Big Changes

I have alluded several times to some medical issues over the past couple of months. And not to worry….they are for a good reason! I’m proud to announce that the Hubby and I are having a baby!!

We are over the moon excited and due sometime early to mid October. As of today I’m around 12-13 weeks and moving into the second trimester! It’s been sooo hard to keep this a secret!!!

That being said…..I’ve been MISERABLY sick since about week four. My mother’s side has a history of hyperemesis gravidarum. This condition was highlighted famously last year by Duchess Catherine or Princess Kate, whichever you prefer. While I didn’t have to be hospitalized I did have a steep learning curve to finding ways to cope with the debilitating symptoms. I’ll spare you the gory details but around week two of symptoms I asked my Hubby if he was okay with only one child, lol. It has since become more manageable.

I am currently taking an anti-emetic medicine, eating a very high fiber and high protein diet, a B-6/Unisom combo for bed time nausea, I drink enough water to fill a swimming pool every day, and take a gummy prenatal vitamin because they are easier on the tummy. I eat almost no sugar, no caffeine at all, very little fried food, and eat 5-6 smalls meals a day instead of 3 large ones. I seriously feel like a gastric bypass patient. But most days it works for me. And the plus side that is all this morning sickness (or all day sickness) means a healthy baby, or so I’m told.

I still have a lot of symptoms but I can at least manage to make it through work. I’m hoping this tapers off in the second trimester. But my own mother had symptoms for her entire pregnancy. I’m praying that I don’t have to do the same….

I’m BONE TIRED most days and sleep 8-9 hours every night. I have had little energy to knit or anything fun. I can barely make sure the house has groceries and the laundry gets done once or twice a week. A big apology to my husband for all the sandwiches and chicken nuggets on the menu lately. Seriously, he’s been such a trooper and takes great care of me!

I can’t wait to start our nursery and pulling out all my baby hand knits I’ve been storing up over the years! Not to mention feeling better some day! Stay tuned for updates on our little Jellybean! (I don’t know want to find out the sex so I picked a gender neutral monicker lol)

FO Friday: Assisted Hatchling

I finally have a FO to show!!! 2014 Stashbustin’ #12 is in the books!

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Pattern: Assisted Hatchling by Elizabeth Ditchburn Dew

Size: 3 months

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Pagoda

Needles: US 8 circulars and US 8 DPNs

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I used 217.7 yards of yarn or about 117 grams. This was just over half of one skein of yarn. The pattern is free and well written. I would definitely make this one again. My bind off at the hem went kind of wonky. Even blocking didn’t fix it all the way. Can’t decide if it bothers me enough to rip out and redo, lol. I do love the open neck detail that makes sure it fits over babies big noggin.

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Now I just need to add buttons at the next. Nothing in my “button stash” fits the character of this garment. So I need to go shopping. Or….I’m seriously considering snaps. How easy would those be for a new mommy to fasten!? Any thoughts from the blogging world?

WIP Wednesday: Assisted Hatching

 

 

My knitting has been few and far between lately. But before I lost my knitting mojo, I did make some good progress on my Assisted Hatching sweater…20140217-123332.jpg

 

For a memory refresher, you can find the pattern here. I’m making the smallest size using Caron Simply Soft in Pagoda. My cast off edge at the bottom has quite a bit of curl….I may or may not rip it out and re-do it. I can’t decide yet. Next up, sleeves!!

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I do love the side vent opening for baby’s big noggin. What a great way to get a good fit and not smush baby’s face as it’s going on!

Happy Knitting!

2014 Stashbustin’ #12: Assisted Hatching

It’s WIP Wendesday!!!

Bolstered by yesterday’s gorgeous sweater and a ginormous case of start-itis, I cast on another baby sweater. Baby fever + start-itis = more WIPs than my husband can handle!

But how can you resist this? Assisted Hatching by Elizabeth Ditchburn Dew….

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(Photo credit to © kitchenerstitch and the Assisted Hatching Rav pg)

I’m really glad I have two sets of interchangeable needles, lol…..because I have already made good progress on this sweater!

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Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Pagoda

Needles: US 8 circs (Denise Interchangeable)

Size: 0-3 months

Happy Knitting!!!

Stashbustin’ #11: Henry’s Sweater

After yesterday’s disappointment I had the itch to try a different baby sweater. And having recently pruned and tagged my Rav queue, I did some easy and organized searching to find….Henry’s Sweater

P1050813_medium2(Photo credit to © jennicole01 and the Henry’s Sweater Rav pg)

This is similar to the Sophisticate with the stockinette and shawl collar. But it has more overlap on the chest and those adorable 4 buttons laid out in a square. I couldn’t wait to get started!

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Yarn: Bernat Cottontots in Country Taupe (I think this yarn has been discontinued and it’s a shame because it’s a very soft cotton and easy to work with!)

Needles: US 8s (Knits Picks Options Interchangeable)

Size: 3-6 months

Mods: None yet but I love the pattern so far!

Happy Knitting!

Sometimes It Just Doesn’t Work Out

I finished my Simple Baby Pullover this week…..but something went terribly wonky. My sweater is huge!

