Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

M. turned 4 months on Saturday, and picked that day to roll over from her back to her front! We also had a reunion with our Bradley class that day. It was so much fun to see the other babies and hear how birth went! The only downside was that it was in Naperville, just after the St. Paddy's Day parade... a drive that should have taken 15 minutes took an hour. Ugh. But it was worth it.

Friday, since it was beautiful outside, after knitting M. and I went on a little hunt for sunglasses in Geneva.

In knitting, I'm working on the sock for my friend. It's coming along, slowly but surely. I'm using Cat Bordhi's new book and making the Master Upstream sock. Since you get to choose your toes and heels separately from the sock architecture, I've chosen the pontoon toe just for something a little different. I'll choose the heel when I get to it. I'm using the Magic Loop method and am pretty happy with it. I tried once before, but I was trying to do two socks at once with it, and it was so freaking fiddly that I quit. Just doing one sock, though is working out quite nicely. When my friend was here I did the measuring I needed, then I swatched. Then, with a pad of paper, a pen and the book, I plugged in the info and checked the tables to get the "master" numbers for the sock I was making. D. accused me of writing a dissertation, guess I looked pretty serious about it all. After all this, I hope they fit.

I have to remember to get my mom to measure my dad for his sweater so I can start that, but I should finish the Evangeline mitts before I start. Something to wear next winter, as I am hopeful that it is almost done here.Oh, and a little bragging... I was asked by one of the volunteers editors on Ravelry if they could use my picture as the main one for the Cable Braid hat from Vickie Square's Folk Hats book! Granted, I think 2 or 3 people have it listed in projects, so it's not like there are a lot to chose from, but still, I felt a little proud.

Schedule? We don't need no stinking schedule

Progress on the knitting front! Obviously some ends need to be woven in, but other than that, the first Evangeline is done! The second one has even been started. It's the kind of pattern that keeps me going... just one more round, just one more round, so the second should go pretty quickly, as well.

We had a couple of college friends (who are married -- I introduced them! go me!) stay over this weekend and we all had lots of fun, including M. who was quite entertained. Anyway, I've got to hurry up and finish the Evangeline because I promised S. that I would make her a pair of socks. I know I don't like to make socks that much, but she has circulation issues in her feet, and really, what's better than a nice pair of handmade socks? I had promised her mittens years ago, but I think socks will be better. I've even swatched some Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport for the pair. Seriously, two swatches recently? What could be coming to this world of mine?

In M. news, she's getting better and better with her tummy time, lasting longer and longer without getting cranky. And now that we have a good routine down -- nursing about every three hours, last one at 8:30pm and then once in the night -- we hit the 4 month craziness. Last night she nursed twice and then wanted to nurse first thing in the morning, which is also not what's been up. According to the reading I've done, around 4 months there is a bundle of development happening all at once and it takes your nice schedules and throws them in the air, just like 52-card pickup. She is, however, the same cute, sweet girl, so I can't really complain too much.

I ordered a stroller the other week, I'm still waiting for it to ship. I'm not fond of strollers in stores, but I got a jogging one for taking walks around the neighborhood. I'm really hoping it ships soon because it's been absolutely beautiful the past three days! I'm sure once the stroller comes we'll have a blizzard or five. Although, I'm not waiting for the stroller, today it's so nice I'm going to strap her on me and get out there.

An F.O. Ripped from the Pile of Hibernating Projects

Up first we have M. "pumping up". Or, rather, just practicing grabbing things that aren't my hair. This is something I can very much get behind.
Then we have the Bean looking adorable in a turtleneck hanging out in her doorway jumper. She really gets a kick out of this thing, and she gets a work out keeping her torso upright. She's even better at it today than she was yesterday. She's not jumping yet, but she does pivot and turn (when I even think the word pivot, I think of the Friends episode).

And in knitting, last night I finally finished this hat on the left. It's the Cable Braid hat from Folk Hats, just done in multiple colors. I had it mostly done for a long time, but was afraid I'd somehow screw it up when sewing it together, so I let it sit forever. Finally, last night I finished it. It may not be the perfect sewing job (there is a reason I'm not showing you the inside), but it works and I'm glad it's done. It's a warm and comfy hat to wear, and I don't care that I look more than a bit silly wearing it. Next in my pile of almost F.O.s is a bag that needs its handles sewn on. After that, I think most of the hibernating projects require quite a bit of actual knitting, so those will have to wait until I finish Ragna or Na Craga (for which I still have to swatch).

Grey, grey Monday

Mondays? Yuck.

We've been pretty busy here, my mom and dad came to visit last week and we had a great time. There was some shopping done and lots of the M. cuddling. I brought M. and my parents to Friday Knitting at Wool and Co. My mom sat and chatted and my dad and I picked out yarn so I could make him a sweater for his birthday -- it's not until August, but I'm starting early so I might finish this year. I'm making an Aran-type sweater, so we ended up getting the off-white Cascade 220.

