I’d purchased some various plush toy material for Emma for a class project and had leftover material from Halloween. Duncan chose the brown fuzzy stuff to make a hamster. Berry went for the pink fleece to make a kitty.

I would post patterns but, basically, I asked them to draw what they wanted it to look like. Then I made a pattern on a piece of paper and cut out 2 pieces. The body was one piece. The tail was another.

As neither child knows how to sew, I gave them a quick sewing lesson — running stitch for Duncan, over stitching for Berry (is that even the right word?) — knowing I’d need to go over it for them so all the stuffing wouldn’t fall out, but wanting them to get some practice and participate. It went fairly well, considering.

After stitching, we turned them right side out and stuffed. That was probably their favorite part. Then I sewed them up and added tails. I put a thick twisty tie I found in the kitchen drawer into Berry’s cat’s tail to give it some curling ability.

For some reason, Berry decided her cat should have fluffy white eyes. I recommend felt, not fuzzy white fabric. Fortunately, I talked her into felt for the mouth. Duncan insisted on ears and feet for his hamster (note that Berry’s cat doesn’t have legs…).

Once completed, and ready to become inducted into Sonic the Hedgehog’s band of Freedom Fighters, all that was left was giving them names. Duncan went for something simple: Chocolate. Berry, however, wanted a full and complete name for her creation. Kitty Cutie-Cat wasn’t enough. It needed a last name. Gustina was rejected. As was Freedom, as Robotnik would immediately know that the cat was out to defeat him if his last name was Freedom. So I suggested Evil, to fool Robotnik. And so Kitty Cutie-Cat Evil was christened and sent forth into battle.

Duncan continues to love Dora. And he’s been wanting Dora pajamas for ages.

Berry, well, she loves being a princess. Which isn’t hard to find. Unless you want to find it in cotton.

During the summer, I decided to attempt sewing a couple of night dresses for her, as I couldn’t find anything in cotton. Emma saw them and asked if I’d make her one. So we went on a mission to the fabric store for material and a pattern and I whipped up a fall/winter night gown.

Then, of course, Duncan and Berry had to have some of their own. So off we went to the store, choosing nice warm flannel.

(As an aside, we were in the store, waiting for what seemed like hours to get the material cut. Duncan and Berry were playing around, being mostly well-behaved but a bit mischievous. A presumably well-meaning gentlemen suggested that I have two more children so that my hands would be completely full. I told him that I did, but that they were at home. Fortunately, he made no further comments.)

My sewing machine has been acting up, causing relentless frustration while I was making Emma’s nightgown. However, it must have been entranced by the princess pattern on Berry’s flannel fabric as it worked fine over the weekend.

Things went smoothly and quickly. Soon, I had a pair of sunny yellow Dora pajamas and a purple princess night gown. The debate continues on whether it features Princess and the Frog or Princess Jasmine.

I confess to making them both a bit on the big side. If they could last a couple of years (presuming Duncan still loves Dora next winter) I’d be delighted.

Anyway. So I was looking for strawberry clip art/line drawings. And I found a pattern for a strawberry tea cosy. I had to have it. But I don’t knit.

Fortunately, I’m related to one of the world’s most fantastic knitters. (Ah, flattery, flattery. It works on my Mum.)

I got this in the mail today. It deserves the humongo-sized photo treatment.

Just looking at it makes me happy.

Kevin gave me the awesome tea pot for Christmas. It’s a Made in England traditional Brown Betty. And it holds 8 cups of tea. I drink a pot every day.

Now my tea is cozy.

And we’re not alone in wanting to cover Berry with fruits. In the card Mum sent with the tea cozy she wrote, “P.S. What do you think about making one as a rather cute winter hat for Berry?”

Why?

My new obsession. Duncan’s babette blanket.

I don’t know how I came across a web site about it. But I did. And it stole my sanity. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent (often at 3 a.m., rocking Berry) thinking about the next square I’m going to make or what color combinations I like best together.

It started out as 20 balls of yarn, purchased with some “frivolous” birthday money while vacationing in Florida at my mum’s.

Since then, it’s been slowly growing into squares of lovely, intricate, fine cotton crochet. I’m honestly surprised that I can make something this pretty.

Duncan loves it and asks about his “blanket squares” often. I try to keep him out of my crochet bag, but he’s figured out how to work the zippers.

This is where I was a few days ago. I know, I have many months to go. My goal is to finish it by Duncan’s birthday in July. I’ve actually created a few more squares since then.

What kept me up late last night was drawing a diagram for putting the finished squares together. Finally, between last night and nap time today, I have a finished drawing. I know exactly how many of each size squares I need to make. And I know approximately how big the whole thing will be. Big. Maybe not big enough. But big.

I also know I have…oh, a lot of squares left to go.

Here are the stats:
I’m using DMC Senso cotton yarn and a size D 3.25 mm crochet hook. I’m making squares with 4, 6, 8 and 12 rounds. The finished size for each square is (or should be) as follows:

4 rounds – 3″
6 rounds – 4.5″
8 rounds – 6″
12 rounds – 9″

Actual sizes vary. For the 4 and 6 round squares, I’ll be using a 3 mm hook. Otherwise they don’t match up with their multiple equivalent (e.g. 3 4-rounds don’t equal 1 12-round square).

For the complete babette blanket, I’ll need a total of (good God!) 128 squares in each of these sizes:

4 rounds – 44
6 rounds – 60
8 rounds – 16
12 rounds – 8

I think I’ve made about 17 squares so far…

I’d get back to it right now, but I’ve decided to make Duncan a “June dress” tonight as he keeps begging us to put his blanky/a purple pillowcase/a kitchen towel/whatever around his waist so he can pretend to be June from Little Einsteins.

I’ll get back to it shortly, though, no worries there. At least it’s a healthier obsession than, say, eating tubs of ice cream. It is an obsession, though. I’ve gone so far as to join the Flickr babette group. But crocheting keeps my hands busy and relaxes my mind. Both good things.