Lizard Longies

As soon as I received this Purewool, I was in love. It is the softest wool I have ever felt! I can't wait to try other colorways! I would love to try Cestari and Malabrigo wools too, especially if they are as soft as this purewool. This colorway is called Mysterious, and I chose it because green is my favorite colour :) but as soon as I started knitting this up I knew how I was going to embellish it. I added a matching cargo pocket, and as I was thinking about the little boy who might wear these, I crocheted a little lizard to go along with them!

These are a size large. These will be listed on Hyenacart and Etsy tonight.

Pumpkin Loaf Recipe

Every fall when the pumpkins are ripe in the garden, we always make this recipe for pumpkin loaf. It is super moist and delicious! This recipe makes two loafs. It freezes great, so you can make multiple batches and just freeze them!

I made these last night...and as you can see from the picture, they don't take long to disappear! The loaf on the left was attacked by my 3 year old...she loves it!

Here's the recipe, let me know what you think!


2 cups pumpkin (cooked and mashed...fresh or from a can)
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour bottoms only of 2 loaf pans. Beat together first 5 ingredients, beat 1 min at medium speed. Add remaining ingredients, blend at low speed until
moistened. Beat 1 min at medium speed. Pour into pans, bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean. Cool 5 mins in pans before removing. Cool
completely.

For the girls...

Just listed on Etsy, and will be live on Hyenacart tomorrow at 6pm. These will be the only longies I will make from this wool for now, since I do not have enough to make another pair...I do have enough to make a soaker or perhaps a skirty though! (If someone really wants these in another size however, I can order more of this colorway if you can wait a little bit).

These were so fun to make...they would be perfect for the little princess in your life :)

Action Shots

Remember the bee legwarmers and hat set I made for a customer for halloween?? Well, she sent along this adorable photo of her daughter. I received the photo a while ago and am only now getting around to posting it.

I love seeing action shots of my items...

I recently made a pair of my Funky Stripes Holiday longies, and here they are on this little guy:

Isn't he just so adorable!!

Do you have an action shot of a Petite Krott Creation?? I am always looking for photos of my items on babies, so send it along and if I use it on Etsy, you will receive %15 off your next purchase of longies, shorties, or soaker!!

Please send all action shot photos to petitekrottcreations@yahoo.com. Please note that I will assume that permission has been given for any photos to be used on my etsy or hyenacart shops, or posted on this blog.

Sock Monkey Longies

I finally am finished my exams! For those who don't know, I am working towards my bachelor of education. So now that I don't have anything to study, I can just relax! I hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful Christmas season!!

Even though tomorrow is the first official day of winter...we are getting hit hard here with a Nor'Easter Snow Storm. I do love the snow...especially when I don't have to leave the house.

So since we are stuck in the house, I had my husband cut out a nativity scene I have been wanting to make. I painted it up...and here is how it turned out:

I still need to stain the edges, sand them a little...and then I will add some fabric and rafia on their heads as...not sure what they are called...but veils maybe?? Hopefully I will be able to find some craft hay to glue on the manger also.

So.....now for the longies........

Who doesn't love a sock monkey?? They are everywhere lately! Here is my version of a sock monkey...in longies form!

They are a size large and are currently listed in my Etsy, and will be going live tomorrow on my Hyenacart.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

I just finished these cuuuuuuttttte longies! I just love how they turned out. I have a feeling they won't last long at only $49!!

They are a size medium...but I will take custom orders for these in different sizes..and colours :)

Just send me an email at petitekrottcreations@yahoo.com

Funky Stripes Holiday Longies

I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I finally had the time to knit them up. I wish I had a little one to put these on, they are so sweet!

These are now listed in my etsy shop and they are ready to go in size small. If you would like a pair in another size, just let me know.









I only finished them tonight and couldn't wait to get them online...so the picture is quite dark. I will for sure take some better pictures when the sun decides to come out....unless they sell out before then.