Saturday we all smooshed into the car (getting four adults plus a baby in a car seat into an Outback is doable, just not ideal) to go into Chicago to the Art Institute. We bought tickets to see the Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper exhibits. They were fantastic. We saw a little of the rest of the place, but not much. It's rather overwhelming and there is only so much you can absorb at one time. I am already planning a return trip during the week. This February (which is almost over?) the museum has free admission, which is great, but oh my, it was getting really crowded by the time we left. I am glad we came a bit early, I don't do well with crowds. M. on the other hand was great, when she was awake she was quite, and mostly she slept. I carried her around in our Ergo carrier for quite a while, then D. carried her. I was more overwhelmed with all the people than she was.

So, anyway, our great week last week with grandparents and fun is why this Monday is especially sucky. And due to car issues, D. took "my" car to work today, so M. and I are without transportation. Not that I want to go anywhere or had plans to go, it's just that when I can't go anywhere, I feel like maybe I want to go. But I wouldn't want to today, it's supposed to snow 3-6 inches starting this afternoon.

The hat in both the pictures was finished last evening. It is a Sirdar pattern (not in Ravelry yet) that I've had for years. I made a store sample for Accents on Knits back when we lived in New Jersey and I pretty much lived at that shop. I started this hat with the left over Sirdar yarn and it's been sitting on a 12 inch size 3 needle with the ribbing done for years. Well, a week and a half ago, in my attempt to finish "lost" projects, I ripped and started over. I decided to do one of the bigger sizes and I didn't know how much yarn I had, so I did a provisional crochet cast-on and started with the pink above the ribbing. I knit the loops until I ran out of pink, which, as luck would have it, was at the start of the decreases. I had used a green cotton for the cast on and liked the color combination, and was lucky enough to find a green Cascade (Cherub Collection D.K.) of the right weight and fiber to finish it. I used a tubular bind off on the bottom of the ribbing. With the green and pink combination my mom thought it looked like a clover flower, and I agree.

Bears, bears and more bears!

Bear Power!

Sitting with Miss M. is George B. Pinkus Jr. I had Pink George when I was growing up, a pink (surprize!) bear that I loved and had forever until on my way back from college he fell in the mud and the attempt to clean him left him with a rust ring on his stomach (don't ask). My dad thought M. needed her own Pink George, so he searched high and low for a pink teddy bear and found one that I think fits the bill perfectly. And then he named the bear and sent it with it's own name tag.

George Jr. is not M.'s first bear, however. My dad got her her first bear last summer when he and my mom took their annual trip to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. When I talked to them, he told me that the Bean had it's first teddy bear. He found it at Jackson Lake Lodge; there was another bear there, too, that he didn't buy... he seemed to regret that decision for the next few months, so I'm guessing he might buy it for her during their trip this year (along with a park ranger outfit that they thought was adorable).

In the picture on the left, the first bear is in the back on the left. Next to it is Grey Bear... another of my bears growing up. Well, my dad thought that the baby should have it's own Grey Bear, too... that bear is the one behind the rock light on the right. My parents also got her the Border's polar bear in the center and the little bear carrying the littler bear in the back. The clothed bear came from the baby shower my mother-in-law gave me and the center bear in front came from one of my mom's friends. The bear at front right is a "boo bear" with a plastic ice cube in it from Monica and Polly. I think we're going to need a bigger shelf for all the bears.

In knitting news, I have finished one sleeve and started the second on the February sweater. I switched back to the yoke color for the garter stitch edging at the bottom and I like the way it ties it together. I am really enjoying the sweater. The pattern stitch is easy to memorize, knits up quickly and is nice looking, to boot. I should probably go knit it up instead of blogging here since she's sleeping for a bit.

I wish it would warm up; I'm going to miss Wool and Co. Friday morning knitting again because it's freaking cold out! :(

I hate Mondays

That's how I feel this morning.

Silly girl spent most of the night "talking" and grunting in her sleep. I'm still trying to work on blocking out the non-essential noises since for now at least she sleeps in a crib next to the bed. Eventually, she'll sleep in her crib in the nursery (knock on wood), but for now, I hear everything. Not that I won't later... we bought a monitor that will stay with me everywhere.

The other reasons Mondays suck is that D. goes back to work for the week. I don't feel like I see him enough on the weekends, and then during the week I see him for an hour or two before I go up to bed to sleep while he takes the Bean for a few hours between feedings. But, then again, if he didn't work... well, none of this would be possible, so I can't really complain.

You can't tell in this picture (which over a month old) but the onesie she's wearing says, "Nothing's wrong, just testing you".

