Thursday, April 10th, 2008
I’ve made some pretty good progress on my projects the past couple of days. See, we’re in the process of buying a house. We found one we love, but there has been set back after set back and that produced a ton of anxiety and general “OMG WHAT TO DO” in my head. to keep my mind occupied, I tackled my list and even started [and finished!] other little projects.
here’s my updated list of to-do’s before Andrew gets here:
- finish his blanket (50% done–see sidebar!)
- make some rice or flax packs made for labor (I’ve seen a few circular ones and even the long skinny one I mentioned in a previous post)
- finish the next pair of knit shorties (80-90% done–just need one more leg!)
- make a boppy or other nursing pillow. I bought a used, but sanitized “Brest-friend” pillow at the thrift store for $3!
- knit the second arm on the gown & i-cord ties.
- sew some nursing pads
- get my birth announcements ready (so all I have to do is inset a photo/s, info, and print them)
- relax.
#s 5-8 are still not done. I need some more double-sided tape for the announcements and I need some old receiving blankets or other flannel for the nursing pads. I can’t relax. nope!
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
Pattern: Saartjes bootees
Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool
Needles: US 6 DPNs
Mods: knit in the round using mods from Hello Yarn
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
I didn’t know how to knit or crochet when I was pregnant with my first son, Nathan. I first learned how to crochet when he was around 7-8 months old. I started with a simple granny square blanket that turned into something awful and then I progressively realized there were tons of patterns online. I used the internet to learn how to read these patterns and eventually I bought a book (The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller). After over a year crocheting, I bought a “I Taught Myself to Knit!” kit and attempted knitting. I didn’t quite grasp the concept of pulling loops through other loops without a hook, so I ended up putting the kit away for a while. I continued crocheting and blah blah blah and then I got the desire to learn to knit AGAIN. I pulled out the kit and tried and failed AGAIN. it wasn’t until I found out about http://www.knittinghelp.com that everything finally *clicked* and I made a successful swatch. A whole new world was opened to me and I’ve made many many pretty things since.
Now, I’m pregnant and I’m just on a roll with the baby things. I had a few weeks of anti-craft when I was nauseated everyday and didn’t want to do anything. Since that ended, though, I’ve knit quite a few things for my fetus. His name is Andrew, by the way–the fetus. I just can’t seem to get used to calling him that. We haven’t decided on a middle name, yet.
I’m adding to the baby knits stash and am going to buckle down and finish all my planned projects, in the next few weeks.
First, some roll-waist shorties. I got the inspiration for the roll-down waist from a Flickr friend, mama_anna. it’s pretty genius! I’m not a fan of drawstrings, so I love it. plus, I think it extra-stretchiness will mean he can wear them for more than a few weeks (hopehope!).
Pattern: none.
Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool
Needles: US 6
Next, a gown that’s almost done. A friend of mine put one on her daughter when she was a newborn and I thought it was just precious! I didn’t have a pattern, so I just did a top-down raglan, back and forth in stst, then I joined it in the round where I thought a waist might be. I continued knitting in the round until it was about 20″ in length or so.
Pattern: none.
Yarn: Bernat handicrafter cotton
Needles: US 6
Probably my favorite part about the gown are the buttons I made. I used a Dritz button making kit and they were really rather easy.
my list of to-do’s before Andrew gets here include the following:
- finish his blanket
- get some rice or flax packs made for labor (I have this killer idea to make a long skinny one with extra fabric at the ends, so I can tie it around my waist, if I get to experience that lovely back labor again!)
- finish the next pair of knit shorties
- make a boppy or other nursing pillow
- sew some nursing pads
- get my birth announcements ready (so all I have to do is inset a photo/s, info, and print them)
- relax.
I guess this is MY sort of nesting. My husband can attest to the fact that cleaning is just NOT my forte, so you won’t see me 40 weeks pregnant scrubbing my bathroom. Oh no, you’ll see me frantically bouncing on a birthing ball sewing up the last little bit of *whatever*!
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
Another knit for the fetus!
We went to a thrift store this weekend. Upon entering, things didn’t look too promising. Things just didn’t look very organized. They had tables full of clothes and while everything on them was 99 cents, it would take hours to go through everything to find something suitable. Just when I thought I’d leave empty handed, I spotted a plastic box on the floor that had yarn in it! Most of it was blah, but at the very bottom, I found 2 balls of Intermezzo Chunky. It’s a 100% mercerized cotton. They had 2 different shades of this teal and I snagged them both, despite them not having prices. When we went to pay, we discovered they were only 59 cents each! how awesome is that?? I knew I wanted to make a bib or two for the little one in either knit or crochet and then a few patchwork ones, so this was great!
Pattern: “Baby Bib O’Love” from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: InterMezzo Chunky 100% Mercerized cotton
Needles: US 8
Mods: slightly chunkier yarn, so I went up in needle size and down in stitch count (down to 35 sts)
It took a few episodes of CSI and I had a bib. I even used my last little plane button. I had bought a bunch when the Hancock Fabrics nearby went out of business and I LOVED them.
