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.

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. 

happy birthday, Lev

I'm been super busy sewing and knitting gifts for family and friends, so I don't have much to show you right now. I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season! I've also been trying to keep things under control, despite solo-parenting for a week, various people being sick, parties to organize, cook for, and attend. (But I imagine life is like that for many people, at this time of year). In the middle of all this, my first son Lev turned 4 today!

Here he is, a few weeks after he changed my life forever. There was no way to know what sort of person would develop out of that tiny, sleepy baby.

Today I know that he is sweet, loving, silly, courageous (but cautious), smart, and fun. He is as good a big brother as I could have hoped. He loves throwing balls and frisbees, playing in the snow, and will happily go for long walks (especially if there is water and a rocky beach at the end). His other interests change from week to week, but that keeps life interesting. I'm sure he'll grow and change just as much in the next 4 years, but hopefully he will always be these things that I love most about him.

fun for Autumn

Hello to all my dedicated readers out there. I'm so sorry for the long absence. I've been under the weather for a while (why do so many people get sick at the end of summer?) and it hasn't been helped by a heat wave in Montreal this week. Let's all hope that both will pass very soon!

I have got a bit of knitting done, which might lead to a fun new pattern for Autumn. I'm hoping to get it ready just when knitters (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway) are starting to think about getting out the wool, and making a start on holiday gifts. No more hints for now, though, as it still needs some work before I can show it to you.

I've also been thinking of another Knit-along on Ravlery, with some sort of Autumn or Halloween theme. The summer KAL was fun, but most people were too busy to participate. Maybe cooler weather and a more specific goal will help?

There have been a couple of other exciting developments, which I've been itching to share. Let's all hope I can do that soon!

To end on a cute note, here's some evidence that our little Baby Mitten is not a baby any more! He's grown and changed a lot over the summer - we really need to get more videos of him!


20100821: Big Boy Bed from Konstantin Ryabitsev on Vimeo.

summer plans

Spring has quickly become summer here, and my free time seems to have disappeared! (I suspect this happens to most parents)  I hope you don't mind if my writing here is more sparse, while we enjoy the warm weather.

Lev wants to spend most of his time outside, which is good because I have a garden to look after. I've finally discovered what will grow in the clay soil here. We've been eating salads from the garden for a couple of weeks now, and it's so satisfying! We eat a lot of salad in the summer, and I love running around back for 10 min, and coming in with a basket of fresh greens. Now my tomatoes and peas just need to get in on the action.

We've also been making weekly trips to the library, now that I know it's only a 20 minute walk away (can't believe it took me a year to figure that out). Lev is far more interested in the toys, but I enjoy all the free books! I might just have to steal a bit of my knitting time to make room for a bunch of summer reading. I've heard librarians and knitting go hand in hand, but I can't seem to find the craft section at our library. I will need to ask one day, since they could be hoarding all the good books.

Even with the warm, humid weather, I've managed to fit in a bit of knitting. I'm slowly working away on a new pattern for you! I have a huge list of ideas, but nothing was quite inspiring to me - I think because many had already been done by others. I wanted something I could really make my own. Finally, while chatting with a friend one day, the perfect idea struck! The toy is finished, and just as cute as can be. Now I'm working on a set of summery clothes to go with it. I will try to get some sneak peeks up here for you soon!

I'd hoped to finish it soon, but realized that I'll be away for nearly a month starting at the end of June. Releasing a new pattern and then not being available for sales and support would be terribly bad planning. However, the extra few weeks will give my test knitters some breathing space, and you'll get a much better pattern.

mama day give-away

I was chatting with my girl-friends the other day about mothers and mothers' day (which is this Sunday in Canada). Throughout the conversation, I kept remembering little stories about all the cute or funny things Lev has done lately. One of my friends exclaimed, "Now I get why people have kids! They're lots of fun!" It's true that some parts have been difficult, frustrating, exhausting, and even scary (especially when he started climbing things) - and he's only a year and a half! But I believe I have laughed more in that time than I have since I was a kid. I love him to pieces, and I'm so lucky to be his Mama (or Mam, as he calls me).

Reading with my mom. I'm in the purple PJ's, and about 6 years old.

Sadly, I've forgotten to send my Mom anything, but hopefully a long phone-call will help. We don't talk as much as I'd like, since she works odd hours, and there's a 3 hour time difference between us. One of the things I love most about my Mom is all the things she taught me over the years. Reading first, then sewing and embroidery, plus cooking and baking. She was also my Girl Guide leader, and was always challenging me to learn more about all kinds of things there. I wish I'd nagged her more to teach me knitting, as I wonder how far ahead I would be with another 15-20 years experience, but at least it's now a hobby we can enjoy together.

