Handmade love

I'm knitting Hulk a sweater right now out of a book called 'Inspired Cable Knits'. Each pattern is 'inspired' by something - the sweater I'm knitting is called Ripples, and she states 'the cable pattern speaks to the ripples set in motion by the advent of a new life'. I think it's sweet - others make think it's cheesy.

In another part of the book, she talks about how a handmade gift is a true expression of love, because "We all have a finite amount of time, so it is a loving gesture to use some of this most precious commodity to make something for someone else...". Well, my baby has the handmade love brimming everywhere. Even when he was in the hospital, he was wearing hand knit booties and sweaters. But here at home, he has a few things I haven't shown off yet.

Just this weekend, Aaron finished a quilt rack that I had asked for:

The top quilt on the rack is one that I made about 3 years ago (click on the link to see the whole quilt). The fabrics were picked out of a scrap pile when my girlfriends went on a shopping trip without me... and they brought me home a surprise. I made this quilt in the summer, sitting on my back porch, thinking of my future baby. I showed the quilt top to Aaron's grandmother, and she decided to hand quilt it for me! So that is a neat handmade by a few generations plus the friend love that picked out the fabrics.

Then, we have that quilt I mentioned a few weeks ago that my quilting friends made me:

I just love thinking of them all getting together to make this for my little guy!

And finally, some hand knit love:

This adorable bunny was made by a 'newish' friend. I met Cathy on the trip I made when I was 6 weeks pregnant. I was freaking out about some spotting I was having, and I find out that she is an OB/GYN. Instead of avoiding the crazy pregnant lady on her vacation - she was a great comfort (and assured me the spotting was normal with the progesterone gel I was using). And I'm now honored to have her as a friend! And Hulk gets a supremely cute bunny in the deal.

Off to work on that little Ripple sweater for Hulk... he is totally spoiled with the handmade love.