I was going to call this post "Work in Progress", but when I got to blogger I noticed that this is my 100th post! And then I figured that "Work in Progress" describes the baby rug shown below and also my blog. When I started blogging last year I was looking for a way to encourage myself to complete craft projects, and also for interaction with likeminded crafty people. I was already brimming with inspiration because I was reading crafty blogs and I wanted to transform this inspiration into crafting of my own. I was already a sewer and crafter, but hadn't had the motivation to craft for a while. I initially found blogging difficult. Difficult to get on a computer (Hey! There were nine of us living here at the time. You try competing with teenagers who need their daily fix of MSN and My Space!), difficult to get hold of a camera, and difficult to navigate the computer and blogger. (Yes, I'm a reformed technophobe!) The more I practised the friendlier the computer seemed! Miss 21 left for overseas and left her computer (George) in my care, and I got my very own digital camera. Now the only problem is the crafting! (And I even have a crafting room!) I'm getting more organised and I'm thinking more about how I can be more productive and what I want from life. I have gone from posting sometimes to posting more regularly. I want to keep this up because posting is so fun! Hopefully my crafting output will increase this year too.
This is the rug from the "knitting" post. I started it yesterday and I'm really enjoying it. It's my "I'm a mother who doesn't want to be bored" project at the moment. I try to always have one of these on the go. That way when you have to take the kids to (piano lessons, basketball training, the library, their friend's house, ballet classes, basketball games, golf lessons, craft classes, Open Access College activities, the playground, homeschool activities etc, etc, etc.) insert one here, you are not bored and feel that you are achieving something. You can even grab your current project as you head out to the doctor's appointment, the hospital, the physio and anywhere else where they consider that you won't mind waiting for them to get around to you! It's a sanity preserver in those situations.
I sewed up the booties. These are so cute. And smaaaaaaaaall!!! Miss 15 says (uncharitably) that I don't remember how small babies are. (Right kid. Thanks for that! I have hardly any "baby" experience at all. Afterall, pushing out 8 babies is not enough to give me that experience!) I'm pretty sure that these booties would not have fitted most of my kids. Mr 19 (10lbs 10oz) now wears size 16 shoes (try buying them in Australia!) and always had big feet. Mr 13 (11lbs 13oz) now wears size 14 shoes (Yeah, we can't do the "act your age, not your shoe size" joke with him at the moment!) which are equally as hard to find. Of course we're not sure what Mr 7 (11lbs 4oz) will get up to! And even the girls (who were all smaller than the boys) wear size 9 or 10 shoes. Anyway, I don't think they would fit my kids, but Mrs 23 is not one of my huge kids so they might fit her little boy.
A cake to celebrate my 100th post! I'm looking forward to many more! (This was the most celebratory photo I could find!)
Miss 11 is very courageous. These booties are her first attempt at knitting with a pattern. She did a pretty good job. She was keen to make something for Mrs 23's baby shower this weekend. She took quite a long time to knit the first bootie, but finishing that one boosted her confidence and the second one came much easier. She needed help to sew them up, but even did large chunks of that herself.
Of course she made a popstick box for the booties to go in. She's the king of the hot glue gun at our house!
I have crotcheted rugs for lots of babies and it feels strange not to be making one for my new grandson, so I've decided to get big and brave and knit a rug. I love this rug. It's garter stitch! Even I should be able to do that!