Taken with the camera on my laptop, about a month ago.

We haven't made any plans to celebrate Mother's Day in our little family, but I think a trip to a greenhouse for plants to fill my flower boxes would be just right (wink wink). To continue my earlier story, I came home from visiting my friends, to discover Mr. Mitten working on a super special gift for me (he has a little talent that he doesn't practice enough). I was so surprised and overwhelmed I got a little teary. Maybe he'll let me share the drawing once he's finished.

To celebrate Mothers everywhere, the things they teach us, and the laughter they share with us, I'm running a little give-away. You just need to leave a brief comment sharing something you love about your Mother, or about being a Mother. On Sunday morning (May 9), I'll draw some names, and the winners will receive a free pattern of their choice*.  It will help if you leave your email address or Ravelry name with your comment, but if you don't want to do that, check back here to see if you won.

*If you happen to have all the patterns you'd like, I'd happily send the free pattern as a gift to whomever you choose.

bit of this and that

That was a long and not really intentional blog break! Mr. Mitten had 2 weeks off from work to help out with a bunch of projects we needed to do around the house. I was so busy helping him, and running around after Lev, I didn't even get on the computer most days. Added to that was an injury to my wrist which kept me away from knitting for more than a week, so I didn't have much to share with you in that way. It's feeling a bit better now, but I'm taking it slow because I really, really don't want to get tendinitis. That would be a quick end to my career as a knitting designer!

In good news, my garden is growing well, I got some sewing projects done, and I've spent lots of time just playing with Lev. He loves the outside as much as I did as a kid, so it's going to be a fun summer!

These tulips are called "Apricot Beauty" and the colour has been stunning and so much more than I expected. They started out pale apricot (like in the photo), and have deepened to dark orange with dark pink mid-ribs. They are also giant tulips, so the flowers are waist high, and longer than my hands!

The jonquils I planted for a bit more colour, and their delicious scent. I'm glad I planted them just outside our living-room window.

One of the sewing projects I completed was a set of quilted cushion covers. The little tree squares are made from this tutorial (no mods), and I found them quite easy to put together, and very satisfying! I've only done a tiny bit of quilting before, even though I've been sewing garments since I was a kid. This was a great project to learn more about piecing something more complex than squares and rectangles.

And here's a couple pictures of my little cutie. Although, he's really getting quite big! He's into full-on toddlerhood now, running everywhere, climbing everything (or trying to), and getting into everything! He's slowly picking up more words and concepts, but I'm trying to enjoy this stage, as I know once the talking starts, it won't stop until he's a teen.

His personality is definitely developing as well, with a bit of Mama and Dada, and lots of himself. He's goofy and playful, friendly and easygoing, but also serious and thoughtful when he's trying to learn something.

in between

As the weather warms up here, and there are so many things to do outside, I will likely be writing here less and less. But I'm sure you're all busy too! I love this time of year, with the sunshine and rain, the fresh green leaves, and all the noisy birds. It's been exciting to introduce the outside world to Lev - last year he was really too young to do much more than pull up grass to put in his mouth. Plus, I have new flower and veggie gardens to watch and fuss over. Once things start to flower I'll have to get some photos to share.

In between the playing, gardening, visiting, and knitting I've done this past week, I did manage to fit in a bit of time to make some more kits for my Etsy shop. I've got 2 Mama and Baby bunny kits, 2 Owl and Baby kits, and a Pug kit all made up, just waiting for me to get photos. Plus, I have 6 zip pouches I sewed weeks ago. I had all this planned for a big Mother's Day shop update, and I'm glad my planning worked out for once! I'll be sure to post here when everything is in the shop and ready for you.

Anyway, with the sunshine peeping out between the showers, I think I need to dash outside for a bit of gardening. I hope you're all enjoying your Sunday in the ways you like best!

work report

I have a few things to report in the way of Fuzzy Mitten doings lately. We're chugging along on the new Fuzzy Knits book. All it really needs now is the photos, and then we can order the first copy to see how it looks. So close, and yet it still seems so far away! Probably because I started this project thinking it would only take 4-6 months, but it's taken us an entire year.

I'm not too sure what's next. I have one new pattern in the works, but I might hang onto it until the Autumn, as that seems a more appropriate time for it. I've been thinking of designing a pattern for Knitpicks new Independent Designer Program. Have any of you heard of this, or made use of it? It seems like a good venue for patterns, since their yarns are fairly popular in the US. However, the patterns are all $1.99, so I would design something a bit simpler than my usual patterns. I've got a good idea, I just need the yarn and the time!

