Yoga Skirt Sewing Pattern

It's Free Pattern Friday again at Handmade by Caitlin. I have yet to hear back about Zero (although I may just be sharing the original with you now), and the drawstring pouch is on hold until I can get my sewing machine to stop fighting with me. But I thought I would share this skirt pattern with you, since it's summer and all us gals can use a cute, simple skirt in the warm months.

I found this pattern last fall when trying to design a birthday present for my friend's then to be 5 year old. The little girl's specific request was "a long purple skirt." Ok...I can work with that. My sister wanted to knit a cardi, so we were going to combine our efforts into one outfit.

I particularly liked this pattern because it was simple and easily adjusted for length (as I was making a long skirt). I even made a second skirt for a doll, because my sister and I thought it would be cute to make matching outfits for the little girl and her baby (American Girl does it afterall...).

This is how the birthday present turned out:

And just for fun, here is the corresponding doll outfit:

Now head on over to Sew Mama Sew and make your own yoga skirt! While you're there check out some of the other awesome sewing tutorials they have.

Coming Soon: Customizable Barefoot Sandals

I am working up samples for my new barefoot sandals listings. Etsy has newly added an options feature to listings, so now you can pick your color combo and size! This is a rough sneak peek (like very rough*..I used paint!) at the new combinations. If you think of a combo I should be adding, please let me know and I can whip it up.

Size Options:

Color Options: after the jump

General Sizing: Infant Blankets

Every now and then I get asked what an appropriate size for a blanket is. There is no straight forward answer, as it really depends on what you want it for: How big is the baby/toddler? Do you want this to last as the child grows? What size bed is it for? Do you want to fulfill a specific purpose (e.g. nursing, hooded bath towel, stroller, car seat)?

Below is a list I have put together breaking down your various options and providing appropriate measurements for each. This is only a reference based off my research, but it may help you in choosing a size. Do keep in mind, however, that as the size increases so does the wait time and price.


General Afghan Sizing for Infants & Children

Newborn-2 years	24x30 inches	60.96x76.20 centimeters
2 years-6 years	30x36 inches	76.20x91.44 centimeters
6 years-11 years	36x42 inches	91.44x106.l68 centimeters
12 years +	48x60 inches	121.92x152.40 centimeters
Lapghan	36x48 inches	91.44x121.92 centimeters

Blanket Sizing by Baby Age

Preemie (small)	18x18-20x20 inches	45.72x45.72-50.80x50.80 centimeters
Preemie (medium)	20x20-22x22 inches	50.80x50.80-55.88x55.88 centimeters
Preemie (large)	22x22-30x30 inches	55.88x55.88-76.20x76.20 centimeters
Newborn	32x32-36x36 inches	81.28x81.28-91.44x91.44 centimeters
Baby	30x36 inches	76.20x91.44 centimeters
Child	42x48 inches	106.68x121.92 centimeters

Blanket Sizing by Bed Type

Cradle (small)	15x30 inches	38.10x76.20 centimeters
Cradle (large)	18x33 inches	45.72x83.82 centimeters
Crib (small)	28x36 inches	71.12x91.44 centimeters
Crib (medium)	30x40 inches	76.20x101.60 centimeters
Crib (large)	32x48 inches	81.28x121.92 centimeters
Port-a-crib	29x32 inches 30x36 inches 36x36 inches	73.66x81.28 centimeters 76.20x91.44 centimeters 91.44x91.44 centimeters

Blanket Sizing for Home Use

Receiving (newborn)	23x23 inches   24x24 inches	58.42x58.42 centimeters 60.96x60.96 centimeters
Receiving (commercial)	29x32 inches 30x36 inches 36x36 inches	73.66x81.28 centimeters 76.20x91.44 centimeters 91.44x91.44 centimeters
Nursing (small)	24x36 inches	60.96x91.44 centimeters
Nursing (large)	28x40 inches	71.12x101.60 centimeters
Hooded (corner)	28x28 inches	71.12x71.12 centimeters
Hooded (center)	36x22 inches	91.44x55.88 centimeters

Blanket Sizing for Travel

Carseat* (baby)	20x24 inches	50.80x60.96 centimeters
Carseat* (toddler)	22x30inches	55.88x76.20 centimeters
Stroller	30x40 inches	76.20x101.60 centimeters

*Carseat blankets come equipped with two 2.5 inch slits approximately 3 inches apart for you to thread the buckle through. Baby sizes have the slits starting 12 inches from the bottom of the blanket, and toddler sizes 15 inches.

