Dear Beetle,
I'm so glad that you, your family, and your craft supplies made it all the way to Spokane, safe and sound. Durham is feeling that much emptier though, and I'm burying my loneliness in doll making and yarn hoarding. I'm working on some variations of the Winterberry Doll pattern, both for the shop and for my just-turned-one-year-old baby boy. Do you remember the prototype - my middle boy's beloved Baby Swaby? He fell in love with that doll as soon as he saw me sewing it up, and when he asked, his voice full of wonder, "Is that for me?" I couldn't possibly say otherwise. While my son gained a buddy, I unexpectedly gained the opportunity to watch one of my dolls grow into something so much more than the cloth and wool I sewed up.
Baby Swaby has been swung by his arms, bumped up and down the stairs, squeezed into backpacks, twirled in the air. He's been in forts and tree houses and tea parties. Nightly snuggles have softened his belly, and running up and down the hallway has stretched his arms a bit. But you'll be happy to hear that all his seams are strong and sturdy.
This past weekend, we decided to give him his first bath. I always include instructions to gently hand wash my Waldorf-style dolls with a good quality wool wash. But surrendering a beloved handmade doll to a full soak always comes with some trepidation, and I was careful to be extra, extra gentle with this guy. We filled up our sink with lukewarm water and added a few teaspoons of Eucalan. After diving right in, Baby Swaby got a soft facial scrub with a baby toothbrush and a very gentle belly rub to brighten up his bunting.
Then I very gently squeezed out some excess water, rolled him in a towel, and squeezed a tiny bit more. He stayed out in the sun for the rest of the day, which freshened him up some more and helped with any residual stains. Since my boy was unwilling to wait for overnight drying, Baby Swaby then went on a drying rack in the dryer on the "ultra-low" setting. After two cycles, we crossed our fingers and opened it up. Thankfully, he was clean, dry, and ready for snuggles, with no signs of felting or shrinkage! Phew!
Meanwhile, your lunch bag is amazing! I love that linen! And I do remember that trip to the quilt store. I remember that you had to explain to them the definition of a "shot cotton". It was actually on that same trip that I bought the alpaca yarn used to knit Baby Swaby's hat. The guy who sold it to me kept following us around the fiber festival, if I recall. We never did manage to visit his alpaca farm...
And yes, I too have Autumn knits swirling around in my head. Hopefully I'll have some finished objects to share with you soon.
Your Sister-in-Craft,
Fern
