Yes, two blog posts in one day after a month off. For once, the dishes are mostly done and I'm not braindead, so I'm taking advantage. It's more baby stuff, though--sorry, fibre-y folks who aren't into the kid stuff! I haven't been doing very much exciting in the fibre arts world lately, although I've just started spinning for a Very Big Project, so one day there will be posts about that.
I think most of us are familiar with the "traditional" approach to introducing baby food--rice cereals, some single ingredient fruit/vegetable purees, then some blended purees. Really, this is a pretty modern approach to feeding babies, but it's the way most people do it today. And Evan started his food journey mostly along this path--although the first thing he ate was the banana he grabbed from my hand and shoved into his mouth. He was about 5.5 months and quite pleased with this discovery!
Shortly after that I tried introducing him to some purees (including some containing bananas, since he obviously liked that!). His reactions were mixed, as I think most babies' are. But he didn't have the same excitement he had about that first banana, and there was a lot of wrangling for control of the spoon. So once again, I did some more reading about a concept I'd been hearing tossed around but didn't know a lot about--Baby-Led Weaning.
The idea behind BLW is that babies don't need to be spoonfed, and in fact can be introduced to foods just as we eat them. There are a few caveats, of course (choking hazards are much more rare than you would assume, but there are some!), and some foods are easier to start with than others, but on the whole babies can eat almost anything the rest of us can. Strict Baby Led Weaning means that the baby doesn't eat anything he can't feed himself--so no spoonfeeding. There are lots of theories about why this approach may be better (encourages a broader palate, greater independence, reduces obesity, etc.), but they are just theories--I don't think there's extensive research into any of this.
This seemed more like Evan's approach to the banana, so we decided to try it out, starting with sharing a roast chicken dinner. As you can see, he was thrilled by the idea! He didn't actually consume much that night, or most of the nights that followed, but he had a lot of fun exploring food. And a few weeks later he started occasionally taking in a more significant amount.
Have we abandoned spoonfeeding? Well, not entirely. He LOVES pearsauce, and wants to eat lots of it very quickly--something that he can't do if he's in control of the spoon. My thinking is that if he clearly wants the food, but doesn't have the physical ability to control the spoon yet, it's OK to help him out a bit. He's very good at letting us know when he doesn't want any more, so I'm not too worried that he's being "forced" to eat things he doesn't want.
This approach seems to work fine for us--Evan is experiencing a wider variety of flavours and textures than most babies do, but he's probably eating less of it than a lot of babies his age. Some days he doesn't really eat any solids, other days he takes quite a bit. I've given up predicting what he might like, because he keeps surprising me with his adventurous spirit. A few weeks ago the big hit was dhal (Indian "curried" lentils). Today it was chili! He also loves most vegetables, especially if they're roasted. I'd love to think that this bodes well for a future of adventurous eating!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Why yes, that is a teeny tiny potty
Way back when I wrote my first post about cloth diapers I promised some upcoming posts on related topics. I don't know if anyone's been waiting to hear more, but I'm finally back to tell you more anyway. :-) So yes, this post is related to pee & poop. You've been warned!
For those of you who don't have kids, I'd bet you still have opinions about how they should be raised. I know I did! And I was usually careful to keep them to myself when I was around people who were actually parents, because I knew no one wanted to hear them--but I was still mostly convinced that I was right.
Not surprisingly, since becoming a parent, I've realized a few things about these preconceived notions. Most importantly, I'm realizing that what works for one child or family doesn't necessarily work for everyone. As a result, I've found myself re-evaluating ideas that once sounded strange to me. There are a lot of parenting practices that sounded, for a lack of a better term, very "crunchy granola" when I first heard about them, and not for "normal" people. Some of these I accepted quite take quickly (cloth diapers and extended breastfeeding, for example). Others required more reading/research and some parenting experience, such as baby-led weaning (a topic for another day) and today's subject, elimination communication ("EC").
When Evan was maybe 1-2 months old I realized that I was hearing references to EC (which I personally think should be called something else, I think the name is a turn-off for a lot of people first learning about it) in lots of places. I decided it was time to stop dismissing it and to start learning more, so I picked up Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh. It was a quick & easy read, and it made so much more sense than I expected it to.
The highlights of what EC is:
-human babies, like other species, seem to be born with a desire not to soil themselves. You know how many newborns pee/poop right when you take off their diaper? That's the instinct EC is building on. The idea is why train a baby to use a diaper, and then in a few years train them not to? Wouldn't it be better to introduce them to a potty early on?
-There are a lot of approaches to doing EC. Although the book I read (and there are many other books, too) refers to "diaper-free" babies, you don't have to skip diapers entirely, you don't have to do it full-time, etc. It is generally easier to do with cloth than disposables (easier to catch wetness right away, and in most cases the baby is also more aware of wetness).
-This isn't "early potty training", really. It's about being aware of your baby's need to eliminate and giving them a chance to do it out of a diaper (in a potty, a bowl, the grass, whatever). Many babies who are raised with EC will "graduate" from diapers earlier than their peers, but not all.
We bought 2 Baby Bjorn Little Potties (one for upstairs, one for downstairs), and started offering Evan the chance to use them. He started peeing in them that same day, so we've kept it up! He still wears diapers, but at home we leave the cover off so we can have a sense of when he goes if we "miss" it on the potty. Some days he uses the potty almost exclusively, other days barely at all.We're working on the ASL sign for potty so one day soon he may be able to communicate his need to go, but for right now we mostly offer based on timing--after he wakes up is a near guaranteed success, for example.
