Monday doodlely-doo

 

With complete confidence I proceeded. A Friday blog seemed like such a good idea in June. I did not count on an eventful July. Last week a family emergency completely derailed me. My carefully planned Friday post was never posted. Never even written. Instead I did what mothers do, I took care of my sick child--an early morning emergency room visit, several doctor's appointments, and a two night sleep over in her hospital room. I'm happy to report that she is home and that she is feeling much better.

Exhausted, yesterday I rested up. I did think about this blog and the newsletter I am planning. Being away from both my desk and studio for many days gave me some insight to changes I'd like to make. Stay tuned.

And now a word about the doodles. All of them were drawn on a yellow legal pad with a Creta Color pencil. You can see the pencil below. Several other companies make these multi-color lead pencils and all brands are in the top three of my favorite pencil list. They are wonderful for sketching, taking notes and doodling. The way they change colors seem rattle loose stray thoughts and images. Try one, I bet you'll like them.

In the spirit of Mondays and the hope they bring for a productive week, doodle on!

 

Peace and Quiet

“In writing of a spider, I did not make the spider adapt her ways to my scheme. I spent a year studying spiders before I ever started writing the book. In this I think I found the key to my story.” E.B. White.

 

  E. B. White. A writer at work.  In a space so wonderfully austere it gives me a sense of profound peace and quiet.

   I always joke that if I could get my desk to look more like White’s was in this photo, I might be able to write a book like Charlotte’s Web. I greatly admire White’s essays and his other children’s books. But Charlotte’s Web is my favorite of all.

   I keep this image tacked on my studio wall over my mess of a desk. Some years it's the simple beauty of his space that grabs me. Other years, I take heart in the ocean outside the wide rectangular window--sure that it spurs his stories on. This year it's the grain of authority in his soft posture telling of his focus that pulls me in. As always, I'm touched by his need of  the barest of elements  to create: a desk, a chair, some paper, a typewriter. And a wastepaper basket. Empty.

   It’s quite possible that this photo was posed. It’s possible that while writing Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White’s desk was filled with pads of paper, notes, candy wrappers and cups of moldy coffee. It doesn’t matter. Not to me. Because White was right when he wrote—“… that reality and fantasy make good bedfellows.”

  Happy Fourth of July to one and all. May you each find some time and space to be quiet and peaceful.

 

Notes:

  Tea Time – Include a little civility and grace in your weekend.  Lilac in May  shows you how to make a perfect afternoon tea.

 Thanks to Mrsrunofthemills  for a lovely review of A Knitter’s Home Companion. Check out her site and click through her blog roll. That’s where I found Lilac in May!

I am thinking about starting a newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Thanks to all of you who have written and asked to be on the newsletter list.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages.

Please visit me there.

I tweet @Knitsweet.

You can read my latest Lion Brand Essay--A Knitter's Ode to the Sweatshirt by clicking here.

Iowa

 

 

A few weeks ago my friend, middle-grade novelist Anne Ylvisaker, posed a question on her blog--Why Iowa? She invited me and other Iowans to answer.

This week traveling on country roads to Northwestern Iowa with my pal,  puppeteer Monica Leo, I found even more to hearten me. Like in Charles City, Iowa, where their mighty library houses an enviable gallery of spectacular prints including Hiroshige, Durer, Chagall, Rembrandt, Whistler, Picasso, Pissaro as well as printmaking giants, Piranesi and Meryon.

More, too, in that the heartbeat of even the smallest Iowa towns, is their library. And in library meeting rooms in Charles City, Hartley and Sac City, I watched in wonder as Monica performed her In the Mirror: Three Tales from Asia  to terrific and attentive audiences.

Notes:

If you happen to be in the neighborhood of  West Bend, Iowa, you must visit The Grotto of the Redemption-- a testament to faith, perseverance and geology.

And if you are hungry and want pie for breakfast, or eggs and has browns with toasts and coffee, stop in Early--made famous by this Greg Brown song.

I am thinking about starting a newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Thanks to all of you who have written and asked to be on the newsletter list.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages.

Please visit me there.

I tweet @Knitsweet.

You can read my latest Lion Brand Essay--A Knitter's Ode to the Sweatshirt by clicking on the image at the top of the blog or clicking here.

