More maternity leave fun

It's nice to be working on things that are open ended - things that I'm working on purely for the pleasure of working on them. Not to say that things for the baby or things for the holiday weren't fun to work on, but there was a certain sense of productiveness that went along with them. With the new baby + the 2 big kids there's not much time to do what I want to do, and I have to limit the stuff that I want to do, to stuff that I'm actually physically able to do - I can't swim yet, I can't go places where I need to cary the baby carrier at all (C-Section recovery. Not supposed to carry more than what the baby weighs. And if I have the baby in the carrier, then that is baby + C, as my mother pointed out to me, even if I have the baby in one hand and the carrier in the other.) So, here's what I've been doing for fun:

1. Chocolate Marshmallow Blues hat. Adapted from Itty Bitty Hats (a Christmas gift.) Most of it is the Chocolate Blues pattern, but the bottom edge and chin strap are from the Marshmallow Bonnet, but done in garter stitch as in the Chocolate Blues hat. Both hats had similar construction, gauges, etc., so it was an easy adaptation and confirmed, "Why not just do it this way?" instinct. It's for the Afghans for Afghans 2008 Newborn drive, due at the end of February. Needs blocking and a button.


2. I finished the "Eleanor socks". Not technically challenging, but nice to make something for me. :^) Socks that Rock lightweight in Thistle. 2.75mm needle, over 60 stitches.


3. "Random Rail Fence" as I've been thinking of it. Used up the rest of the Moda jelly roll that I bought. Probably not the most efficient constructino method, but OK for not having a lot of direction. I followed the construction strategy that I used in my "lego" quilt until it was 4 strips thick. Then I cut them into 8" blocks and put it together in a sort of helter skelter way. The strips need to be squared up, then the rows will be sewed together to make the top. Eventually this is destined to Project Linus.


4. Another Project Linus quilt - the "watercolor quilt". I really like how this one turned out. It was going to be 5 blocks square, but I was short one blue square and didn't want to cut one out. So it's 4x6 instead, which I think I like better anyway.


I guess that's all I have to show right now. I'm working on a crazy invetion right now- newborn baby sized socks with an afterthought heel. The cuff is sort of fiddly, but it might be neat.

My sewing machine is under the knife. We brought it to the shop on Saturday for "regular" maintenance. Hopefully they don't find anything major wrong with it and it's like new when it gets home again. Gives me some time to write thankyou notes. :^)