I do hope that the time we're spending on this now will help him to potty train easier/sooner (as I understand it, the average North American kid is close to 3.5 when they train now, and that seems old to me). If it doesn't, oh well, we've at least had a lot of fun playing with him while he sits on his tiny potty!
For those of you who don't have kids, I'd bet you still have opinions about how they should be raised. I know I did! And I was usually careful to keep them to myself when I was around people who were actually parents, because I knew no one wanted to hear them--but I was still mostly convinced that I was right.
Not surprisingly, since becoming a parent, I've realized a few things about these preconceived notions. Most importantly, I'm realizing that what works for one child or family doesn't necessarily work for everyone. As a result, I've found myself re-evaluating ideas that once sounded strange to me. There are a lot of parenting practices that sounded, for a lack of a better term, very "crunchy granola" when I first heard about them, and not for "normal" people. Some of these I accepted quite take quickly (cloth diapers and extended breastfeeding, for example). Others required more reading/research and some parenting experience, such as baby-led weaning (a topic for another day) and today's subject, elimination communication ("EC").
When Evan was maybe 1-2 months old I realized that I was hearing references to EC (which I personally think should be called something else, I think the name is a turn-off for a lot of people first learning about it) in lots of places. I decided it was time to stop dismissing it and to start learning more, so I picked up Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh. It was a quick & easy read, and it made so much more sense than I expected it to.
The highlights of what EC is:
-human babies, like other species, seem to be born with a desire not to soil themselves. You know how many newborns pee/poop right when you take off their diaper? That's the instinct EC is building on. The idea is why train a baby to use a diaper, and then in a few years train them not to? Wouldn't it be better to introduce them to a potty early on?
-There are a lot of approaches to doing EC. Although the book I read (and there are many other books, too) refers to "diaper-free" babies, you don't have to skip diapers entirely, you don't have to do it full-time, etc. It is generally easier to do with cloth than disposables (easier to catch wetness right away, and in most cases the baby is also more aware of wetness).
-This isn't "early potty training", really. It's about being aware of your baby's need to eliminate and giving them a chance to do it out of a diaper (in a potty, a bowl, the grass, whatever). Many babies who are raised with EC will "graduate" from diapers earlier than their peers, but not all.
We bought 2 Baby Bjorn Little Potties (one for upstairs, one for downstairs), and started offering Evan the chance to use them. He started peeing in them that same day, so we've kept it up! He still wears diapers, but at home we leave the cover off so we can have a sense of when he goes if we "miss" it on the potty. Some days he uses the potty almost exclusively, other days barely at all.We're working on the ASL sign for potty so one day soon he may be able to communicate his need to go, but for right now we mostly offer based on timing--after he wakes up is a near guaranteed success, for example.
I do hope that the time we're spending on this now will help him to potty train easier/sooner (as I understand it, the average North American kid is close to 3.5 when they train now, and that seems old to me). If it doesn't, oh well, we've at least had a lot of fun playing with him while he sits on his tiny potty!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Review: DyakCraft Interchangeable Needles (Updated!)
A few months ago, I decided I was tired of the not-infrequent problems with KnitPicks interchangeable needles--most notably the way the joins are prone to snagging or breaking. I started researching other options for a higher end set of needles that wouldn't require periodic replacements, and decided on the Darn Pretty Interchangeables from DyakCraft. I picked up a set from the fabulous Kim of indigodragonfly at the Knitters' Fair in September.Having used them for about 3 months now, I thought it was time for a review!
Overall, I really like the product and am happy with the purchase. I have a few minor issues, but they're still a significant step up in quality from KP.
Pros:
-Made in the USA
-They really are Darn Pretty! Because I didn't want to wait, I was limited to what Kim had in stock (3 sets, and I shopped before the show opened. I'm guessing she sold out in minutes!), but I love the wood and the pretty case. If you're willing to wait, you have lots of choices of wood & cases.
-The cables are pretty perfect. Not too stiff, but not too floppy (I found the cables on Kollage's square needles too flimsy). Moves smoothly through the stitches, great for Magic Loop.
-The needles are grippy but sufficiently pointy & smooth at the same time. They do seem to get smoother with use, the first time for each pair they're a bit grippier than I'd like but it wears off fast. I haven't done any serious lace knitting since I got them (somehow a baby doesn't seem conducive to lace, although I have SO MUCH lace to finish, and much more waiting to be knit!), so I can't comment on whether they're pointy enough for good amounts of lace. However, I know the company offers two point styles, and if you don't find the regular ones sharp enough apparently you can return them and have them whittled down to be pointier!
-They seem really sturdy, and I'm not worried about the cable coming loose at the join. The cable is designed to swivel in the join, which should reduce the pressure that could cause them to come apart. Plus, DyakCraft offers a lifetime guarantee (I believe KP only guarantees their needles for 1 year now, which I think tells you how well they expect them to hold up!)
Cons--or at least, areas for possible improvement?
-They tout the fact that the tips screw onto the cable without need of any tools to tighten them. However, I found that my tips were often coming unscrewed. I checked the FAQ on the DyakCraft page, and saw that this is a common enough problem to be addressed there. The solution offered is to use something like a rubber band to help you tighten them. To me this suggests that they DO need a tool to be fully tightened for many users, they just don't supply a tool with them. I've gotten a bit better at tightening mine, but they still come undone every now and then. This is not an insignificant problem, as the way I usually notice that they've come undone is when yarn snags in the join.