Thanks so much to those of you who bought a Bunny Puppet kit! I didn't realize they would sell so quickly. If any of you wanted one, but missed out last week, you're in luck! I've found some more yarn, and there are a bunch of new kits in my shop now. The yarns are a little different from the first set, but just as nice. There's still plenty of time to knit one before Easter, so go have a look!

In other news, our Baby Mitten is growing, and no longer a baby! Maybe we should call him Munchkin Mitten now? He's been walking for a few months, is rather chatty (even if most of his words sound the same), and is finally growing some hair. He requires a lot of my time now, especially with him taking only one nap a day, learning so much all the time, and getting into anything within reach. It's really funny too, some of the things they learn! Lev loves our kitties, and is always asking me to play with them or give them treats (this is so they will stop hiding from him, since he's still a bit rough).



He's also started singing along to his favourite cartoon, a Russian version of the Bremen Town Musicians.  He's certainly not in tune, but it's so cute! He even sings at the same parts of the songs every time.

holiday sale

I just had a sudden inspiration to offer you a surprise New Year's sale! Until January 7th, my Well Dressed Bunny pattern, as well as Clothing Bundles 1, 2, and 3 are all $2 off! Those links are to my Lulu store, but you can also find all those patterns on Etsy, and the Well Dressed Bunny on Ravelry. Happy knitting!

(Edit: the listed prices have been changed to the sale price, so you don't need to worry about sale codes or anything like that)

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays, and maybe even a well-deserved break from work (I know I am). We had a good visit with our house-guest last week, and even managed to get out to see a movie thanks to free babysitting. This week should be a little more laid-back without any holiday preparations to worry about. Although, we are officially on a diet from all the sweets and rich food (we might make an exception for New Year's eve celebrations). Lev is enjoying the new toys and books he received from relatives. We got him a shiny red sled, but he wasn't very happy in it the first time we took him out. Hopefully we get some fresh snow and less-cold weather this week, so we can try again.

I have completely failed at getting any photos, though I intend to try a little harder this week. It's just so discouraging when our house isn't very sunny (especially in winter) and I find our camera too clunky and heavy for fun snaps. The only photos we have are some portraits of Lev, which we took to send out to our families. Hopefully this goofy smile makes up for the lack of other photos!

happy birthday, baby!

A year ago today, I wrote this blog post. Reading that second paragraph, I should have know at the time I was tempting fate, wishing that Baby Mitten wouldn't show up in the middle of the holidays. I went into labour that evening, and Lev was born at 12:30 am on December 12. He was 5 weeks early, so tiny and scrawny, but so full of life that we knew everything would be okay.



Sadly, the first 2 weeks of his life were spent in the hospital, so I never did get to enjoy our Christmas tree. Although, the Christmas baking I did was a nice addition to hospital food (my pre-labour fit of nesting was to make 4 dozen mincemeat tarts!). It was such a relief to finally get him home, and make a start at fattening him up. You can see that by the summer, he was doing just fine!



It's so hard to believe that a whole year has gone by, and he's grown up into such a personality. A little bit of both of us, and a lot of his own goofy style. Getting a video camera was a brilliant idea, since photos could never quite capture some of the amazing moments of Lev's first year. Despite all the bad days (and nights) those moments of joy, silliness, and love sparkle in my memory.



Balancing work, learning how to be a mom, and making time to be a wife, has made this year challenging in many ways. I've changed so much, and those changes often came with a lot of tears: worrying that I wouldn't be good enough, might make the wrong choices, or lose myself in this new role. But now that I've made it through this first year, I think I've done okay, and I'm satisfied with the kind of mother I am to Lev. Seeing him happy, healthy, and learning so quickly, I know I must be doing something right (not to at all diminish how wonderful a father Mr. Mitten is).



Often work has lost out, although I could never regret the time I've spent taking care of my little one. I think this next year is going to bring a lot of changes to Fuzzy Mitten (good ones, never fear). I feel the need to take some different directions, branch out, and test the skills I've learned over the past 3 years. Keeping up with a toddler while trying to do all that is going to be a challenge, but I think I can make it fun if I keep my goals in mind, and take time to enjoy all the little happy moments he gives me.

getting there...

It's been a little quiet around here lately, hasn't it? Not because I have nothing to say, but it's been so difficult to find time to think, then take photos, and finally write it all up so it makes sense. I'm sure we all have times in our lives like that. The last few weeks this is because it's the start of cold and flu season, and Lev seems to be catching anything that comes his way. Poor munchkin barely has a day between getting better and the next set of germs. I'm so glad I'm generally quite healthy, so I don't have to try taking care of a sick baby while I'm sick too!

