First birthday present for baby lentil weaver-your thoughts, please

[Fillyjonk]

Ideas, please.

She is a second child so we have no end of Hungry Caterpillars and variants, plastic crap and so forth. She's not especially girly atm, seen as how she's a baby and all.

We have every book a child could wish for.

I want something she can keep as she grows up. She'll also be getting a trike from us.

It also needs to be something small and light really, because we are forever decluttering.

Don't mind doing a bit of sewing/knitting, but I need ideas!

She is named after a goddess and is a Cancer, if that helps.

(oh and I would imagine that her uncle is buying her some sort of lifetime supply of junk food crap, and someone will probably find it immesely amusing to buy a Barbie doll, so we've got that covered, thanks)

quilt is a lovely idea. If you dont have much time why not make a small version as a wall hanging for her bedroom? Something to do with the Godess she's named after even ?

Fillyjonk, maybe get family members/friends to donate a piece of material or knit a square for a blanket/ quilt?

a design! Oh god, I thought I'd just be sewing squares together, no?

What I might do is start collecting bits of fabric in future. I really like the idea of every bit telling a story. Otherwise I suppose I could do some complex embriodery (this is your daddy's uncle...etc) but I don't really know how. Then i can give it to her on her civil ceremony day or something.

Woodcraft Folk badges? Ok here's what we did. You know how in scouts or whatever you wave a compass around and get a navigation badge? In WF we had to hike 5 miles with packs, including tents, on our backs, navigating from a map, in the peeing rain. Then build a fire. Then cook over the fire, and none of your baked beans, mind. Then sing a song about building a fire. Then fill in some worksheets.

And then we did not get the sodding badge because one of us had entered the wrong map reference code on said worksheet.

Oooh, it was great fun...

LOve those knitted nauties! Wish my knitting skills extended beyond small, somewhat asymmetrical jumpers that take about a decade to finish...although my friend can knit...hmmmm...

You could sew a sort of sensory cushion cover out of 12 or 16 patches of fabric, some silky/shiny/furry etc(raid charity shops for cheap material)

lol, FJ . I can tell i am dredging up even more bad memories for you now! Woodcraft folk always sounded so exciting. Console yourself with fact that should you end up lost in woods you would be able to survive and cook up smashing tea but us ex Brownies would befreezing to death with useless bits of string and 2pences ! Make the quilt for 2nd birthday, will keep thinking.

a mural on her bedroom wall, of a jungle or seashore, painted by you?

and another thing about bloody Brownies, you're right: we always had to stay in a church hall on campbeds while the Cubs were allowed to camp outdoors, because they were BOYS.

Oh, it still smarts!!

what about something from my giddy aunt - fab stuff...

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What about a cross stitch family tree?

good ideas here, though she doesn't have a bedroom good lord, she's a lentil weaver!

Oh and about me finding my way out of a wood armed only with a magnetised drawing pin...you know I said someone entered the wrong co-ordinates and we didn't get our badge? Well, ahem......and things haven't really changed.

jessajam, have printed off the pattern and looked through it, its very easy, Its basically a big I cord! If you actually would like to make one and can't see how, I'll happily walk you through it. It does need double pointed needles (check out charity shops) but its really simple. If you can do a beanie hat, you can do this.

Fillyfonk if you were to sell those nautiloids I would definitely buy them from you (they are great!) my dd is 1 at the end of this month do you think i can teach myself to knit by the end of the month

Ummmmmm.....ummmmmm...I think anyone can teach themselves to do anything...

Its a simple design, really. At least I hope it is. Am feeding the baby lentil weaver atm then am going to try knitting one of these things.

If its as easy as I think will happily walk you through it. I actually think it might make a good first project cos you actually only need garter stitch, really.

There is one bit thats a bit tricky, thats all-the last bit, on 4 needles. Its might be hard if your beginning. But I actually don't see why it has to be on 4 neeldes, you could do it on 2 and sew it up...let me think...

(i have probably lost you)

Will report back when I've made the bloody thing. Have not much wool, either so it's not going to look lovely.

Was just going to add that a picture for her wall would be nice, too, and you could always decorate the frame yourself, to go with her room. We bought dd a sweet watercolour of a castle for her 1st b'day, girly but not too babyish so hopefully she's have it for a long while.

I gave my dd2 an old puzzle of dd1s for her first birthday. I thought I'd save the money till she actually needed something

dd1 had forgotten it existed and I wrapped it all up so she could scrabble it open

I never saw the need to buy anything for her cos she was so little, she has everything she needs and wasn't old enough to understand the significance of the day

our treasure basket had a plug on a chain in it, and little chunky glass bottles, pine cones and the like. but she'd grown out of it a bit by 1

slightly off topic, but dd1 is currently doing her first woodcraft folk badge. called "i see and know". she has to spot and name 3 birds, 5 trees, 3 mammals, 5 minibeasts and 5 flowers. it's not THAT hard. even for me who doesn't know many trees and flowers.

Oh yes, DS has a nifty purple and cream striped beanie hat! My first real knitting success...hmm...may print of pattern and have a ponder! May be posting for you in the weeks to come when my nautiloid turns into more of a knotiloid maybe if I start soon It'll be ready for ds's 1st birthday in August!

well, fennel, in my day...dumbing down wf badges...youth of today...etc

ok.have tried that pattern and am sad to report that it is evil. i have been knitting for 24 years, had there been a wf knitting badge i would have it, i have had to change the pattern 7 times already and i'm on about row 8. having unravelled several times.

i am going to adapt it for use on straight needles, to be sewn and coiled at the end. I feel that is the way forward. sorry jess. you can see my adapted pattern if i manage it, if that helps.

what about planting a tree or a pretty bush for her?
if you don't have a garden, how about in a local park with permission?

oooh, a really lovely idea, hovely.

both the kids had fruit trees when they were born..dd got a pear tree. despite having a placenta to feed off it is not very prolific. Was planning to buy some pears and possibly stick them on the tree for ds to find on dd's birthday...