I’m practicing a post with my new WordPress app on my iPhone… It’s a rainy lazy Sunday.
Sometime since we last spoke about knitting or yarn goodness, I acquired this *thing*.
My husband’s best friend was at some estate sale and asked what it was, and he was told it was used to wind yarn, so he bought it for me. I had no idea what it was, so I took it to my knitting group. I was told it was a loom. Hmm, what kind of loom? So using Ravelry, I found out it was an inkle loom.
I am really wanting to use it, but have no idea how to begin. I keep thinking that I’ll have a day where I can go to the Woolery in a nearby city and have them show me what additional supplies I need and the basics, maybe even a DVD. I just can’t seem to find the free day to go!
Other things I’ve been working on….
I finished my Damson shawl but it desperately needs blocked. My problem with blocking is that I don’t have a blocking area. I only have one room with carpeting and the cats would lie on it if I block it with towels on the carpet. Any suggestions?
I started the Aestlight Shawl. In Madelinetosh sock. MMMM… let’s talk about this yarn. It’s in a “copper penny” colorway, and it is BEAUTIFUL. It does shine like a bright new penny. And the yarn is buttery and wonderful. I love this yarn. I just happened to get it while on maternity leave in a Loopy Ewe update, and I am so happy with that purchase.
The last time I posted I was carrying a baby. He is now 5 months old, and beautiful. Life has changed. In so many ways.
I have wanted to start blogging again, but wow, life is so busy. So, I won’t make promises. But, I feel like I have so much to say.
I am working on redesigning the blog. I almost decided on a whole new blog, but I didn’t want to lose pieces of me. I may be changed, but essentially I’m still the same. I also need to update my blog list, as some of my friends have moved on to pretty bright shiny new blogs. I am really unsure of my new custom header…. it may still change. Maybe I should take a poll.
So, what’s happened in 6 months? I had a baby, a sick baby who spent time in the NICU. He is now healthy and happy and doesn’t know anything happened. Two chest tube scars later, mommy really wears the biggest scars inside. It’s something that I’ll never forget. I am thankful for every smile, every whimper, every giggle. I did go back to work, and I’m still nursing. I am still knitting (when time allows!). I have discovered the beauty of a crockpot and audiobooks. The house is on hold until we see some warmer weather. The cats are still with us, and seem to really love little man as much as we do. Quite frankly, it’s a sweet little life.
So, no real promises. But hopefully you’ll be seeing me.
I recently purchased “Knitting Lace Triangles” by Evelyn Clark. It’s the most fantastic book!! Well, I’m not sure if it’s a book or a booklet… It seems quite small at first, but once you open it, you realize it’s not small in content quality. It’s spiral bound, which I love. I wish all knitting books were spiral bound! It’s more of a recipe book than a pattern book. She gives you the power to mix and match out of 4 patterns to make your own shawl. She walks you through shawl design. It has really made me feel empowered and I’ve owned this book only for 2 days.
I started a shawl with the Medallion lace pattern, and used an ordinary cast on beginning. I like the garter stitch tab cast on, and have used it before, but find it to be a bit fiddly for my clumsy fingers. The ordinary cast on looks just fine, though, and I am quite pleased with that.
I am using Malabrigo lace in pink, my most favorite of colors.
My feet are swollen!! It makes me not want to work on any socks. It’s just so disappointing when my ankles are so huge! I’ve had many suggestions on Ravelry, since I can’t try on the socks, and they were good ones. It was to get sock blockers to test for size, use other handknit socks for reference, use a friend of mine who has a foot my size…. So maybe I will finish the beautiful Cookie A’s I started.
I’ve been itching to work on something lace lately, but can’t decide on what exactly.
And here is another hat I finished for the baby. It’s also a Susan B. Anderson pattern, bought from her website. It’s just adorable, and not nearly as fiddly as you think. I used Tahki Cotton Classic yarn. I did it in the newborn size.
Ok, that’s it for baby hats….. for now. 🙂
It’s like I completely forgot my blog. I just couldn’t figure out what to write about. Or have the energy!! I’ve been getting the itch to work on it again though, so let’s see how it goes.
I have a few things to speak of – but I’ll spread them out for future posts! I am 30 weeks pregnant now, I’ve been to Switzerland on vacation, I’ve finished a few baby hats, and our house is in total wreckage trying to prepare for the baby!
I did lose my knitting mojo for most of my pregnancy. I just couldn’t bare to do it – it was like I was too tired to move my arms or wrists!
This was the first hat I finished. It’s the Simple Baby Hat from Susan B. Anderson’s Itty Bitty Hat book, and I used some Rowan Denim leftovers I had from my Reversible Stripes and Dots hat, also from her book! (If you love baby hats, you truly do need this book.) I also picked up this little piggy button at a yarn shop in Switzerland, with the thoughts of adding it to a hat. I just love little animal things. This button makes me laugh because it’s legs are attached with some rope-like cotton and they just kind of swing in the air.
Also, I’ve been listening to podcasts a lot lately and have two I would love to recommend and share with you: The Knitmore Girls – a mother and daughter team which are great together, and CogKnitive podcast which gives a little knitting talk, a little blather, and lots of psychology.
Things that I will be blogging about (hopefully) in the days to come – Switzerland pictures, another baby hat, baby things, and house renovation!
I am pregnant. I’m about 14 weeks along. This is why I was on bed rest for a while, I’ve been having some difficulties, but it seems those are better now…. I was really afraid to tell anyone and get too hopeful. But, I’m ready to tell you now!!! We are so excited – so many big changes!!
And that brings me to a finished object. We haven’t gotten to know what gender yet, but since I made a purple ribbon hat, you know it’s going to be a boy! My best friend is pregnant too, so surely between us both, one of us will have a girl who can wear this hat!!
It’s the Ribbon hat from Susan B. Anderson’s Itty Bitty Hat book. There isn’t a hat in this book I dislike. This picture doesn’t do this hat justice – it’s absolutely adorable. My favorite baby item I’ve knitted yet. I used some sort of Rowan yarn… I can’t remember the name (baby brain already!)…
I meant to post the FO the next day after my teaser, but my husband took the camera cord in his briefcase and left it at his office for several days!! It definitely is lace.
This is “A Stork’s Nest Scarf” by Nancy Bush. It was in Piecework Magazine Jan/Feb 2008. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it, and have been meaning to knit it all year. It was going to be for my mom for Christmas, but when I got sick – I couldn’t finish it. I think I’ll put it away until Mother’s Day. She could wear it in the spring just as an accent and not get overheated with it. I hope she likes it.
I used Malabrigo laceweight, which I love. The pictures are a little more vibrant than the yarn, I think. It’s really a more pastel blue, but it has been dark and gloomy here so it’s hard to take accurate pictures.
I finally finished something. However, blocking it may have pushed me past the line of sanity. Seriously, I am the worst blocker ever.
I’ll have FO pictures soon! Can you guess what it is before I show you the after effect?
And in other news, I am officially off bedrest and return to work tomorrow…. wish me luck. I’m actually nervous about returning to work. I feel like a little girl the night before her first day of school.
I’m on bedrest for a week (yes, I’m ok – just precautions, and I’ll explain later). You’d think I’d love it… think of all that knitting… but I don’t love it. *sigh* It’s just making me crazy.
i wish i were buffy 