Mommy Knits

Late Night with Jen

Could Life get any more crazy?  Wait don't answer that I don't want to hear that of course it will when this little one arrives.  It's late tonight so no pictures but tomorrow I'll post pictures of hourglass (body and one sleeve done second sleeve half done). 

The real reason that life is so nuts is that DH is off this week and we hired Bruce the contractor to help him build a garden shed.  Wait till you see the pictures tomorrow, you'll say that's no shed and you'd be right.  They decided that it should have a second floor storage space, and then that it needed some style so they cantilevered the second floor and added a small balcony.  I swear it's bigger then my college apartment!  Little man is totally in his element.  He comes home every morning from school and changes into his "work clothes" and then hangs out with Daddy and Bruce.  I come home dreading what they've added today!

I have decided that if I'm going to have socks done for all the teachers done by the end of the school year I'd better get going, so I've decided that I need to get one sock done a week.  This may mean that hourglass slows down but I can't wear it anyway.  I only have three and a half socks to do so I should be done in plenty of time.  I've also found my next sock project.  I'm getting a little tired of plain socks so I bought some Koigu to make the lace socks in the newest Interweave. (It's downstairs now and I don't remember the name but they're the pink ones.)  I decided that I needed pretty socks for the hospital and with the adorable little baby sock patterns also in IK I got enough to make the little one a pair too. 

Sorry that I was incommunicado last week but with all the excitement and great weather outside I've been sitting on the back deck and knitting while the kids play and the guys build.  But don't feel bad the blog isn't the only thing that's been neglected there's also the laundry, the dishes and the hairballs growing under the coffee table.  I've really got to get it together before I head to Maryland in a week and a half, YEA!!!

Feeling Better Now

First the fun, I followed this link from Fluffa. This was so much fun and you can make your own here.

                   

That's me, or at least it will be in a few months.  I got my tickets for Maryland Sheep and Wool last night so it's official, I'm going!  I'm really excited now that it's really happening. 

I've been making good progress on my Hourglass but nothing that really warrants a new picture.  I'm about ten rounds from being done with the body then I'm headed to sleeve island. 

Sorry about the absence this week.  I got a nasty 24 hour bug that totally knocked me out on Tuesday.  It took me all day Wednesday to recover and then yesterday I was catching up on all the stuff that didn't get done the previous two days.  I'm feeling better now and am heading to my girlfriend's house to knit and watch chic flicks tonight!

A few reviews

So this weekend was crazy busy but it was also really productive knitting wise.  We all headed up to Port Angeles to visit with DH's aunt and to prowl a few antique shops.  The drive is about and hour and a half each way so I got a lot done.  I had started a hat for the new baby last week when I was waiting for my Andean Silk.  I finished it up and then I was working on my hourglass.  Here is the hat being modeled by Bitty Baby whose name this week is Rachel.  (Funny story, when I finished the hat in the car I stuck it on "Rachel's" head and the Bug asked if it was for her baby.  I said no it was for the new baby.  So now I am making one for Rachel too.)

   

Her hat is about half done.  I think that everything that I make for the new baby I'm also going to have to make for her!

So for the reviews:

   

I'm through the decreases and now I have about an inch to go before I start the increases.

First Andean Silk, what a dream this yarn is to work with!  It is smooth and soft, and not at all scratchy.  It is a bit fuzzier then I expected, but I guess that is to be expected with the alpaca content.  It is definitely a great yarn for the price. Knitpicks is really great to work with and even though the yarn was back-ordered it still came before they said it would and the colors on the internet were pretty true.

Second At Knit's End by the Yarn Harlot herself Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee.  This is such a great book!  With every turn of the page I realized that I am not the only one in the world with this seemingly strange obsession with two sticks and some string.  It is the perfect book for a mom of small kids.  It is short and funny and you you can put it down when you get that "mooooooom" call that comes every time you pick up a book.  I found myself reading it out loud to DH and it was great for him to also realize that I'm not the only one.  This book is a definite for every knitter and those who love knitters.  I can't wait to meet her at Maryland Sheep and Wool next month. 

Lastly, a big Thank You! to all the new people that found this humble little blog over the weekend.  I joined the ROAK ring and I even received my first ROAK, a gift certificate to Adagio teas (Thanks Lu!).

Bits and Pieces

I need sleep!  For the past week I have been waking up at about 5 am this is about two and a half hours earlier then I need to be up.  I wake up and after going to the bathroom I can't go back to sleep.  Yesterday when this happened I finished these.

      

     One down, two to go.

Today when I was lying there willing myself to go back to sleep I started thinking about going to the hospital.  I thought about what bag I should take and then I thought I don't have a knitting project to take.  I have lots of projects but none of them are easy, mindless and most importantly machine washable.  So I started thinking about something that I could make that would be good to work on then and that would be nice to have after this little one is out and I can wear real clothes again.  I got up, having given up on sleep yet again, and began swatching with some old LB Cotton Ease that I had in the stash.  I thought about making the tank version of Rosebud and while I really like it I don't think it will work well for breastfeeding.  So I found another tank pattern that is a simple boxy tank.   So this afternoon I packed up the kids and off to Jo-Ann's we went and I got this.

      

      Pretty and washable and cheap, what more could you ask for?

So what happens I get it home wind one skein while the kids eat lunch thinking I'll cast on while they nap and ... the door bell rings.  It's my Andean Silk!!!!!

      

       Yummy!