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Pattern: A Simple Baby Pullover by Erica Kempf

Yarn: Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton in Pistachio

Needles: US 8

Size: 0-3 months (But this didn’t turn out)

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Now, before you ask, I didn’t swatch for gauge. But this is a yarn and needle size I use a lot so I was comfortable skipping that step. Now I don’t know if I should have done that or if something in the pattern is wonky. The pattern is the same for all sizes in the beginning when you are working the yoke section. The larger sizes get more raglan increases than the smaller sizes. And of course the lengths are different.

I should have come out with a 17 1/2 in chest. I came up with a whopping 22 inches (1-2 yr size). Then the pattern wanted me to work to a total sweater length of 8 inches. Well with my width that would have made this sweater a baby midriff, lol! So I worked to a total of 11 inches to match the 1-2 size that my chest measurement came out to.

I should have only used 1 or so skeins of yarn. But I consumed 2 full skeins! That translates to 206 yard or 170 grams. I had plenty enough yarn so it wasn’t a huge deal.

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It’s a pretty FO, but I was disappointed. Not sure if I did something wrong or the pattern needs to be adjusted for yarn/guage? I noticed on Ravelry (after the fact) that there were a lot mods in other’s projects. But at least 121 other people have worked this sweater so it can’t be all bad!

My verdict? It’s a nice sweater but not a pattern I would knit again. I have some others in my queue that need testing….(rubbing her hands like a disney villian)…..

Happy Knitting!

Stashbustin’ #8: A Simple Baby Pullover

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I’m on a HUGE baby sweater kick. Most notably, Baby Sophisticates (evidenced here and here)

Well I decided to switch it up and try something new!

Pattern:  A Simple Baby Pullover by Erica Kempf

Yarn: Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton in Pistachio (I like to knit baby knits out of cotton or acrylic so new mom’s don’t have to worry about hand-washing)

Needles: US 8s

Size: 0-3 Months

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I love top down raglan construction. I could almost do this in my sleep now! I’ve already knit the yoke and divided for the sleeves. I think I will make one mod and knit short sleeves instead of long. I like to layer pieces and in my opinion give the mom/baby recipient a little more versatility and longevity of the sweater. (Not to mention I get to be finished and pet the adorable FO even faster!)

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I also find the the garter rib detail of the partial button band adorable. It’s a wee bit messy because I’m not the best at button holes). Not to mention this design detail helps the sweater fit over the giant noggins most babies tend to have. This button band does mean you have to work back and forth for the “yoke” section for awhile. But never fear, it joins in the round soon enough!

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Blackberry Cocoon

Huzzah, the longest and most neglected WIPs of my life is done!!!20140119-084357.jpg

 

Pattern: Strawberry Cocoon by Bernat Design Studio

Yarn: Bernat Satin Solids in Plum Mist Heather and unidentified green

This project ended up using about 376 yards of yarn or 148 grams.

Needles: US 6s or 7s?

Time: FOREVER! I started this sometime back in 2010

Mods: I didn’t knit the full 17 or 18 inches of straight body. Seriously, I just got tired of knitting and stopped at 11 inches before moving the decreases section. This thing is knit plat and then seamed, so LOTS of purls! I also didn’t make the duplicate stitches or french knot looking dots on the leaves. Again this was because I was SERIOUSLY over this project.

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You have to gather or bunch up the leaves when you seam then to the main body of the cocoon. I’m not the best at seaming, but it didn’t turn out terribly!

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The one feature that I do love about this now that I’m done is that this is SUPER soft thanks to the satin yarn. And look at all those wonderfully nubby P3tog bits! I love to run my fingers over them!

I do have a great feeling of accomplishment getting this out of the WIP pile. No clue what I will do with this either. But for now it’s washed, blocked, dry, and folded in my FO storage bin in my basement.

What is the longest something has lingered in your WIP pile without being frogged?

 

A Teeny Tiny Sophisticate

Just a quick post today… 

A dear friend requested a light cardigan for her 14 month old. It has been quite cold this winter and she worries about keeping her baby bear warm!

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Knitting to the rescue!!!

Pattern: Baby Sophisticate – Free by Linden Down

Size: 12 months

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton in Berry Jam (I used just over two skeins of yarn, or 211.2 yards, or 174 grams)

Time: I whipped this out in a couple of evenings 

Mods: I chose to knit short sleeves because this little tornado gets her hands into EVERYTHING and Mom is always rolling up her sleeves anyway.

Now I’m off to work and to spend some serious hours studying for my CMA exam!

Happy Knitting!

Wee Bit of Progress on a Blanket for A Wee One

Happy WIP Wednesday!!!

Remember this Stashbustin’ #34 project?

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It’s my One Row Blanket de la Harlot in Serentiy Premier Chunky (color aqua glass). I’m cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my in-laws tomorrow and I needed a no brainer project to work on. The yarn is soft, especially considering it’s acrylic. And the pattern is four stitches over and over again. Just one row repeated until then end. LOVE IT!!! I cannot recommend this project enough for a quick and easy baby knit. Or even just a nice and easy lap quilt for car rides or couch snuggles.

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I have four skeins of yarn total and I’m almost done with the second skein. The rhythm of the needles is soothing my anxiety about tomorrow. The cooking is no sweat….but all day trapped in my home with 6 of my in-laws….bring on the wine and knitting!!!

Now I’m off to work followed by some bread and pie making for tomorrow festivities!