change of pace

Thanks for joining me! Are you comfortable? Have you got a nice cup of tea or coffee, or maybe some hot chocolate? I have a bunch of news to share with you.

First, I recently updated my much-loved Owl Tuque pattern. It now includes 6 sizes, from newborn to adult large, so you can knit one for anyone on your gift list. The pattern works well in a variety of yarns, as long as you choose a solid or heathered colour that isn't too dark. I knit one for myself from Cascade Eco-Duo (undyed wool/alpaca) and I get compliments on it all the time!

Yes, that's me. It's hard to photograph a hat on your own head.

Second, I had another pattern published in Knit Now magazine last week: Ursula the Polar Bear. I took advantage of the different venue to try something a little different. She's knit all in the round, and while her shape is a bit unusual, she's really very cuddly! Plus, her cozy red pullover is the perfect attire for this cold season. If your local shops carry the magazine, it comes with the yarn to make her. 

Hi!

Third, I have a new pattern coming soon, hopefully next week! As many of you probably guessed, the new design is for a yeti and big-foot (sasquatch), with a couple of really cute accessories. They look quite different from my other designs, but are still a fairly easy knit. You make the toy with chunky/bulky yarn on 5 mm needles, so the knitting goes really fast. Even the assembly is somewhat easier than my usual toys.

Buddies :)

I've also started work on a little holiday pattern, which will be offered free here. That should be ready around the beginning of December. If you can't wait, try one of my patterns from previous years: mini pookies, inuk and seal, or holiday mice.

You need to knit these, right?

And about some more personal news: my older son, Lev, started kindergarten this Fall. He loves school, and seems to be doing well so far. However, his new schedule and the demands of school have reduced the time I have to work. In addition, I've decided that my younger son, Kyr, would benefit from some extra time at home with me (and maybe I want to enjoy these years before he goes off to school too). So he's only attending pre-school 3 days a week now. Both of these together mean that I had to rethink what I want to do, regarding work on new designs, blog posts, tutorials, and everything else that goes into keeping Fuzzy Mitten going. 

My boys

So, once this year's holiday pattern is published, the pace of things is going to change over the next year and a half. I've decided to use this time to work on a longer-term project I've had in mind for a while: a third self-published collection of patterns. This will (mostly) free me from the pressure of deadlines, as well as allowing me to share my work with you as it progresses. The book will feature my Scraps Chaps designs, which have always been some of my favourites. The original three will get an update, I'll add 3 more animals to the 9 already published, and I'll design a range of outfits and accessories for the toys to wear. I hope you're as excited about this as I am!

Has it really been almost 6 years since I made these guys?

While the book will be my main project over the next 18 months, occasionally there will be new designs to anticipate. My work for Knit Now magazine will continue, with a new pattern every few months. As well, there will be another mystery knit-along next Spring. The mystery knit-alongs have become one of my favourite parts of this job, and I'm really looking forward to doing another one!

I hope you can understand that this change of pace means I will have less time to write here. When I started this blog several years ago, so many crafty people were writing about what they were making, their family life, their thoughts and challenges and dreams. But blogging has changed since then - I don't feel like I fit into this new version, and it's too hard for my little voice to be heard. I'll still write when I have exciting news, or a new tutorial, but I think that's it. However, I do hope to make time to reorganize things, so it's easier for you to find the most useful posts. If you want any other news about what I'm up to, try following me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

It's been lovely, all of you, and I hope you stick around to see where this new path takes me.

kyr's panda

I only vaguely remember how Kyr happened to claim his Panda toy. It was the sample I knit for the second edition of Fuzzy Knits, and was never intended to be played with. But somehow Kyr found it, and the toy spent several months on his bed before it became anything special to him. Since that day, Kyr and Panda have been the best of friends. It's often the first thing he asks for when he gets home from preschool, he carries it all over the house with him, he talks to Panda, and he gets us to interact with the toy as well. (Thankfully, if we can't find it at bedtime, he'll happily accept that Panda went camping).

You can tell just how much Panda is loved in these photos I took yesterday. Kyr told me that Panda had a boo-boo on his head, and needed a band-aid. He specifically asked for a Pinkie-Pie band-aid, since a plush Pinkie-Pie is Kyr's second favourite toy. However, Panda was okay with getting a Cookie Monster band-aid instead. Then Panda got some hugs and kisses to make him feel better.