-The case, while pretty, isn't entirely practical. It's perfect for the tips, but there's just one compartment for cables. I've ordered some extra cables (as I think most knitters will want to--the sets only come with small-ish sizes), so this pouch is now very full. I'd love an easy way to sort them by length and keep them from getting twisted together in the pouch. But more troublesome is the pouch for the stoppers. The cable stoppers for these needles are beautiful, lovely big "plugs" of wood. The compartment for them is very small, they just fit in--and inevitably, they fall out. Of the 4 that come with the set, there's never more than 1 remaining in mine at any time. They're all over my house, and with a soon-to-be-crawling child, this concerns me.
-I'm currently having what I hope is a small and quickly resolved customer service issue. When I ordered my new cables, I emailed the Diaks (makers of the needles) to see if they had all the cables in stock, and received a quick response saying that they did. I ordered my cables, including 2 in one size. When they arrived, there was only 1 of each size I had ordered. I checked the website and the contact information listed was the email address I had originally used, so I emailed to inquire if the extra needle could be shipped out. After not hearing anything for over a week, I emailed again--I know they're a small business, and very busy, so I'm sure they get behind sometimes and miss emails. It's been several days since that second email, and still no reply. My hope is that they just mailed the cable out and didn't take the time to reply, so we'll see. I paid with PayPal, so I need to keep an eye on the timeline and will file a dispute if I don't hear anything. I will post an update when this situation is resolved. I'm sure it will be handled quickly!
UPDATE: I got an email this morning, there was a combination of issues that had delayed it--1st, the company got "Harlotted" around when I sent my original inquiry (I think it was just an offhand link on the Yarn Harlot's blog, not a full write-up...but oh, the power she wields! Their inboxes were slammed. Maybe one day my brand will be Harlotted!). Second, I forgot to note that the paypal account used to buy my needles is linked to a different email than I wrote from, so it took some extra work to track down my transaction. That part was totally my fault, and I can see how it would cause a delay, especially when you're already slammed. Anyway, the extra cable is going to be shipped ASAP, so all worked out in the end and I'm happy. :-)
I think that's it. Do you have any questions about the needles? I'm happy to try to answer them if you do!
Overall, I really like the product and am happy with the purchase. I have a few minor issues, but they're still a significant step up in quality from KP.
Pros:
-Made in the USA
-They really are Darn Pretty! Because I didn't want to wait, I was limited to what Kim had in stock (3 sets, and I shopped before the show opened. I'm guessing she sold out in minutes!), but I love the wood and the pretty case. If you're willing to wait, you have lots of choices of wood & cases.
-The cables are pretty perfect. Not too stiff, but not too floppy (I found the cables on Kollage's square needles too flimsy). Moves smoothly through the stitches, great for Magic Loop.
-The needles are grippy but sufficiently pointy & smooth at the same time. They do seem to get smoother with use, the first time for each pair they're a bit grippier than I'd like but it wears off fast. I haven't done any serious lace knitting since I got them (somehow a baby doesn't seem conducive to lace, although I have SO MUCH lace to finish, and much more waiting to be knit!), so I can't comment on whether they're pointy enough for good amounts of lace. However, I know the company offers two point styles, and if you don't find the regular ones sharp enough apparently you can return them and have them whittled down to be pointier!
-They seem really sturdy, and I'm not worried about the cable coming loose at the join. The cable is designed to swivel in the join, which should reduce the pressure that could cause them to come apart. Plus, DyakCraft offers a lifetime guarantee (I believe KP only guarantees their needles for 1 year now, which I think tells you how well they expect them to hold up!)
Cons--or at least, areas for possible improvement?
-They tout the fact that the tips screw onto the cable without need of any tools to tighten them. However, I found that my tips were often coming unscrewed. I checked the FAQ on the DyakCraft page, and saw that this is a common enough problem to be addressed there. The solution offered is to use something like a rubber band to help you tighten them. To me this suggests that they DO need a tool to be fully tightened for many users, they just don't supply a tool with them. I've gotten a bit better at tightening mine, but they still come undone every now and then. This is not an insignificant problem, as the way I usually notice that they've come undone is when yarn snags in the join.
-The case, while pretty, isn't entirely practical. It's perfect for the tips, but there's just one compartment for cables. I've ordered some extra cables (as I think most knitters will want to--the sets only come with small-ish sizes), so this pouch is now very full. I'd love an easy way to sort them by length and keep them from getting twisted together in the pouch. But more troublesome is the pouch for the stoppers. The cable stoppers for these needles are beautiful, lovely big "plugs" of wood. The compartment for them is very small, they just fit in--and inevitably, they fall out. Of the 4 that come with the set, there's never more than 1 remaining in mine at any time. They're all over my house, and with a soon-to-be-crawling child, this concerns me.
-I'm currently having what I hope is a small and quickly resolved customer service issue. When I ordered my new cables, I emailed the Diaks (makers of the needles) to see if they had all the cables in stock, and received a quick response saying that they did. I ordered my cables, including 2 in one size. When they arrived, there was only 1 of each size I had ordered. I checked the website and the contact information listed was the email address I had originally used, so I emailed to inquire if the extra needle could be shipped out. After not hearing anything for over a week, I emailed again--I know they're a small business, and very busy, so I'm sure they get behind sometimes and miss emails. It's been several days since that second email, and still no reply. My hope is that they just mailed the cable out and didn't take the time to reply, so we'll see. I paid with PayPal, so I need to keep an eye on the timeline and will file a dispute if I don't hear anything. I will post an update when this situation is resolved. I'm sure it will be handled quickly!
