Little Miss Pinky!

The lazy woman has got rather active hands which do not like to stay still even during her laziest lounging-in-the-sun sessions. She is also constantly on the lookout for interesting new projects. Knitting for fashionable little girls figures very high in her list of interesting projects. So, when she heard a very good news of the long awaited arrival of a baby girl in one of her husbands' senior colleague's home, she shed a few tears of joy right there in her bean bag and then it was all cheer and laughter at the prospect of yarn shopping for a new project in Coco-land.

All the internet was rinsed thoroughly for the cutest available pattern and I settled for this pair of booties. Then the hunt for a matching hat began and was met with success a short while later. A pattern for sweater was also searched for, but after a lot of search generated not much, I decided to make a simple front open sweater knitted from neck downwards, and make it a little wider at the base to make it look fashionable and not boxy. 

I am not happy with the yarn that we get in Indian markets, whether for babies or in general. I do not find the colors or the texture attractive but have to make do with whatever is available. I went to the market and with great difficulty and little inputs from Coco's dad (which rather confused me) chose baby pink and purple in Vardhman's Baby Soft. 

The booties were ready quickly and so was the hat. The sweater stayed rather neglected and was knitted in many installments as a result of lazy woman's busy social calendar in December. It was lying in my closet for at least two weeks under piles of sarees from the Putti Parade that I mentioned in the previous post. Finally, when I realized that winter will be over and the baby will grow big before the sweater is finished and delivered, I hurried up and finished making it and decorating it with little crocheted flowers, after a lot of brainwaves about buttons and ribbons and what-nots. 

After everything was ready, it was duly taken out to the lawn for a photo shoot and at least a hundred pictures were clicked before pack up. Meanwhile I stared at the lovely set and drooled at all the cuteness a lot. I promised myself to keep making such sweet little things every once in a while to keep in touch with my love for cute little things. With a lot of love and care, I packed the entire set in the same plastic clear jar in which the yarn came, and mailed it the next day.

Oil Change ?!!

Winters have arrived in Delhi in full swing.  A foggy view of the park can be seen from my balcony.

 

 

What was my favourite flowery view in October (above), has now changed to a bare tree (below) looking so cold, I would knit a shawl for it!

 

Woollens and heaters have started their chores, teacups are doing extra rounds as knitting needles are out on duty.

 

Feeling adventurous, Coco's great granny not only suggested using mustard oil for baby's massage for winters, she gave her recipe of mustard massage oil too. Cooked with garlic, ajwain and heeng, the oil smells awful and is a lot greasy than coconut oil too. I feel like changing his clothes and cleaning the folds of his thighs and neck more often, which is a pain in chilly Dilli winter. However, the baby looks a lot more relaxed and warm with this massage.

We first rubbed the oil on his left leg as a test and left it overnight to see if it was okay. And it was okay! There are no allergies too! Old wisdom is good wisdom.

After using this for a couple of days, we shunned garlic and heeng, and stuck to ajwain only. As it turned out, garlic is good for painful joints and maybe done away with in regular massage. The oil is less smelly now.

Oil has changed, but I am not changing his name from Coco to Musto anytime soon or ever!

My tender COCOnut

About 8-9 months ago, my husband and I walked into a Naturals ice cream parlour and discovered amazing tender coconut ice cream. We would often order tub loads of ice cream after that evening and would simply enjoy the coconutty sweet coolness. If only we knew how important a role coconut is going to play in our near future!

When we were bringing him home from hospital, doctors clearly advised us to use coconut oil for massages. At home, we could not find any and an over enthusiastic great granny of Coco could not wait, so we took out a branded baby oil and Coco was given his first massage with everyone looking on, their mouths and eyes wide open, his father clicking snaps from various angles. Next morning, Mr. Coco was found covered with angry red spots all over his little body, ears so swollen, they were hanging. My first guess was the baby oil caused it. We  took him to the doctor and he scolded us for using any other oil. He said: no fancy oils, no powders, no lotions, only baby soap is permissible, and coconut oil.

After he was massaged with coconut oil, he smelled like ... well, coconuts. His father called him tender coconut first, but thankfully later settled to a more human like Coco! Then it just clicked and got kind of approved as his pet name till we got a better name for him. The name search is still on.

Coconuts are involved in many other ways too in Coco's case, but that story later.

Moral of the story:
1. Doctor's advice is better than TV ads, especially in case of premature babies.
2. Vegetable oils are good for massages, coconut oil being the best.
3. Not all babies respond to popular products in the same manner.