Baby Legs

Has anyone else heard of Baby Legs?
Here's an example of a website which sells them.
They're great! They cover baby's legs and look cute, and baby stays warm when you change his or her nappy, and did I mention that they look super-cute? I did? Oh. Well, they do.
Another thing about them is that they're stupidly expensive for what they are: socks without feet.
Oh wait! I've got some of those in my sock rug making bag.
If I just sew another sock's elastic onto the bottom, they'll be perfect. First pair:


Oh look, there's enough of one of these socks left to make a quick hat! Ha ha. Second pair:

Beautiful Gifts :)

This week the postman brought packages of wonderful homemade gifts, bringing tears to my eyes :D

On Tuesday two - TWO! - packets arrived, each containing lush presents for Squiggles, and as I set about taking photos, my digital camera was so overwhelmed that it died right there on the spot, thus delaying this blog post. I have since researched and ordered a replacement camera online, which arrived this morning, so here goes...

The first parcel to be opened was from my lovely friend Kellee of The Yellow Lamp, and it contained two delicious crocheted items which I am now totally in love with. The first is a beautifully soft baby blanket in fresh stripes of white, blue and orange (Squiggles won't be chilly this winter!); the second is a Totoro - a Japanese wood spirit which came accompanied by a note which read: "I protect the trees and the grass and all of nature and I'd love to be your friend too!" I'm sure Squiggles will fall in love with both of these gorgeous items: lucky Squigs! Thank you, Kellee! :D


I'm afraid these pictures don't do much justice to the vibrant colours and textures, but alas, what can you do on a dull day?


Just look into those friendly eyes... :D


The second parcel came from she who is always making stuff: Hannah of Outpourings of the Hand, and contained a set of 12 bright, handmade washable wipes. I love stripes, and these wipes have plenty of those! The colours are cheery and warming, and the great thing about them is that you have the option of using the flannel side or the jersey side... I'm sure we'll get a lot of use out of them - not only are they handy, but they're lush to look at too! Thank you, Hannah! :D


Hannah is also pregnant, due in November, so I'm hoping to be able to make something for her little bundle before then! Maybe I'll have gotten to grips with my mum's sewing machine by then? Or have acquired my own? Who knows...

As if those gifts weren't enough, on Wednesday, a stiff A5 envelope arrived from London, containing an awesome original piece of artwork by Tammy of The Heartful Blogger, as well as two glossy postcards of more of her work. 'Lotus,' the original piece, is beautiful - I must get a a nice frame as soon as possible so that I can hang it in what will become Squiggles' room. When I opened the envelope and saw the contents it made me cry (in a good way!). I am a bit of an emotional wreck these days as you may already know. I had admired the Moon Tree online, so I'm dead chuffed to have a copy of it, and though I hadn't seen 'Secret Dreams' before, I felt like I could relate to it: somewhat reminiscent of an embryo in the womb, it can also mean so much more... Tammy, I love what you sent me, thank you! :D

Garland Gift

My friend Kellee at Yellow Lamp has been spreading her magic again, this time with a Garland Giveaway. These beautiful, soft and colourful felt garlands have been handmade with love, and I was so excited to receive one of my very own through the post! I am thinking about incorporating the delightful string of bright circles into a mobile for baby Squiggles (though it's lovely on its own!) - if it works out, I'll post pics when it's done.

It's amazing how exciting it is (even at the age of 32!) to receive personal post (ie., not bills or bank statements) - a handwritten envelope (decorated in this case!), a letter, maybe something else... I have always loved to write and receive letters and plan to be doing it a lot more often now that I have more time. Though I suppose once the baby's arrived, my time may disappear once more! Anyway, thanks Kellee! :D


As evidence of my passion for handwritten correspondence, I have collected several bags full of letters over the years, some of them must be over twenty years old by now. I've never found it easy to let go of these personal symbols of love and friendship, so they have multiplied and started to weigh upon me... During the dark, rainy days earlier this week I managed to go through most of them, reading them one last time before putting them aside to recycle. Or burn, I'm not sure I want anyone accidentally coming across them and reading them! It felt strange to be getting rid of love letters from French exchange students dating back to 1991, but what need do I have for them now?!


Ah... I feel lighter already!
:D

Birthday Sock Rug

I have fantasized for a long time that when we're established on the smallholding, we'll have the time to make each other birthday and Christmas presents instead of buying expensive tat. My mother's birthday was on the 30th May, and for the whole month I found myself sneaking away to secretly sew and get excited about making her a sock rug. A fair number of the (holey) socks which make up the rug came from her originally, so the idea was that the colour scheme would be to her liking.


I took about eight or nine pairs of old socks, and snipped them into one or two-inch wide rings (throwing away the heel and tips of toes), then played about with them for a bit to decide the order in which the colours would appear. Knee-length socks should generally come towards the end, as they are longer and provide more rings, which in turn makes a longer section (needed for the wider circumference). I looped the rings together to make a snake of some meters in length, before starting to sew the snake into an even spiral... There's something meditative about watching your mini rug slowly emerge. I must admit that I enjoyed the process, and not least because I was putting love into a handmade present which is so much more personal than a bought one.

The finished sock rug takes several hours, but provides a cosy and funky insulated layer to put between the cold chair and your bottom. It also makes an unusual hat, as my mother discovered, ha ha!

Lovely Surprise, and A Helpful List

Day Sixty Three.

Ooh, what a lovely surprise! This morning I received an envelope packed with loveliness from the Heartful Blogger - featuring two of her handpainted luggage tags (great bookmarks) and one of her very own postcards, which depicted some more beautiful converse boots! It made me so happy! :D It was strange too, strange to go from following a blog online and enjoying Tammy's drawings and paintings on the screen of my laptop - to having said artworks in my hands! I found that the pieces were even more impressive when I could study them in closer detail... It was very much an inspiring experience. Thanks, Tammy, I love them!


Later...
Bec and I spent the afternoon sorting out the logistics for our '10 Years of Ember' Celebration concert in the Plas, Machynlleth, on 12th February. It's amazing how much organisation is involved in one little night of music, and doing the organising has helped us to appreciate the work of all of the people who arrange gigs for us all over the country. I suppose that the more often you do it, the less stressing and planning you need to do, but still - it's a lot of work!

We made a great big list of what we'd need to do in advance, and what we'd need to do (and when) on the day. Thank goodness we have some kind friends to help out - it would be a nightmare if it were down to the pair of us! The master list was divided up between us, so now neither of us needs to worry, we just need to get OUR stuff done! Even though there is still a lot of work to do, mostly it's been broken into bite-sized pieces, so there's no need to panic.

Although:
Aaaaarrrgh!!!!