UPDATE: I got an email this morning, there was a combination of issues that had delayed it--1st, the company got "Harlotted" around when I sent my original inquiry (I think it was just an offhand link on the Yarn Harlot's blog, not a full write-up...but oh, the power she wields! Their inboxes were slammed. Maybe one day my brand will be Harlotted!). Second, I forgot to note that the paypal account used to buy my needles is linked to a different email than I wrote from, so it took some extra work to track down my transaction. That part was totally my fault, and I can see how it would cause a delay, especially when you're already slammed. Anyway, the extra cable is going to be shipped ASAP, so all worked out in the end and I'm happy. :-)
I think that's it. Do you have any questions about the needles? I'm happy to try to answer them if you do!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Our cloth diapering adventure
So I've been avoiding the blog because I know I'm supposed to be writing part 2 of the sock knitting post, and I really don't feel like exerting the brainpower necessary. I realized that I have a formula that usually works for *me* to figure out heels, but it wouldn't translate for everyone and every pattern, so I need to do some math & thinking about how to make it universal. And I just haven't felt able to do that lately!
But I have lots of other things I've been wanting to blog about, and I decided it was silly to put all of those on hold until I had the time & brainpower to put the sock stuff into words. Plus, Catt tells me that she got some help from post #1 anyway, so maybe post #2 isn't vitally needed by anyone right now? At any rate, it's going to take a backseat to things like baby stuff for now!
Before Evan was born, we decided we were going to do cloth diapers, and we have enough friends who were also doing it that we felt fairly confident about it. In particular, Mandy wrote a very thorough post about her experiences, and our local cloth diaper store offers workshops to learn about everything in person. So I thought I'd pass on some lessons we've learned, in case it helps anyone else out!
1. Modern cloth diapers can be confusing, because there are so many different types. If you can learn about them in person, I recommend it. There's lots of information online, but early on I found myself reading & re-reading and still not able to visualize all the types of diapers & keep them straight. If you have a local diaper store, see if they offer a workshop, and if not, at least go in and have an employee explain everything to you. Once you've done that, take some time to re-read information online and ponder what will work best for you before you make any purchases.
2. Consider trying before you buy. Lots of stores (including some online retailers) offer rental programs or other trials where you can sample a variety of diapers before you make a purchase. Different babies have different needs, so sometimes it helps to try different diapers on your baby. Additionally, a lot of babies only fit in newborn sized diapers for a few weeks (but are really too small to get a good fit with bigger diapers), so you may not want to spend a lot of money buying newborn diapers. Our store offers a newborn rental program, so we used their newborn sized diapers (and some prefolds, more about that in a minute!) for a few weeks, then made some purchases in larger sizes. If that isn't an option for you, maybe you have a friend who can loan you a few diapers to try out. Additionally, there are lots of places to buy used diapers, and discount sites you can sign up for to get new ones at a steep discount on some kinds of diapers. If you want to sample lots of kinds of diapers and can't borrow/rent them, at least either buy them used or on sale!
3. Sometimes simpler is better. There are lots of fancy diaper systems on the market, but a lot of people find some of the "old fashioned" options the best. I know a lot of people who swear by flats, which are about as old school as you can get. I haven't gotten my hands on any, so I can't speak to that, but we like the next step up the rung--prefolds--quite a bit. They offer a lot of customization (there are many ways to fold/attach them depending on your needs--we like the angel wing fold & a snappi, but that's not for everyone. They're also MUCH more affordable than the other options out there, and they're natural fibres (most frequently cotton), which offer a variety of benefits.
4. If you're a knitter/crocheter, wool covers (soakers/shorties/longies) are generally quick to make and work REALLY well. While the most common PUL-based covers on the market are a lot nicer than the old "plastic pants", they still don't breathe as well as wool, so if you don't change frequently enough your baby may be prone to rashes. And wool, if properly lanolized, really does work just as well as PUL most of the time! We use wool at night (over fitteds with doublers, generally) because we've never had a leak with wool, unlike other options, and because I know even after a long night Evan will still be cool & comfortable. My favourite pattern so far has been Sheepy Pants, but I hope to try another longies pattern in the near future, and will probably make some more soakers for spring/summer. I don't do a lot of crochet, but Mandy made us some fabulous crocheted soakers, which are nice & thick and have worked really well at night!
5. If you're interested in Elimination Communication, I'd say you definitely want to go with cloth! I find fitteds work really well with EC, but we also use our prefolds. I'll be blogging about EC & how it works for us later, so if you have no clue what I'm talking about, you can keep an eye out for that. :-)
I think that's enough information for now! I hope to do a follow-up post with reviews of some of the specific diapers we've used. But in the meantime, if I want to blog about other things, I'll go ahead and do it without waiting to write that one! :-P
But I have lots of other things I've been wanting to blog about, and I decided it was silly to put all of those on hold until I had the time & brainpower to put the sock stuff into words. Plus, Catt tells me that she got some help from post #1 anyway, so maybe post #2 isn't vitally needed by anyone right now? At any rate, it's going to take a backseat to things like baby stuff for now!
Before Evan was born, we decided we were going to do cloth diapers, and we have enough friends who were also doing it that we felt fairly confident about it. In particular, Mandy wrote a very thorough post about her experiences, and our local cloth diaper store offers workshops to learn about everything in person. So I thought I'd pass on some lessons we've learned, in case it helps anyone else out!
1. Modern cloth diapers can be confusing, because there are so many different types. If you can learn about them in person, I recommend it. There's lots of information online, but early on I found myself reading & re-reading and still not able to visualize all the types of diapers & keep them straight. If you have a local diaper store, see if they offer a workshop, and if not, at least go in and have an employee explain everything to you. Once you've done that, take some time to re-read information online and ponder what will work best for you before you make any purchases.
