Knitting Musings

I'd Like A Sick Day, Please!

It has been SO much fun chez-Musings these last few days thanks to our lovely little ~~germ factory~~ Baby A. She got a cold on Friday night, so between the sleep-deprivation and the constant germ warfare campaign, she succeeded in getting S and me sick by Monday. WHEEEEE!

But there has been knitting. Mostly finishing, as I want to finally clear the decks and get out from under some long-unfinished projects.

So first, I finished Dad's 2009 Vest. It still needs a blocking, but all knitting and finishing is done!

I also finally finished sewing up my long-neglected Union Square Market Pullover. I was really close to finishing it 2 years ago, but then it started getting warm and I knew I wouldn't be wearing a cashmere sweater in the spring. Then last year I was pregnant, so knew I wouldn't fit into anything I had knit. My hope is that I can finally wear it this winter!

The yarn is recycled cashmere that I dyed brown and lime green. I haven't decided what to do with the neckline yet - maybe I'll just leave it loose!

And finally, I'm finishing Wild Apple. I'm mostly finished with the knitting - I have to decide what to do with the cuffs and the hemline, so I'm sewing it up for a try-on and I'll make my decision then. I'm leaning towards hems rather than ribbing, but I'm not sure. I might do a small colorwork motif on the wrists.

And on deck? A plain, raglan pullover in stockinette out of yarn I thought I wanted to give away. Nope, I can't explain it either!

And Baby A? She's now mobile (when she wants to be). She still prefers standing to crawling, so may not ever be a very accomplished crawler. But she doesn't stay where you put her anymore, leading to fun times with drawers...

... and a lot more exercise for poor Abby.

Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest, Union Square Market Pullover

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In Bed at 7:30????

Baby A does not, as a rule, have a "bedtime." Mommy and Daddy have a funny idea that there is a "bedtime," but Baby A decides when she'll fall asleep, and absolutely nothing Mommy or Daddy can do will change that. Mostly it's 9:30ish, which sucks. Sometimes I hit the lottery, like tonight (fingers crossed), and she goes to sleep at 7:30, giving me time to do things like update the blog, or knit, or watch a movie...

In reality, I should continue taping up the basement in preparation for painting tomorrow, but that sucks, so I'll avoid it.

Instead, I'll show you pictures of my dad's 2009 vest:

It's based on AS's "Erin Cardigan" from Celtic Collection, except that I more or less changed the colors all around. I was trying to make them a bit more masculine, and I was also using Jamieson & Smith Shetland instead of whatever crazy yarns she called for. I'm not minding this one, but I think next year I'll go back to a more traditional fair isle pattern in blues and greens - I'm a little tired of the extra long floats in this one!

Right, so that's the knitting out of the way. I guess I should explain that even though I'm failing at establishing a strict bedtime, I'm definitely running a tight ship in other ways! Baby A has to follow a strict exercise regimine:

... she has to study VERY important subjects ("Tails are Not for Pulling" is a core coursebook)...

... and, if she has done ALL of her chores, she is sometimes allowed to relax for a few minutes!

Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest

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How is it July Already?

Perhaps its the VERY mild temperatures or perhaps its the fact that we spent July 4th falling asleep before 10, but somehow I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that it is now July. What happened to June? Isn't it still May?

We survived the trip home from Minnesota with a minimum of grumpy-baby. Plus, I had an inspiration while watching Baby A play happily with the wrapper from her diaper wipes - I encased said wrapper in some scrap fabric, added a few ribbons, and voila! New baby toy!

Baby A continues to thrive - all 18.5 pounds of her! She probably could be crawling right now if she would spend more than a few seconds on the floor. In Baby A's mind, however, there is really only one way to spend one's time... STANDING.

She also finds it acceptable if YOU stand while holding her, and she really appreciates it when Abby shows her which way to go!

While not standing, I've spent my time pureeing baby food...

... making my mom a birthday cake with some of the entire dozen double-yoked eggs I picked up at TJ's...

... and picking out real grown-up furniture that doesn't come un-assembled from a certain Swedish store. (The couch is coming in a few weeks).

Oh, and there has been the occasional lobster-eating, courtesy of my parents. My dad bought Baby A her very own lobster, which (unfortunately) we all had to share since she can't quite crack that shell herself yet...

She's thinking "why is your lobster toy so much bigger than my lobster toy?"

Oh, and in case anyone is keeping score, I'm still plugging along on my dad's 2009 vest... but on size 2 needles, it's slow going!

Labels: Baby

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Leaving Tomorrow

It's hard to believe that the trip to Minnesota is almost over - good thing S gave me his "lovely" cold so I could "enjoy" every last minute! But before my nose plugged up and my sinuses started throbbing, we had a lovely couple of cruises on the boat...

