Little things for the little one

My urge to create continues. With the busy book behind me, I've turned to other things. Little things. Things that I can finish relatively quickly and feel good about, which will hopefully inspire me to make more things. More little things. I've got a half dozen different projects in mind, and am looking forward to an upcoming trip to Amish Country, where I'll meet up with my parents and cruise the reasonably-priced fabric stores with my fabric mentor (Mom).

If I may share:

The first thing I ever made for the little one (resting atop a scarf I made two years ago. Hey-ooo!). A rattle courtesy of Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby. Lotta is Finnish (Finn power!), and I love the Scandinavian aesthetic a lot of her stuff has to it. Modern, spare, not overly cutsey... but ridiculously cute at the same time. I look at this and I can see the fat little hand that will eventually grab it.

Project number two: simple baby hat. I'm not sure how well it's turning out, but I am insanely proud of myself for finally learning how to knit in the round. I can make more than just scarves now! Oh, the visions I'm having... hats for all of us, sweaters for the baby...

Project number three (in progress): get better lighting for this apartment! Such is the cross I bear.

Maine

I like my life. In the decade or so that I have been an adult, I've had a lot of fun. Going here and there, doing this and that... it's been really nice. I know that's about to change - in a good way of course; I welcome the change - and I've been trying to make the most of these last months as a carefree, possibly somewhat self-centered, childless person.

Last weekend, for example. My last "just for me" adventure for quite some time (I imagine). I drove up to Maine for a long weekend trip with a friend. We spent a rainy day in Portland. We went to Acadia National Park. We ate really good seafood. We had "drinks" in a church-turned-bar. We cracked jokes, discussed the finer points of the greatest juvenile literature series ever written, recalled songs from our elementary music classes, talked about our families, stayed in a motel room that looked like it had been sawed off from a corner of my grandma's house, bought fancy soaps... etc.

Did I mention how much I like my life? And the people in it? Did I also mention how totally cool I am with the fact that it will be very different in a few months? This trip, planned before I was pregnant, was perfect at the perfect time.

A few pictures. I forgot to bring my camera along for half of our excursions... these were all taken in Acadia. Gol, I do love the North Atlantic.