Sneak Peeks!

Here are some orders I have been working on. First up, two newborn gift sets, which include a newborn size flannel fitted diaper, a newborn size wool soaker, wool socks, and a wool hat. Here are two sets, one in white merino,

and the other in lavender peruvian highland wool.

Next, here is a Ribbie knit with my very own colorway in shades of green, orange, and purple. I really love how it turned out!

Knitting Sneak Peeks

Child size socks in grassy green and a redish-orange for a little man. These will go in the mail tomorrow.

Long Ribbie finished

These are finally finished. I always forget how long they take to knit compared to other longies. They are ribbed throughout to make them usable for a long time. They will go in the mail Monday as soon as they are dry.

Snappy Nappy Giveaway at Audrey's Country Crafts

Would you like to win a FREE Snappy Nappy Flannel Diaper?? You can enter at Audrey's Country Crafts Blog until November 2 at 10pm Central time.

Here's some more information on my Snappy Nappies:

These are a One Size fits all diaper with snap closure. These professionally attached polyacetal-resin snaps are sure to last the life of your diaper! These are meant to fit from newborn up to toddler. Snappy Nappies feature: - elastic at legs and back to hold in leaks - 100% natural Cotton flannel (many patterns available) - polyacetal resin snaps (hook and loop available at waist upon request) - Includes a soaker layer that is separate from the body of the diaper, which consists of 4 layers of flannel and one layer of terry cloth when folded - Separate soaker layer allows a thorough wash and a shorter dry time - adjustable from newborn to toddler (approx 8-35lbs)

The winner will be able to choose from my many patterns available here.

Good luck to all who enter!

100 Sales coming up!!

I am happy to announce that I am reaching the home-stretch for sale #100!! I will be giving a refund of 50% off the 100th item sold in my Etsy shop to one lucky customer! Only 8 more sales to go as of today :)

Refund will be issued through paypal, does not include shipping costs.

Changing Shop

I will slowly be changing from what was mostly a Made to Order Etsy shop to an In Stock store with only a few custom slots per month. I have been so busy with sales, which I am very thankful for, but I really don`t like making my customers wait longer than they have to. So, most of my items will be already made and ready to ship once orders are placed.

The custom slots on my Etsy shop will remain until they are purchased or they expire.

To request a custom order, you can email me at suzanned@ns.sympatico.ca

Some More Orders Finished....Here are some sneak peaks

I finished a lovely white with rose trim soaker, it turned out really nicely :)

These next items are for a special little girl's halloween costume. Can you guess what she will bee??

Conversion of bumGenius Diapers

I have converted many bumGenius diapers to snaps lately. I remove the worn out velcro and replace it with snaps using my professional KAM snap press. This just justifies my choice in using snaps on my diapers rather than velcro. I remember, whenever I took my diapers out of the dryer, that annoying diaper chain I would always get. There is none of that with snaps! And I swear these snaps will outlast your diaper. It is a huge chore to remove a mis-placed snap, believe me!

So I hope they work out better for you, Katie!

If you would like me to convert your worn out bumGenius velcro to snaps, send me an email at suzanned@ns.sympatico.ca.

Free Wipe Solution Recipes

Making your own wipe solution is so easy and can even save you money too! Not only are these recipes great for wiping dirty bottoms, but you can also use them to wash dirty hands and faces.

I found these recipes here and I thought I would give you some of my favorites. These recipes don`t contain anything harsh for your baby, no alcohol or chemicals.

Many wipe solution recipes contain the same ingredients. There is a purpose for each ingredient also.

• Oil: Helps the wipe glide across baby's skin and keeps skin soft
• Soap: Cleanses by removing all traces of urine and feces
• EO: (Essential Oil) Added for antibacterial and/or aromatherapy purposes.
• Water: The main ingredient in each recipe, cleanses the diaper area and dilutes the other ingredients

Use your favorite essential oil and make your recipe unique!