On a Road Trip

I didn't mean to drop my laptop. I certainly did not intend to kill it. Sad news here. My faithful HP Pavilion Pc is no longer among the working. Unfortunate.

Tomorrow when I leave for a three day road trip, I am packing the usual clothes, books, sketch pads, and knitting. My laptop will stay at home. I'll be unconnected for a few days. Check back on Sunday for the Friday blog.

Hope you enjoy my new essay in this week's Lion Brand Yarn Company newsletter.

 

Father's Day Cappuccino

 Homemade cappuccino is my morning ritual. Even back in the days when my youngest daughter had what's known out here as "early bird" gym and had to be at school when it was still dark out. My pot would be set up and perking, the first cup poured and savored, even before we trekked out the door. Most days, my husband Rody and I, sit in our respective chairs, coffee cups balanced on the oversized armrests, and enjoy our cappuccinos together. In honor of our morning civilty, we often take turns serving each other.

For a Father's Day treat, make your own cappuccino.

Directions:

Fill the espresso pot  (I prefer the classic Bialetti model)  to the line with cold water.

Fill the funnel part of the espresso pot with coffee.

Screw on the pot  top. Place on a medium flame and wait until you smell the coffee. If you use a great roast like Dunn Brothers  (they ship), you will smell the coffee.  And if you are near by and the radio is off, you will hear the bubbling of the coffee rising to the upper half of the pot. When the bubbling sounds stops, open the top and check to see if the coffee has stopped frothing forth. To avoid boiling your brew, remove the pot from the burner.

The espresso part is done.

Easy, right?

The Bodum Frother looks like a piece of science lab equipment--a glass beaker and a mental plunger. It's the simplest, low tech way to froth milk. While you espresso is preparing to bubble up, fill about 3/4 th of the glass beaker with milk. Plunge 25-30 times. Remove plunger and warm milk for 30 seconds in the microwave. Repeat. Pour milk into cup, spoon froth on top, as desired, then add your espresso.

Enjoy. Happy Father's Day!

 

I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages.

Please visit me there.

I tweet @Knitsweet.  

World Wide Knitting in Public Day

 

 

 


It's World Wide Knitting in Public Day--June 11 to 19th.  Join the knitters in your neck of the woods and knit in public. Grab your knitting and needles and head to favorite coffee shop, your local library, your neighborhood park, and knit out in the open. To find an event near you, visit the official WWKIP website.

Stop by my Facebook Author Page and let me know where you are knitting.

 

I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages. Please visit me there.

Apple Cake

 

 

Is the age of cupcakes over? Will harmony and understanding dawn with pies in ascension? Or will Toll House Cookies open the gates to the peace?

I'm sticking with apple cake. Elaine Yoder's. Rich, moist, and the true soul mate of even the humblest cup of coffee.

Last Saturday morning, I peeled and chopped the apples, brewed the coffee and stirred in the baking soda till foamy. Batter ready and baked in the greased pan, our house soon filled with an aroma that surely must herald something spectacular. Later, ten thick slices went out the door with my youngest daughter to share with her summer companions and colleagues doing research at the University. The next plate went to my generous next door neighbor who edged my lawn. What remained was shared with our houseguest. And the next morning, when he left for his long drive back to Colorado, the last bit of apple cake went with him, spreading the good apple cake Karma all along  1-80 West.

Elaine Yoder's Raw Apple Cake -- A Bake and Share Recipe.

Raw Apple Cake

CAKE

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup corn oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot coffee with 2 teaspoons baking soda

(stir until foamy)

2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups flour, sifted

4 cups raw apples, peeled and chopped

TOPPING

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup brown sugar.

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease 9x13 pan. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until sooth. Add chopped apples and pour into 9 x 13 pan. Cover with topping mixture. Bake 1 hour.

 

Notes and News:

Congratulations to Joanne Seiff and the Professor. They are proud parents of twin boys-- Baby A and Baby B, aka Losken and Kugel. Naming will happen shortly, check out Joanne's blog for updates. And take a look around at her great knitting patterns and posts.

I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages. Please visit me there.

