Thanks Giving: Handmade Warmth

Day 21 - A November discipline of giving thanks each day

I love the emphasis in the Waldorf tradition on warmth.  I do feel like one of my primary jobs in this cold place is to keep my family warm - warm meals and drinks, warm hats and clothing, and warm hugs and words.  I am particularly grateful for the way seeking warmth has called me to create and to be resourceful.  

I finished Rowan's vest when we were in Switzerland.  It is made from this free pattern (same one I used here), but with larger needles and two strands of washable worsted wool held together (so it is more like a 12 month size than the 3 month size of the original pattern).  Unfortunately, it isn't going to last long on my growing boy, but it fits now and perhaps I'll find time to make another one before winter is over.  I love how warm it is and how well it layers under other sweaters and jackets.

The other project I finished recently to give our wee boy some warmth was super easy and gets used most days.  Someone gave us some baby legs when Rowan was born (you can see them - a bit of green peeking out in the picture above) and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!  They are great when he is in the ergo backpack (which he is most days) because the ergo tends to pull the trousers and leave his legs bare.  But I wanted a third pair (we wear them everyday after all) so I felted an old sweater of Jim's, cut off the sleeves and sewed some of the ribbing from the bottom of the sweater on the unfinished edge.  Voila, free baby legs!  And because they are 100% wool they are even warmer.  I also love them because they are from Jim's first wool sweater that my parents bought him for Christmas when we were dating.  He was so cold those first couple winters in Wheaton before he discovered the wonders of real wool and wore that sweater almost every day.  Good memories and a new use for such wonderful wool warmth!