How to Use Cloth Wipe Solutions

To mix your solution, start with your oil and end with your water. The oil also coats your measuring tools and will help the soap slide right off. To avoid lots of bubbles, add your water slowly.

Here are a few different ways to store and apply your wipe solution. Choose which one will be best for your family.

• Use a spray bottle to spray the wipes before use
• Use a bottle with a pull-up spout like those found on some bottled water bottles to dribble solution onto the wipes.
• Warm solution and place in an insulated container to provide warm wipes for baby.
• Place the solution into a commercial baby wipes container and dip wipes into the solution.
• Place cloth wipes in a commercial baby wipes container and pour wipes solution over wipes.
• A commercial baby wipes container can be placed in a wipes warmer to provide cozy warm wipes for baby.

Don`t store your solution or your wet wipes for much longer than one week, as they may become musty and will allow bacteria to grow. Mix your solution in smaller batches and check it daily for mustiness.


Some of my Favorite Cloth Wipe Solution Recipes

Almond 'n' Chamomile

Steep the tea bags in the hot water then add the oil.

2 chamomile tea bags

2 teaspoons almond oil

2 cups hot water



Basic Wipe Solution

This basic recipe can be adapted by changing the type of soap or oil.

1/2 cup baby oil

1/2 cup baby wash

2 cups water



Easy Peasy

Just three simple ingredients...

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons baby wash

1 1/2 cups water


Eight is Great

Similar ingredients as other recipes, but in different amounts.
1/8 cup vegetable oil

1/8 cup baby wash

8 drops lavender oil

4 drops tea tree oil

2 cups water


Lavender 'n' Tea Tree

Lavender and Tea Tree are popular EO choices for wipe solutions.

1/8 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon baby shampoo

4 drops tea tree oil

8 drops lavender oil

3 cups water



Olive 'n' Tea Tree

A great natural wipes solution.

1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin not necessary)

1/8 cup gentle baby bath

A few drops tea tree oil

4 cups water


Soapless

This recipe relies on the EO to cleanse, instead of using soap.

1-2 drops tea tree oil

1-2 drops lavender oil

1 cup water

Completed Orders

I have been working on a huge local order, which included my one size diapers with inserts, cloth wipes, doublers, nursing pads, and a wool soaker. It is finally completed. Seeing all the diapers stacked up makes me anxious to have a second child just so I can get busy making cloth diapers for him/her. But that won't be for another year or two anyway.

I am really happy with how another custom order turned out. She ordered 1 Lavender Cream Ribbie, and two custom Wool soakers. She chose chocolate brown with rose, and pink with white. They turned out really nice.

She also ordered a one size diaper in a girly print. Because her daughter has chubby legs, I serged the leg area so it would be less bulky in that area. The waist is still topstitched.

Baby gloves are finished as well and in the mail! They are so tiny. I think I will have to make a pair for myself next.

I was Featured!

My Wool Booties and Mittens Set was featured on the front page of My Handmade Registry! Yay!! Thank you to Steven and Joanna!

Chocolate and Strawberry Longies Off my Needles

These took me a little while in between custom orders, but they are finally finished and I love how they turned out. These are made a little different than I usually knit my longies, and I think I like them better. They look more like traditional pants than my other longies, which are more like a soaker with longer legs.

These are now listed on my Etsy shop, and are ready to ship. If you would like a custom pair please send me an email or etsy conversation with your ideas.

Anniversary SALE!!

Wednesday, September 23rd is my 1 year Etsy anniversary!! It went by so fast and has been so much fun. I made a lot of friends, and I love knowing that I am helping other mommies cloth diaper naturally.

As a special thank you to customers, I am putting everything in my etsy shop on sale for 25% off!! You can pick anything at all...even from my sold items! I can recreate almost anything I have sold, so if you see anything you like, send me an email or etsy conversation to let me know! I will change the price before you buy, so you get 25% off the prices listed. This even includes customs!! Now is your chance to stock up before the cooler weather gets here, and before I get too busy !

