Slipper weather

It's officially slipper weather here in New England--has been for a while in our chilly house! And Lucy didn't have any. So, several weeks ago, I got to work on a pair of tiny slippers, thinking they'd be ready in no time. Well, I messed up. And ripped it all out. And messed up again. And again. And again. It became very clear that I am decidedly still a beginner at crochet. I finally finished them--but they are two different sizes! The second came out much smaller than the first (probably more close to the size I actually needed).

But on her feet, they worked ok, so I called it good enough. I added some pink suede soles (cut from a thrift-store jacket), which work well to keep them from being too slippery on wooden floors.

(Please excuse the horrible shot--we're in that impossible-to-photograph toddler stage!) As you can see, one comes up quite a bit further on her ankle. Oh, well--they still keep her warm.

The pattern is free on Ravelry (and there, you can see cuter ones made by accomplished crocheters!). If I can do it (sort of), you can too!

Orange Polka-Dot Bitty Booties

orange polka-dot bitty booties
Originally uploaded by mcghol

I finally finished the second of three pairs of "Bitty Booties" we'll be giving as baby gifts this spring. These had the potential to be my favorite pair so far, but they gave me fits making them, so now all I see are the flaws. Here's a hint if you want to make some: don't use cashmere! (The purple dots are from a cashmere sweater.) It doesn't felt well, and gets all misshapen as you try to applique it in place. Argh. And why did my sewing machine suddenly decide it can't sew on the elastic hair bands for the button loop? The last pair worked fine, but this time, it only pretended to sew, leaving no stitches attached. So, these are entirely handstitched. Probably better that way anyway, but still annoying. Oh, well. They're still pretty darn cute, I guess.

Bitty Booties, take three

We know three babies who need gifts this week. I decided to make them all Bitty Booties from Heather Bailey's free pattern. The first pair had to be made quickly--tonight--to get into the mail tomorrow. So I went for a mostly-machine-sewn design, decorating them with some cute berry trim I got recently from a thrift store and some big white vintage buttons. I'm thrilled with how they came out!

Bitty Booties, take two

Turquoise flower bitty booties
Originally uploaded by mcghol

As soon as I finished the first pair of Bitty Booties, I knew I wanted to make another pair. This time, I used bits of a turquoise wool sweater whose sleeves I'd used to make a pair of wool "longies." So now she'll have shoes to match her pants. I wasn't happy with how wonky my first pair's edges were, so this time, I decided to use top stitching and pinking shears rather than sewing and turning. I'm much happier with how they came out, although clearly, I need a new pair of pinking shears! I will definitely be making more of these, and can't wait for the next baby shower so I can give some as a gift!

Finally succumbed

Well, it seems I've become a blog-reading addict. It started with green bloggers, then recipes, then crafty mamas...now I'm hooked. Suddenly, I can't make something without taking a picture of it for my imaginary blog. I guess it's time to make it real. So here it is, my first crafty post.

I've been on a sewing binge ever since I set up a sewing closet in my bedroom a few months ago--just in time for the birth of our daughter. Here are the first pair of shoes I've made for her--not perfect, but I'm happy with them as a first attempt. I used the free pattern for "Bitty Booties" from Heather Bailey. They're made from a felted wool sweater. I used yellow rick-rack and yellow and green buttons to coordinate with a dress and bloomers I made recently. Warm, but with springy colors--good for spring in New England.