The other day I was talking to my mom and dad, telling them that I'm trying to be more loyal to my knitting projects, by which I mean, I'm trying to work on just one (maybe two) at a time. Since I don't get as much knitting time now, the way I jump around usually would mean nothing would ever get finished, so I am trying to focus more. I read on Dee's blog that she's doing the same thing. It feels good to get things done... like, my dad's felted clogs. My mom's and his clogs are going out to them in the mail today with felting instructions. Then, when they come visit next month, they'll bring them back nice and felted and ready for pictures!

One of my 2007 finished knits was the Harvey Kimono from Natural Knits for Moms and Babies.
I made the "boy" version because we didn't know if we were having a girl or boy, and I think she looks cute in it, but a boy would have looked silly in pink with a picot edge.

I also made a matching hat to go with it.

I might be a little biased, but I think she's just so cute. D. loves the hat on her; I have to agree.

The yarn is Lavold's Cotton Patine. It is soft, but made with many plies, so it is splitty. Also, it being cotton, does not hide woven in ends well. But, I think it looks pretty good.

No new pictures of the EZ February Sweater. There is progress, I'm working on the first sleeve, but it is not interesting looking, really. It is coming along pretty quickly, which is good, because if I don't finish it soon, the only thing it will fit is a large teddy bear.

Today is M.'s two-month appointment with the pediatrician. I'll be able to answer the "how much does she weight now" question. I wish I didn't have to take her out in this cold. I didn't even go to Wool and Company Friday because it was too cold to take her out. If the forecasts are correct, I don't even think I'll be able to go this Friday. I sure hope it warms up soon!

Wool and Company, Buttons and a Picture

Friday morning knitting at Wool and Company is the main indulgence I have not given up since having The Princess. She seems pretty comfortable there, and after all, she's heard the sounds of the group since she was in the womb, which is good, because if she were unhappy and I couldn't go, the week would be so much longer. Neil and Lesley run such a nice shop and I've met such wonderful people there. And one thing that I really appreciate is that I can nurse Miss M. there without having to leave the group. Now, granted, I use a really cute nursing cover, so nothing is "out there", but it's still nice that no one gets weird about it, since it is a perfectly natural thing.

Stepping off the soapbox... I am going to step on the stage and brag a little. See those buttons over on the side? The ones below the Fearless, Ravelry and Blogging Without Obligation? I "made" them myself! Ok, so I didn't design the logos, but I did figure out how to put them onto my blog and link to the websites, and it wasn't even hard. I looked at the html of the first buttons and used it as my template for the others. I realize it's not a really big deal, but it made me feel good that I could figure it out, because computer things tend to intimidate me. I have a fear (probably a bit irrational) that I might do something that will blow up the computer or render it completely useless. How would I do that by trying to add a button to my blog? I don't know, and if I don't know, I don't know that what I'm doing wouldn't ruin it all.

In knitting, I finished up the inner sole of Dad's second clog and have started the upper portion. What I love about the Ergo carrier is that even when M. is strapped to the front of me, I can sit and knit and she's comfy.

And speaking of the Bean...

Goody M. is ready to churn butter.

Yum!

These pants crack me up! I think that babies are the only people who should wear words across their bottoms.

So, I thought I was pretty proud of my two-color February Sweater idea... um, not so much. After showing you this blog, I actually scrolled down it's page and looked at some of the pictures and saw that, I am not actually very inventive. But, at least I saw that I was not wrong in my idea and it looked pretty cute when other people did it.















I like the way these colors look together, the yellow has a bit of the peach in it, so it flows nicely. I am also enjoying knitting with this yarn; the name Smooshy fits well. The yarn is soft and sproingy and slides along the needles nicely. And, there isn't a color they dye that I don't like. I should have enough to make another two-color sweater, just opposite. I saw some of these sweaters that people had modified with a raglan-increase stockinette stitch yoke, and I think I will try that option on the next one.

In other baby news, I ordered the Ergo Baby Carrier last Thursday evening and it came today. I love it! I was using a Baby Bjorn and it was killing my back (although it did help me get more done than if I hadn't used it). The Ergo straps around the waist in addition to the shoulders which really helps balance the weight. And her legs go out to the side more than hang down, so riding the exercise bike in the basement is easier... my legs don't hit hers as I pedal, now. I am looking forward to getting out and walking with her in this carrier, although we seemed to have missed the ridiculously warm weather. It did get up to 36 degrees today, but that's a little cold to be doing more than walking to and from a car with her. But the new carrier makes getting out with her more appealing.

And back to knitting... while riding the recumbent bike in the basement, I'm making progress on both my dad's second felted clog and a ribbed scarf I started years and years ago.

