we were in ames for easter last weekend-it was our first time missing veritas since we began 7 months ago! it was definitely weird to be away.

but we loved our time in ames with my family too and at cornerstone, our amazing “mother church.” quick non-sequitur: after being in a teeny church for almost a year, bryan and i were just in awe of the well-oiled machine that is cornerstone. everything runs so smoothly, and the quality of everything there is outstanding. even the programs were printed on nice paper and perfectly folded! it was magical.

anyway, because it was our first time back in ames since christmas, i knew i wanted to make sure to meet two very important babies. two of my dear friends from our old connection group had babies in november of last year and i hadn’t met them yet!

i also wanted their moms to feel loved too, so i made each of them a “latte changing pad.” the one pictured is the one i gave to whitney. i used a blue and green animal print for rachel’s since she had a baby boy.

i found the pattern in a book a received for christmas, one-yard wonders: 101 sewing projects. this is the book’s description of the project: this compact changing pad and sleeve can hold a small package of wet wipes and two or three toddler diapers. it is intended for the toddler mom who no longer needs a big diaper bag, as it can be rolled up and tucked right inside your purse. perfect for a trip to the coffee shop! 

i thought that sounded perfect for them, as their babies are already almost 6 months old! it was fun to give my friends a simple little gift of love and meet their babies-love you Rachel & David and Whitney & Gracyn!

the directions were pretty easy to follow, although i admit some sentences weren’t as clear to me. the first one i made took about two hours to make, and the second only one! it was a pretty easy project, not quite like my last baby gift. : )

happy crafting!

whew, this is definitely the biggest project i have undertaken yet. and i am so proud of how it turned out. my cousin and i say all the time, knitting is magical. it really is! what was once a rolled up piece of yarn is now a beautiful blanket, ready to provide warmth and comfort for it’s owner, which in this case is baby thune. our pastor’s wife, ashley, is due in may. a bunch of us church women gathered to celebrate with her last sunday, we’re all so excited for this baby!

i absolutely loved ashley’s face when she saw the blanket, it made all the time spent on this fun project worth it for sure. i’ve had the joy of getting to know ashley this semester in a bible study we’re in together, and when i saw this pattern, i knew i wanted to make this for her!

i found the pattern, by the way, in a brand new book called a knitter’s home companion. it’s written by an iowa city local and is a most adorable collection of stories, recipes, and knitting patterns. it’s also the only book i have finished so far this year, so it has that going for it. if you’re a knitter, i highly recommend picking this book up!

happy crafting!

a friend from veritas asked me to create a baby bear hat for her mini-clients. she is a local family photographer and also just an adorable person. i was so honored by her request-it’s my first crafting “job.” thanks, sarah, for encouraging me to continue towards my dream of selling my wares! : )

you need to check out her photography, so cute!

this is another pattern i created myself, which is really good for me to keep practicing. it was difficult to get the sizing correct as i got a lot of different information on head sizing. in the end, this hat is about 15″ around, which is a pretty good size for 6-9 months.

i’m in love with the cream color and the adorable little ears. i can’t wait to see what sarah does with it!

contrary to popular belief, we are not trying to get pregnant in order to fill these shoes. i swear, everyone wants a little dimpled redheaded alsbury baby these days. okay, so maybe i want one too…but, no! we’re content right now. : )

anyway…i made the booties and this teeny tiny hat for veritas‘ first and favorite newborn, hudson michael! doesn’t the duck make a cute hat model?

mike and alicia are in our connection group and i thought it would be just adorable if their sweet baby boy had a some hand-knit winter gear! although, when i dropped off dinner and the gift last night, i looked at hudson’s head and i think he’s already a little too big for the hat. whoops! alicia, you’ll have to let me know how/if it fit! : )

pictured below is the matching set:

aren’t these just the cutest? i found the basic pattern here. i think the “moccasin” style is stinking aborable, but my mom pointed out that most moms like to have simple clothing that will go with a lot. she’s so wise. so i used a neutral “boot” color and a blue.

it was a challenge working with such tiny needles, but now i’m that much more practiced at knitting.