Monthly Archives: May 2018

Hospital Knitting

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I surprised even myself by sneaking in some hospital knitting after PB arrived.

I made sure my cheery project bag lived near my bedside. If nothing else it was making me happy to know it was there. But lo and behold….I snuck in some stitches!

I put on a couple rows on my Thotful Spot hat. But I found having to follow the stitch pattern for the brim was just a little too much for sleep deprived and medicated brain.

So I switched to the second sock of my Electric Mayhem socks. This plain stockinette in the round was WAAAY more up my alley. I had managed to get the toe cast on and the increases worked before the hospital. Now I fully admit that I didn’t get a ton of knitting done but again it was nice to have it there and at least touch it. It always soothes even the most tiresome day!

Happy Knitting!!

A Finished Jellybean Blanket

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I managed to squeak Jellybean’s Purple blanket in before sunset and before PB’s arrival.

I did end up doing a SC crochet border around the blanket edge to neaten it up. I took the last half skein of yarn and just went round and round till I ran out. I think I made two full laps. Using the locking stitch markers I was able to (mostly) keep the same stitch count across the blanket. Consequently this blanket is the most square I have ever made!

My stitch gauge kinda changed here and there. But the important part is that Jellybean loved it. And he’s actually keeping it on his bed! Not to lay under mind you….just to pet, lol. He loves it because Mommy made it…..and it’s all purple. That’s a win in my book!

Happy Knitting…..I mean crocheting!!

Mother’s Day Cast On

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In addition to a nice Mother’s Day celebration, Jellybean and the Hubby gave me a little breathing space to knit!

I had pulled my skein of KnitCircus Trampoline in the Needle in a Haystack impressionist gradient from my stash. I had a TON of pattern indecision on this one. I wanted a single skein shawl to show off the hand painted yarn but I also needed it be to be simple and beautiful. I finally settled on Antarktis by Janina Kallio. Several other knitters have used similar Knitcircus yarns for this pattern with great results!

In a single day I managed to get through four pattern sections! This pattern uses garter sections, eyelet stripes and eyelet mesh for a beautiful asymmetric triangle shape. Given the state of my brain, I went ahead and threaded in a lifeline after the eyelet lace section…just in case. And then I had Jellybean take a photo with me and my Mother’s Day project for posterity.

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He really needed the skeleton army guy with the ax to be in the photo too. Please excuse the crazed look on my face I was trying not to bust up laughing. But he loves “mommy’s knitting” and this is definitely one memory I won’t forget!

Happy Knitting!!

Mother’s Day Recap

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Jellybean and the Hubby made a nice Mother’s Day for me. Jellybean actually went to a sleepover the night before so I could sleep in and be super pregnant without a 3 year old “helping”. But we had a nice lunch just the three of us and Jellybean presented me with hand painted cards and my present….which he promptly tore open the minute I told him he could, lol.

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The both got me a Cast On, Bind Off by Leslie Ann Bestor and a mini digital scale for my scrap blanket shenanigans. I have been eyeing this book for my reference library for awhile. I rarely use the cast on or bind off in patterns that it calls for. I like to use one of my own choosing that fits the garment or item. This book will keep me from having to constantly re-look up YouTube clips or internet articles to remember all the different options. And it’s a great size to tuck into a project bag!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a sneak peak of my Mother’s Day Cast on project for 2018!

And Just Like That…We Are A Family of Four

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Well you guys, we are officially a family of four. PB decided to pick her own birthday and made her arrival early. My water broke at 8:45 pm at night when I was 37 weeks on the nose. The hubby and I called a sitter to watch over a sleeping Jellybean and trundled off to  the hospital. The OB on call was fine with her size and heartbeat so we moved on with giving PB her wish for an early birthday.

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I did had to wait 2.5 uncomfortable contracting hours in the OB triage area as there was a momma with an emergency that needed to go to the OR before me. I’m okay with that now but at the time I was a little perturbed mostly because I didn’t think with a planned c-section I would have to labor at at all, lol. But alls well that ends well. PB made her entry into the world at 12:38 am at 7lbs 13.7 ounces and 20 inches longs. She had some healthy lungs and figured out the whole nursing thing QUICK.

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We spent three days in the hospital before coming home. PB lost a little more birth weight than we would have liked and was slightly jaundiced but bounced back quickly after my milk came in. We are going to have to be careful with her for a few weeks until she reaches “full term” gestational age and then some. There is still some RSV lingering KS and as a 37 week old birthday girl she will just be a little extra susceptible until her immune system gets up and running. But that’s okay that just means a little extra family only cuddle time at home. And I’m going to soak up every exhausting minute.

Jellybean is adjusting as only a 3.5 year old can. He absolutely adores the baby and loves to hold and pet her (with clean hands of course). He’s been a great “big brother helper”, but he has also had some temper tantrum flares and sleep regressions in response to being ousted as the only child. Time will smooth all things out and I’m just remembering to breathe.

