The Loveliest Lamb

Cute Little Baby Gray!

2014-12-28T09:24:00.001-08:00

Meet little mister baby Gray, isn't he ADORBS?! He's looking fab in his custom woobie by The Loveliest Lamb :) He loves it! Work it, Gray!

A Sweet Pink 'n Fluffy Treat

2014-12-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

There's just something about sweet pink and soft gray that really gets me. I've been dying to do this color combo for awhile now, so I jumped at the chance when a client asked for it! The softness of these colors together is so perfect. Talk about eye-candy!

La Parisienne

2014-11-29T09:58:00.001-08:00

Soak up this fresh breath of air! I finished my first international order just before Thanksgiving, for a wonderful client in Paris. She selected these colors and I love how it turned out! I'm honored to have one of my blankets live out the rest of its days in glory in what I imagine to be a sunny apartment in Paris :)

Roly-Poly Baby Feet

2014-11-29T09:09:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone! Meet Baby Atlas! (Or at least part of him, LOL!) His momma sent me this photo of his little roly-poly baby feet rolled up in the baby blanket I made for him, isn't it adorable?!

New Colors! The Fall / Winter Color Line-Up Has Arrived!

2014-10-23T05:34:00.002-07:00

I've been checking the website for my favorite merino wool yarn every day (multiple times a day) since I learned that the new colors were arriving this week. It's like Christmas morning! They're finally here! Check it out:

Preppy Pink & Navy Woobie with Rounded Corners

2014-09-02T11:35:00.001-07:00

Put a little prep in your step! Boys aren't the only ones who like Navy blue, am I right?! Pink and navy are the perfect preppy and cute combo. This one was a special joy to make because the boldness of the hot pink edge makes me do my happy dance :)

A Soft Blue and Gray Whisper of a Woobie

2014-08-29T17:24:00.001-07:00

This soft-hued woobie was custom made as part of a two-part order for a double baby shower! How fun! I can't wait to see pics of little baby Nicholas snuggled up tight with his woobie when he joins us here on Planet Earth :)

Below, you'll see I took some photos of the wrapped gifts before I parted with them... I'm loving the special little twist I added to the gift wrap. Nothing like a little tiny floral touch to make the gift really pop!

Chartreuse & Gray Modern Woobie

2014-08-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

There's always something new to learn in the world of knitting and crocheting. I'm happy to say I challenged myself to learn a new technique that seemed hard, but once I got it down, turned out to be super easy! I present to you my newest creation, this chartreuse and gray woobie with an "i-cord" edge. The lady who invented this edge technique called it an Idiot Cord because it was so easy she wondered why no one had thought of it before. And the people of the knitting world have deemed it the "i-cord". I guess they don't want to go around saying Idiot Cord. Their loss, it's kind of fun!

Basket Weave Woobie with Garter Stitch Border

2014-08-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

I've been trying some new stitch patterns lately, like this basket weave woobie I just finished. It makes for an interesting texture! The only thing with patterns that give more texture is that a lot of them create a "right side" and a "wrong side" of the work. You can tell the wrong side because it's like looking at the inside of a knit sweater. But I'll be damned, the extra beautiful side more than makes up for having a wrong side!

Sea Salt and Ballet Pink Woobie in a Fancy Double-Seed Stitch with Crochet Scallop Border

2014-07-30T12:39:00.001-07:00

I felt it was time for me to make a piece to please those with a softer color palette and classic tastes. A double-seed stitch makes for a lovely nubbly texture on this woobie, and the crochet scalloped border adds a classic feminine flair. It entailed much more work than my usual woobies, but I enjoyed the challenge!

Pretty Pretty Package!

2014-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Anyone who shops on Etsy knows that half the fun of ordering from an Etsy shop is experiencing the joy of opening a beautifully wrapped package. Nothing makes you feel special like opening a gift that was wrapped with style & care! As a free upgrade, I gift wrap every purchase with a sturdy branded gift box, fun & colorful tissue paper, white kraft wrapping paper, burlap ribbon, white lace ribbon, and twine, with a sweet little kraft brown "handmade with love" tag. I also pack care instructions inside the package, so the recipient will know how to take care of their new merino wool blanket. But wait, there's more! (LOL)... if I'm sending this as a gift, I include a notecard with a gift message so the lucky person will know who loves them enough to send them such a special gift!