I have found a little knitting time, and I'm slowly making progress on the last few toys for Fuzzy Knits. The Polar Bear, Monkey, and Pupster are all finished. The Tiger is made up, but I'm still thinking about changing her dress, so she's been stalled for a couple of weeks. That just leaves the Easter Bunny, and I don't plan to make any major changes to him (just a longer jacket), so he should get done more quickly. I really want to get photos, so you can see what they look like! The Pupster is much cuter with ears and a body :)

Anyway, hopefully I can convince Mr. Mitten to find the time to work on the book, so you don't have to wait too much longer. At the very latest, it will be done in time for holiday ordering. This book will also be available on Qoop, so you can take advantage of their lower prices on printed books.

I think I hear waking noises from Lev's room, so I must go. Have a lovely weekend, all!

owl tuque

I think I may need a slight break from all the toys lately. That would explain why I suddenly got all excited about writing up the Owl Tuque* pattern, although it might also be because the old one doesn't fit Lev any more (darn babies growing all the time). I picked up some more of the same yarn in a lovely autumn orange, but I might be looking for something else in soft wool, just to see the difference. I wrote it all out last night, but I decided to make a couple changes from the original to make it a little simpler to follow, and to make it possible to add 2 more sizes. The only difficulty I'm having is deciding between a rolled brim, which is nice to roll down over baby ears, or a seed-stitch brim to match the rest of the hat. I'm going with the rolled brim for now, but I welcome any input!

Another bonus of the yarn I chose (besides being super soft and organic) is that it's chunky, so the hat knits up super fast!

*for non-Canadians, a tuque is a warm winter hat.

dose of cuteness

If chipmunks aren't enough cuteness, here's some more:


By the way, thanks so much for all the Chipmunk love! I can't wait to see what everyone makes. The Pug is coming soon, I promise (at least as soon as Lev stops being super cranky from teething. He hasn't given me much time for work lately).

toy trades

I wanted to say thank you for a couple of trades I've done in the last few months. The first was with Alyssa of Penguin and Fish, for a lovely woolly horse for Lev (I traded this bunny for it). It arrived right before we moved, so I never found time to take any photos of it. The second was for a Viking doll from Sandra of Herzensart, for which I sent her this lion. I've adored her toys for ages, and am so thrilled to have one of my own! Both toys are really meant for Lev, and he loves playing with Binky the horse, but he'll have to wait a few years before I'll let him play with Baldrick the Viking (because of the small parts, really). In case you couldn't tell, Mr. Mitten named both toys. I never gives toys silly names.

<3 the vikings

I ordered this mobile for Lev's bedroom this morning. I've wanted it for a while, since I love all of Herzensart's work, but I had so many other important things to spend money on. But she's having a sale, so I went for it! I really wish I could afford one of her dolls (I <3 Vikings!). I've thought of approaching her about a swap, but don't have the courage yet. She also has a lovely blog, which I enjoy reading whenever Lev gives me a bit of time to myself.

I'm glad you all liked the video! There's another part to why we chose the name Fuzzy Mitten, but I'll have to let him explain it, because it involves puns in Russian. I've watched the video a few more times myself since posting it. The mother's enormous fur hat just kills me. I teased Mr. Mitten by saying I would get one like that for myself, when we visit his family in Russia some day. Really, though, I can't see myself walking around Montreal in a fur hat twice the size of my head :)

Now I must be off, to try getting a few photos of all the toys I've been knitting lately. I just finished a Scraps Chaps kitty last night, destined for my Etsy shop. (to make a kitty, I knit the legs, arms, body, and lion's head, plus the ears and tail from the Tiger pattern).

poll results

The results of my pattern format poll are pretty clear, so it looks like I'll be changing the patterns to include numbered rows. A little more work for me now, but I think it will make the patterns much easier to follow (for you and me!) I'm slowly working my way through the patterns from Fuzzy Knits, so I don't have to go back and change very much. So far I've done the Silly Duck and Siamese Kitty. The duck has been changed quite a bit, with different feet and a knitted bill, but somehow still looks similar to the old one. The kitty is just the same as before, but she now has a fancier dress, since I wanted something different from the bunny's pinafore dress. I might try taking a few photos to give you a hint of what they're like, since this blog has been a bit boring lately!

In baby news, Lev is growing well, and is generally being a very good baby since his daddy went back to work. We've started solid food again, and it seems to be sitting much better than when we tried it a couple weeks ago (it made him spit-up too much). He even remembered how to eat it off the spoon after a few tries. He's starting to figure out how to balance himself while sitting up, but only if he's distracted from flinging himself around! Today hasn't been going so well, though. He's teething badly again, and he gets his 6 month vaccinations today, so he's going to be a cranky-pants baby for the next day or two. At least the weather is nice, so perhaps a long walk is in order.