Tiny Babies (in their beds)

I knit. I knit a lot! I also crochet...not as much as I knit, but lately a little more than usual. Because every once and again I get a bee in my bonnet about something I'd like to make. Last time it was a beaded lizard. This week, it's all about dolls. 

When I was a little girl, my grandmother gave me a little Cradle Purse, complete with a doll, blanket, mattress and pillow. I don't know if she made the purse or bought it, but I remember that it had a plastic bottom, cut from an oblong shaped bottle of bleach. There were holes punched at the edges of where the bottle had been cut, and crochet stitches were worked through the holes to cover the cut edge before the skirt, hood and drawstrings were worked. 

I loved this little Cradle Purse, and I carried treasures in it well into my teens, although I did sometimes hide it from my friends by stashing it in a larger bag. Long after I had lost the doll and accessories, I used the purse/ cradle to care for my high school Family Living class "egg baby." (Bring the egg everywhere for two weeks to learn what having a baby is like...not so realistic, but not a bad lesson.) Long story short, the egg and I survived, with fond memories. :) I'm not sure when I finally misplaced the little purse. 

Fast forward to my 40-something years, and I found a pattern. I made three Cradle Purses using that online pattern which did not use a plastic bottle or butter tub. They were ok, but I wanted a flatter base. Now that I'm in my mid-50s, why not revisit this bit of nostalgia? So I looked up all the patterns I could find, then I decided to rework the pattern as I want it to be. 

Ive made three so far, each a bit different as I go, and I think I'm almost there. If my notes are good, I may write it up...we shall see. And just for fun, I have 12 tiny babies (4" long dolls) to add to these creations...although there may not be 12 purses made. Lolz...

Maybe I'll add little blankets and pillows, but that remains to be seen. (Who am I kiding? I'm probably going to do that...but I have not done it yet. 😉 )

I am thankful that my grandma left me with this memory, and maybe I'll find a girl (or 12!) to share new memories with, too. Regardless, I'm sure enjoying the nostalgia of this project! 

What are you working on this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope that it is bringing you joy! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit (or Crochet?) in Good Health!

Using yarn leftovers for
a riot of colors!

On Saturdays, We Knit Blocks

As far as I know, "On Wednesdays, we wear pink," but there is no such rule for knitting...or for Saturdays. So this morning, before my house woke up fully, I got back to my latest project. 

I made knitted blocks for Peanut and Sweet Pea some time ago, and they were a big hit!

When I put them together (fall 2015) it must have been the season of Alphabets, because I also knit ABC mittens for Peanut that year!

But, I digress. Back to the blocks I am knitting for my soon-to-be newest speller! I mean, he is not a speller yet...first talking, then spelling! But there is no harm in providing the tools early, and I am working on it...

As a bonus, if you toss these blocks, nobody gets hurt. This is good, because toddlers love to throw things! They also love ice cream!

And visits from cousins!

This Pretty Knitty Gramma loves to see the three of them together, and is anxious to see FOUR of them together next summer (or before), because my dear Dollface and her hubby will be welcoming a new addition before the end of 2020! While I wait, no matter what happens in the world, you can rest assured that there will be knitting in my house. And in my car. And in my office...pretty much anywhere you find me, there will be knitting, for sure!

Now it's time for me to get back to my full house. Only a couple more days of granddaughters under my roof, and I don't want to miss any of it! I hope that you are finding joy in your house today. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Honoring Mom, I hope...

Mother's Day comes every year. It is always on a Sunday, and it should not surprise me, but it usually does. This year is no different, and I am ashamed to say that I have neither card nor gift for my mother or my mother-in-law this weekend. I am not an outstanding daughter or daughter-in-law, and I am sorry to both of you.

However, my failure to plan is not a black mark against either of you, so I thought I might use this blog post as my "card." I know...cheap substitute...but straight from the heart.

Mom, 

Thank you for being my mom. Pregnancy was not easy for you, but you persevered. This speaks of the love you had for me before I even existed. Your commitment to our family is something that astounds me. Before I was a grandmother, I am not sure I ever truly appreciated the mental and emotional strength that is required to love a family, to raise children into and through adulthood. I know there were probably times that you wanted to throw in the towel, because motherhood is hard! I know there have been times that I have wanted to toss my own towel, and I think my struggles were smaller than many of yours, but you kept going. Thank you for that example. Thank you for loving me and my sister, and for often giving to us out of your nearly empty cup. Love spent multiplies itself, and yours has filled my heart more than words can express.