Update to the Nautical Inspired Woobie

2014-07-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

SOLD! The nautical inspired woobie was snatched right up and is on its way now to its destiny with sweet little Vinny. Hooray!

Time Lapse Video of The Loveliest Lamb Packing Process

2014-07-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

A little bit of love and a lot of care goes into the packaging and gift wrap, check it out!

Vinnie's Woobie Gets Ready to Go! from Heather Miller on Vimeo.

Nautical Inspired Woobie

2014-07-10T06:33:00.002-07:00

As it turns out, these little security blanket woobies just fly off the knitting needles in no time! They're the perfect little project to keep me busy between the full size baby blanket projects. I did this Little Woobie in 3 days! I can't wait for my fancy schmancy merino wool yarn supplier to come out with more colors so that I can live out my color dreams. Colors make my soul happy :)

Security Blankets in Child Psychology

2014-07-06T07:48:00.001-07:00

Child psychology is a fascinating subject. Though I don't have any children yet, I'm hopefully headed that way soon. I was poking about on the interwebs, reading different articles from Psychology Today and Psych Central and the New York Times....and found this very interesting description of the meaning behind children's relationships with security blankets. Of note, the most interesting article I found about it was actually on Wikipedia, and sampled different studies. It's some deep stuff, I'm telling you. Read on for your psycho-analysis escape for the day:

"In human childhood development, the term transitional object is normally used. It is something, usually a physical object, which takes the place of the mother-child bond. Common examples include dolls, teddy bears or blankets.
Donald Woods Winnicott introduced the concepts of transitional objects and transitional experience in reference to a particular developmental sequence. With "transition" Winnicott means an intermediate developmental phase between the psychic and external reality. In this "transitional space" we can find the "transitional object."

When the young child begins to separate the "me" from the "not-me" and evolves from complete dependence to a stage of relative independence, it uses transitional objects. Infants see themselves and the mother as a whole. In this phase the mother "brings the world" to the infant without delay which gives it a "moment of illusion," a belief that its own wish creates the object of its desire which brings with it a sense of satisfaction. Winnicott calls this subjective omnipotence. Alongside the subjective omnipotence of a child lies an objective reality, which constitutes the child’s awareness of separateness between itself and desired objects. While the subjective omnipotence experience is one in which the child feels that its desires create satisfaction, the objective reality experience is one in which the child independently seeks out objects of desire.

Later on the child comes to realize that the mother is separate from it through which it appears that the child has lost something. The child realizes that it is dependent on others and thus it loses the idea that it is independent, a realization which creates a difficult period and brings frustration and anxiety with it. In the end it is impossible that the mother is always there to "bring the world" to the baby, a realization which has a powerful, somewhat painful, but ultimately constructive impact on the child. Through fantasizing about the object of its wishes the child will find comfort. A transitional object can be used in this process. The transitional object is often the first "not me" possession that really belongs to the child. This could be a real object like a blanket or a teddy bear, but other "objects," such as a melody or a word, can fulfill this role as well. This object represents all components of "mothering," and it means that the child itself is able to create what it needs as well. It enables the child to have a fantasized bond with the mother when she gradually separates for increasingly longer periods of time. The transitional object is important at the time of going to sleep and as a defence against anxiety.

In a later stage of the development the child no longer needs the transitional object. It is able to make a distinction between "me" and "not-me," and keeping inside and outside apart and yet interrelated. This development leads to the use of illusion, symbols and objects later on in life.

Research with children on this subject was performed at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee by Richard H. Passman and his associates. Among other findings, they showed that security blankets are appropriately named — they actually do give security to those children attached to them. Along with other positive benefits, having a security blanket available can help children adapt to new situations, aid in their learning, and adjust to physicians' and clinical psychologists' evaluations. Passman's research also points out that there is nothing abnormal about being attached to them. In the United States, about 60% of children have at least some attachment to a security object."