Saying Goodbye to Streetlight...

Lat night I got to see one of my favorite band's during their final tour. We traveled 2.5 hours to Bloomington, IL to see them play and it was well worth it. The show was amazing, and Tom is as funny as ever. They have gotten so big that circles don't really break out anymore and everyone rushes the stage. I got up front and stayed there for the whole show. I'm bruised and sore, but I am so glad I made it to the final IL show.

Streetlight Manifesto has been around for about 10 years, so I guess they chose a good time to end their run. I first saw them back in 2005 when they were still openers. They played at the Metro, and after the show my friends and I saw them loading up their van. We stopped to chat with them and got their autographs (I got my ticket signed, but a buddy of mine had them sign his up-Chucks...which my sister later embroidered to preserve the signatures). They only had 1 CD out at this time, and now they have 4.

It was just so cool to be able to watch them evolve and see one of their early tours, and their 2 final tours (and a few in between). I bought a hoodie at that first concert, which I still have and wear today, and I snagged a T-shirt at their final show.

The band is not breaking up, so they will still be making music (which is great news!), they just aren't planning on touring much at all if ever...at least for a while. If you like ska music, I highly recommend you check them out!

If you find you like the band, please only order CDs and merch from their shop. Victory Records is withholding their final CD and banning Tom's solo album. All proceeds from Streetlight's products from Victory only helps fuel their financing for the legal dispute. Plus, you can find that last CD online for free...

Roller Skate Booties

I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss the roller skate booties I offer in my shop, specifically what makes them unique and why you want to buy them. You can go to etsy or any other crafty shopping site and type in "roller skate booties" and get a ton of results. Maybe too many. And they all look the same. So, what makes mine different?

Knitting
My booties are knit while all other roller skate booties I have found are crochet. I find knitting gives me a more pliable fabric, making the booties more like socks than shoes. I find this advantageous for a few reasons: more stretch makes the booties easier to get on, more stretch also gives you some room for growth, pliability gives baby wiggle room, the thinner fabric makes cinching with ties easier and less bulky, the thinner fabric works well in warmer climates.

However, I am more than willing to accommodate your request. If you desire a sturdier bootie or thicker fabric, let me know and I can use a thicker yarn or crochet them instead of knitting n_n

Wheel Placement
You will notice most roller skate booties have the wheels attached to the bottom. While this is more accurate visually, it does make walking tricky, especially if your little one is just learning. My wheels are placed on the sides with the "axis" set at the bottom of the bootie where I start knitting the sole.

I took a bit of time researching before I came to this decision. As the original idea was to make derby skates, I looked them up and found that the wheels were set wider than on traditional skates, and in some cases this allowed them to come up a little above the the bottom of the skate boot. While my placement isn't completely accurate, it was close enough to allow for walkability.

My wheels are lightly stuffed to give them a full appearance, but they are quite pliable and will bend out of the way as your little one walks. Because of this, you can order roller skate booties (or slippers) for any age. This even includes older kids and adults! (although prices will have to change once we get past toddlers >.<)

Stoppers
I haven't seen other roller skate booties with stoppers (so far, anyway). Due to my booties having a slightly more sneaker appearance (although, this is rather accurate with derby skates), I wanted to enforce the image with stoppers. These are only slightly raised, in order to prevent extra weight or obstruction for learning walkers, and placed where the sole starts at the toes.

