Cloth Diapers

We decided to use cloth diapers as much as possible for a variety of reasons. I discovered that they are pretty hi-tech these days, and decided to try All-In-Ones for Kenneth. Instead of separate diapers and covers, an AIO consists of a waterproof layer, two layers of diaper fabric, and an internal pad of eight layers. And the whole thing just "velcros" on and afterwards goes in the washer and dryer. There are also long, foldable inserts (no picture) made of diaper fabric and flannel. This allows extra absorbency to be placed appropriately for boys & girls without a diaper that would take an hour and a half to dry. As it is with the eight layers they take an hour.

They are quite expensive to purchase, but I like to sew, so I got the pattern at Very Baby and the materials at One Stop Diaper Shop. They are very labor intensive, and the situation was made worse by the enormous belly in the way. If K. hadn't arrived two weeks "late" I'm not sure how many he would have had.

He grew out of the initial newborn set pretty quickly:















With the help of friends and family I made another batch in size small. (Okay, there are about five more partially completed). He is about to outgrow them, too.





















I made white, blue, and periwinkle. That's part of the fun of making your own - colors. Note the coordination with his shirt. I used the scraps to make some waterproof cloths for him to sleep on and such.

The materials for the medium size have been sitting here for at least ten days. Ugh. At least they are supposed to fit up to twenty-some pounds, I think.

Baby Got Blog

In case you didn't hear, Kenneth has his own blog. (I have removed the link. Friends and family, email me and I will send it to you).
Head over and check it out. He's much better at replying to comments than I am.

Here's a photo of that Strawberry Hat I made, as modeled by Kenneth:

Six Weeks

Kenneth now weighes 11.5 lbs. Why? Because...

Two Weeks

Kenneth had his two week check up today. The goal was to be back to his birth weight of 6lbs 12oz. Goal exceeded!! He weighed in at 8lbs 7oz. Observe the chubbiness (and lethargy):



Compared to just a few days ago:

Catching up Posting Finished Items

Here's my second tapestry:



And this is a Feather & Fan shawl I made using the pattern from Cheryl Oberle's "Folk Shawls". It's done in Frog Tree Alpaca. You can see me wearing it down in the wedding pics in the June archive.

Kenneth Edward III

He's here!! Arrived Tuesday July 25th at 2:15 a.m. 6lbs 12oz 18.5"

Here are some photos in chronological order:


Welcome














Recovering











Mini-Ed?













Dad's a natural












We're sprung from hospital

40-Week Belly Cast

Or, how we amused ourselves with plaster bandages, water, plastic wrap, and body oil on my "due" date.

Hippie Preggo Wedding

Baby on Board

My new truck and my 32-week belly

Moments in Scandinavia

Coldest Moment: Bird Island of Runde


Tackiest Moment: The Little Mermaid

The Best Part of the Trip

We've been home for a week, and looking back at all the great places we saw, the family farm, and islands were the best. I can't thank my cousin, Øystein, and his wife, Heather, enough. Not only did he help with my trip planning, they brought their two-month-old daughter on a road trip to show us around my great-grandfather's birthplace. Not to mention cooking for us!

Good News

Just got the results from the doctor, and no sign of gestational diabetes. Woo Hoo!! It would have been hard for a vegetarian to travel and not be able to eat bread or potatoes. Not to mention the irony of going to Denmark, and not being able to partake in Danish pastry.

The Trip

Here's a map of the places we're visiting in Scandinavia. Please try to ignore the fact that it looks like a serial killer drew it.

Rough Itinerary By Day
1 - Land in Oslo
3 - Drive toward coast
4 - Arrive Alesund
5 - Head toward great-grandfather's birthplace
6 - Meet relatives and explore area
8 - Drive to Bergen
9 - Catch ferry to Denmark
10 - Take train to Copenhagen
13 - Catch train to Stockholm
16 - Fly home

My First Tapestry

I'm taking a tapestry weaving class, and this is my first sampler. It's about 9" x 6" and I mounted it on fabric stretched over a frame.



Here's a close-up. These are closer to the true colors.

Baby FAQs

Hopefully it isn't a shock to anyone I've directed here that I'm having a baby. And because I've become really lax in communicating by phone or mail lately (sorry) here are some facts:

• Estimated Due Date: July 12th 2006
• Gender: Male. Genetically confirmed by CVS, visually confirmed on ultrasound
• Name: Kenneth Edward III (after his father and grandfather)
• How I am doing: Health is good. Worry level is elevated
• Housing Situation: We are staying here, and the office/sewing room is becoming office/nursery, the dining room will now house a sewing machine
• Stuff for him: We registered at Target and the Baby Center Store (links on bar at right)
• Will there be obligatory belly photos here?: Maybe. In the meantime here's an obligatory ultrasound at 19 weeks

Søre Sunnmørebunaden

I mentioned in a previous post that I'm going to purchase part of my bunad kit when we're in Norway next month. It is the one on the right, with cross-stiched apron. I've left the Virga bunad, which is similar, so you can see the reticule (purse), and that the vest is red or orange.









Photo from: "Norges Bunader og Samiske Folkedrakter" by Heidi Fossnes Cappelen

Fashion Victim #1

Me!!! Socks are for cold weather, sandals are for warm. There were perfectly good hiking boots in the tent. Hey, at least I wasn't wearing shorts.

My sister and I report in to each other about unfortunate fashion victims we spot. There are just as many victims in Idaho as there are in San Francisco. Strangely, there are just as many pairs of Uggs in this maritime climate as in icy Idaho. I hope to post renderings of the most tragic cases in the future. I don't have a cell phone camera, and would feel creepy actually taking photos.

I just want to point out that we are not making fun of people, just reporting crimes. It happens to all of us, the clothes, they lie. "It's okay to wear me in public, Target calls me "pyjama pants", not "pyjamas." Thousands have been tricked by smooth-talking sleepwear that was dying to get out off the house. That is why we call them fashion "victims", not fashion "criminals".

More Baby Headgear

I liked the strawberry hat so much, that I decided to make one for our friends' new baby. Found out via his dad's blog that said baby has the nickname "Tomato Boy".

Ta Da.

No Gold but Two F.O.'s

I did not receive a gold in the Knitting Olympics. Which is not to say I did not try. Here's the progress I made on the sweater, in my opinion, the hardest part - the colorwork on the body from the hem up (including extra inch that gets turned up to make a scalloped edge). The rest is solid black except for the sleeves, which have more colorwork, but are done in the round, so no purling.

In addition, I finished making this tote bag, which I started about three years ago. It even survived a move. Note the piping.



And finally, I knit this hat for a friend who is due to have a baby any day.

The Knitting Olympics

I've decided to join the Knitting Olympics. My challenge is to make this sweater between Feb 10th and the 26th.

It's a Dale of Norway cardigan, a base for a child's bunad*, done in Baby Ull on size 0 and 1 needles. I expect it to be quite difficult due to the color stranding, the needles, and the fact that it is the most complicated garment I will have made. Or made successfully.


*a bunad is Norwegian regional folk clothing, worn on special occasions. Adults only wear bunader from their part of Norway, while children often wear a more generic bunad consisting of black skirt or pants, white shirt and something red. Actually, no bunad contains a knitted garment, but the colors of the sweater are bunad-like. You can read about bunads at Husfliden. I hope to order mine at the local Husfliden when we go to Norway in April.

Why?

Today I finally gave in and started a blog. Why? Well, mainly because I wanted to be able to share pictures with my friends.

To whit...my bike at Burning Man '05