I’ll have a few more blog posts come out this week thanks to the magic of scheduled postings and knitting I had done prior to PB’s arrival. After that I will probably be taking a blogging maternity leave for the first part of summer. PB likes to eat and I haven’t gotten much knitting time in between feeding and sleeping…as to be expected of course. But I’ll pop in when I have something fun or knitty to share.

Happy Knitting!!!

It’s An Electric HO

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I don’t have any FOs this week, but I do have a HO! My first Electric Mayhem sock is completed. Okay, the tube is done and it still needs a heel in full disclosure. But that’s just a minor detail right?

But LOOK HOW PRETTY THIS IS!! I bow down to the prowess of indie dyers who can self-stripe and make gradients. This is a KnitCircus yarn for those who are curious. And I purchased a 75 gram set so I would make a me sized sock without wasting a precious inch of the wonderful color.

Jellybean is currently hunting Storm Troopers in the backyard before daycare. And so I treated myself to coffee and casting on the second sock on the back patio. Don’t you just love when your baby bump and knitting coordinate?

Happy Knitting!!

A New Bag

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My memory sock yarn blanket had been living in the plastic packaging that some sheets had come in. At first I was happy with the see-through plastic bag that kept things nice and tidy with a zippered closure. But the bag now has seen better days and the blanket has grown to size that it doesn’t fit inside the bag with the scrap anymore.

So in a hormone fueled Etsy shopping incident, I may have procured a large project bag from Bags by Awesome Granny.

I went with a donut print and that may have been influenced by the never ending hunger that PB has foisted upon me as she packs on those last few baby ounces. But I think it’s pretty darn adorable regardless. And the pink lining makes me happy because who doesn’t love pink polka dots?

My folded blanket and scraps fit nicely inside, for now. This bag won’t see the project through to the end but it’s a 1,000% improvement from what I had. My blanket and scraps are both now safe from sticky three year old fingers. And the craftsmanship by Darlene is impeccable. This bag will hold many a project I’m sure in it’s tenure with me!

Do you have a bag maker that you discovered and loved?

WIP Wednesday: Jellybean’s Purple Blanket

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I have been indulging in another nesting project. Jellybean’s love of purple has not abated and his blanket has been giving me stares of shame from the WIP bucket. I had started off like gang busters on this thing back during the Pigskin Party football KAL. I finished one skein in record time and then promptly let pregnancy and other projects steamroll this right to the bottom of my list. Now I have this crazy arbitrary idea that this needs to be done before PB gets here because Jellybean NEEDS a super hot blanket at the end of May in 90+ degree Kansas weather.

In the photo above, I have completed (almost) three full skeins out of four now. I have the fourth skein split in half. My plan is to use the first half to grow the blanket and then the second half to put a simple single crochet border around the edge to hide the few places where I lost and had to add back an edge stitch here and there.

Fingers crossed I can maintain momentum on this. My bump is growing daily and it makes it hard to craft, knitting or crochet, in a comfortable fashion long enough to make any progress.

 

These Socks Are Electric

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My Electric Mayhem Socks are just downright addictive….

I have cruised through three of the five color changes and only have a teeny bit of yarn left. I find myself thinking, I’ll just get to the next color and then I can’t quit. This yarn just makes you look like a knitting genius and absolutely baffles the muggles. Not to mention it helps this knitter get through some interminable meetings and webinars.

I only have a few grams of yarn left. I think the plan will be to finish the green section in stockinette and when I hit the yellow I’ll switch to 2×2 ribbing for the cuff. As I said before, I’m just knitting a tube until I run out of yarn and I’ll just cut in an afterthought heel when it’s all said and done. Easy peasey and no complex thinking required….just what the knitting doctor ordered!

Happy Knitting!!

Nesting….Knitting Style

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So PB’s arrival marches ever closer. And while we are not ready because why would we need the bassinet assembled, the car seat installed, or meals in the freezer? But I do have my hospital bag is packed and you guys…..I may have included a (wishful thinking) project in there.

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I have been lusting after the Thotful Spot Hat by Sarah Schira for awhile. And the speckled DK skein from Potion Yarns has been calling my name since Knitting in the Heartland. In a fit of nesting I pulled out some needles, the yarn, printed pattern and a brand spanking new project bag…..and I cast on and established the brim pattern. And then promptly tucked the whole shebang into my suitcase.

I realistically may never touch it during my hospital stay. (I will have a guaranteed three night stay thanks to a c-section so it is a possibility.) But part of me feels reassured that if need be I will have pretty yarn and an easy project if I get the knitting itch. Maybe that is it’s point? To be a source of comfort and mental focal point during a time of joyous yet monumental change….just waiting in case it’s needed from inside a cheerful project bag. Only time will tell!

Happy Knitting!!!