Customizability
Is that even a word? Because spell check is telling me no...we're going to go with it anyway ~_n

I love to work with you and make the perfect item you will love. I have made booties in 2 local derby teams colors, as well as other requests based solely on color preference. If you have a team you want skates for, let me know! We can go simple where I use the team colors for the boot and accents, or we can go advanced where I add a logo or duplicate official team skates.

Don't support a team, but still want something unique? That's fine too! Just let me know what you are looking for. I typically do a white or black boot and offer 1 accent color for wheels, stopper, and laces (and soon, now that I have discovered etsy's listing options, I will be putting up a customizable roller skate booties listing), but don't let that limit you. Want blue skates? How about each wheel in a different color? Or maybe you need the boot to look like a frog? Just let me know and I will work it out.


Have more questions about the roller skate booties? Post or send them and I will reply to you as well as update the information in this post n_n

Healthy Snacks

It's Random Monday again at my blog. I'll pick up from last week's entry and talk about my healthy snack options. I have been noticing that my morning smoothies are keeping me rather full until lunch, and my bento packing is doing a good job of tiding me over until dinner, or at least the end of the work day (I think I'll discuss bento next week n_n). But every now and then I get the munchies, and I try to deal with them in a healthy way.

Sometimes I'll pack little snack bentos. There is one style that is made to hold two onigiri (rice balls), so it is fairly small. I put a dip or cheese in the bottom section, which has a lid, and stuff the top section with fruit, veggies, or crackers. My typical go to is hummus with veggies or rice crackers, but I've been know to do veggies and dip, fruit and dip, cheese and crackers, even chips and salsa.

When I have a sweet craving, I may reach for a pudding or jello cup. At just about 100 calories* (80 jello, 110 pudding), they don't dig into my daily allotment too much and that takes care of that sugar craving. I also keep small pieces of dark chocolate (Hershey's Bliss or Dove) on hand, and one piece is usually enough to tide me over if I savor it instead of chewing. Plus at 35 and 40 calories respectively, I can afford to have 2 or 3 pieces if I want. I have also found the Weight Watchers Mint Cookie Crisps rather satisfying. They are about the size of a fun size candy bar, but they are very filling and taste just like Thin Mints. As a bonus, they are only 70 calories!

When it comes to other store bought snacks, I often grab rice crackers. Trader Joe's savory rice crackers are my favorite, but I found some sesame rice crackers at Fresh Market that were pretty comparable. The fulfill that salty craving and at just 3.5 calories a piece, you can eat quite a bit. I also like Sensible Portions' Cinnamon Apple Straws. They are all natural and 38 (or 1/6 the bag) is only 130 calories! The serving size is huge too--38 straws fills a cereal bowl, so I often eat half a serving or less as a snack.

I try to make my snacks whenever possible. I really want to learn to make hummus and rice crackers, but for now I settle for cookies (I know, not healthy but I don't make them often and only pack 2 as a snack), kale chips, and hard boiled eggs. I find with a little salt & pepper, the egg itself fills most cravings and is chock full of protein and usually tides me over (although they are now becoming a lunch staple for me). Kale chips have got to be the easiest thing in the world to make, and they are so tasty. The kale loses its bitterness when you bake it, and the seasoning choices are endless. My favorites are seasoned salt and garlic powder/salt/cracked black pepper. Here is a quick little recipe if you want to give it a try:

Kale Chips 1 bunch kale 1 Tbsp olive oil (approximately) seasonings of your choice Wash and dry the kale (a salad spinner is helpful here, or pat dry between paper towels). Trim the leaves from the bitter stem. Tear or cut kale into pieces (they will shrivel up, so I would say go at least 1.5 times larger than you want the chips). Toss kale with olive oil--you want them coated with oil but not soaked.  I usually just throw it into a bowl and drizzle a little bit over the top the toss. If you have a spritzer, you could also lay them out first then spray the olive oil (I should try this--my mom has a few of these that are going unused...) Lay the kale on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sometimes placing the curled side down helps with air circulation and to prevent sticking. Sprinkle with as much or as little seasoning as you want (just remember a little goes a long way). Bake at 350F (175C) for 12-15 minutes, or until edges just start to brown. I just store these in a paper bag with the top folded over. They will stay good for at least a week, but to be honest I rarely have them go that long without being eaten n_n