2. Consider trying before you buy. Lots of stores (including some online retailers) offer rental programs or other trials where you can sample a variety of diapers before you make a purchase. Different babies have different needs, so sometimes it helps to try different diapers on your baby. Additionally, a lot of babies only fit in newborn sized diapers for a few weeks (but are really too small to get a good fit with bigger diapers), so you may not want to spend a lot of money buying newborn diapers. Our store offers a newborn rental program, so we used their newborn sized diapers (and some prefolds, more about that in a minute!) for a few weeks, then made some purchases in larger sizes. If that isn't an option for you, maybe you have a friend who can loan you a few diapers to try out. Additionally, there are lots of places to buy used diapers, and discount sites you can sign up for to get new ones at a steep discount on some kinds of diapers. If you want to sample lots of kinds of diapers and can't borrow/rent them, at least either buy them used or on sale!
3. Sometimes simpler is better. There are lots of fancy diaper systems on the market, but a lot of people find some of the "old fashioned" options the best. I know a lot of people who swear by flats, which are about as old school as you can get. I haven't gotten my hands on any, so I can't speak to that, but we like the next step up the rung--prefolds--quite a bit. They offer a lot of customization (there are many ways to fold/attach them depending on your needs--we like the angel wing fold & a snappi, but that's not for everyone. They're also MUCH more affordable than the other options out there, and they're natural fibres (most frequently cotton), which offer a variety of benefits.
4. If you're a knitter/crocheter, wool covers (soakers/shorties/longies) are generally quick to make and work REALLY well. While the most common PUL-based covers on the market are a lot nicer than the old "plastic pants", they still don't breathe as well as wool, so if you don't change frequently enough your baby may be prone to rashes. And wool, if properly lanolized, really does work just as well as PUL most of the time! We use wool at night (over fitteds with doublers, generally) because we've never had a leak with wool, unlike other options, and because I know even after a long night Evan will still be cool & comfortable. My favourite pattern so far has been Sheepy Pants, but I hope to try another longies pattern in the near future, and will probably make some more soakers for spring/summer. I don't do a lot of crochet, but Mandy made us some fabulous crocheted soakers, which are nice & thick and have worked really well at night!
5. If you're interested in Elimination Communication, I'd say you definitely want to go with cloth! I find fitteds work really well with EC, but we also use our prefolds. I'll be blogging about EC & how it works for us later, so if you have no clue what I'm talking about, you can keep an eye out for that. :-)
I think that's enough information for now! I hope to do a follow-up post with reviews of some of the specific diapers we've used. But in the meantime, if I want to blog about other things, I'll go ahead and do it without waiting to write that one! :-P
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Eating Seasonally: Halloween Candy made "Healthy"
Oatmeal-Flax Seed-Candy Bar Muffins
One year we'll accept the fact that we don't get many Trick-or-treaters and just not buy much candy. (And of course, that year we will have 85 kids show up and have to make an emergency candy run or hide in the house with the lights off.) But since that hasn't happened yet, we inevitably spend the week after Halloween alternating between trying to be good & not overeat the leftovers and saying "maybe we should just finish it off fast, so it's out of here!" This recipe helped us finish off the candy way too fast, but also gave us a false feeling of being virtuous because it contains other ingredients that are healthy.
I did at least try to cut out a lot of the sugar & fat of a standard muffin recipe, to compensate for what's in the candy. But yeah, given how fast I can inhale one of these and how tasty they are, I'm really not doing my body any favours.
Ingredients:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup applesauce
2 T vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all purpose flour
15-20 mini candy bars, coarsely chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare 12 standard sized muffin cups (paper liners, oil, whatever works for you).
2. Mix egg, sugar, milk, applesauce, oil, & vanilla. Add dry ingredients & mix until combined, then stir in candy.
3. Divide batter between 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes until set and lightly browned.
Notes:
-for your body to get any of the goodness out of the flax seeds, they need to be ground. You can buy them whole & grind them yourself in a spice grinder/coffee grinder, or you can buy them already milled. If you take option #2, keep them in the freezer after you open them to prolong their shelf life.
-the first time I tried this, I tossed the candy bars into the food processor. This resulted in some big chunks and some "candy dust", which I thought would be good but I didn't like it as much as when I chopped the candy by hand.
-if you have gooey candy, like Caramilk bars, you can freeze them before chopping.
-Don't let the oozing candy goodness fool you into thinking the muffins aren't done. With my first batch, I glanced & thought the melted bits were raw batter, so I kept cooking and ended up with dried out muffins. Still tasty, but take 2 was better:
Friday, November 04, 2011
Yup, those are my feet
So Catt has asked for tips on how to measure feet for knitting socks. I am by no means an expert, but I figured I'd share what works for me in hopes that it helps a bit. I mostly knit socks using the methods from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters, and have found these socks fit me and most of my family really well. So I take my measurements based on these patterns--and that means the way I do it might not translate perfectly to every other type of pattern out there. But in case you find it helpful, here it goes (apologies for subjecting you to my feet. And I didn't even get a manicure for you!):
1. Foot Length. When I first started knitting socks, I made the mistake of just measuring my foot at rest. I've since learned that it works better to measure the foot while standing, so it's weight-bearing at stretch out a bit. The best way to do this is to put your ruler or tape measure against the wall and stand right beside it, with your heel against the wall:
You'll notice that my tape measure (like most) has a little tab at the back before the measuring part starts. This means that I'll need to subtract the length of that section from my total measurement. For this reason, a ruler often works better than a tape measure for this.