Rita,

Thank you for having and raising your children, including the big one you handed over to me in 1987. I have done my best to keep him in line through the years, failing more than once, and he is just one. In fact, I am in awe of your fortitude in raising 5 children. I often thought about that when I was raising your grandchildren, and losing my mind with just two of them...I might have legitimately lost my mind if I had more than double that number! But you did not lose your mind. You kept putting one foot in front of the other, working full-time, keeping a tidy home and making sure that food was ready when 7 souls sat around your dinner table at the end of the day. Even if your only reason for persevering is "that's just what you did," thank you for staying. I do not know what all your specific struggles were back then, but I know you had struggle. Thank you for not giving up. Your love is at the center of our extended family.

To both of you,

As my kids (your grandchildren) have given me grandchildren of my own, I respect you at a new level. At the heart of our love for these newest generations, we also know well the perils they may face, and we worry. As I love and watch my son and daughter live through the highs and lows of parenthood, there is often little for me to do. Sharing their joyful triumphs and sometimes struggling with them through difficulties is less hands-on than when they were little, but I am no less emotionally involved. I am all in! And I kind of love that I know that YOU know just what I am talking about. Thanks for being good grandmothers!

A verse that I often hear pulled out at Mother's Day mentions the impact a mother and a grandmother had on the young preacher, Timothy. (2 Timothy 1:5) 

I'm not going to pick that verse apart, because this is not a Bible study blog, but I will note that Timothy's mother and grandmother were both honored with a mention. They persevered to raise their son/grandson well, just as you did. As I look back at everything that I have written today about why I am thankful for both of you and your positions as mothers and grandmothers, I hope that I have honored you as well. I love you both. Happy Mother's Day!

If anyone but my mom and mother-in-law is still reading, thanks for stopping by. I hope this honors all of the women who strengthen families, each in her own unique way, this weekend. 

Thank you.

Back to the knitting next week!

You want a cookie?

Welcome to the new blog! (Edited to add that Pretty has decided that two blogs were silly. She merged the two in December, 2012.) If you have come from a link I've posted, you probably already know that I am Pretty.  If not, Hi!  I'm Pretty, and this is my new blog!  If you want to know a little bit more about me, please check out the "About" page, and maybe the "Meet the Family" page.  There will be more detail as we get to know each other.  :)

Since there's lots of time for us to get acquainted, I thought I'd start with a cookie recipe.  Everyone loves cookies, right?  Right.  So, check out this link for Grandpa Joe's Anise Cookies.  I'll wait while you go and have a look...

Here's a picture, too!

Now, looking at these cookies, you might have guessed that they don't have chocolate, or creme centers, or oatmeal in them.  This is a cookie that my very Italian grandparents kept on the kitchen table at all times.  As kids, we would come in, sit down and open the round, white, cardboard cookie container (the kind that comes filled with sugar-sprinkled Christmas cookies in December) and have a cookie. They were always dry, not too sweet, and tasted faintly of black licorice...that's the anise.

Sometimes, if you timed it just right, Grandpa Joe would come into the kitchen to refill his coffee cup while you sat there with your cookie.  He would add milk from the quart in the fridge,   filling his cup to the very top, and then he would bend down to the counter to take the first, slurpy sip without lifting it.  Then, he would take a cookie and there you were, eating cookies in the kitchen with Grandpa.

Of course, it was usually about this time that Grandma came in to shoo Grandpa out, and rush around the kitchen to cook the pasta and toss the salad so that we could all eat!  I don't remember her ever shooing me out of that kitchen, tho.  And I don't remember her ever telling me that I couldn't have a second cookie...or a third, or a fourth.  

I love the memory of my grandparents' kitchen, and these cookies are only a part of the magic.  I love knowing that my Grandfather baked ridiculously large batches of these cookies, and stored them in a box in the pantry, covered with a towel.  Most of all, I love the way being in that kitchen with my grandparents made me feel loved. 

What's your favorite cookie?