What's even better about these as a snack, is that one batch is only about 175-200 calories (depending on the olive oil you use). I would say you end up with about half the volume you started with, so maybe 2-3 cups of chips. Although my sister and I ate a whole batch in one afternoon, they were so good! I felt guilty until I found out it was only 100 calories. You may find these hard to stop eating too. I recommend packing them up in baggies so that you can grab one each day during the week. They are also really easy and fast to make, so if you run out it is easy to replenish your stock.

*I am of the camp that the best "diet" is counting calories. It's all about what goes in and what goes out. Some days you may break your diet, and I agree that 1 free day a week is incredibly helpful, but counting calories allows me to be a little less restrictive than some of these other diet plans (e.g. low carb, no carb, low protein, high protein, paleo). I do on occasion refer to some of these diets for food ideas. For example I am really fond of the South beach Diet recipes.

I use My Fitness Pal to track my calories eaten and calories burned, and I will also use Map My Run if I am out about walking instead of in the gym. My username for both is caitinc, so feel free to add me if you want to get fit together n_n

Free Pattern Friday, Late Edition

Sorry to make you wait. The pattern I originally wanted to post is a crochet adaptation of a free knitting pattern for Zero (I thought I'd keep in theme from last week), but I wanted to get permission from the original designer first. My back-up plan was to share my crochet mini Murloc pattern, but I cannot find my notes anywhere ;_; Unfortunately I gave him away too...Someday I will find my notes or recreate him, but there definitely was not time for this week.

So instead, I am cleaning up and sharing my D4 dice bag pattern this week. I figure it is appropriate since my group and I are playing tomorrow n_n This bag looks small, and it is, but it holds 3 complete dice sets plus 3 D6s (so thats a total of 24 regular dice plus some wiggle room). I have also stuffed my giant glowing crit die from Think Geek in there on occasion too, but that will completely fill the bag.

My dice bag along with all my dice that fit in it perfectly.

You could alternately close it up and stuff it for a geeky plush. I have plans of doing this for a complete dice set in the future n_n

So without further ado, here is my D4 dice bag pattern. Enjoy!

General Sizing: Infant Footwear

I realize that providing sizes like 0-3 months and 6-9 months can be rather arbitrary. Babies don't always fit into their "size" as dictated by their age. I do try to give you the most accurate sizing information possible, including the measurements as well as the expected age range they encompass. For example:

However, there have been occasions where I've gotten a request for a certain size and got feedback that a larger size was in fact needed. I am more than happy to accommodate these requests, but to help you figure out what size to be ordering, I put together this list*:

0-3 months	3.25-3.75 inches	8.26-9.53 centimeters
3-6 months	3.50-4.00 inches	8.89-10.16 centimeters
6-9 months	4.00-4.50 inches	10.16-11.43 centimeters
9-12 months	4.25-4.75 inches	10.80-12.07 centimeters
12-18 months	4.50-5.00 inches	11.43-12.70 centimeters
18-24 months	5.00-5.50 inches	12.70-13.97 centimeters

This is an approximation, but I try to follow this list as best I can when posting items. You will notice the ranges overlap. Usually the first number is what the piece measures flat, and the second is slightly stretched. Otherwise, the piece is falling within that range when flat and slightly stretched.

On occasion I may just post one size instead of a range (e.g 18 months). This is usually when the yarn I use is less elastic, so the item will not stretch significantly enough to get a range.

