i promise this is the last of the baby goodies...for now..lol.  a friend of mine recently had a new baby girl - scarlett.  how could i resist knitting up a vibrant red sweater for a pretty, feminine, dark haired baby girl?  nope...couldn't do it.  red it had to be.  i spent a lot of time on ravelry over the last few weeks hunting down just the right pattern for baby scarlett.  as soon as i spotted the "puerperium cardigan" i knew it was the one.  i loved it's simple lines, the border of cute buttons and the varying sleeve styles and lengths.  it caught my eye right away.

it took me less than a week to finish this little cardi up and it was a fast and rewarding knit.  i had made it a few inches in and during my sleep deprived haze i thought i had made a boo boo and ripped it out and started over only to realize i hadn't made a mistake - oops!  you live and learn not to read patterns that take a bit of concentration when overtired or distracted.


i also couldn't resist whipping up another pair of rae's " basic newborn baby pant".  seriously you guys, these things are so cute and they are super fast to sew.  i think i got this pair done in 15mins! so quick.  i added an extra 1/2" to the pattern this time round so scarlett might be able to wear them for a few weeks longer.


a pretty little outfit for a pretty little girl :)

i also made my friend a key holder thingie...i know some people call them key fob holders but she doesn't have a key fob...so let's just call it thingie..lol.  i have one that the lovely laura from "on the laundry line" sent me and i LOVE it.  my friend spotted it and asked me if i could make one for her too.  super fun and easy to make!  this is a great project for beginners to practice your top stitching skills.  i couldn't find a tutorial that i liked so i just winged it.  if anyone's interested in one let me know and i could put one together for you all.
i also have a little treat for you ladies!  i tweeted a few weeks ago asking for some recommendations for wool wash to help my handknits not stink so bad anymore.  i was finding that everytime i blocked something whoooeeeee...stinky!  nasty odor.  one of the first tweets i got back was from amanda of the fabulous blog " hey pork chop" (check it out - i'm an addicted reader) recommending "soak". 

i went right away to check out their site and found myself really excited to find a creative array of products but also that they are canadian! woot woot! go canada.....i digress :P  they so sweetly sent me some samples to try out and i've used soak on 3 projects now and man is it great stuff.  my knitted items smell better, block good and are way softer than they started.  i'm a very happy knitter! and because soak wash is so fabulous they are giving all you awesome luvinthemommyhood readers a 10% discount using the code "LMH10" good till november 28th, 2011!  wow..thanks soak!
i know i'll be ordering at least one bottle.  they carry everything from heel cream, awesome temporary knitting tattoos, labels for your handknits, basins & soak in seven fun scents!  soak is perfect for use with any fine fibers from your knitting to your lingerie.  i'm going to be ordering some of "unleash" which is inspired by ravelry.  fun! their website also has some great tips for blocking as well as videos to help on their youtube channel.  find all things soak here:

 so happy soaking and happy halloween!  i hope you all have a wonderful, fun-filled and safe halloween!  i've got a princess and a cute piggie just dying to trick or treat!  have you used soak before?  what do you use when you wash your handknits?  what do you think of my baby goodies?  you likey?  what did you work on this weekend?  let's chit chat :)