Baking Cookies! Yum Yum Yum

My little man is old enough now that he understands that you shouldn't touch what is hot, and that Mommy doesn't like it when he plays in the cat's dishes, the garbage or near the top of the stairs, all of which enable us to let him into the kitchen when we're cooking now. It may not seem like a big deal, but it's amazing being able to cook safely without having him yell at you through the bars of the baby-gate. And actually letting him help, well that's one of both his and my favourite things to do.

So to get my little chef in training set up, I badly needed a Bugaboo-sized apron. I tried tying on a tea towel or using an old apron of mine

(with a little creativity; those are blueberries for muffins he's eating), but they were not good enough. A friend with a little boy Bugaboo's age is just starting sewing and I've been helping her. I thought this could be a nice easy project to help her feel more comfortable with sewing, but while I wait to find a time where our men can take our boys for a few hours, I needed a quick fill-in. So here it is.

It's not overly clear, but it's just a piece of scrap from a blanket that was turned into shepherd costumes for a Christmas pageant. I simply cut it out to the shape I wanted and sewed on the ties (which were strips cut from old curtain material that doesn't fray). I'm uneasy about things tied around little ones necks, so I looped them under the arms instead. It took no time at all and I'm going to use the same design for the nicer version.

It had to be tried out as soon as he woke up from his nap and the cookies were great fun (with little kids, sugar cookies are nice to make because you mix them up with their help, and can cook them later when the kiddies are asleep, after the dough has chilled. It'seasier not having to try to keep their attention on cooking for too long). He refused to let me take it off until I told him we were going outside for a walk and he had to leave it at home. I suppose I could have let him wear it though.

Anyhow, in other news, I have a close friend who started knitting when I did. Both of us were taught by our mothers, but because they live so far away, we've been stumbling through the stitches together, learning quite a lot as we go. Well she got me a stitch-a-day Vogue knitting calendar for Christmas, and everyday it has a new pattern with instructions on it. I've been tempted by quite a few of them, but as is Vogue's reputation for patterns, I've been daunted by the complexity of the instructions. However, Thursday's pattern was too wonderful not to try. I actually had to keep myself from ripping it off a day early. However, I held strong and muddled through and ended up knowing how to do this!

It's called a Scalloped Shell and can't you just see it along the edge of a little girl's pinafore or a baby's cap! The wheels in my head are just a whirring with plans however, I have to finish this baby blanket first, so I guess I best get knitting!