It's all about the babies. . .

. . .and there are a LOT of babies at church lately! Yay for the Empty Nesters (me and Hubs) who love to hold and play with children but don't want to rush their own offspring into parenthood! Yay for the Knitter! Yay for the store that sells the yarn that the Knitter turns into baby sweaters! And Yay for the store that sells FABULOUS buttons, too!

For the past few years, Hubs and I have volunteered in the Church Nursery (Yay!) on Sunday mornings. We have also offered our services as babysitters to some of the young families that know us from there. It keeps us in touch with the fun side of life (we are like the grandparents now. . .play, give treats, laugh and sing, play, play, play, turn them back over to the parents as they start to crash from the sugar high), and we love every minute of it! I also especially love to knit the baby sweater!

Quick to knit, and I can use all kinds of fun colors. . . Some of the sweaters are plain, some are striped, some have hoods, some are for girls and some are for boys. This one is for a darling newborn girl with a big brother at home. First girl in the family, so I wanted it to be frilly, but not all pink.

It's a simple pattern that I use over and over again, especially for baby sweaters! I love this pattern because it leaves open all kinds of possibilities. . .like, should it be plain knitting? lace? stripes? Should the ribbing be k2, p2? or k1, p1? or should there even be ribbing? Maybe ruffles with a little ribbing. . .yes! Lace and ruffles, in baby blue with some bright contrast yarn at the collar and cuffs! And, when all the decisions are made, and the knitting is done, and the knitter finds that she only has 4 flower buttons, but she has a single bee as well. . .and there you have it! Taa Daaaaa, a baby sweater for a special little girl!:

And sometimes, when it's not about the babies, it's about the sweaters!
And sometimes, when it's not about the sweaters, it's about the knitalong!
And so here is the Traveling Woman shawl I recently completed in Destination Yarn (Vienna). . .this knitting. . .it's almost good enough to eat!

Then, just when you think you can't get any more yummy color, the seasons change, and the trees and flowers bud and bloom and drip with the perfume of springtime! I am thankful for the Spring and the promise of new life that it brings. . .which takes us full circle to the babies! Yay!

Knit in Good Health this Spring!