It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

My knitting needles have been humming Christmas tunes for a while now. I always have bigger aspirations than time; however, in the end, I acknowledge that giving everyone on my list something hand-made is simply not doable. This weekend, I finished some mitts (I am in love with Fetching) and now am in the middle of a hat project to give a co-worker who has twin baby boys. It has been fun to stripe the red and green. The Hat by Jan Brett will be wrapped together with the two hats.

Baby Knitting

I have been doing a lot of baby knitting lately, experimenting with organic yarn and baby hat patterns. Here are the latest soft things off and almost-off my needles. The blanket, for my neice Beth, is a simple, traditional basketweave pattern made from Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton. The pink hat pattern is from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and the white hat with the cute braided tassels is the pattern "Baby's First Hat" from Blue Sky.

A saint beside me

All Saints Day
dawns and the night before
I felt her arms, wound tightly
around me, protecting me,
shielding me
from whatever ails.
Nine years have passed since I knew
that touch
and yet my body melts
into familiar safety.
It takes me by surprise
when my mother appears,
that line between
heaven and earth
drawn so faintly.