2. Foot circumference. Most people's feet are not the same circumference all around. It's wider at the ball, narrows a bit, and then because of your arch it widens again. However, the knit fabric of your socks will stretch and shift a bit to conform to some of these changes, so you should figure out your circumference at a midpoint--after the ball of your foot, but before the top of the arch:
3. Other variables. For most people, and most socks, I find these 2 numbers to be enough. However, there could be special cases:
-knee socks: if the socks are going up very high, the wearer's leg likely widens and the sock will need to grow to accommodate this. I don't have a lot of experience in this area, but I'd suggest measuring the leg circumference every 2 inches or so to see how big it's getting and increase accordingly.
-ankle size: some people have skinny ankles, some people have chunkier ankles. Nothing wrong with either, but it will impact the fit of your socks. If your ankles are thinner than the width of your foot will suggest, some decreases will need to happen in the sock cuff or it won't stay up. And if your ankles are larger, increases will be necessary to be able to get the sock up.
-high or low arches: again, not my area of expertise. But if your arch height is much outside the norm (and I think you'd probably know this from experience shoe shopping?), the increases you need to do for an arch expansion will change.
4. Gauge. I'm not a big fan of swatching for socks, so often what I'll do is take a guess at how many stitches I need, cast on for a toe (I knit toe up more frequently, although not always), and start knitting. When I have about 2 inches, I measure. This way, if I have a good gauge I'm already into my sock. And if I'm off, I'm no worse off than if I'd knit a swatch anyway, really. Many people get a different gauge in the round, and a different gauge from DPNs to circs, so it really does help to swatch in the round on the type of needles you plan to use. Also, I recommend determining both stitches per inch (spi) and rows per inch (rpi).
OK, now you need to know how to USE those numbers to make your socks fit, right? Well, I'm tired, so you'll have to wait for part 2! Or you could go buy Cat Bordhi's book, I think she explains it better than I could anyway.
1. Foot Length. When I first started knitting socks, I made the mistake of just measuring my foot at rest. I've since learned that it works better to measure the foot while standing, so it's weight-bearing at stretch out a bit. The best way to do this is to put your ruler or tape measure against the wall and stand right beside it, with your heel against the wall:
You'll notice that my tape measure (like most) has a little tab at the back before the measuring part starts. This means that I'll need to subtract the length of that section from my total measurement. For this reason, a ruler often works better than a tape measure for this.
2. Foot circumference. Most people's feet are not the same circumference all around. It's wider at the ball, narrows a bit, and then because of your arch it widens again. However, the knit fabric of your socks will stretch and shift a bit to conform to some of these changes, so you should figure out your circumference at a midpoint--after the ball of your foot, but before the top of the arch:
3. Other variables. For most people, and most socks, I find these 2 numbers to be enough. However, there could be special cases:
-knee socks: if the socks are going up very high, the wearer's leg likely widens and the sock will need to grow to accommodate this. I don't have a lot of experience in this area, but I'd suggest measuring the leg circumference every 2 inches or so to see how big it's getting and increase accordingly.
-ankle size: some people have skinny ankles, some people have chunkier ankles. Nothing wrong with either, but it will impact the fit of your socks. If your ankles are thinner than the width of your foot will suggest, some decreases will need to happen in the sock cuff or it won't stay up. And if your ankles are larger, increases will be necessary to be able to get the sock up.
-high or low arches: again, not my area of expertise. But if your arch height is much outside the norm (and I think you'd probably know this from experience shoe shopping?), the increases you need to do for an arch expansion will change.
4. Gauge. I'm not a big fan of swatching for socks, so often what I'll do is take a guess at how many stitches I need, cast on for a toe (I knit toe up more frequently, although not always), and start knitting. When I have about 2 inches, I measure. This way, if I have a good gauge I'm already into my sock. And if I'm off, I'm no worse off than if I'd knit a swatch anyway, really. Many people get a different gauge in the round, and a different gauge from DPNs to circs, so it really does help to swatch in the round on the type of needles you plan to use. Also, I recommend determining both stitches per inch (spi) and rows per inch (rpi).
OK, now you need to know how to USE those numbers to make your socks fit, right? Well, I'm tired, so you'll have to wait for part 2! Or you could go buy Cat Bordhi's book, I think she explains it better than I could anyway.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Adventures in Babywearing
OK, here's a first stab at a "parenting" blog post. I don't think I have very much new to say, but I'm happy to share what works for us on some topics in case anyone else finds it useful.
Babywearing is a pretty ancient idea that's experiencing a bit of a resurgence. Although that doesn't stop some people from snickering at the term (understandably, I think, but I don't know of a better way to describe it!). It also doesn't stop people from saying "I wish they'd had that when my kids were babies"--yup, there were no long pieces of fabric in the world 10-20 years ago. (I understand this comment more when I'm using a structured carrier, which I'll get to in a minute--but when I've got Evan in a wrap, we're pretty much doing what mothers have been doing from the beginning of time, I think. Strollers are a relatively new invention in human history!)
So a quick overview of what we've tried & liked in babywearing so far. One of the most common ways to start with a newborn is some form of stretchy wrap--a long piece of stretchy knit cotton fabric. We got a Moby wrap and thoroughly enjoyed it in the newborn stage. Both S & I used it quite a lot when Evan was tiny. The carry we're doing there is what the Moby people call the "newborn hug hold". I think the babywearing world calls it a Pocket Wrap Cross Carry. Or something like that. Anyway, when the baby is tiny and just wants to snuggle against you all the time, this is perfect. I got to eat a hot meal pretty much every night for the first several weeks after Evan was born by putting him in the wrap like that. We also took walks, did basic household chores, etc.