... and S caught quite possibly the biggest fish EVER. See? HUGE!!!

Baby A decided it was worth all of the driving to bring Abby with us... she loves her doggy!

But no one gets a free ride around here. If Baby A wants to stay in this family, she has to pull her weight in the knitting-modeling department. Here she is showing my progress on my dad's 2009 vest:

And here's a close-up. It'll eventually be the Erin cardigan (well, the charts anyway) from Celtic Collection, with quite a few color modifications.

Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest

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2 Nights Down, 5 to Go

Saturday was S' birthday. He celebrated by getting on a plane to Kazakhstan for a week-long business trip. Sunday was Mother's Day. I celebrated by cleaning up baby poo. See, Baby A has recently discovered how to roll over from her back to her tummy. So when I put her dirty little butt on the nice waterproof pad on top of her crib sheet so I could run the bath for her, I really shouldn't have expected her to stay put. But in the 5 minutes it took for me to prepare the bath, I returned to find her poopy little butt had rolled over right OFF of the nice waterproof pad, her leg was stuck through the crib slats, and she was grinning at me. Oh, and she peed on the sheet for good measure.

It's ok, though - S got me a massage for Mother's Day, and my mom is coming to Baby A-sit on Wednesday to give me a chance to get pampered for an hour.

But I'm still counting down the days until S comes home!

In knitting news, I'm apparently really bad at taking pictures, because I've since finished the first Bex sock and am well on my way with the second. Again, like the Rick socks (also from Cookie A's book), I'm not thrilled with the way these fit - a little loose around the ankles. I deliberately shortened the leg by a couple of inches, though, and I think the socks are stiff enough with all of the cabling so they won't slouch down. Regardless, these are really interesting to knit, so I'm not really concerned. I hope I'll finish the second one before the yarn arrives from Shetland for my dad's 2009 fair isle vest!

In Baby A news, we've discovered the best baby toy EVER - a $3 mylar balloon (don't use the latex ones in case they pop... big scary noise and chokeable pieces of latex everywhere). Lately, we've been standing next to it and hitting it, but you can also tie it loosely to baby's leg... baby sees the balloon, gets excited, and kicks... making the balloon move... making baby excited so she kicks... making the balloon move...

ah, great fun.

And know what else is great fun? Sitting like a big girl and playing with the stacking rings.

Labels: Baby, Socks

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Baby A's First Sheep and Wool

I love Maryland Sheep and Wool... even in the pouring rain! Of course, there was a lot less playing in the grass, watching the sheep dogs, and eating tasty snacky foods than usual, but we still had a blast.

The main goal of the day (besides a very short and woefully non-knitting shopping list) was to introduce Baby A to the sheepies.

Sheepies, meet Baby A.

Baby A, meet the Sheepies...

See the Sheepies?

(I think she saw the Sheepies.)

Ummmm.... and there might have been some funnel cake consumption.

Labels: Baby, Sheep and Wool

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Knitting? KNITTING!

Thanks to Baby A's habit of cluster-feeding for literally hours at a time, I'm managing to get some knitting done. Specifically, the Rick socks in koigu kpppm. I loved knitting these (even though they were top-down!) and I wore them yesterday. Actually, they aren't my favorite socks to wear - they are a little big around the ankles so they slouch a little bit. It does appear, however, that they don't slouch down into my shoes, so I'm happy. Plus, the fact that I have a pair of socks is a bonus - I just knit these for the entertainment value!

The color in the first picture is a little more true, but Abby couldn't resist a chance to help me model them:

What next? I just placed the order for the yarn for my dad's 2009 christmas fair isle vest, but that won't arrive for a bit (seeing as it's coming from Shetland!), so I've cast on for the Bex socks. I'm still a little skeptical about how they'll fit, but I'm only 6 rows into them, so I can't really judge yet.

So that takes care of the knitting. How's Baby A doing?

She's learning lots of important lessons from Daddy...

... getting all dressed up for Easter Sunday...

... and having a blast in her exersaucer.

Labels: Baby, Socks

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Where Does the Time Go?

I have, indeed, been knitting... but only because Baby A has taken to cluster feeding for several hours each evening. On the one hand, being pinned down on the couch from 6ish-9ish is rather frustrating, and I'm rather tired of eating dinner off of a plate balanced above a nursing baby. On the other hand, she usually makes it until 6 or 7 am ... that's right, SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!! So in the end, I think the marathon of nursing in the evening is totally worth it!

That's right - knitting... I finished the socks for my neighbor, who promptly went on vacation just before I delivered them. SIGH. She came back yesterday, though, so hopefully I'll run into her soon. These are the Fancy Silk Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks, and they were an entertaining knit. In hindsight, I should have cast on more loosely, but I think they will work. The yarn is some superwash Blue Faced Leicester I originally dyed for S.