Knuks for all

This week a wicker basket with needles, wool, and knitting kept me company in my studio. Back to writing my regular monthly Lion Brand essays, during my thinking breaks, I knit. The needles are 0’s and the wool is sock weight. My intent was to knit myself some new wristers. Actually, my dream plan involved making a few stacks of them, plowing through my stash of sock and dk wool and gifting out many pairs to the deserving. Over the years I knit dozens of pairs, and have I  have wandered far from the original pattern—the one that taught me everything I needed to know about wristers.

Knuks.   

This pattern by Pamela Grossman  appeared in Knitty Summer ‘06. I followed it faithfully for my trial pair—and several after. For my new pair, I will do the same—varying only needle size and recommended yarn. The gauge will match.

There’s something about Knuks that gives a great fit. And even with my clever innovations, I long for some plain janes k nuks. Perhaps because I have lost two pairs of them this winter— embroidered like some of the Knuks in the Knitty article, both were favorites of mine. And this week, my cashmere wrister wisps accidentally went into the wash. A very sad ending for a much loved hand-warmer. But happy hand times are soon to come with my lovely new knuks!

Check out Pamela Grossmans’ blog and her boutique

Vist the Lion Brand Yarn Company's newsletter and met my friend and knitting wonder -- The Knitting Adventures of Wetherill Winder

I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages. Please visit me there.

Dancing Washcloths and Knitting Patterns

Twice this week I have needed this pattern. Once for a friend who wants to knit again. She’d like to start with a washcloth. She had tried a pattern or two, but they proved too difficult for her.

"Don’t worry. I have the perfect pattern for you." I told her. We were at the Tall Grass Writer's annual picnic in the Rochester Cemetery. In cemeteries you shouldn’t worry about washcloths.

The second time I needed this pattern was for a reader who wrote asking for it. She remembered the pattern from a Lion Brand essay I wrote a few years ago. A Pattern For Life, I called it back then. The name still rings true for me.

For washcloths wannabes,  here's your ticket.

Happy Knitting!

 

Pattern:

A Pattern For Life

Note: For your first washcloth, you might want to knit until you have about 5o stitches or the longest side of your knitting (the stitches on your needles) measure about 10 inches.

Notes:

Rochester Cemetery is a sand prairie/savanna remnant located near the village of Rochester, along the Cedar River in Cedar County, Iowa.  This remnant is also an active cemetery, managed by the Rochester Township Trustees.  This cemetery is known across the US for it's colorful springtime display of wildflowers, in particular it's display of thousands of shooting stars, and massive, spreading White Oaks.  It has often been called one of the best examples of Oak Savanna in the Midwest."

I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages. Please visit me there.

 

 

Sweet Baby Cap

 

“Why was I wearing a hat?” she asked me.

My middle daughter Flory and I were looking at a baby picture taken by the ocean near Wellfleet on Cape Cod. It was summertime.The hat was red and it tied under her neck. A pilot’s cap, it’s sometimes called.

“You were wearing it to protect your ears,” I told her. “You had lots of ear infections and I worried about  the wind on the beach.”

Flory looked at me suspiciously 

“And it was adorable on you,” I confessed. 

Last week while searching for a perfect baby hat to make I came across The Sweet Baby Cap, pattern, a knit version of the hat Flory wore. By popular demand, it’s been translated from Norwegian. To knit the Sweet Baby Cap, you must trust its simple instructions. Be sure to keep your gauge close to the patterns—about 7 stitches to an inch. On Ravelry,  you’ll find  an international gallery of the precious modeling their caps as well as scores of helpful knitterly comments.

So far, two Sweet Baby Caps have been made. For newborns on either coasts. I know their mothers will want to protect their ears from the ocean’s breeze and other forces of nature.


The post image and the one above are available as a free download card. Send it along with your Sweet Baby Cap. Or instead of another email, use it to surprise your grown-up darling, a long lost pal, or a special someone with a handwritten note. Slip your card in an envelope, stamp it, and deposit it in your nearest mailbox.

Note:

The Ten Secrets of the Laidback Knitter's Contest is over. The winner was chosen in April. Stay tuned for future contests.

I will now be blogging regularly on Fridays. Post should appear by noon CST. I have added a Blog RSS for those of you who would like to follow that way. I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Blog Posts also appear on my Facebook and Ravelry Pages. Vist me there.