I'll give you a quick break-down of how I measure footwear:

• Booties are laid flat and measured toe to heel and sized according to my list above. The ankle circumference is measured with the cuff slightly stretched out (especially if the cuff is ribbed).
• Barefoot sandals are laid flat with the ankle strap slightly stretched and are measured from toe loop to strap and sized according to my list above. The ankle circumference is measured by doubling the width across the top of the sandal.

*You can order by size or provide the actual measurements of your child's feet. If you find measuring your child's feet difficult (which is understandable, they can be quite squirmy) or are ordering for someone else's child, you can measure a sock or bootie that already fits or use my chart above to estimate what size you want.

Lactose Free Protein Shakes?

I've decided Mondays will be my random post of the week day. It might be shop related, or it could just be something I am personally interested in like today.

As you may have read a few weeks ago, I am trying to get back into shape. This is for both personal reasons as well as health (I've got enough things to worry about, I don't need to throw weight onto that list and possibly cause complications later on). I do like to eat healthy normally, so my main problem is exercise. To combat that I hit the gym every day on my lunch for 25 minutes on the elliptical. I need to get myself back into a routine, as my current fill-in position is spoiling me with really flexible hours, and then I will be taking my dog for a walk every day too. I'm hoping to fit in a DVD workout or yoga every night too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Even though I like to eat healthy, I don't take the time to pack lunches and I often skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast is just a bad idea when it comes to keeping your metabolism in line, and not packing lunches means I'm getting a lot of fast food or prepared food (and lately, I have found myself preferring all-natural & organic options whenever possible).

To take care of the breakfast issue, I have started making smoothies. I am never very hungry in the morning, but I am always thirsty, so I found this a good compromise. I make myself a good smoothie and beef up the protein which keeps my fairly full until lunch so I am not snacking (whereas with just water, I would find myself nibbling on things around 10/11 am). Since I am lactose-intolerant, I do not use the protein shake powders and went to look for natural alternatives.

I opted for almond butter, ground flax seed, and soy milk in lieu of water and a protein shake powder. My three current flavors are strawberry banana, raspberry banana, and strawberry raspberry. My quick recipe for a 12 oz smoothie is as follows:

All Natural Fruit Smoothies Fruit (choose 2 of the following: 1/2 banana, 3 strawberries, 6 raspberries) 1/2 c soy milk (regular, not vanilla) 1 Tbsp ground flax seed 1 Tbsp creamy almond butter Ice (I use a single serve blender and fill it about 1/2-2/3 with ice) Throw all ingredients in your blender, I recommend starting with the ice and ending with the soy milk, and blend until you are happy with the consistency. I do recommend cutting up the fruit (except the raspberries, they are pretty small already) and avoiding giant chunks of ice to get a smooth texture.

Below are the nutritional facts for each smoothie:

Strawberry Banana 249 calories 25 g carbohydrates 13 g fat 10 g protein 13g sugar

Raspberry Banana 237 calories 26 g carbohydrates 13 g fat 10 g protein 12 g sugar

Strawberry Raspberry 194 calories 10 g carbohydrates 13 g fat 9 g protein 5 g sugar

And here you can compare to the nutritional facts if you were to use 1 packet or scoop of a protein shake (HMR 800 Vanilla, in this instance as that is what my mom uses) and water instead of the soy milk, flax seed, and almond butter:

Strawberry Banana 249 calories 38 g carbohydrates 2 g fat 17 g protein 52 g sugar

Raspberry Banana 237 calories 39 g carbohydrates 2 g fat 17 g protein 30 g sugar

Strawberry Raspberry 194 calories 23 g carbohydrates 2 g fat 16 g protein 44 g sugar

Calorie-wise, both methods are the same. My method gives you about half the protein (but considering the only protein you gain from the fruit is 1 g from the banana, I consider the 9 g decent), but also less sugar and carbohydrates. My method does have more fat, but at least it is the good kind of fat that you get from nuts.

