In honor of my revised resolution to slow down and learn how to do things the right way, I am here to report what might be the most elegant and difficult knitting I have undertaken, all dressed up as a fox.

I have been swimming in baby knitting all winter. Especially since I challenged myself to include something knit in each of Cal’s monthly photos. The big boy hasn’t had a knit anything in quite a while. I stumbled on this adorable pin and knew I wanted to make this.

The pattern was not free, which is usually where I jump ship. But I decided to buy it anyway. It described itself as beginner advance/intermediate. I do not consider myself a beginner knitter, as I have been knitting at a fever pitch for almost 10 years now, but this pattern had four things I had no idea how to do (twin stitch, shadow stitch, short rows and three needle bind off). Still I pressed on and figured out each new stitch as I went.

I confess I had to tear out half of it when I was almost finished because of course I didn’t set my gauge or pay attention to what type of yarn I should be using. (I am a real use-what-I have kind of gal and I have a pair of lucky needles that I knit almost everything on). So I took two steps forward and one step back, but that is how change happens.

In case you are keeping track of all of my overwhelming personal progress: I bought a pattern, used a pattern and tore it out until I got it right. That is enough change to last me a decade of resolution credit. Yay for never having to change again.

And now Ellis has something cute to keep him warm at school!!!

That is right, big boy started school last week. He is going to an amazing Forest Kindergarten. It is all outside, rain or shine. They can go into a tipi with a fire to warm up if it is really cold but they spend most of the time hiking on expeditions on over 200 acres.

I took Ellis for his first day last week and I wasn’t sure how drop off would go. Other than going to his grandparent’s house he isn’t really ever away from us (we have been trying for months to get him to stay in the nursery at church, but that hasn’t worked). School was no problem though. He ran into the tipi and blew us a kiss and that was that. I held my tears to myself until I got back to the car and I went immediately to buy him a warmer coat, because what else is a mom to do when she leaves her big boy in the woods for the first time? If I can just keep him warm and cute he will be happy forever right?

P.S. city mama, I am sure this pattern could be adapted for a cat. If only I knew a foxy cat…