Lavender Cream Ribbie Off my Needles

I recently finished this Ribbie...and I named it Lavender Cream. I love how this one turned out. The wool is Cascade 220 in a lovely purple with hidden hints of green. Very lovely! It looks very nice against the cream coloured wool. These were made for a custom order without the holes to accomodate a drawstring. I made the waist band slightly longer to help it stay up.

If you would like to design your own Ribbie, please email me at suzanned@ns.sympatico.ca

Caring for Your Wool Diaper Covers

You just received your new wool covers or perhaps you made your own, now what? Wool covers need different care compared to other covers. Don't worry! It's easy and you will develop your own routine.

Almost all wool covers need to be hand washed. If your wool is felted or pre-shrunk (as is the case with some recycled sweater covers) then it can be machine washed, however, it will last longer if you do hand wash it. I always recommend hand washing wool covers for best results.

You should always handwash your wool in room temperature water. Don't make the common mistake of thinking you need to wash it in cold water. The water should be the same temperature as your wool. Any extreme temperature changes, as well as agitation can cause your wool to shrink. So, never wash your wool with your diapers! Gentle handwashing in room temperature water is best.

You can wash your woolies in a lanolin rich soap, or simply add solid or liquid lanolin to your soapy water. The lanolin helps the wool retain its water-repellant nature. Lanolin is a wax like substance found naturally in wool. Lanolin naturally wicks moisture away from the baby's diaper, and makes the wool almost water-proof.

STEPS FOR WASHING YOUR WOOL COVERS:

What you will need:

• Gentle soap (baby soap, baby shampoo, or olive oil soap work well)
• A large bowl or a sink that can be plugged for soaking
• Lanolin (there are many different kinds out there...you can use the breastfeeding lanolin Lansinoh or PureLan, or you may be able to find it at the pharmacy)
• Jar with a tight fitting lid
• Clean, dry towel

Step 1:

First, you need to melt your lanolin. Take your jar, put some hot (doesn't need to be boiling) water from the tap (if it gets hot enough) and add a pea-sized amount of lanolin. You will need more lanolin if you will be lanolizing more than one item.

Add 1-2 drops of baby shampoo or soap to the jar. Put the cover on tightly and shake. The water should melt the lanolin, and mix the soap into it. The water should look somewhat cloudy and there should not be any oily drops floating on the surface. If there are, it is the lanolin that has not melted properly. All you need to do is add more hot water, or heat it a few seconds in the microwave (without the cover).

Step 2:

Add this soapy mixture to your bowl or sink. Then you need to adjust the water temperature so you don't shock your wool. Add some room temperature or colder water to bring the mixture to almost room temperature. Turn your covers inside out and place in the water. You can gently squeeze the covers in the water to help the water soak in. Be gentle with your wool. Allow to soak at least 20 minutes or more (no more than 24 hours).

Step 3:

Once your woolies are finished soaking, gently squeeze out as much water as you can. Do NOT wring! Lay your towel down on a flat surface, and roll up your wool covers with the towel. You can place the rolled towel on the floor and step on it to get as much water out.

Step 4:

Lay your woolies flat to dry. You can occasionally turn them right side out/inside out to help them dry faster. Do not put them in direct sunlight, as this can heat them up and may cause shrinking. Drying time can take up to 2 days. If the only cover you are using is wool, it may take a bit of planning, so that you have some clean ones to use when the others are being washed.

When do wool covers need to be washed?

One nice thing about wool is that you don't have to wash it after every use! This is because the natural lanolin in the wool, which reacts with the urine to produce a natural "soap", which will help to clean the wool and keep bacteria from growing. This means your cover will never smell like urine once it is dry! Even after being soping wet, it will still dry and smell just like wool....unless your cover needs to be lanolized! You will know your wool need a refresher lanolization when it still smells like urine once dry or if it starts to leak.

