safety first

as colden grows, we've been moving our things higher and higher. at this point, little is unreachable, although he hasn't begun moving furniture to climb up and access higher shelves.

but, he has gotten the hang of the doorknobs. at first it was difficult to keep him out of the garage (and all its wonders and terrors), but now he is pretty content to 'leave it closed right now'. and i have to say that it's quite sweet when he hears the dogs whining to come in and lets them in. he closes the door behind them too. sometimes i even ask him to go take care of them! how great is that?

so we thought we might be able to get away without purchasing those plastic door handle covers that prevent children from opening doors while still allowing adult access. then, the other morning, marc woke up and colden was out of the bedroom. (i was still sleeping). with all the christmas lights, cole's fondness for electrical outlets and candles, the occasional stray pin, well. i guess this was a wake up call (ha!). marc proposed the idea long ago for a crocheted cover, and well, it was just easy as pie.

we may not need it for long, or we may need more, but either way it is not going in the landfill ever, beautiful to look at and touch, and didn't cost a dime. hooray!

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i've taken the plunge. i keep telling myself i can always change it to make it better (that perfectionism preventing me from sallying forth), but really, there's little to risk! oh, and i'm open to feedback, as long as it is positive.

quota

i brought a big bunch of yarn with me on our trip last week, so that i could really get a whole bunch of mitts ready to sell on etsy. (as soon as i get that all tidied up!) i actually asked marc to give me a goal that i could meet; how many pairs? he said 20, but i talked him down to 12. i'm supposed to make up the difference though, before the end of the month. should be well within my means. though the driving from chicago to iowa and back did help me out with this bundle.

this is also dependent on me not giving them away before then. whoops. this pair went to venessa, whom we were fortunate enough to get to spend a few hours with in chicago. i'm sure she'll be drawing tons of business my way though.

and this one went to julie, when i learned that it was her birthday yesterday (via h2m's blog!)! only one button here (i'm going for two usually), but it was an irresistible one.

the rest are awaiting sewing ends in, buttons, photos, and all that. or maybe you'd like them?

the tip of the iceberg

i can already write this post with relief because i finished the project. well... nearly (hey, isn't that how you got a tower of 'to-do's in the first place?). true, but i could actually call it done as-is if i want. and i reserve the right to do so, should i be called to it. here it is, in all its undone glory:

i know you can tell from my clever styling exactly what this is meant to be. you've seen this type of toy everywhere, and nowadays more often than not they are knitted or crocheted. felted or straight up made from felt! play food! mine is crocheted, and i intend to felt it. i may or may not alter the design and make more of the same type.

i've already used this yarn (lamb's pride) for another felted toy (show-and-tell teaser: this one could also be considered play food, but it's not eaten by most people) and it still shows crocheted stitches pretty clearly. i did try knitting a little green pear with a pretty leftover bit of heathery green, but for some reason the shaping was eluding me and i frogged it (another unfinished project done!).

here's another pic of it all sewn up. i stuffed it with leftover wool bits. i've got a bag going of yarns ends and cut up sweater scraps that i've been using for stuffing. it especially rocks for these felted things since it felts too! and you know it took me all of one minute to finish it, right? after i tracked down scissors, needle, and stuffing. (did i mention we just moved? i swear things will soon be more organized).

i would really love to make this type of toy out of recycled materials as well. i think it could be done with sweaters. not that i'm about to embark upon that at this moment. that is another contributing factor to the mountain. so many ideas!

i'm off to install a basket near the washer in which i can place items that need felting. i was wanting to have such a spot in our last place, to encourage my felting prowess, and it is just the thing to inspire me now. the final step in completing this sweetheart. and if you check back, i promise to upload a picture of the felted version down here.

oh yeah, and while i'm at it, i'll wash a diaper load too. then i'll really be on my way to hot water washing felting goodness.

*update* here it is all felted up!:

and thanks to this post, i figured out that i went one whole week between diaper loads! huzzah!!!