More Crocodile Love

My latest pair of booties was a variation on my Bootie #2 style this time in cream and lilac.

I made the cuff significantly higher doing 7 rows of crocodile stitch rather than 3.

They're for a sweet little niece in the family who made her arrival just last week. 

The original Bootie #2 also found a new home for a little guy that came the same day as our new niece. 

Craft Sunday

We've had a cardboard box sitting in our living room for a couple weeks now. My Sexy Man brought it home for the hooligans to play with. They decided they wanted it to be a boat, and after several weeks of procrastination, I finally got to it and made the boat for them.

Now they're working on painting it. I told the little one to do the inside and the bigger one to do the outside in hopes that it would keep them from fighting. It's effectiveness is questionable at best, but probably better than if they kept trying to paint over each other's masterpieces.

Bootie # 4

More baby booties! 

This one is intended for a boy. It's inspired by moccasins, but since it lacks authenticity maybe I should call it a "mock-moc"? Or maybe I'll just stick with Bootie #4.

Anyway, I'm liking the concept, but still have kinks to work out (don't I always?)

Again, the suede bottoms with the fluffy insides. I'm loving this stuff.

And again, I really should go read my camera manual because I hate the way my pictures turn out all out of focus and crap. One of these days....one of these days.

PS If you're wondering what happened to Bootie # 3 (because I know you totally are) they are actually not the Crocodile Stitch Love Bootie I made. Those were a variation on Bootie # 1's bottom with a crocodile stitch top. I didn't see a point in labeling it as a new type of bootie since the basic concept is the same as a previous one. Bootie # 3 isn't actually out yet, but I'm hoping they'll look like ballet slippers.

Crocodile Stitch Love

Well, I am enjoying playing with the Crocodile Stitch, as featured in my new booties:

It took a little playing to figure out how to put an edging on it in a way that I liked, but I'm reasonably happy with the results. 

Planning on giving them to a Mom who's new baby girl has been spending a little time in the NICU.

Bootie # 2

Here's my latest crochet adventure which I dubbed (oh, so creatively) "Bootie # 2"!

This pattern is intended for a boy, and is not quite as refined as I'd like it to be yet. Still, I think it shows some promise! (Boys are hard to crochet for....just sayin'.)

I took the opportunity to become acquainted with the crocodile stitch, something that I think I might be getting obsessive about in the future. I can't believe I haven't tried it out before!

Again, I used a fabric sole with a punch to start off with. This time I did a slightly larger size and I used a suede-type fabric with a fluffy inner lining. I think it'll feel great on those little baby toes!

PS that stuff is super expensive at $24.99 a yard...BUT you don't need much for a baby bootie sole, and if you have a half off coupon, it's not such a big deal! Now if only I could find it in more colors....

Anyway, feeling glad to have this particular project off the hook. I look forward to refining some flaws out of it and making it even better in the future.

Crochet Baby Booties

One of my very few talents is crochet. I learned a basic stitch from my Grandmother a few years ago, and it took off from there. I feel like it's the ONE thing I do really well.

Anyway, here's my latest:

Ta-da! These are intended for a baby girl...hence the frilliness!

This is freehand. I didn't use a pattern. I'm still working on getting everything the way I want it before I write it up and save the pattern for other crochet lovers.

One notable new thing I did was this:

I used felt for the sole of the bootie, and I LOVE it!

Now, I've crocheted bootie soles before, but I'm just not a fan of doing it. It's hard for me to keep track of the stitches that I'm on and it seems like they always warp into a fold or a bubble when I start working up the sides of the bootie.

So I cut out these little soles (supposedly Newborn Size at around 3.5" long) and punched some holes around the edge which I crocheted into. I don't think I'll ever go back to crocheting the soles again!

Anyway, there are tons of babies coming in my social circle, so I may just be on a bootie-run (okay, that sounded a little weird, sorry!) for the next little while. I hope I can make enough to get them to everyone!

On Learning

On my Facebook feed, I saw a link to a short video that talks about curiosity and science. Curiosity feeds scientific exploration, yet the way science (as a subject) is sometimes taught tends to kill that vital element.

Here it is, short and sweet:

 

It reminds me of a classic TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson. He talks about creativity rather than curiosity, but he makes the same assertion that the educational system has the capability to kill it as well.

Whether or not I decide to homeschool or to take advantage of the public school system, curiosity and creativity are vital qualities in my children that I want nurtured. I do not want them to lose these capabilities because I believe that any meaningful and long-term learning will come through curiosity and interest in the subject. I also believe that the problems of the future will require more creativity than memorization.

I believe keeping this alive in my children may be more difficult (but not impossible) in the public school system, and that if that is the decision we make, it will take more effort and involvement to prevent the loss of these important abilities.