Still Pregnant....

Yup, the baby is still cooking. My husband keeps pointing out that I'm not due for a few days yet, and shouldn't have expected to deliver in the middle of February. I keep pointing out that I've been having contractions for weeks, and since he doesn't have to carry this thing around on the inside of him, and has no way of comprehending the experience, he should really just SHUT UP.

I'm very blessed in that my husband is a wonderfully understanding human being. :)

In the meantime, I've been working on the Fiona Sundress and the Cotton Kisses Cardigan. I've also continued to do some rows here and there on the Celtic Knot Stole. So, yeah, I'm not really focusing on anything in particular....

Sunday is Big Boy's birthday, so he's really hoping the babe comes tomorrow or after Sunday. Little Girl's birthday is the 9th. She's having a very small princess tea party with friends, so I've been planning the menu (and am very thankful to have friends who won't care if I'm in pajamas with spit up on my shoulder during her tea party!)

I'm also thinking about knitting some socks. For me.

Happy Knitting!

Yarn Splurge!

I went to a yarn store yesterday. I went mostly because I still haven't had the baby, I got some money, and I began to think that I might not get to a yarn store for quite some time. I had a few projects in mind, but I came home with this:

to make this.

I've cast on, and knit about an inch. Today though, I broke out the Celtic Knot Stole and worked a dozen or so rows. I'm hoping to have it done by May - we'll see.

I'm really just sitting around and waiting for baby girl to make an appearance.

Happy Knitting!

Easy Sweater

This sweater was so fast and easy, I'm considering making another one in a bigger size. It's knit from the top down, and the sleeves are knit in the round, meaning that there are NO seams! LOVE IT! I'm going to make a matching hat. I used Plymouth Dreambaby DK that I got in a swap, and it took about one and a half skeins. The pattern is here.

Today I will continue to work on a hat to match the Red Sox Tee (and yes, I know that a navy blue hat, with a red and blue sweater will mean baby girl is mistaken for a girl. But, at least she'll look like a Red Sox Fan!) and possibly the hat to match this sweater.

Tomorrow....well, I keep hoping to be in labor, so we'll see.

Happy knitting!

Generosity of Others

On Friday, I came home to find a pair of size 7 DPNs waiting for me. A gift from Judy, the mom of a friend. I hope to finish the baby sweater today.


On Saturday, I went for a pedicure, a gift from a friend to get ready for the baby.


Later that day, a box from my parents arrived full of Valentine's gifts. Included - my mom's size 7 DPNs to borrow, and the Baseball Sweater that she sewed together for me. (Incidentally, this is a raglan sweater meant to be knit flat. I knit the body in the round, and my mom had a REALLY hard time sewing it all together.)


Yesterday afternoon, Big Boy had a hockey game. His grandparents and aunt, and all of us were there (which is much easier when the game is at noon, and not 6 a.m.) He played really well, and loved having everyone there. Last night, hubby and I went out to dinner, using a gift certificate from his brother. A friend volunteered to watch the kids for us.

We are blessed.

Cotton Bonnet

I made this bonnet to match the Ellis Dress. The pattern is from Claire Montgomerie's Easy Baby Knits (a go to book for me). I changed the seed stitch straps and ribbed back to garter stitch to match the dress. I'm trying to decide if I have enough yarn to make some booties.

I keep forgetting to post a picture of the finished booties from my last post. I'm REALLY happy with them, and I made the matching scratch mitts. I would like this to be my next project, but it requires a trip to the yarn store, and money to spend there (yarn allowance - good idea, hard to live with).

The baby is still cooking away. Last night I woke up with some painful contractions, but they faded after a few hours. :( Today, the little kids painted onesies for her. We used make up sponges and stencils, but I'm still impressed with what a nice job they did!


Happy Knitting!

The Magic of Short Rows

I decided to knit a pair of booties. Not for any particular reason, except I had suitable yarn, the right needles, and I figured they would be kind of quick. I used the pattern from Claire Montgomerie's book Easy Baby Knits. I've finished one bootie, and it was super easy! As I was reading over the pattern though, the last instruction is to seam it up - and I just couldn't picture what the flat-knit bootie would look like. I figured it would be obvious.

And boy was it!

As you can see, by photo of bootie #2, the part that is the toe is totally obvious - all through the magic of short rows. It just amazes me what can be done in terms of design elements to lend a project shape. It amazes me even more that designers have the ability to visualize the use of short rows to make something.

I might make the matching scratch mitts, just cause.

I finally finished the hat I made with the leftover yarn from the Wave Jumper. The pattern is the Baby Wood Nymph Hat and I really like that it's nice and stretchy. I think baby girl will look adorable in it. (And when she outgrows it, Bitty Baby can claim it as her own.)

Baby girl seems to enjoy just hanging out, and has given no indication that she plans on being born soon. Mommy, on the other hand, is quite ready.

Happy Knitting!

Stalled

I decided that it was absolutely imperative to have a sweater in the 0-3 month size range for this baby. Part of me felt silly, because babies seem to outgrow this size even faster than all the others. But, the rest of me decided that I'm a knitter, and therefore, this child should be swathed in yarn.

Angie, a friend from Ravelry, sent me some Plymouth Dreambaby as part of a swap, and so I spent Sunday during the Superbowl and last night knitting up the body of this Easy Baby Cardigan:


Unfortunately, I lack the size 7 DPNs required for the sleeves. I went to AC Moore this morning, and they didn't have any! GRRR! (BTW - this sweater really is SUPER easy!)

Soooo...since I didn't drag the kids to Michael's (especially since I feel like they have a VERY limited selection of DPNs these days), I have to decide what else to knit on this nice snowy day. OR, forego knitting altogether and clean my house, and weave in the ends of various projects.

I think I'll start with a nap.

Happy knitting!