After each diaper change (when the cover gets wet) all you need to do is air dry your wool. Once dry, you can re-use it. If your wool gets soiled, you can spot wash it with a mild soap, rinse, and then lanolize if needed as above.

What am I Working on?

Ok, it's Wednesday, and as I promised here is a little blurb on what I have been up to. Well, for starters, I started work again today after the summer off. I work at a University. It is nice to be back. I am even going to be taking a french course as well. French is my first language, but I need to improve it. We shall see how it goes, I am sure it will be fine :)





I finished up the custom order for a friend of mine. The Ribbie turned out great, so I decided to make it available to Etsy-land. I am calling it the Sock Monkey Ribbie. What do you think??

I still haven't finished the pink with brown stripes longies...but I am working on it!

I have another custom order for 2 soakers, and 1 ribbie in girly colours! Beth took advantage of my Buy 2 get 1 50% off Labour Day Sale. Thank You Beth!! I love working with pinks and purples! Pictures coming soon of the finished items.

NEW! Recycled Sweater Longies Listed

I recently went for a little shopping trip to the nearby Frenchy's, the local thrift store. I found lots of wool sweaters, which I then turned into lovely wool longies. These are great for the upcoming longie season!These brown and pink ones are my favorite. Maybe it is because I was almost ready to keep the sweater, even though it wasn't really the right size for me. I love the rolled cuffs on this one!


For the following two, I wanted to do something a little different to make them unique, so I cut out some designs from scraps from other sweaters, and made these:






















For this one, the deep wine/burgundy colour of the cashmere blend sweater looked so nice against the grey merino, I decided to pair the two together!
















This one is another favorite. This blue cashmere sweater was so soft! The longies will keep one baby so nice and comfy I am sure! They are not thick enough for night time I don't think, but they would do great for day time from winter up to summer!

There will be more to come! I can also make soaker/shorties to match any of these. If you would like to make a custom request, please send me an email at petitekrottcreations@yahoo.com .

Wednesday - What am I Working On?

I thought I would have a weekly blog about what I am currently working on, so you can keep an eye out in my Etsy Shop if you see anything you like here.

First off though, I recently relisted a pair of Longies made from a recycled lambswool sweater. They are grey with an orange stripe. They are super soft, and nice and thick for the upcoming longie season! I reduced the price also to $15 (from $19) so get them while they are hot!

The matching soaker is available here.

With that said, I am currently working on a huge local order. A complete starter pack complete with One Size diapers, wipes, doublers, and a wool soaker. I am working hard to get this order done before I go back to work/school soon.

I will soon be listing some of these wipes on my Etsy. They are super cute and will come in very handy for wiping bums, bathing, or washing pretty much anything. They are made with one layer of flannel (you get to pick the print!) and the other layer is cotton terry cloth.

This is the next item to be listed on La Petite Krott Creations Etsy shop. I am knitting them in a slightly different way than I normally knit my longies. In the past I have knit my longies, basically as soakers with longer legs. I found this allows for the same amount of "roomy-ness" in the back end for those bulky diapers, but with long legs to keep baby warm on those cold nights. I am using a few different free patterns for these, basically combining all the best parts of each pattern.


These will look more like regular pants, but they have short rown knit in the back to add room for the diaper. I am planning on making a nice girly ruffle at the bottom of the legs. More pictures to come once they are finished!

But, first I must finish another custom order as well.








This is the start of a Ribbie, made for a little baby boy on his way to this world. The waist is a orangy-red colour. I added the narrow green stripe, and it turned out great...at least I think so! I will duplicate the green and orange stripe pattern on the leg cuffs. I hope they like it! I may have to make a second one to list on Etsy as well.

Well, that is all for this week's work. Check back again next Wednesday to see What I am Working on :)

P.S. Any colour suggestions for longies are welcome :)