Made for Charlotte: Poncho, Cloche, and Ballet Slippers

My mom has amazing crochet skills, I tell ya.  Thank you, Mom!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

My most favorite part of the outfit - the shoes.  The colors, the styling, the flower and leaves...I love it all.

Here's my mom with Charlotte Rose, all fancied up in her new poncho, cloche, and slippers.  Funny - when my mom told me she made a cloche, I had to look it up.  "Cloche" sounds so much more fashionable than "beanie," don't you think?  My mom has since sent a larger cloche for Charlotte, since this first one was was a bit snug.

Let's have one more look at those shoes.  My mom used this pattern from The Lovely Crow.  Did I tell you how much I love the shoes?  Love them.  Mom, will you please make me a grown up pair of these for Christmas?

Made for Charlotte: Afghans

This is another beauty from my mom. I think she all but slept with her crochet hook attached to her before Charlotte was born. Things haven't changed, either. My mom's been making oodles of baby booties and hair bows - originally for Charlotte - but now that word's gotten out, people are requesting baby shoes galore. But I digress...

My mom crocheted this afghan to match the lavender of Charlotte's nursery. Also, see the detail in the butterfly pattern?  Love it.

This was the afghan Charlotte wore in my favorite photo of her as a newborn.  My sweet baby.  My mom also made the head band.

This white afghan was knit by my husband's aunt.  It's so soft it makes me want to snuggle up in it - if only I fit.

This is a dressy afghan, if that even makes sense. Maybe because it's white? White is such a timelessly classy color. Plus white + baby doesn't work for everyday use. This is the afghan we wrap Charlotte in at church. And yes, I was a nervous wreck bringing it outside for fear the wind would blow it into the grass and leave it with a permanent green stain. Fortunately the photo shoot was uneventful...

except for this little guy walking in front of the camera.  This is Chester, the wonder pug.  He was our first "baby" and still gets pampered more than most dogs should.

Made for Charlotte: Mary Janes (Cute alert!)

These aren't your Grandma's baby booties.  These are stinkin' adorable!


Just look at them!  Little mary janes with a girly pink accent.  If ever I thought I wouldn't overindulge my daughter with shoes for every outfit, I'm doomed.  It doesn't help that my mom is such an enabler.  She's the crafty chica who crocheted these and all the other booties you'll see in this post.  Our conversations go something like this:

My mom: Ooh, I just bought the most velvety soft black yarn!  It'll be perfect for the shoes I'm making to go with the Christmas dress I bought for Charlotte!  (remember, it's June)  How about I make a pair to fit her now so you can see what you think?

Me: Um, heck yeah!  And by the way I just mailed five skeins of yarn for you to make shoes for Charlotte's summer outfits, too.

The indulgent grandmother type - I love it!  Thanks, Mom.

As for the velvety soft black mary janes, they arrived in the mail yesterday.  LOVE.



These white mary janes are one of the first pairs my mom made.

You can buy the patterns HERE, though my mom has started tweaking the design a bit, especially the straps.  Disclaimer: the day my mom bought and downloaded these patterns she got a virus on her computer.  Mom mom's tech-savvy enough not to do any risky clicking.  She says this was the only thing she can think of that might have affected her PC.  However, this etsy seller has a high, 100% positive feedback rating.  So obviously if this is how my mom got the virus, it's far from the norm.  Just something to consider.

This is the same pattern as the white booties, but in lavender.

Side view.  These patterns curve in and around the heel to help keep Baby from kicking them off.

These use the same pattern as the white and lavender shoes, but in pink.  My mom also embellished the toe box with little crochet flowers.

You can see why we're getting carried away with this shoe business.  :)  I just sent yarn for shoes in ivory, gray, brown, and light denim colors, plus red and pink yarn for lots of flowers, two-tone soles, and other girly accents.  I don't know when my mom will get tired of making these.  Maybe she already is.  But I sure am glad she's indulging me.

Made for Charlotte: Cuddle Sack

I love handmade.  I love creating with my own hands, I love giving handmade, and I love receiving handmade.  And when all this creating, giving, and getting involves babies, it's even better.  Fortunately I have friends and family who either share my passion for all things handmade or are willing to indulge me since they know I like it.

So for the next little while I'll be blogging the amazing gifts people made for Charlotte.  There's a little of everything, from cardigans to blankets to hair bows.  The handmade lovelies also represent a host of skill levels, from grandmas who've spent years honing their crochet skills to the elementary-age girls next door who sewed their first sock monster softies.  Melt my heart.

Let the parade begin!

It seems fitting to kick things off with a gift set made by my own mother. 

My mom crocheted this cuddle sack and bonnet for Charlotte.  I've also heard cuddle sacks called cuddle cocoons or swaddle sacks.  When you put Charlotte inside, the cuddle sack is a great way to keep her swaddled.  The yarn has a little give, but not so much that Charlotte's arms flail.

I took these photos when Charlotte was a week old.  My mom has what Ben and I call Baby Magic.  She has a way of reading a child, calming her, getting her to sleep (or at least be contentedly quiet so I can sleep.)

When my mom left, I cried.  How am I ever going to handle a household, two active boys, AND a newborn without her?  True to my mom's belief in me, we're managing.  But I still can't wait for her to come back.  I miss my momma.

Introducing Charlotte Rose

Charlotte Rose is here!

8 lbs. 10 oz.

20 3/4"

My sweet baby arrived and has a name: Charlotte.  This labor lasted longer than both of my previous labors combined.  But in the end I still got my healthy, beautiful daughter.  I'm absolutely smitten.

My mom is here cooking and cleaning, spoiling us rotten, and getting in as much snuggle time as I'll let her.  (I can't get enough of my baby, either, so I'm trying to share.)  My mom also showered us with handmade gifts for our sweet baby.  She made the afghan and hair band Charlotte's wearing in the photo - aren't they adorable! - plus plenty more crochet gifts that I'll get to show off later.

This little girl already has my husband wrapped around her little (and I mean little) finger.  I think he's having more fun putting her in all of her girly hair bands and such than I am.

For now I'm going to enjoy my baby and my family.

'Til later, Rachel