1st sweater--finished!

What's that ham modeling there? Could it be an actual sweater, crocheted by me? Yes ! I did it!

When I finished it up yesterday afternoon, Lucy watched me test out various buttons on the sweater. She joined the game, laying out buttons one after another:

Then, of course, we had to change her clothes and head out into the fading light to take photos (oh, the hard life of a blogger's baby; all those clothing changes and modeling sessions!)

(Under the dress is the diaper cover that matches the sweater.)
The sweater, all by itself:

The cute vintage buttons:

I love this sweater. It was easy enough for me to accomplish as my 4th-ever crochet project, but doesn't look too simple. In wool but with short sleeves, it should be perfect for spring, cool summer mornings at the beach, and into fall. Details are here on Ravelry.
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And the outdoor challenge? We've been out there every day, of course, though I've missed a day or two blogging it. I was super honored yesterday to find my posts on getting outdoors have inspired other bloggers (what a thrill to be reading your way through blogs and find your name in a post!), so I'm working on some more get-out-there tips for future posts.

Here we are yesterday, scrubbing some of the plastic that accumulates when well-meaning neighbors and and acquaintances realize you've got a lot of kids in your life. We'd weeded it all out of our outdoor-toys collection (more on what I'd rather have out there soon) and were readying it for its next owner, a la Freecycle.

And here's Lucy, today, rolling in the dirt. A part of my job in being with children outdoors is helping them learn to cope with the inevitable difficulties: cold, heat, bugs, boo-boos. Lucy'd fallen, and I was joking with her: "are you taking a nap in the dirt?" In the case of a minor tumble like this, it's sometimes possible to tease it into something funny (don't worry, I give plenty of love and snuggles and comfort, when really needed).


Play along with us during the month of April for Children and Nature Awareness Month by posting a picture of your child(ren) each day enjoying the outdoors! Get outdoors and climb a tree! Visit the other Great Outdoor Challenge players- lisa, sanders, angelina, phyllis, sarah, christie, jennifer, debbie, dong dong, denise, luisa, joy, stephanie, cori, alex, dawn, kristen, catherine, tricia, becky, christy, ruth, kari, courtney, branflakes, jessica, renee, haiku, brynn, amy, clemencia, sherry, leslie, lise, renee, anet, jenn, marina, amy, ella, marcia, karen, beth, julie, kyndale, kelly, lizzie, eileen, ag, mari-ann, cindy, robin, nicole, debbie, julia, renee, anita, lisa, jenn, montessori, marita, jeannie, hallie, mandy, kangaroo, andrea, joey, carmen, teena, stephinie, gidget, elizabeth, emma, rosina, saminda, melissa, katie, becca, atouria, barbara, ariella, missy