more baby crochet!

Seems I'm at that age where everyone around me is having babies! :)

Went to a baby shower yesterday and as well as a stack of books and some super cute onesies that I got at a consignment shop, I also gave the Mom to be this baby toque (the little one will be arriving in Jan when it's -30 here!):


I used this pattern as a guide but had to rework it quite a bit for a 0-3 mo baby as opposed to a 3-6 mo baby. Here's my final pattern:

Hook size=4.5
Yarn=cotton, weight - not sure, I think worsted (US), double knitting (UK)

R1 - Make an adjustable ring (OMG - first time trying the adjustable ring - learn how to do it here). Chain 2, 15 DC in ring. SS in first DC
R2 - ch1, SC around. SS in first SC (15)
R3 - ch2, 2DC in every stitch around. SS in first DC (30)
R4 - ch1, SC around. SS in first SC (30)
R5 - ch2, * 3 DC, 2DC in 4th stitch, repeat from * around. SS in first DC (38)
R6 - ch1, SC around. SS in the first SC (38)
R7 - ch2, DC around. SS in the first DC (38)
Repeat Rows 6 and 7 until you have 11 completed rows.

The brim:
ch8
R1: Single crochet through both loops (7)
R2-38: Single crochet through back loops only (7)

SC the brim to the hat.

Make a pom pom. (the cardboard circles that I used were 4cm in diameter)

Weave in the ends.

**confession - I normally only use second hand yarn but when I was at the yarn shop buying a crochet hook (needed a new size - I tried to get one second hand - honest!), they had a bag of odds and ends that included a lot of really cute cottons including this pink so I got it.

Low impact gifts

Here are some examples of gifts I gave recently. Since I'm trying to keep my consumer goods purchases to 10% of the average, I stuck (mostly) to second-hand and handmade gifts.

For hubby's b'day:
-4 second hand books from All Books and the Book Market
-a gift certificate for our favourite restaurant
-an antique whiskey glass from Champagne dit Lambert
-some candy from 7-11 (because it's a strange tradition)
-some hand made chocolates

For a friend's b'day:
a hand made journal:


I followed these instructions to construct the journal. And then these instructions for the embroidered cover. What you can't see in the pic is that I used paper that had already been printed on one side (non confidential paper from a friend's work). Also I used cardboard from discarded computer boxes from work and fabric I bought from used ottawa in the summer.




And these fingerless gloves:

I refined my earlier design - pattern to come (I'll put it in the comments). I made these ones with the yarn that was freecycled to me.