69 - Party Decorations, White Of Course

Obsessing a little over white, painting every room in my house multiple shades of it at different times, collecting and rejecting immense amounts of milk glass, buying white things for my house that I know have no place in the presence of toddlers, and such, is bit of a thing with me. So when I took on hosting my dear friend's baby shower this last month I couldn't help myself...white it would be, at least for the handmade decorations. I kept it pretty simple and clean (I'll share photos from the actual shower soon), and well inexpensive can't hurt either. A couple boxes of white straws, white floss, and that's it. Here's what I wound up with:

68 - Best Baby Booties / A Free Pattern from GeorgiaBean

Best Baby Booties Pattern

Copyright GeorgiaBean 2014

This a pretty basic pattern that should be accessible to most knitters. I find it stays on baby's feet much better than many other patterns I've made for my littles. I'll try to add a larger size when I get the time. Also I traced the sole shape and size and added leather soles to these.

Size 0-3 months

Materials:
set of 5 dpn - #US6
bulky worsted weight (I prefer cotton, bamboo, or very soft wool since it's a baby knit)

Cast on 24 sts. Place 6 sts on each of 4 needles. Join for working in the round.

Work k2, p2 ribbing for 6 rnds.
Purl in the rnd for 2.25".
Next rnd (eyelet rnd): m1(using a yo), p2tog, p1 for entire rnd.
Purl for 2 rnds.

Place the first 12 sts of the rnd on one needle and work only these stitches for the next 14 rows.
Row 1: k1, p1 for 12 sts, turn.
Row 2: p1, k1 for 12 sts.
Repeat these 2 rows 6 more times - 14 rows total.
Next work across the 12 sts as follows and then pick up sts along the edges of the gusset and beginning working all sts in the rnd again.
Row/Rnd 15: k2otg, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 p2tog, pick up 9 sts along the edge of gusset, purl 12 sts from other needles, pick up 9 sts along the other side of the gusset. (40sts)

Take a moment to arrange the stitches on 4 needles as follows, 1st needle - 10 sts / 2nd needle - 10 sts / 3rd needle - 10 sts / 4th needle - 10 sts

Purl for 4 rnds.
Rnd 5: p2tog, p6, p2tog, p10, p2tog, p6, p2tog, p10 (36 sts)
Rnd 6: p all sts
Rnd 7: p2tog, p4, p2tog, p10, p2tog, p4, p2tog, p10 (32 sts)
Rnd 8: p all sts
Rnd 9: p2tog, p2, p2tog, p10, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p10 (28 sts)
Rnd 10: p all sts
Rnd 11: p2tog, p2tog, p10, p2tog, p2tog, p10 (24 sts)
Rnd 12: p all sts
Rnd 13: p2tog, p10, p2tog, p10 (22 sts)

Divide sts onto 2 needles - 11 sts on each (22 sts total)
Working in reverse kitchner st (or grafting for garter st) to seam up the sole.
Here is a link to reverse kitchner st instructions.

Cut 6 lengths of yarn as long you want you want your ties to be. Tie a knot at the end of three strands and braid until there is only 1.5" left and tie a knot. Repeat with the other 3 strands. Trim the ends to be even. Weave the braids through the eyelets and tie a bow. You're finished!

NOTE: I typed this up on a very tired brain and wrote a few numbers down incorrectly. I updated the math and all should be right. So sorry if you started this pattern already and it wasn't coming out quite right.

67 - A Couple More Weeknight Dinners

A couple years back I took the time to create a list of meals that went over well with our family. Nowadays when I make something new I almost always ask Luke if he'd happily eat it again, if so it gets added on. I actually find it incredibly difficult to come up with a meal plan each week without my list (and a couple recipe apps). Here are a couple of meals we recently added into the rotation:

1. Quick Gumbo / 2. Red Curry Chicken & Rice / 3. Loaded Salad

Always so curious how others plan out dinners for their families. I've had friends who shopped each day on their way home from work, and even though I'm sure it's lovely to have really fresh ingredients that sounds so exhausting. I load up the boys at the beginning of the week and we shop for around 5 dinners. Those 5 meals carry us through the entire week with leftovers usually for one or two evenings. How do you plan out your dinners?

66 - Baby Knits

Baby fever must have been going around nine months ago because I have a new niece, nephew, and two of my childhood friends are expecting little fellows with their significant others any day now. For so long Luke and I have been the only ones in our group of friends with littles and so it's exciting to know more are on the way. I knew I better get busy, and quickly, with some gifts for those new arrivals. As I've posted here before I usually make the same sweater and hat for each baby but I decided to mix it up.

One little fellow received this linen blanket and these booties. I attached leather soles to add a little something special to the booties and tassels to the simple quilted blanket.

These tiny booties and diaper cover will soon be in the mail for another.

And a couple basic hats for yet another. I found a simple roll brim to be the best baby hat, stays in place, and without seams it's gentle on baby's head.

I plan on writing out the patterns for a few of these items if time permits and posting them up here. I always find pattern writing kind of boring and time consuming, but I really should for my own sake so that next time I go to make something similar I remember how I did it.