After the successful sock knitting adventure, I was at loose ends, as it were... I didn't want to cast on for a big project, because I just didn't have the energy for all of the planning. In fact, I need to get off my butt and start crunching the numbers and ordering the yarn for my dad's 2009 Christmas Fair Isle Vest. Plus, S had treated me to a new sock pattern book that hadn't arrived yet. What to knit?

Bibs, of course!!

Cricket must have been forewarned by her friends... as soon as the bibs came off of the needles, she was nowhere to be found. Luckily, for a chicken strip, Abby is up for any modeling gig! The only change I made to these bibs was to sew velcro on the straps instead of using a button. I find it's a little easier to adjust the fit and to get the bib on a squirming baby with the velcro.

And it was perfect timing - as soon as the bibs were off the needles, my new book arrived, and I cast on the Rick socks from Cookie A's book. So far, I am loving these. Challenging without being too difficult, and really interesting.

I've also been sewing - Baby A outgrew her sleep sacks, and I really didn't want to fork over the $$ for new ones. 2 yards of fleece, 2 zippers, and a lot of "sewing by the seat of your pants" resulted in 2 perfectly functional (and MUCH larger) sleep sacks.

And Baby A herself? She is growing like a weed, and is so much more interactive each day. Here she is helping her Daddy install a new doorknob...

... helping Mommy eat Easter Brunch at Grandma and Grandpa's house...

... showing off her new Easter Bunny from her Oma and Opa...

... and helping Abby train for the synchronized sleeping event by subbing in for Cricket. Abby seems pleased with how well she's doing (for a beginner!)

Labels: Baby, Socks

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Busy Busy Busy

S has dubbed Baby A the "time vampire." And so she is... just when you think you'll have a few minutes to do something, anything... there she is, demanding something! So sometimes it takes me 3 weeks to update the blog. SIGH.

But it has been an eventful month. My dad turned 65, and Baby A got her first good look at cake. I think she liked what she saw, even though she still can only eat it "second hand."

She's also graduated to facing out in the baby carrier, which means that she no longer falls asleep on dog walks, but also that she has a lot more fun (and we can go on more of them, so Abby is a happy doggy!)

She also got 2 lovely bibs from Chaos and Mayhem - I love these bibs so much that I already have raided my stash for some suitable yarns, and plan to cast on as soon as I finish a pair of socks for our lovely neighbor who gives us the occasional home cooked meal or freshly baked loaf of bread.

And speaking of finished - I knit S a sweater! It's mostly the Cobblestone Pullover from Interweave, but with some modifications. It fits him, and he was actually able to wear it before it got too warm!

I feel like there was so much more I wanted to post about, but instead all I can think about is putting away the laundry and feeding the dog. Such is the brain of someone who dealt with a baby who decided to pass on just about all of her naps today!

Labels: Baby, Baby Gifts

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Hand Knits for Babies

Whew! Time is flying, and not much blogging gets done. But we're slowly but surely settling into a "schedule" with these amazing things called "naps" and "bedtimes," so things are definitely looking up! I'm still plugging away on S' sweater - I've almost got the body done, and need to add about 3" on each sleeve before joining everything for the yoke. At this rate, I'll finish just in time for spring!

To distract you from my inability to take pictures of any actual knitting, allow me to present what Baby A thinks of her handknit hat and mittens, courtesy of Mommy...

Apparently she'd rather have cold hands and a cold head. Silly baby! Luckily, she is MUCH more appreciative of the hand-knit sweaters, like this lovely one from Ann...

and this equally luscious one from Shanti...

What a lucky baby! And not to be left out, S finally got to give Baby A her very first birthday present from Daddy - a limited edition fountain pen engraved just for her. While she did try to grab it a few times, apparently "writing with a fountain pen" is not one of the skills she'll master by 3 months, so we're putting the fountain pen somewhere safe until she's old enough to use it!

S has also, by necessity, been practicing his baby-soothing methods. Here is my personal favorite - he bends her over his hand and jiggles her with his knee until her tummy feels better - and sometimes she falls asleep...

... but sometimes she doesn't, which necessitates a puppy walk with her strapped to S' chest. She's extra-pissed about the hat, so she's tickling S in the armpits to get even!

But don't worry, Abby is definitely a big help. Not only does she selflessly go on extra puppy walks some nights, but she also makes sure that the blanket we use for tummy time doesn't blow away! What a helpful doggy!

This past weekend, S' parents were in town on their way from Florida to Minnesota (yes, they brought the snow. Blame them!) So Abby had her little buddy, Barney, to help keep Baby A in line...