Odds and Ends (part two)

As some may recall, I managed, when Grace was only a few months old, to crochet a sweater and hat for her. I've crocheted since I was eight or nine and find it to be fairly relaxing. The sense of accomplishment when an item is complete is also a big reason I enjoy it. But knitting always felt beyond my reach -- two needles (sometimes more), no hook on the end to keep the yarn from slipping off, the "language" used in patterns -- I thought it would be a lot of trouble to learn.

Well, no more. Thanks to some online knitting sites, a helpful clerk at the local yarn shop, and a couple of books from the library, I've completed my first knitted thing. I'm so proud. And now Miles will be cozy and warm till summer comes. (Since this is a sweater for Miles, and he's decided to remain cozy and warm where he is, I didn't have a model for it. Maybe I'll take a photo of him in it at a later date.)



As Miles' due date approaches, I've been trying to keep busy with Grace, to make the days seem less long. We've visited several friends, run bunches of errands, and a few weeks ago, we took the Edmonds-Kingston ferry and met up with my dad on the other side for a morning at the beach. (Thanks again, Dad, for the fun morning!) Grace had a blast, watched crows and seagulls swooping in for breadcrumbs, got soaked and freezing in the water, and picked up every shell she found. I'm glad Miles already has a swimsuit -- we'll definitely be hitting the beach this summer.



And finally (for part two, but stay tuned for the third and final part of this Lipsey update), Vic's office threw a baby shower for Miles recently. It was great to see everyone, including spouses and kids, the latter of which are many. There were yummy finger foods and desserts, as well as thoughtful gifts, and the fun (and useful) centerpiece of the table was this diaper cake. Thanks, guys -- we'll think of you all whenever we change Miles. On second thought...



Part three coming soon...