4 | piggy at play

I almost kept him, which would have been naughty, and the first time I felt compelled to keep one of my own fiber creations. There's a twist along his nose, and it makes me think of my husband, who bumped into too many goal posts or heads while playing soccer when he was younger and never bothered to straighten it out (it would require re-breaking, you see). I opted for no adornments: no tail, no embroidered eyes, no fabric inner ears, no embroidered tree-tattoos (this last was my husband's suggestion). Perhaps the simple reflects more the maker than the receiver, my best friend of so many years. My heart is full of adornments when I think of her. xo, Kelly

Yarn: pink tweed kitchen cotton by Lily's Sugar n Cream
Needles: size 7, Clover bamboo
Pattern: Piggies at Play from Knitted Toy Tales by Laura Long

3 | kicking bag

This is my first knitting project for the baby we have due in January. My mother-in-law gave me the yarn, expecting me to make a pair of socks, but instead I remembered this project on Soulemama.

A few firsts: working with sock yarn, creating a mock cable (very easy; I love making true cables), working with circular needles, three-needle bind-off. Here's a link to the YouTube video I used to learn the last task.

Yarn: skein of sock yarn given to me by my mother-in-law
Needles: size 2, 16" Knit Picks harmony wood circulars
Pattern: kicking bag for babies by annika (free download on Ravelry)

2 | foot prints

This is one of my favorite wee editions to a baby shower gift, and also how I learned to create a bobble (something I otherwise cringe at, save these toosies!).

Yarn: light blue kitchen cotton
Needles: size 8, Clover bamboo
Pattern: Baby Feet Cloth (free, knitting knonsense)

1 | toddler slippers

I made my first baby booties, though this moniker is a bit deceptive. Instead, I wound up with something more like toddler slippers, which is what I've rechristened these quick garter stitch slip-ons I will mail to my godson Christian this week. Together, the slippers took less than two hours to make.

Yarn: off-white kitchen cotton
Needles: size 8, bamboo
Pattern: Glamour-Baby's First Booties (free, Lion Brand website)