Our Amazing Mothers

This week in honor of Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8), photographs have been popping up on Facebook pages of my childhood friends and schoolmates. For the first time, I am getting to see their mothers--Pearl, Florence and Elaine-- as young women. To add to the parade of those captured on film as forever young, I'd like to add my mother, Lillian Edwards. 

Share a picture of your mother, mentor or important women in your life on my Facebook Author's Page . I'll be there to greet her.

A Mother's Day card for you. Click on card or here to download.

You can read a Knitter's Portrait of my mother on Lion Brand Yarn Company's website. A longer version is in A Knitter's Home Companion.

Readalong: Hazel's Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells

Laidback Knitter's Contest

 

Congrations to Katie! She plans to give her copy of The Ten Secrets of the Laidback Knitters to a close friend-- "she's a brilliant knitter, and has knitted me a few wonderful gifts, and many other gifts for other people, all of which have been greatly appreciated. And I'd like to return that gift, whilst encouraging her in one of her many talents."

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. It was great hearing from all of you. If you are still interested in catching the Laidback spirit, check out the book's website  The Ten Secrets of the Laidback Knitters.  Follow Laidback Knitter Vicki Steifel on Twitter-- Vicki Steifel at Knitting News. Or Join The Laidback Knitters (and Crocheters) on Ravelry.

Note:

I will now be blogging regularly on Fridays. Post should appear by noon CST. I have added a Blog RSS for those of you who would like to follow that way. I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

 

10 Secrets of the Laidback Knitters: A Guide to Holistic Knitting, Yarn and Life

 

 “10 Secrets of the Laidback Knitters gives knitters permission to relax and have fun with their knitting; to see that knitting is as much about process as product; and to know that the stitches they knit can express the inner joy they feel.” Vicki Stiefel and Lisa Souza, 10 Secrets of the Laidback Knitters: A Guide to Holistic Knitting, Yarn and Life

Top Ten reasons why I like The Ten Secrets of the Laidback Knitters:

1) I love secrets. Secret passages. Secret messages. And the secrets of laidback knitters.

2) Great photography of animals, yarns, knitters, projects, nature. I especially love the vintage shot of author Vicki Stiefel modeling for a 1950’s pattern book, Fashions in Wool for Little Tots.

3) All the models represent realistic body types and a variety of ages.

4) The interesting knitters you met on their pages—like Wise Woman, Anne Hennessey of the Wool Room at Meadowbrook Farm, Antrim, New Hampshire.

5) The kind and funny ways the authors remind you to check your gauge. “Checking the gauge is a pain. We know. But just pretend it’s fun.”

6) The generous spirit that guides the book's rich content, sidebars with historical tidbits, interesting links, stories, anecdotes, and useful advice.

7) See the Souls of Fibers--An entire chapter on fibers to help you understand  and make good yarn choices.

8) The Vintage Quilt Socks pattern designed by Judy Summers, author of Knitted Socks East and West: 30 Designs Inspired by Japanese Stitch Patterns.

9) Do it with Hooks—a  helpful, handy chapter on crochet which as the authors state is often a “perfect partner to knitting”

10) Connect the Dots—a chapter on knitting and community. It includes a touching tribute to the authors’ knitting buddy, Cindy.

If I needed an eleventh reason, it might be The Giveaway. The Laidback Knitter’s have generously sent a copy (I’m not ready to part with mine) for a blog giveaway.

Contest Info: Click here and send  an email with one reason why you would like a copy of 10 Secrets of the Laidback Knitters: A Guide to Holistic Knitting, Yarn and Life.

One entry only, please! All entries must be in by 5 pm. CST Thursday, April 28th   2011. The lucky winner will be announced the following on Friday’s Blog.

Note: I will now be blogging regularly on Fridays. Post should appear by noon CST. I have added a Blog RSS for those of you who would like to follow that way. I am thinking about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

Friday's Feature -- Sis Gessner's Mandel Bread Recipe

 

A Mandel bread recipe.

Not just any mandel bread, but Sis Gessner's --from my house to yours. The recipe is in my new book, A Knitter's Home Companion.

Read A Baker's Handy Helper and Sis Gessner's Mandel Bread recipe today in the Lion Brand Yarn Comapny's Newsletter, The Weekly Stitch.

