Hello all, we’re getting closer to something resembling organization over here. Peanut has begun sleeping in his crib, giving me a few brief interludes in the day during which I can complete tasks unimpeded or, novelty of novelties, string two thoughts together.

Remember back at the beginning of the year, when I was going to save the planet? Well, my trash for the year certainly won’t fit in a mason jar, but I’m still trying to build good habits. I almost always remember to bring my reusable coffee cup when I go out for coffee, and that’s something, right? Most other good habits don’t come with a nice caffeine jolt so they’re coming more slowly. For instance, cutting down on food packaging. I can’t tell you how many minutes–hours?–I’ve spent in the peanut butter aisle, muttering to myself like a madwoman while trying to find peanut butter that is salt-free, sugar-free, and sold in a glass jar. Some days, the plastic wins.

One of my big accomplishments this summer was this little squid (Pattern Cal and Mari by Susan Claudino). This is my first-ever stuffie made with organic cotton filling. Up until now I made my stuffies with polyfill stuffing because it’s like sugary peanut butter–it’s cheap, easy to find, and I usually had it on hand anyways. I had it in my head that organic cotton stuffing would be hard to find and prohibitively expensive, one of those things that only the real pros, the ones that live in a city with a garment district, can get a hold of.

Well, I decided to knit this little squid up at absolutely the last minute for a baby shower, using some organic cotton yarn I had in stash. Driven by the kind of inspiration that can only come when working on a completely unrealistic deadline, I decided the stuffing should be organic cotton too. Lo and behold, a bag of my much-coveted cotton filling was not that much more expensive than the standard size bag o’polyfill, and it even could be ordered from Amazon. So I did.

This stuffing did not make me a more stylish knitter, nor did it magically transport me to a city with a garment district, but it did make me super happy. The squid turned out nice and plump, just how I like my stuffies, and I even finished it before the baby shower.

Ok so my MIL drove. And I was embroidering on the eyes in the hostess’s driveway. But I got my cotton stuffing!