Then a few months in my tiny baby had become a big, strong guy and was squirming and pushing and flailing around in there. The stretchy fabric no longer felt so secure, so we knew we needed to try something else. Our wonderful friend Catt came to our rescue by loaning us some of her collection of babywearing options so we could try them out before deciding what we wanted to invest in (another nice thing about the stretchy wraps is the lack of serious investment--I got our Moby on sale for about $25, I think. Paid for itself in peace of mind & happy baby vibes almost instantly! Other babywearing devices are pricier, although most can be located gently used and can also be used for a much longer period of time!).
She loaned us a Mei Tai style carrier (a ToddlerHawk, which apparently I didn't take any very good pictures of) and a woven wrap. The woven wrap is similar to the stretchy one, but the fabric isn't as stretchy so it's a bit more secure with a wiggly or large baby, and it's also not as hot to wear in the summer! I initially used the woven much like the Moby (look! spinning with a baby!), but ventured into other carries soon, including the Secure High Back Carry when I wanted to get stuff done. Overall we found we liked the woven wrap a lot, so we bought our own gently used one.
Since getting my own wrap, I've used it a lot for different back carries. We've settled on "DRS2S" (Double Rebozo Shoulder to Shoulder) as our favourite for now. I also use it for the Front Cross Carry, which is a great "poppable" carry--you can take the baby in & out of the wrap without having to re-tie everything (and which I apparently don't have any pictures of).
The other carrier we have purchased and really enjoy is the Ergo. This has become our go-to carrier for dog walks and errands. It's easy to get on & off compared to the wrap, and very comfortable. It's not quite as cosy as the wrap, so we don't use it as much around the house--but it's so simple to use when we're out. It can also be used for back carries, but it's recommended to not do that until the baby is 6 months so we haven't tried that yet.
So that's a bit of what's worked for us in the world of babywearing. Oh, and if you want to learn more about any of the carries I mentioned, there are lots of videos on YouTube that show how to do them! That's how we learned pretty much everything. And if you want to look for tutorials on how to get the baby onto your back, the method I use is called the "Superman Toss" (it's not as scary as it sounds). There are other options, but this works for us--Evan thinks it's great fun, and I feel safe doing it!
Babywearing is a pretty ancient idea that's experiencing a bit of a resurgence. Although that doesn't stop some people from snickering at the term (understandably, I think, but I don't know of a better way to describe it!). It also doesn't stop people from saying "I wish they'd had that when my kids were babies"--yup, there were no long pieces of fabric in the world 10-20 years ago. (I understand this comment more when I'm using a structured carrier, which I'll get to in a minute--but when I've got Evan in a wrap, we're pretty much doing what mothers have been doing from the beginning of time, I think. Strollers are a relatively new invention in human history!)
So a quick overview of what we've tried & liked in babywearing so far. One of the most common ways to start with a newborn is some form of stretchy wrap--a long piece of stretchy knit cotton fabric. We got a Moby wrap and thoroughly enjoyed it in the newborn stage. Both S & I used it quite a lot when Evan was tiny. The carry we're doing there is what the Moby people call the "newborn hug hold". I think the babywearing world calls it a Pocket Wrap Cross Carry. Or something like that. Anyway, when the baby is tiny and just wants to snuggle against you all the time, this is perfect. I got to eat a hot meal pretty much every night for the first several weeks after Evan was born by putting him in the wrap like that. We also took walks, did basic household chores, etc.
Then a few months in my tiny baby had become a big, strong guy and was squirming and pushing and flailing around in there. The stretchy fabric no longer felt so secure, so we knew we needed to try something else. Our wonderful friend Catt came to our rescue by loaning us some of her collection of babywearing options so we could try them out before deciding what we wanted to invest in (another nice thing about the stretchy wraps is the lack of serious investment--I got our Moby on sale for about $25, I think. Paid for itself in peace of mind & happy baby vibes almost instantly! Other babywearing devices are pricier, although most can be located gently used and can also be used for a much longer period of time!).
She loaned us a Mei Tai style carrier (a ToddlerHawk, which apparently I didn't take any very good pictures of) and a woven wrap. The woven wrap is similar to the stretchy one, but the fabric isn't as stretchy so it's a bit more secure with a wiggly or large baby, and it's also not as hot to wear in the summer! I initially used the woven much like the Moby (look! spinning with a baby!), but ventured into other carries soon, including the Secure High Back Carry when I wanted to get stuff done. Overall we found we liked the woven wrap a lot, so we bought our own gently used one.
Since getting my own wrap, I've used it a lot for different back carries. We've settled on "DRS2S" (Double Rebozo Shoulder to Shoulder) as our favourite for now. I also use it for the Front Cross Carry, which is a great "poppable" carry--you can take the baby in & out of the wrap without having to re-tie everything (and which I apparently don't have any pictures of).
The other carrier we have purchased and really enjoy is the Ergo. This has become our go-to carrier for dog walks and errands. It's easy to get on & off compared to the wrap, and very comfortable. It's not quite as cosy as the wrap, so we don't use it as much around the house--but it's so simple to use when we're out. It can also be used for back carries, but it's recommended to not do that until the baby is 6 months so we haven't tried that yet.