 

 Note: I will now be blogging regularly on Fridays. Post should appear by noon CST. I have added a Blog RSS for those of you who would like to follow that way. I am thing about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.

 

The Luck of the Buttons

 “Tugs Button darted past Zip’s Hardware, stumbled over the lunch specials sign at Al and Irene’s Luncheonette, and pushed through the door of Ward’s Ben Franklin as if the devil himself were chasing her.” Anne Ylvisaker, The Luck of the Buttons, (Candlewick Press, April 2011)

 

Please help me welcome Tugs Buttons to the world of children’s books. She’s the spunky star of a new middle grade novel, The Luck of the Buttons. Written by my friend, Anne Ylvisaker, her story is set in Iowa circa 1929 and it’s a great read.

Here's how you can catch The Luck of the Buttons internet buzz, and join in the book’s celebration.

  • Head over to Anne Ylvisaker’s blog where she’s been writing and illustrating with family photos the stories behind Tug’s story.
  •  “Oh yes, and there's pie in the story!”  Don’t miss the pie party over at Vintage Cookbooks and Crafts . All week there will pie recipes and posts are by Anne. Today’s rhubarb.
  • When you have finished your pie, stop by Anne’s Facebook Author’s page.
  • Don’t let your excitement end there.  Get yourself a copy and read The Luck of the Buttons. Look for it in the usual places—great independent bookstores like The Red Balloon Bookshop, online booksellers like Amazon, or your local library. It's also an audio book.

 



Writing Yoga

“Just as the practice of yoga encourages you to hear and trust your inner voice, so too does the practice of keeping a journal. Writing every day can help you work past the distracting noises of the world so you can listen more closely to the voice that can be found deep inside you. Day after day, as your thoughts appear beneath your pen as it moves across the page, you’ll begin to hear your voice emerge out of the silence. That voice will teach you what you need to know in your yoga practice and your life.”
Bruce Black, Writing Yoga: A Guide to Keeping a Practice Journal

 

Although Writing Yoga is meant to be used with yoga practice,and my understanding of yoga is limited, on Monday, intrigued by this “part memoir, part writing guide”, I started a yoga journal.  All week, following the larger, universal messages in the book’s journal practices, I have filled it with drawings, words, and memorable quotes. Starting my morning with reading and journal writing primed me for my other work. I felt better equipped to deal with the anxiety that sometimes seeps into my creative process.  And last night, Writing Yoga motivated my stiff middle-aged body to attend a Gentle Yoga class. Thanks to Bruce Black’s honest recollection of his first yoga class—one of the many tender, funny, and deeply personal experiences he shares in his book--before entering I knew to take my shoes off and leave them by the door.

I had planned to complete all the chapters and all the exercises before writing this post. But Writing Yoga isn’t that kind of book. It’s not a race. It’s a journey I want to take over time. There are chapters I want to read again, journal practices I’d like to revisit and new ones I hope to explore when I am ready.

Writing Yoga has earned a place by my studio reading chair. It is a great resource for anyone struggling to hear their own voice in a very noisy word. With Bruce Black as your guide, it’s hard not to feel confident of achieving that goal.

 

Links:

Bruce‘s blogs -- Wordswimmer,

Writing Yoga with Bruce Black,

Rodmell Press -- Publisher of Writing Yoga and other books about yoga, Buddhism, Taoism and Akido.

Readaong:

Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. A middle grade classic about a young girl who keeps journals "spy books". Try to get a copy with the original cover drawn by the author.

Pattern:

Yoga Socks

Recipe:

For a healthy, fiber-filled lifestyle. One of my favorite HYVEE checker recommended this recipe for Big Batch Bran Muffins. I plan to try it out this weekend, substituting tofu with lemon juice for the buttermilk.



Reuimel’s Mittens

 

They were knit in a soft tan and cream wool. There’s a left one and a right one--a refinement I left behind a hundred mittens ago. The cuff is ribbed with a two stitch cable. The top of the hand and thumb were decreased to form a triangle. The diamond stitch pattern is an interesting play of negative and positive, knit at 7 stitches to an inch. A simple folk mitten, they are more complex than any of my own creations.  And though they are a tight fit for my hand and rarely worn, they reside in the basket where I keep my everyday walk gear--hand knit mittens, hats, and cowls. Their presence adds a welcomed grace.