I'm hoping this toy will last as long as Kyr's affection for it does. It's showing a bit of wear, and has needed a few baths. One of these days I re-attach it's arms and legs, as they've become rather loose from being swung around. Panda could do with a little more stuffing too, if I can manage to get his back-seam undone. I'll try to get some photos of the whole process, as I'm sure some of you know of toys who could use a little care.

adventurous projects

In between designing and knitting toys, sewing and knitting for myself, and doing all the other things a mother of two little boys must do, I find a little time to make some special things for my boys. The last project was linen shirts for each, but the weather is now definitely Autumnal, and it was time for something more seasonal.

For many months now, one of my boys' favourite cartoons has been Adventure Time. They both enjoy the heroics, silly songs, and memorable characters. (I also enjoy the messages of helping and friendship, and appreciate that my kids voluntarily skip the scarier episodes). Lev's favourite character from the show is Finn, and a new, plain black hoodie for school seemed like the perfect opportunity to make Lev a little something special. I made this patch from white cotton fleece and peach-coloured felt, hand-stitched together, then onto the hoodie. It helped that Finn's face is quite simple and recognizable, as my embroidery skills are not great. Anyway, we both love how it turned out, and Lev wants to wear it almost every day.

Of course, when Kyr realized I was making something for Lev, he wanted something too (in fact, he made great big puppy eyes at me and started crying when he realized the hoodie wasn't for him). He didn't have a convenient plain sweater or shirt to embellish, and for a few days I was stumped on what to make for him. Then the weather turned a bit cooler, I pulled out his Fall hat one morning, and realized it was nearly too small. My choice of project was clear. Kyr's favourite Adventure Time character, by far, is Jake the Dog (he actually calls it the "Jake-Finn" show). Luckily, I had 50 g of yarn left-over from a vest I'd knit Kyr a couple winters ago, in the perfect Jake colour. After a couple false starts, trying to sort out gauge and the brim style I wanted, I managed to knit a plain stockinette cap in just 2 evenings. Once I knew the fit was right, I added little floppy ears. However, it still wasn't recognizable as Jake, so I decided to add eyes and a nose with fleece patches. The finished hat is probably one of my most favourite projects, and Kyr loves it too!

sewing for my boys

I remember, when I was quite little, wearing clothes my Mom had made for me. I'm not sure how she found the time, with four of us so close in age. (She also knit us sweaters and things. I think she didn't sleep much when I was small). Those hand-made things were always a little more special, although I think they were worn by too many cousins to last until my boys were born.

I also made things for my boys when they were babies. Rompers, sweaters, hats, mittens, and scarves. I don't remember if I shared many of those projects. I don't even know if I have photos of some of them. Anyway, at that age, you can't really tell if they prefer the things you make for them. But now, my boys are old enough to ask for things, and tell me how much they love them!

The shirts in these photos are made from  McCall's M6540. I haven't seen many sewing patterns for boys, and most are pretty basic, or overly fussy. I really liked how this pattern had a simple shirt with a yoke but no collar, and pockets (which are necessary for my kids). And the shorts are super cute (I have a pair cut out of corduroy for Lev, just waiting for some cooler weather for me to sew them up). The dress patterns in this set are nice too, and you certainly don't need to add all those ruffles. A friend of mine, just learning to sew, made one without any trouble.

I decided to make the yoke and pockets of each shirt from some quilting cotton: orange for Lev (his favourite colour), and some pirate ships for Kyr. I faced the yokes with plain white cotton. The other fabric is a nice cotton/linen blend that I used to make a shirt for their Dad. These shirts came together very quickly, maybe 4-5 hours, including cutting out (I'm not really sure, since they were both made over a few days). In the pattern, the pockets are on the chest, with flaps, which didn't seem practical. So I moved them to the lower front, and left off the flaps. As you can see, I made them a little big, so they would fit longer. I think they will also be nice over a long-sleeve t-shirt in the winter.

(I've also made them hats like the one from this pattern. It's a great sun hat, fits most head shapes, and you can make one from 2 fat quarters)

I'm not sure how much longer Lev will be happy to wear things I sew, but I'm so happy he loves this shirt. And I'll certainly get a few more years out of Kyr, before I have to go back to sewing just for myself!

quiet usually means busy

While it's been rather quiet here on my blog, I've been quite busy with my knitting needles. Two very exciting opportunities came my way about a month ago, and I said yes to both of them! This means I'm having loads of fun, working much harder than I'm used to, and making very cute things I can't share with you yet.