So that's a bit of what's worked for us in the world of babywearing. Oh, and if you want to learn more about any of the carries I mentioned, there are lots of videos on YouTube that show how to do them! That's how we learned pretty much everything. And if you want to look for tutorials on how to get the baby onto your back, the method I use is called the "Superman Toss" (it's not as scary as it sounds). There are other options, but this works for us--Evan thinks it's great fun, and I feel safe doing it!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Easing back in
OK, I'm going to try to make a return to blogging...we'll see how that goes. As most of you know, my time is now occupied by a small bundle of joy. So, before I get to the other stuff, a few words about that. For now, I'm planning to NOT blog baby pictures. I don't know if it's worth worrying about all the weirdos out there, but I do. So when relevant, I'll link to photos on my Flickr account. Most baby photos there are friends & family only, so if you follow a link and can't see it, send me a friend request. If I know who you are (or if you give me some other compelling reason), I'll probably grant it.
Also, I probably will add some parenting topics to my blogging subjects. As well as, of course, baby knits! But hopefully I'll still blog about other stuff, too.
Which gets me to the topic I'm trying to cover today...another recipe! And umm, yeah, it's a muffin, which seems to be half of the recipes I've posted in the past. But muffins are an even bigger part of my life now--there are mornings when I don't get to sit & eat breakfast right away, afternoons where I'm starving but can't always take time to make a sandwich or sit and eat real food. So having muffins on hand at all times has become almost essential! As a result, I try to pack the muffins with more healthy things than unhealthy, although of course there are moments when sugar, chocolate, etc. sneak their way in. These muffins are no exception--lots of fruit & veggies, with a bit of sugar. I did use white flour, but they're so light & moist I might be tempted to try them again with mostly whole wheat, or perhaps add some oats. Of course, local zucchini season is pretty much over now, so I'm not sure I'll make them again soon.
Another note--if you have a food processor with a shredding/grating blade, use it for the zucchini & the apple. Seriously, life is short. Use the help!
Ingredients:
3 small-medium zucchini, shredded
1/2 t salt
2 small-medium apples, shredded (I've never shredded apples for baking before. It would probably work to dice them, too, but the texture might change.)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1. Toss zucchini with salt and place in a strainer/colander to let excess liquid drain out. If possible, wait 10-15 minutes then squeeze out excess moisture before using zucchini. I didn't wait quite that long, and my muffins are OK, but bordering on too wet.
2. Combine drained zucchini, apples, applesauce, egg, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda. (Yeah, I know, you're supposed to combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before you mix them together. While I am aware that this is a cardinal rule of baking, I rarely ever follow it. And 95% of the time, things work out fine. This was one of those times. If you, like me, hate to wash an extra bowl--just take the chance and use only one!)
4. Divide batter into 12 lined/greased muffin cups (mine were full almost to the top of the liners). Bake at 375 F for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden on the top. They may still be rather moist inside, but will dry/set up a bit more while cooling.
That's it! No picture of them right now, but trust me--they're delicious. Of all the muffin recipes I've improvised, this may be my new favourite. So moist, sweet without being too sweet, mostly healthy, that yummy fall flavour of apple + cinnamon--you can't beat that! I think I've eaten 4 in less than 24 hours, and that was me showing restraint.
Hey! I did it! I wrote a blog post. Maybe I can keep this up. :-)
Also, I probably will add some parenting topics to my blogging subjects. As well as, of course, baby knits! But hopefully I'll still blog about other stuff, too.
Which gets me to the topic I'm trying to cover today...another recipe! And umm, yeah, it's a muffin, which seems to be half of the recipes I've posted in the past. But muffins are an even bigger part of my life now--there are mornings when I don't get to sit & eat breakfast right away, afternoons where I'm starving but can't always take time to make a sandwich or sit and eat real food. So having muffins on hand at all times has become almost essential! As a result, I try to pack the muffins with more healthy things than unhealthy, although of course there are moments when sugar, chocolate, etc. sneak their way in. These muffins are no exception--lots of fruit & veggies, with a bit of sugar. I did use white flour, but they're so light & moist I might be tempted to try them again with mostly whole wheat, or perhaps add some oats. Of course, local zucchini season is pretty much over now, so I'm not sure I'll make them again soon.
Another note--if you have a food processor with a shredding/grating blade, use it for the zucchini & the apple. Seriously, life is short. Use the help!
Ingredients:
3 small-medium zucchini, shredded
1/2 t salt
2 small-medium apples, shredded (I've never shredded apples for baking before. It would probably work to dice them, too, but the texture might change.)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1. Toss zucchini with salt and place in a strainer/colander to let excess liquid drain out. If possible, wait 10-15 minutes then squeeze out excess moisture before using zucchini. I didn't wait quite that long, and my muffins are OK, but bordering on too wet.
2. Combine drained zucchini, apples, applesauce, egg, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda. (Yeah, I know, you're supposed to combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before you mix them together. While I am aware that this is a cardinal rule of baking, I rarely ever follow it. And 95% of the time, things work out fine. This was one of those times. If you, like me, hate to wash an extra bowl--just take the chance and use only one!)
4. Divide batter into 12 lined/greased muffin cups (mine were full almost to the top of the liners). Bake at 375 F for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden on the top. They may still be rather moist inside, but will dry/set up a bit more while cooling.
That's it! No picture of them right now, but trust me--they're delicious. Of all the muffin recipes I've improvised, this may be my new favourite. So moist, sweet without being too sweet, mostly healthy, that yummy fall flavour of apple + cinnamon--you can't beat that! I think I've eaten 4 in less than 24 hours, and that was me showing restraint.
Hey! I did it! I wrote a blog post. Maybe I can keep this up. :-)
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