I found the mittens at the Crowded Closet, a thrift store in our town, run by Mennonites. A thin strand of the mitten’s wool held them together along with a small tag-like card completely written in what I thought was Cyrillic. Today, examining the tag more closely, I found some English words. Googling them, I learned the mittens were Estonian. Studying that informative little slip of paper with its official looking rubber stamp, and unique code of numbers, I was drawn to very last entry on the back side. Meister. Mactep. Although I could not translate it, I think I know what it means. Master--the knitter who made them. And beside it, inked in a confident blue scrip was just one name. Reuimel.

 

Of Interest --Related and almost related suggestions

Children’s Books

Winter is the Warmest Season, Snow – Lauren Stringer.

Lauren’s books are picture book winners. Look for her titles as well. And check out Lauren’s new blog.

Knitting

Estonian mittens all around the world- Aino Praakli

I haven’t read this yet, but it came up on my Google search. Looks very interesting. 

Lativan Mittens: Traditional Designs and Techniques  Lizabeth Upitis

At one time, I owned two copies of this book. I have never knit any of the mittens, but I love looking at the piuctures and reading about them. One day, I will knit a pair. Or maybe just one.

Recipe: The Best Brisket Ever –

What to serve on a cold spring night?

This recipe is from Art Ginsburg, a.ka. Mr. Food. I knew Art and his family when I was growing up in Troy, New York. I wished had known his brisket recipe years ago. It took scores of advice from the experienced, and the first few years of my marriage, to nail down cooking brisket. I had been a vegetarian, and back then, beef baffled me. Now brisket is what I make when I need something easy for dinner. I like to make it the day before, or early in the day. That way the brisket has time to sit, and the fat can easily be skimmed off the top. Try this recipe with potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

Note: I will now be blogging regularly on Fridays. Post should appear by noon CST. I have added a Blog RSS for those of you who would like to follow that way. I am thing about starting a monthly newsletter with stories, pictures, pattern and recipe links. If you'd like to be on my mailing list, send me an email from the contact page.



Babies

 

Spring and babies.

It began with the lamb. Wanda arrived on March 4th, very early in the morning. Mother Winnie, a mix of Romney and Border Leicester, belongs to my friend Suzanne. Wanda was just a wobbly few days old when I saw her. Now, at three weeks, Suzanne’s husband John believes that Wanda is herding their chickens.

Babies are next. In my circle of friends and relatives, two were expected later this spring, or so all we thought.

An email this morning brought the exciting news. Lilit Kaila, the first grandchild of my friend, Vicki, was born yesterday-- March 24, 2011. Lilli, as she is called,and her mom Miriam are doing well. “Beautiful and sweet,” report the proud grandparents. Congratulations to all.

With the second baby due next month, it’s time for my needles to get to work. For those of you who are welcoming babies into the world this spring, I’ve posted some ideas to help you.

Readalong:

On the Day You were Born- written and illustrated by Deborah Frasier

“On the day you were born the round planet Earth turned toward your morning sky, whirling past darkness, spinning the night into light.”

The perfect gift for babies and those who greet and love them.

Patterns:

Great Grandmother's Baby Bootie page 

“I love to exclaim when presenting a pair of these booties to a new mother that “this is how Victorian ladies dressed their babies in the wilderness!” Sharon Haanes Bryant

Author/illustrator Sahron Byrant shares her family story and heirloom pattern.

Preemie Hats

For baby Lilli and other preemies, consider making preemi hats. Visit  The Preemie Project

for preemie patterns, where to donate them, and inspiration.

Recipe:

Dee W's Great Big Wok Full of Asian Noodle Soup

A great soup recipe—hearty and wholesome—a meal in a bowl. Vegetarian. Tofu can be traded for chicken breasts, if you like. Bring a pot to the home of a new baby.

Youtube -- New York, New York

I'm back in Iowa City, Iowa after almost week in New York. Unpacking my experience, reorienting myself to my studio and work, I am taking a slow route back into stories and pictures. Soon a blog post, pictures and words will once again appear on this blog. Till then, youtubes. My very first in this media.

Talks From the Yarn Universe

The Updated Ripple Afghan

 

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