love how they turned out, so even if she only wears them for a little while, it was totally worth it!

My first pair of socks!

I just finished knitting my first pair of socks. I am in fact, wearing them right now!  I learned a lot while knitting this pair of socks, but mostly I learned that its important to suspend my disbelief for a while in order to see if things will work out in the end.  I think that this is a lesson that I could translate into other areas of my life if I wasn’t so busy all the time trying to figure out how everything works, and most importantly if I am right.  But, in order to help others not have to suspend their disbelief while simply following a pattern to the letter, here is how to knit a sock!

I used Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Quatro in the brown color and size 5 double pointed needles.  This makes a thick, but comfy, washable sock.  I modified from this pattern.  If you need help at any time or to teach yourself to knit, I recommend this website.  

First, cast on 40 stitches.  Divide them onto three needles, join to work in the round (but don’t let them get twisted!!).

Knit one, purl one until you get three inches of cuff for the top of your sock.  This is pretty intense knitting (not drinking a glass of wine while you work knitting), so next time I’m thinking I’m going to knit three or four and purl one.  Plus I’ll make my cuff longer in order to keep my legs warmer.

When you finish the cuff, you’re going to start knitting just the heel and you’re not going to do the front of the sock at all.  I know.  Its totally weird.  So, put 20 stitches on one needle (needle #1) and 10 stitches on each of the other two needles (needles #2 and #3).  On needle #1 only, Row one: Slip one, purl to the end; Row two: slip one, knit to the end.  Repeat this pattern for 20 rows and end after a knit row.  Then you’re going to “turn the heel” which really means make it curve around your foot.  So, purl 12 stitches, purl two together, purl one, then turn your work around.  This is really where the suspension of disbelief starts to kick in.  Next, slip the first stitch, knit 5, knit two together, then knit one.  Turn your work around.  Slip one, work to within one of you last slipped stitch, purl two together, purl one.  Turn.  Slip one, work to within one of last slipped stitch, knit two together, knit one.  Continue these last two rows until all stitches are knit, ending with a knit row.  12 stitches will remain.   

Then you’re going to pick up along the edge of the heel and join into the round again.   This is called the gusset.  With a loose needle, pick up and knit 10 stitches along the side of the heel.  You can use the slipped stitches if you can figure out which ones they are.  I had a hard time with that.  Combine the needle stitches from the other two needles and knit across them.  Then pick up and knit ten more stitches down the other side of the heel.  Knit to the middle of the stitches on the last needle , then slide the rest off onto the first needle.  This is now the center of the back of the heel.  There should be 16 stsitches on needle #1 and #3 and 20 stitches on needle #2.  Decrease to 40 total stitches in this manner: Round one knit, Round two knit, then at the end of needle #1, knit two together, knit one.  Knit across needle #2.  At the beginning of needle #3, knit one, slip slip knit, then knit to the end.  Repeat these two rows to 40 stitches.  

Then, knit in the round until two inches less than desired sock length (between 9′ and 13′).  I knitted to 9′ and mine fit my size 6 1/2 feet perfectly.

Lastly, you’ll have to shape the toe.  In the first round, knit on needle #1 to the last three stitches, knit two together, then knit one.  On needle #2, knit one, slip slip knit, knit to last three stitches, knit two together, knit one.  On needle #3, knit one, slip slip knit, knit to the end.  For the second round, knit all.  Then repeat these two rounds until you have 16 stitches total.

Then use the kitchener stitch to weave all of the loops together.  I have done this twice and am no closer to understanding how this stitch works, so if you are like me, you will love this video from the knit witch.  I love the knit witch!!

Then, weave in your ends, make another one, and you’ll have a pair somewhat like this:

Can I just say that knitting socks is my new favorite thing to knit?  I think I’ll be making them for all major holidays, birthdays, and just for fun gifts.  Get ready for sock overload!