ideas, ideas, ideas!

i found these ridiculously cute "sweater pants" on etsy today, and immediately looked to see if i could find a tutorial on how to make them. i'm definitely filing this idea away for winter! i love to think of my little one this winter, turning a year old, starting to stand up... her little toes sticking out from the bottom of some super soft and cuddly sweater pants made for her by her momma!

the photo is thanks to handmade pretties on etsy, if you're not into making your own, she has some fabulous and adorable ones for very reasonable prices! i love how she made the tops of them like little yoga pants so the stretchiness can be pulled up over chilly little bellies {the rest of her shop is full of lovely felty and woolie goodness as well!}

i found a good tutorial from green kitchen on making the sweater {or sweatshirt} pants, and also one adapted for woolie diaper covers or shorties, if you're into the cloth-diapering thing. both tutorials reminded me a lot of soulemama's tshirt-into-pants idea in her creative family book. the tshirt ones would be a great weight for summer jammies! i've still got a great thrifted knit bedsheet i was planning on making into adult jammies-pants based on the amy butler wide-leg pattern from her book in stitches, but now i'm very much considering scrapping that {temporarily?} and making a rag-rug for kenna's room instead.

i discovered this vintage chica's blog thanks to mothering magazine, and found this great rag rug tutorial on it {which, apparently, she is known for}. i'm literally on my way out to by a size 11.5 crochet hook today! and, further proving that there is a flickr pool for absolutely everything, i found lots of awesome inspiration for rag rugs in the braided and crocheted rag rugs pool.