Over the past few weeks I've been too caught up to have much chance to write to you, but hopefully I will have a little more time next month. However, since I can't share my current knitting, maybe you'd like to hear about some of the other things I do? I sew as much as I can find time for, usually clothes for myself and other family members, sometimes little things to brighten up my home. I also adore gardening, and my gardens are coming along nicely this year. I also enjoy cooking, and I've shared some recipes in the past. Maybe I will post a few of the dishes my family likes best right now. I hope you'll enjoy reading about all of these things.

Sadly, I've had to put on hold the pattern I'd planned for early summer release, but there are some other things for you to look forward to. I plan to update one of my most-loved patterns for a September release, and that I can definitely share with you. I've also been thinking about reorganizing and expanding the clothing bundles I sell. Would many of you be interested in that?

Until then, I hope you continue to stop by, and I'll talk to you soon!

(P.S. The photos are from a recent trip to Vermont, for my birthday)

happy Mother's Day

To those of you who are mothers, I hope you have a special day with those you love. Here are my two little boys, whom I adore. I don't feel that time goes by faster than I would like, but I am sometimes surprised by how big they are! I also feel like I don't know them as well as I would like, but here's a few things I do know...

Lev is four and a half now. He loves playing with balls and frisbees, and wants to learn how to play basketball. He also loves to tell jokes, even when he's not quite sure how they work. He can count to 100 (with a little help), and is just beginning to learn how to read. He'd much rather paint than draw. He loves to help me in the garden, and understands quite a lot when I describe how plants work. He knows how to be a good big brother, but finds it difficult sometimes. However, every night he kisses and hugs Kyr, and says, "I love you, baby!"

Kyr is a little more than two now. He loves to help me in the kitchen, preparing food or washing dishes. He's just beginning to learn the alphabet, but he can recognize his name and Lev's. His favourite stories are about Winnie-the-Pooh. He enjoys watching the trains from our front window, and tries to name the colours of the train cars. His interactions with other people are always on his terms, especially with his big brother (although I wish they weren't quite so rough sometimes). While he is often shy around new people, once he's comfortable, he's sweet and friendly, and says and does the funniest things. 

kyr at 2

Happy second birthday to Kyr! You are an interesting and complex little boy, and I'm not sure I quite know you yet. I love how you chatter, and are so friendly with other people. You adore your big brother, but you also know how to stand up for yourself. Daddy is by far your favourite person, but I'm the one you ask for in the middle of the night (I'm not sure who is luckier). Right now your favourite toys are puzzles, anything on the ipad, and your Pinkie-Pie doll. Your favourite show is Blue's Clues. You are starting to learn numbers and letters, but colours get you very confused. You love almost all kinds of fruit, but you dislike meat, except a bit of fish sometimes. You could play in the sand and water for hours, but I'm pretty sure you could do without snow. I love how you cuddle, and laugh so hard when we're silly together, and how happy you are to see me.

Kyr this year

How this boy has changed in 9 months! It's been a tough year, but now that we're at the end of it, things seem to be looking up for this fellow. From a less-than-easy pregnancy, 6-weeks premature birth, 3 weeks in hospital, colic, and all the other challenges that came once he started doing more than eat and sleep! However, in the past couple of months the good moments out-number the bad, especially since he decided that laughing and giggling are fun. I have hope that the new year will only bring more improvements, and challenges I can manage (there's nothing like colic to make you feel like a useless parent).

By now a few things about his personality are coming clear. He loves to snuggle, and can crawl to find me and climb into my lap. But he has quite a temper and gets frustrated easily (tantrums already?!) He prefers toys that make noise, and can already clap his hands, bang on a drum, and will bounce to a good beat. He adores Lev, but doesn't want to share his mommy with his big brother.  His favourite food is cheerios, despite his lack of teeth. He loves being outside, and would happily spend all day out in the garden or woods (if only the winter weather would cooperate). More than that, it's hard to say, since he will change a lot in the next few months.

I didn't know that a second child would be so much more difficult than one, or that Kyr would be demanding in ways that Lev never was. But nevertheless, he has found his place in our family and hearts. He is my cheeky Kiki, and I am excited to know the person he will become.

(I'm working on another post about my knit FO's this year, except I realized I didn't get photos of many of them. I will remedy that soon!)