Knitting Small Things

Phew, we made it to Friday! Work hasn't been too busy this week, but it's been a long week nonetheless. After getting her first appliance off a couple of weeks ago, Rainbow was back at the orthodontist on Tuesday to get her expander and some braces brackets put in. The expander will only be in for about three months, but it's a major adjustment for her -- I have to use a special "key" to expand it twice a day for two weeks, and it's made it harder for her to talk and eat, so she's been pretty pitiful for the past several days. We'll go back the week after next for the lower braces to be put on and the wires to be added.

On our way to the orthodontist's office, we stopped by the post office to mail a baby gift. If you've read this blog for any length of time, then you probably remember that my best friend's family has long been like extended family (we spent Christmas with them for many years, for example). My best friend is one of three daughters, and those three daughters have had nothing but sons -- until a couple of weeks ago, when the youngest one had a little girl. As per usual, I made some gifts for the new little one. You saw one of them a couple of weeks ago, though at the time it wasn't yet blocked and still needed a button at the time:

Because they were specifically requested, I also added some booties (Ravelry link), which were made with leftovers from the sweater I knit for the recipient's big brother several years ago:

Rainbow wanted to get into the act, too. She's been doing a lot of crochet lately, raiding my stash for leftovers, and she made this blanket using a skein of fingering MCN held together with a set of mini skeins (I did the single crochet edging):

The colors are more vibrant in real life, but I think you get the idea of it! The recipient lives in Miami, so we chose bright colors. The yarns I used in the sweater and booties are both cotton blends, and obviously the blanket, though primarily wool, is light and airy. The gifts arrived safely yesterday and were enthusiastically received.

I finished up my Twofer Tank yesterday (photos coming once it's blocked!), so I'm ready to cast on some new small projects:

These are both skeins of DK (A Hundred Ravens Vanir on the left and Fibernymph Dye Works Bona Fide tweed on the right) that will soon become a cowl and a hat, respectively. The hat is a new sample of a design that I have the rights back to and the cowl will be a new design that will coordinate with the hat. My designing has been woefully slow this year, so I'm anxious to get these knit up, edited, and published.

Also on tap for today: baking challah! My parents are out of town, so we're hosting my in-laws for Friday night dinner.

Here's hoping this weekend is a good one!