Coffee and Knitting

Coffee and knitting! Nothing better than knitting early in the morning while drinking fresh, hot coffee!  Pike Place from Starbucks is my favorite right now. I choose my cup depending on my mood.

Found this great little pattern on Ravelry for these sweet newborn slipper socks. I used some of my soft stash yarns to make several pair.

Show and Tell

Pictured are some of bebeknits colorful slippers in four different styles designed especially for baby girls. I love the vibrant colors!
 Many of the beautiful yarn colors are more feminine, but baby boys also need bebeknits slippers!
 My focus for the next week is to share some of the more masculine bebeknits designs because little boys like stylish footwear too!

To Market, To Market

I actually enjoy shopping for groceries and putting them away!  Great care goes into choosing what makes it into my shopping cart. I look for foods that are nutritious and a good value.  My meals for the week are often made from what is on sale and what is in season. Whole foods, fresh fruits and veggies, beans, grains, eggs, fish, and dairy products are my favorites.

 Unpacking the bags and spreading out the bounty on my kitchen counter reminds me of just how fortunate my family is to have access to quality food!

Color for Babies

Who says that babies need to be dressed only in traditional pinks and blues? Vibrant non-traditional colors look great on little ones and show their style. Just like a pair of colorful shoes can make an outfit, so too can a bright pair of bebeknits slippers!

I fell in love with this merino wool in peacock blue, aquamarine, and magenta pink! Watch for a cute pair of Party Janes,  Little Boy Loafers, and Ballet Slippers in these great colors.

Fresh Herbs of Summer

One of the best parts of summer is pots of fresh herbs on the patio! Every year I find new ways and recipes to add these favorful and healthy herbs to my cooking. Basil for homemade pizza and caprese salad; rosemary for bread, pizza crust and fragrant bouquets; sage for tuscan bean salad; oregano and thyme for sauces and pasta dishes. In the fall the last of the sage and rosemary can be added to Thanksgiving dressing!

Odds and Ends

Don't you just love using all of something? Using the last bit of toothpaste, wrapping paper, hand lotion, pen ink, or yarn is really satisfying. It feels good to have nothing wasted!

This week at bebeknits will be about using some of the great yarns in my stash to make a more classic little baby bootie. They will be one of a kind due to the fact that there is only about enough to make one or maybe two pair from each yarn. All of the yarns are wool and very soft and squishy, perfect for keeping little toes warm and comfy.

Family Field Testing for Bebeknits

Testing some new ribbon tied newborn ballet slippers this past weekend on my two week old niece! They were still a bit big, but the fit was nice and the slippers stayed on pretty well!
The best part of the research was holding this beautiful baby and putting the slippers on her cute little feet!

Early Morning Knitting

A hot cup of coffee, a beautiful summer morning, and time for knitting...life is good!
 I love getting up early on a summer morning. The house is quiet and the birds are not! Sitting at the kitchen table I can see the garden and drink my first cup of coffee. It is a great time to knit and think about my day.
 Knitting a pair of gray and pink bebeknits ballet slippers to possibly photograph for my new Etsy banner.

Best Bread Recipe

I love the smell of fresh baked bread and more than ever I want to know exactly what ingredients are in my food. So lately I have returned to making my own bread.

Making bread is not difficult, but finding a good recipe can be. For years I have tried making bread with various recipes and ingredients and have finally found a winner. I think the original recipe was for Oatmeal Knots and it may have come from Cooking Light. It has been modified several times and I do tend to add what I have and change it a bit, but the basic recipe is below. I use a bread maker to prepare the dough ( so easy and tidy) and cook it in the oven!

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup honey
2 T butter
1 1/2 t salt
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg yeast
1/3 cup warm water
2 T gluten
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seeds, sesame seeds, wheat germ, or
wheat bran (usually I just throw in what I want and adjust the flour)

In a bowl combine oatmeal, honey, butter, salt, and boiling water. Let cool. Combine yeast and warm water. Add all ingredients to bread maker. Use dough cycle and check after a few minutes for excess moisture or dryness and add flour or a little warm water as needed.

After bread has risen or completed dough cycle, transfer to floured board and shape into 2 loaves, let rise, then bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Bebeknits Journal

I love journals! This particular journal is used for my bebeknits notes. I include project ideas, sketches, yarn info, pattern modifications and such. I do need to remember not to abbreviate so much as I often return to these notes and have to figure out what I meant!
Last night I started this little hat for the fall season. I am pleased with stripes and the brown rolled edge and plan to add a little brown stem at the top!

My Love of the Library

 The public libraries in this country are one of our national treasures and I visit mine almost every week! My husband and I even visit libraries in other towns that we visit or vacation. I love coming home with a variety of books, DVD's, CD's, and magazines that I can enjoy and then return. It keeps the clutter at bay and allows me to read, watch, and listen to much more than I would if I had to purchase everything! Public libraries need our support and patronage so visit your public library, join a library book club, donate gently used books, or volunteer to help keep libraries thriving in your community!

Summer Colors

Just finished two little bebeknits slippers in bright summer colors. The lemongrass and red ballet slippers remind me a little of tomatoes and the bright watermelon pink shoes are knit in one of my favorite summer colors!

A New Baby in the Family!

Within only a few hours of finishing the sweet little pink and yellow bebeknits hat I got the call that a new baby was born in our family. Of course my new niece would have to wear this little hat on her first day! It fit her perfectly and looked just adorable! Holding a newborn baby is so wonderful and for most of us only happens a few times in our lives. I am so fortunate that I was able to experience this once again!

The Long and Short of Knitting

Why can I spend hours (the long) to complete the knitting of a project and enjoy every minute of it and then postpone the finishing (the short) for weeks?  It's not that I dislike finishing so much, but it lacks the rhythm of the knitting and the anticipation of the finished product. The finishing is when you really see if your knitting looks like it did in your mind's eye.
Isn't that always the way it is when we create? Decorating a room, baking a birthday cake, planning a vacation... sometimes projects do not turn out quite how we envisioned. Sometimes they can be better!

July 4th Weekend

I love a simple bouquet from my garden. Have you ever noticed just how beautiful flowers are when you look at them closely? Putting them right on the kitchen table gives me a better view!

Flowers from my garden and bebeknits Fourth of July slippers.