When the Yarn Makes You Happy

You may wonder why there is cashmere in a yarn marketed to baby-wear. Or what sort of nut would spend $10 a ball to make a hand-wash-only garment for a child. But wow, knit with Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for a few minutes and you'll understand why. And you'll start saving your pennies to make a full sweater next time, not just a vest.

All Fall Down

The hands down favorite around here right now is a library book, All Fall Down by Helen Oxenbury. Oxenbury writes books for babies--not kid books in board book form. This book has four pages, each with one line of a rhyme, each describing a motion that even stuffy mamas like me can easily act along. (Yup, stuffy. I'm having a heck of a time learning to "roar" like a proper lion in one of his other books, but that's another story.) There's no plot, just rhyme, action and drawings of colorful babies at play.

The illustrations of bright, bouncy babies just make you smile. I love the way she captures the movement of new walkers (and their squeezable diaper-padded bums!) in this picture in particular:


The highlight of the book, of course, is the last page, where the babies "all fall down." We started off tipping slightly as we read this page, and after a few dozen repetitions (four pages, remember) we were both lying flat on the floor full of belly laughs. And then, after three failed attempts, I had to hide the book up high so that we could proceed on to lunch without tears. So I think that means it's a hit.

A Wedding Gift

I've taken on a project this spring, possibly the biggest knitting project I've tackled. One afghan, for my sister and her fiance, for their summer wedding.

The pattern is Liberty, from the second Mason-Dixon book. And it's a gorgeous pattern, and it's a monster of a project. And I could have picked something easier and known my sister would have liked it just as much. But I figured, when would I ever take on a project like this again? And so I ordered up a boatload of Berocco Ultra Alpaca from the LYS, and started knitting.

The plan is one repeat a month until June, with July for the steeking (yup, it's knit in the round and then cut! I am going to cut into the most gigantic piece of knitting I've ever made!) and borders. I've been remarkably diligent about working toward that goal. This isn't the only thing I'm knitting, but it's what I turn to most regularly.

So, now you have been introduced. I'm just past the halfway point now, with plenty more to knit before we have a blanket.