This has started becoming my breakfast. Since adding the flax and almond butter, I have noticed they are much more filling. Also these additions didn't really alter the taste too much. On the days where I am extra hungry though, I'll reach for single servings of granola (bar or loose), instant oatmeal, or instant cream of wheat (I prefer Farina). I've also lately become enamored with Emerald Nut's Breakfast on the Go! The breakfast nut blend with glazed walnuts is my current favorite, and at only 180 calories, my breakfast is still kept reasonable.

Next time, I'll go into what I do for healthy snacks to tide me over during the day. And possibly in the future I'll discuss how bento boxes help me pack appropriate portion sizes for lunch and keep me feeling full until dinner. I can't guarantee these will be the next two Monday posts, as other more interesting things may pop up, but they will be forthcoming.

Wednesday's post will focus on how I size infant footwear, and I may possibly go into the roller skate booties and what makes them unique (or that may be next week's post if it seems like too much info for one).

Friday's post is still a mystery! I converted a neat knitting pattern to crochet, and if I can get permission from the author I will be sharing both versions. Otherwise I have a video game character that may get typed up if I can find my original notes this week.

Free Oogie Boogie Pattern

Hello! Today is Free Pattern Friday over at Handmade by Caitlin. This is something new I am trying out, coupled with Product Info Wednesday. Every week I am going to add to this series of posts for you to enjoy.

Wednesdays will focus on product info, including:

• FAQ about my products
• General knit wear information (e.g. caring for knit wear, yarn choices)
• In-depth discussion about one of my products
• General shop information (e.g. shipping options, return policy)

You can look through my past Product Info Wednesday posts by clicking on the blogger tag product info.

Fridays will feature free patterns and tutorials. While I intend to include my own patterns and tutorials, I may slip in some I have found around the web that fit in with my clientele, that I find particularly helpful, or that I just enjoy myself. You can look through my past Free Pattern Friday posts by clicking on the blogger tag free. As always, my own free patterns can also be found by clicking the Freebies tab up above. You can also get a peek at what to expect on future Free Pattern Fridays n_n


Today's free pattern is for an amigurumi Oogie Boogie (from The Nightmare Before Christmas).

I made this little guy a few years ago for a Tim Burton themed swap (you can check out my Ravelry project page if you are a member). I've gotten a few requests for the pattern over the years, and I finally got around to cleaning it up and adding pictures so I can share it with you. I am offering this pattern for free because it is a franchise character. As such I ask that you do not use this pattern for commercial purposes. Share the NBC love!

The direct link to my pattern is here, although Google Drive does something weird to .pdf pictures if you view it on the web (I don't know why this happens, but when you download the .pdf everything looks fine...maybe it's just my computer?). Starting now, you will also find a link to this pattern in my Freebies section.

If you do make your own Boogie, please feel free to share pictures or link back to me. I love seeing how creative everyone is!

Why Barefoot Sandals?

It's a fair question. Why do you want to decorate the top of your foot, but leave the bottom of you foot uncovered? This seems like the exact opposite idea off what shoes are supposed to be. However, there are times when barefoot sandals do make sense:

1. Dressing up on the beach
Do you ever want to look nice (or cute, fancy, etc) while on the beach? Shoes can be a hassle in the sand, even flip-flops. They drag, your feet still get dirty, and now you are tracking sand everywhere. Barefoot sandals allow your feet to look cute while still making it easier for you to walk in the sand.

2. Little ones that won't keep anything on their feet
Have a little one that just keeps pulling off her shoes, socks, and whatever else you try to put on her feet? It can be so frustrating, especially when you just want her to look cute for 30 seconds while you snap this picture. Barefoot sandals loop or tie around the ankle and loop over the toe, making removal by your little one difficult.

Barefoot sandals also leave the bottom of your little one's foot uncovered, which for some stops that frustrating behavior of pulling everything off. Toes are also free this way, and we know little ones just love to play with their feet and toes.

3. Engaging and stimulating your little one
One of the first feedback pictures I received of my barefoot sandals were of the customer's daughter using them as toys. She had ordered the Pink Bow pair, and her little one loved to reach for and pull at the bows on her sandals. Playing with barefoot sandals also helps expose your little one to new textures. High contrast combinations will also help stimulate (you can order in any color combination you want).