New Product! The "BIG WOOBIE" Security Blanket

2014-07-01T08:44:00.002-07:00

Shout out to all my mommy friends who have given me so many great ideas for what their children would want, especially to Courtney Cribbs who gave me the idea for making woobies! (Or as she calls it, a Lovie)

So this is my latest creation, which I have dubbed the "BIG WOOBIE" because I also plan to make one a little smaller and call that one the "LITTLE WOOBIE". I'm picturing little children everywhere carrying around my little brightly colored and scrumptiously soft security blankets like Linus from Charlie Brown :)

This baby's up for grabs, first come first serve! Check it out in my Etsy shop links at the top of the page. There will also be a separate listing in Etsy for custom listings and variations of this piece, check it out if you want your own custom BIG WOOBIE!

Syrena's Baby Blanket

2014-05-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here she is! The latest creation, in all its sunshiny glory! Is 24 photos too much? I THINK NOT! Behold...

Taking Care of Merino Wool

2014-05-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

The same characteristics that make merino wool such a luscious and soft material also make it delicate when it comes to washing it. It's important to handle your merino wool with care. Don't hang it from a hanger (it will stretch), don't stick it in the washing machine or dryer, and be warned that heat is wool's enemy. Grab yourself a bottle of Woolite from the grocery store to keep around the house for hand-washing your merino wool blanket when it's time to give it a bath :)

You can find some excellent advice on caring for merino wool at the following two links listed below. Both links are talking about sweaters, but the same advice applies to blankets. Also, just a note that the merino wool I use is HAND WASH ONLY, disregard the section in the Woolmark link which discusses treated wool that can be machine washed.

The Woolmark link is a very informative pdf file which describes everything from washing to storing to stain removal, including for specific stain types. I recommend you download it to keep on hand for future use in case you need it.

Here are the links to click on:

Martha Stewart article on hand washing merino wool sweaters

Woolmark pdf file about caring for merino wool

What Makes Merino Wool Different?

2014-05-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

My obsession with merino wool is validated when you learn a little about what makes merino wool so different from other fibers. Read here to learn about what makes merino wool such a prized material. This information about merino wool can also be found at http://www.numei.com/aboutmerinowool

What is Merino Wool?

Merino wool is made of the finest grades of wool from the Merino sheep. It is prized for being very soft and comfortable against the skin. Modern technology has made it possible to sort and select only the finest merino fibers. Merino wool has a microscopic diameter - about one-third to one-tenth the thickness of human hair. The smaller the diameter, the finer, softer and less scratchy the fabric will be.

Lustrous merino wool produces fabric that can be worn next to the skin without discomfort, is soft and always provides an exceptional hand and distinctive style. In the dress-goods and knitting trades, the term 'Merino' implies an article made from the very best soft wool. Extrafine Merino is a super premium wool used in the highest quality knits.

Characteristerics of Merino Wool

Thousands of years of evolution and selective breeding have resulted in merino sheep capable of producing a super-fine wool fiber. Merino wool products of the fine and superfine grades of wool are much finer and superior than traditional wool, making it smooth against the skin and more comfortable to wear.

Merino wool is highly breathable because the individual fibers can absorb up to 30% of their own weight in moisture, wicking moisture away from the body so the wearer stays dry and comfortable regardless of the temperature. This helps to regulate the body temperature, keeping you warm in cold weather and cool in hot.

Merino wool warms naturally. The unique qualities of soft merino wool make it the best material for children's undergarments. A moving and sweat-prone child will feel comfortable in merino wool the wool breathes freely and will not feel cold and sweaty even when damp. Thanks to its warmth, merino wool is also perfect for a child playing quietly. Merino wool, being the softest of all wool types, is often also suitable for allergic skin as it generally does not cause allergic reactions.

The extremely fine, soft and crimped nature of merino wool fibers allow for a strong natural elasticity that enhances its high-performance qualities. The natural anti-microbial properties of Merino wool make it odor-resistant - another big advantage over synthetic fabrics. It is also extremely durable, anti-static and fire resistant, making it ideal for a range of products.

Why Merino?

Don't synthetics do the job just as well?

Scientific tests carried out by the Hohenstein Institute in Germany, the Ergonomics Unit at the Polytechnic Institute of Wales, and the CSIRO in Australia support anecdotal evidence that Superfine Merino provides the wearer with superior overall climate control and moisture absorption than synthetics.