And I have to say I was sooooo good.  I never swatch I'm usually a sleeve as swatch type of gal but I had the feeling that this yarn wouldn't hold up to a lot of ripping so I wound up the cream and cast on to swatch for the second time in one day!  I started with the turned under edge because I have never done this before (I love it!) then I did enough stockinette stitch to measure my gauge.  But did I stop there?  Oh no! I kept going and swatched for DH's Aran too.

    

      Two swatches in one day, am I sick?

After all that I finally cast on for my hourglass and I was so tired that I fell asleep after only 3 rounds.  I haven't had time to pick it up since but I can tell you that this yarn is simply divine.  It is so soft and smooth.  I will love knitting this sweater and I'm pretty sure that I will love wearing it as well. 

So wish me luck getting a good nights sleep and I'll post a picture of my progress next time.

Finished Tank and other Musings

Today is a good day.  I'm expecting my yarn from Knitpicks today and yesterday I finished my Chevron Tank!  I had to bribe the kids with grilled cheese sandwiches but they sat and watched a whole movie so I could seam it up.  (My kids really are easy, energetic, but easy)

               

Sorry about the poor light and my hair DH didn't take my picture till late last night.

Pattern Notes:

• Pattern:  Chevron Tank by Ann Budd free pattern from Interweave Knits
• Yarn: Patagonia Nature Cotton from Araucania in color #201      
• Thoughts:  I knit the large with the thought that I could wear it for a while now and post partum but I would definitely have made a smaller size if I wasn't thinking maternity.  The top is loose and shouldn't be tight but it does seem to run a bit big.  Overall I really think that I'll wear it.  It is a bit heavy but I get cold so I see that as a plus.

It's Spring Break so only one of my Knit-Wit gals made it yesterday.  She was working on the Coonskin cap from Knitty.  She finished it before we were done and her son modeled it.  He has been bugging her to finish it for weeks and as soon as the last thread was sewn and snipped he popped it on his head and I'd be surprised if it's come off since.  They are moving to Kentucky in June so it'll be perfect. 

                  

What a cutie!  His shirt is camouflage and says "can u see me now?".  He is 9 and such a character of a kid. 

On the sock front I'm about an inch from the toe on Lael's socks so I might finish them today.  I also got some new metal sock needles. (I love the Brittany's but I just keep breaking them.)  Of course this means that I had to cast on a new sock to try them out,  so I started Mom's socks.  I like the metal dpns and I think that they will travel better so these can be my purse project.

I have a lot to do today so I'm hoping that my yarn doesn't come till late this afternoon then I'll feel less guilty when I drop everything to swatch.  I also finished Stephanie's bookbookbook yesterday but I'll leave that for tomarrow or soon.

It's coming!

I just got the confirmation that my Andean Silk is in the mail!  I know that I wanted to finish up a bunch of stuff but I really want to start my new sweater.  I know is completely ridiculous because I won't even be able to wear it for months but I don't care.  I've been knitting nothing but socks now for about three weeks and I'm loosing a little steam on them. 

I do want to finish the pair I have going right now before the yarn comes, otherwise when all projects get dropped for the new yarn I'll have yet another WIP to hide from.  I decided and bought all the yarn to make socks for all the teachers that I work with for end of the year gifts.  Lael's are the first ones then there are Bea's and Mom's.  I just counted yesterday and there are only 9 weeks left of school after spring break next week.  That's a big Yea! and Oh No! all in one.  I think I may confine the Hourglass to home though that way I can can still make some progress on the socks which are more portable anyways.

In an ideal world I would also finish the Chevron Tank.  It only needs seaming and blocking and then I could be done with it and it could stop mocking me from the dining room table where it's waiting for a good seaming party.  Maybe when the kids go to bed tonight I'll put on a great chick flick and seam that baby up.  If I'm really good I could also finish Lael's socks and be so ready for my new yarn!  We'll see.

Temptation

My sister is such an enabler.  She called me yesterday and we were talking about her new job and our projects and all that's going on in our lives and then she drops this into my lap.

The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

Now my sister lives in Virginia, as did I for about 6 years, but I wasn't into "real knitting"* when I lived there, so I never knew about this great wool event that was taking place mere miles from me.  So now I'm here on the other side of the country and kicking myself for having never gone while I had the chance. 

Enter my sister the enabler.  She reminded me that DH has been doing a lot of business travel in the past year and don't we have a lot of frequent flier miles accumulated?  I could fly Friday night into DC she would pick me up and the next morning we would hit the festival and Sunday I could fly home. 

The only downside to this whole thing is that Sunday is Mothers Day.  I might be able to catch an early enough flight to be home for dinner but I wouldn't be home most of the day.  This would be perfect if only for that hitch.  DH isn't against the idea and I could just make his life easy and tell him that all I want for Mothers Day is yarn money.

On a side note, why do I feel guilty for even considering leaving my children in the very capable hands of their father for an entire weekend?  He travels on business all the time. He doesn't like being away but he doesn't agonize over it.  What is it about mothers that we, or at least I, feel like it's my obligation to be with them at nearly all times.  The funny thing is that I leave them with my parents or babysitters frequently, even overnight with family, and I don't feel guilty, but I don't leave town.  Maybe I need to go and see that the world won't fall apart if I go away for one weekend...

*By "real knitting" I mean I didn't even know there was such a thing as a yarn shop.  I was taught to knit by my grandmother and she always used craft store yarn (before they had good craft store yarn).  I loved to knit but I was always disappointed with the end product because I thought that if I'm going to put that much effort into something I want good materials.  So consequently I never really dove into any big projects, just little stuff.