Playing with her feet also stimulates baby to pick her head up, and learn to roll up.

4. They are just plain cute
Ok, this may not be the most compelling of reasons to get barefoot sandals for your little ones.They may not be practical in all situations, but they are darned adorable. Since I provide ready-made as well as custom orders, this also gives you the chance to have some unique footwear for your little one.

So...now the question is:
Why order from Handmade by Caitlin?

• My barefoot sandals are crocheted, which means no ribbons to wrap around your baby's foot and leg, and no beads that could become choking hazards if the thread breaks.
• By default I make all of my items out of acrylic yarn. This is a synthetic fiber that can easily be machine washed and dried, making care for your items simple. 
• I also make my barefoot sandals with a loop for the ankle, making them stay in place better.
• I will work with you to make a pair to match that special outfit or with a specific look you are looking for.

Because I work with you to create the specific item you want, I am always willing to make changes to my default process. Sandals can have ties instead of ankle loops if you prefer. I am also willing to use a different fiber. While I would not recommend wool, it is definitely an option, and cotton would be an understandable choice, particularly if you look in a very warm climate. And of course you are welcome to request any colors, or ask for a design you haven't seen in my shop yet (e.g. monkey face sandals, your favorite sports team, a rose instead of a daisy...).

Please let me know if you have any more questions about this item and I will happily update this post!

Catching up...

As I said last time, I am back! I am catching up on photographing old things and will start working on new things soon. At some point in time I will actually post an old old entry that I didn't have time to upload pics for. It consists of a few old custom orders and some baby gifts for coworkers.

I spent part of last weekend with my sister's friend and her son--he is the cutest little boy in the world. Hands down. I may have to abscond with him for modelling purposes...although that means I need to make things for 1.5-2 year old boys!

I may also have to come steal my friend's little 1 year old girl, because I think she is the cutest. Baby doll pictures will only get me so far, I think. Plus some of them can be down right creepy. Not to mention the toddler sizes do not work so well on a doll lol

Now...to start putting together patterns & tutorials, designing new products, and all around getting back into the swing of things. Get ready for my new schedule of guaranteed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday posts. Thanks for stopping by!

Hello again, digital world!

I know I returned back to the online world last week, but I thought I'd post some pertinent things before the fluff :)

So I am done with my crazy spring semester of school. Usually I take a class or two online so it is pretty easy to handle, but this spring I was spending 3 nights a week in class until 10pm. Between that and the past few weeks packed with meetings at work, I've been falling behind.  But now I'm back and planning a new blog schedule to keep you entertained, informed, and updated in the world of cute baby knits.

Last week's post got some pretty high traffic, so I think I will try to make a weekly product info post. I may stray a bit and go more into general knits, like I did with my last post "Caring for Hand Knits." Future ideas include barefoot sandals, sizing info, yarn choices, more helpful shipping info. If there is something specific you want to know about regarding my products or policies, let me know and I will make a post about it!

I'm also thinking you might like to get a weekly pattern or tutorial. I have a lot of ornament tutorials to write up, as well as a few freebie patterns I want to clean up and share with you all. There are also some cool tutorials or free patterns I have found on the web and love to use, so i may be sharing those with you as well. These weekly posts may stray a bit from my typically line of baby knits, but this is a craft blog as well and I do dabble and sell products in other areas.

Of course I will post shop updates, but those will not be scheduled so much as whenever I update my shop.

There will likely be a few personal posts sprinkled in there, like this one. I am a nerd of many colors so be prepared for some randomly geeky posts about games or movies. I also love to cook and if you have been following me you know I am trying to get in shape. I'm hoping we can forge a community, so these may sneak in as well from time to time.

What else would you like to see? Polls? Reviews and recomendations? Non-shop projects? Let me know! I want to include information you are interested in.