Well-known for its warmth, it is less well known that the same properties make Merino the idea fabric for hot weather. The Bedouin tribes of the Sinai, where temperatures reach extreme highs, have been wrapping themselves in wool for centuries. The merino works as a condition buffer; in the heat cooling the body initially through managing the build up moisture vapour internally, keeping the wearer drier for longer. Then, by not clinging to the skin even when wet, the fabric allows the skin to still do it's job through sweating and cooling the body.

What about new natural fibers like bamboo, hemp and cellulose-based fabrics?

Whilst these fibres may be good in hot weather, none of them are capable of managing moisture in the way merino does, nor will they regulate your body temperature, keeping you warm when it's cold, cool when it's hot; They would not keep you warm once they get wet. Finally, their manufacturing processes are more complex than that for merino, resulting in the use of more energy.

Ansley's Blanket

2014-05-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

I've always had a thing for blankets. I think it began when I had a bad experience at a sleepover as a kid. Have you ever spent the night at someone's house and found your blanket-situation at night to be inadequate? I remember being given a thin little whisper of a blanket and freezing all night. I was miffed and uncomfortable but powerless to fix my situation because what kind of rude houseguest would wake someone up for another blanket? And it stuck with me ever since, that a good, hospitable home is one with PLENTY of blankets. Thus, I have always stocked my home with blankets galore and you will never find me relaxing on the couch without one. Not only are they practical, they are comforting to us emotionally. Picture a rainy day, laying on the sofa curled up with a soft blanket.... and you feel a sense of relaxation and comfort, right? Now picture that same thing without the blanket and it's not quite the same. What's more comforting than blankets?

I began my love for crocheting and knitting with a focus solely on a magical little thing in this world called Amigurumi. If you've never seen or heard of Amigurumi, they are little anime-inspired stuffed crochet monsters and animals and inanimate objects like brightly colored cartoonish coffee mugs and cupcakes with cute faces on them.

While Amigurumi are really fun and whimsical, I craved projects that would let me spend more time in the meditative state you enter when knitting or crocheting. Amigurumi are by nature small projects that finish quickly and half of the time you spend on them is time spent on construction (joining the pieces together and creating a face). The construction of Amigurumi can often be frustrating and I wanted more of the relaxing kind of knitting.

Combine my lifelong love of blankets and all they represent with the desire for the meditative state of long periods of knitting, and BAZINGA! ... you have my natural inclination to end up here at the decision to focus on knitting and selling luxury wool yarn blankets.

The catalyst which brought me to that realization was the miracle of my best friend becoming pregnant with her first child, Ansley. I wanted more than anything to give her a hand-knit, heartfelt gift that would not only be something she would want to keep forever, but also would be luxurious and impressively beautiful and stylish. I discovered a whole new type of satisfaction and fulfillment while I worked on her baby blanket, and I cannot get enough of that feeling! And that is why The Loveliest Lamb was born.

Ansley's Blankie was made with a beautiful merino wool crepe yarn that is no longer manufactured, so it will forever be one of a kind! I'm actually fine with it that they don't make it anymore because it was really thin yarn (which equates to extremely slow and painstaking to knit up) and required MONTHS to complete... and I actually gave myself temporary carpal tunnel syndrome with this project! It was worth it though - the things we do for our besties!

What's in a Name?

2014-05-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Somehow, someway, the most perfect of names for my little Etsy shop endeavor was free for the taking! When I decided to start an Etsy shop for my hand-knit luxury wool yarn blankets, I couldn't believe my eyes when The Loveliest Lamb was available as a shop name. The name perfectly conveys the feeling I want you to have when you think of my luxury merino wool blankets. It is both literal and poetic.

My luck continued and the universe aligned, as left and right I claimed "The Loveliest Lamb" as my own all across the internet. I was able to claim the following:

Etsy shop - etsy.com/shop/theloveliestlamb
Facebook - facebook.com/theloveliestlamb
Twitter - @loveliestlamb
Blog - theloveliestlamb.blogspot.com
Email - theloveliestlamb @gmail.com

Hooray! It's an Internet Miracle! Perhaps this was meant to be :)