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool (just one ball!)
Needles: US 6 & 8
it measures about 18-20″ around the chest so, HOPEFULLY, it will fit the new baby when he’s about 6 months. it stretches a bunch, so I’m hopeful it will fit in november/december. even if it isn’t cold outside, babies could always use extra warmth, right?
next up are some pants and maybe some more booties.
when I soaked/washed this one, I also FINALLY washed/blocked the pink sweater I knit a long time ago. it’s the basic top-down raglan I made with some yarn I kool-aid dyed.
this one is a little bit bigger. I’m not quite sure what to do with it. over-dye it with some red to make it more masculine? try and sell it? it’s so soft! I have 2 balls of fisherman wool (over 800yds!) that I want to dye and make something out of. maybe a blanket for the boys. speaking of blankets, I should probably make one for le fetus, so that I can cuddle with it and make it smell like me. you know, to become like a security blanket for him or something.
Monday, January 14th, 2008
Pattern: A Good 2-Needle Garter Stitch Slipper, with Cuff by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Source: Knitting Without Tears
Yarn: Knit Picks Bare - Superwash Merino/Nylon Fingering Weight dyed with kool-aid, coffee, and food coloring
Needles: 3.0 mm
these are so teensy! I’m not quite sure they’ll fit my newborn (coming in May!) for more than a few days. They were a lot of fun, though. I was going to use this yarn for some baby socks, but I am just so bored with plain stockinette. The shaping in this pattern definitely kept my interest. I finished the entire set in about 2 hours!
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket from Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Paton’s Classic Wool in grey mix and Elsbeth Lavold Classic AL in black
Needles: US 6 circular
for the fetus! [which, by the way, we found out is a boy! another son, guys! this is too exciting.]
I used an i-cord cast-off that took way too long, but was waaay too easy! I thought I was doing it wrong, it went so well. hah! my fetus will be 6-9 months when the weather is ready for it, so I hope it fits him, then. I may have to elongate the sleeves a bit, but that’ll be easy. I’m going to save a ball of the Elsbeth Lavold AL for when the time comes. I need to decide what buttons to use.
I got this book from my mother-in-law for Christmas. best gift! I had originally planned to dye some yarn, but I got too impatient and picked up 2 coordinating wools for this project. maybe I’ll dye that yarn someday. if the jacket seems too small, the closer it gets to next winter, perhaps I’ll knit another in a bigger size.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! 2008 is going to be great!
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007
so, I had the great idea to make some mug cozies as gifts for people on Christmas. I made 3, thinking that’s all I’d need for my son’s grandparents. Well,
Jason saw them and said that I should make them for so and so and by the time he finished listing names, I needed to have 14! I started on Thursday and only need 2 more to make. The photo on the right shows my original 3.
At first, I thought I should knit them, as there’s a great little pattern in the holiday ‘07 issue of Interweave Knits, but I got about half-way done with one and it had taken me 2 hours, so I KNEW I had to start crocheting them. after the first, the rest took about an hour each to make. the perfect last-minute gift! I even bought a little Christmas mug for each and we’re going to put a little pack of gourmet coffee and some biscotti in all of them. fun!
12/14
Pattern: my own
Yarn: various wool (mainly Paton’s Classic Wool and Cascade 220)
Hook: size G (4.25 mm)
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! stay safe!
Friday, December 14th, 2007
Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood, found in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts (2007)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool (100% Merino)
Needles: US 6 & 8
no mods, except yarn sub. I made the men’s size and it barely fits my huge noggin. I hope it fits the intended recipient!
I couldn’t get a great in action shot. really, this was the best I could do:
but look at that pattern! it was fairly easy, once I mastered cabling wtihout a cable needle. it looks so intricate, though! I highly recommend the pattern.
Monday, December 3rd, 2007
I wrote an entry, then left for lunch and returned to publish, but I didn’t think to back it up. I hit “publish” and was prompted to login. The internet ate my entry and now I have to start over!
The jist of it is I’ve been either too sleepy or nauseated to do much of anything, the past month or so. I’ve reached 16 weeks in my pregnancy and I’m finally starting to feel human again. The week before Thanksgiving I actually decided to start knitting again! I went with an oldy but a goody–Ganomy.
I first knit it in January. I made it for Nathan out of a single ball of Noro Kureyon. It got some good use, even being worn on an unusually (for Houston!) cool Easter.
Unfortunately, I LOST this amazing hat and so my Nathan needed a new one. I didn’t have any Noro in my yarn stash, so I chose a random ball of Cascade 220.
Pattern: Ganomy from
The Knitter’s Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Cascade 220 in
Straw
Needles: 16″ US8 circular
Modifications: I changed the cast-on to 98sts and had to adjust the decreases accordingly, so I wouldn’t end up with an insanely long hat.
Of course, I love it. it’s floppy and wonderful. I don’t have any good action shots because apparently posing is just not cool for 2 and half year-olds. *sad mommy face*
![Baby [garter-stitch] Surprise Jacket](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2009/2155324351_a962238387.jpg)