Now, books... one per post. One of the books I bought was The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes. It has so much information on yarn and how it's made and what from and how it all affects what it does. And there are patterns, too. She has designers like Teva Durham and Norah Gaughan (and many more), so you know there are some great projects, but I think I really truly decided to get the book when I came upon the felted Calla Lily Bag designed by the incomparable Cat Bordhi. I will post pictures when I make this bag... someday.

Last, but not least, I wanted to thank those of you who have left kind comments about my return to blogging. I missed keeping up with you all :)

Baby fingers

Here we have Miss M. Bean's hand. I love the knuckle dimples. Her fingers are pretty long, I'm not sure where that comes from, it's not me, I know that. I've been trying to keep her nails short by filing them, but she is not fond of that process.

My life is now so baby-fied that apparently if I wear pants and a shirt (that aren't my usual black knit pants and old fraternity rush t-shirt of D.'s that I wear around the house) I am deemed "fancy" by D.

In yarn and knitting news, last Monday I went to Fringe to check out their going out of business sale. In addition two books, (I know I promised I'd talk about books, but that will have to wait) I bought some Dream in Color seconds. I bought four skeins of the sock yarn Smooshy -- one each of colors Giant Peach and Butter Peeps and two skeins of a teal that I don't see represented on their site (which I guess explains why they are seconds) -- and two skeins of the worsted Classy in a beautiful purple color. I just bought them because they were pretty, not because I had a plan for them... I've got to stop that.

Anyway, the peach and yellow would make a very pretty sweater for Miss M., but I didn't know what pattern to use -- I just knew I wanted something lacy. This is where Ravelry totally rocks. I was able to search for projects done in Smooshy and sort it to find the baby projects people had made, and by doing that, found the perfect sweater: Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Sweater from Knitter's Almanac. You can see a picture here. I think I might make the yoke a different color from the patterned section. The crazy part is that I've actually made a gauge swatch! I want to make sure I make something that the little girl can actually wear.

In other knitting news, I have finished the knitting on my dad's first felted clog; I just need to sew up the outer sole and stitch the two soles together. I have already started knitting the inner sole of the second clog.

Thanks for reading, when I get a bit more time (hahahaha) I'll write a bit about the books I got.

Baby toes

Here is Bean's perfect baby foot.
D. might allow pictures at some point; he is rather protective of both of us. When telling his college friends about Princess M. he asked for donations to a shotgun fund. We would have had a shotgun couriered to us from one of his friends if Illinois did not have such strict gun laws. All I have to say is any boy wanting to date the Bean better watch out.

Last Friday I had my six-week post-partum appointment with the midwife and I was given the go ahead to exercise. I had gotten back down to pre-baby weight, but since that was much higher than I was comfortable with already, I wanted to get moving. I discovered that if I put the Bean in the Baby Bjorn and ride the recumbent bike, I can get some knitting done at the same time. I'm a multi-tasking fiend!

Speaking of knitting...

Here are clogs I made for my mom, pre-felting. I will be sending them to her in this condition for her to felt. A front-loading washing machine came with our house, and because they are more gentle on clothes it makes felting more difficult; also, if she felts them, she can get them to the perfect size for her more easily than I can 2,000 miles away. Before I send them, I have to finish a pair for my dad, too. I'm interested to see how the Andean varigated yarn felts up -- I hope it doesn't get too muddy looking.

Thank you for your support of this new blog, up next, fingers... and an overview of some knitting books I have recently purchased.

New Year, New Blog

Happy New Year!

Since this is my first post on this blog, let me introduce myself. I am Laurel, formerly of Laurel's Pirate Knitting. The last you might have heard from me, D. and I were about to buy our first house and I was a couple months away from giving birth to The Bean. We have now been in our house for a few months, and The Bean turned out to be a beautiful baby girl who is now almost 7 weeks old. Sorry, no pictures of her will be posted on this blog. However, if you would like to see one and I "know" you, leave a comment and I will email you one :).

So, 2007 had some really crappy parts, but it finished up quite nicely (to say the least) and 2008 looks to be even better.

As far as knitting goes, I am getting a little done, but not too much right now... Bean likes to be held a lot, and I have yet to figure out how to knit while holding her or nursing. So, I knit if she'll sit in her bouncy chair or D. is holding her. D. however, has to go back to work tomorrow, so that time will decrease by a lot.

I did, however, start and finish a pair of felted clogs in December. They are for my mom, and I'm letting her do the felting. I also started a pair for my dad.

On Ravelry, I am Oldbean, and have been sucked in and am finding way to many things I want to knit, and I want to knit all of them RIGHT NOW. But, before I start a ton of new things, my goal is to finish a lot of what I have on the needles. My knitting time being so precious these days, if anything is ever to get done, I need to be faithful to projects I start. This will not be easy, but I am nothing if not stubborn.

I promise pictures in my next post.