Yarn Along

I'm reading In the Shadow of the Workhouse, listening to The Club of Queer Trades, and trying to get up the nerve to start War and Peace with Suzie. 

I finished Lucy's eyelet cardigan a few weeks ago and immediately cast on for a tiny tea leaves while the needles were still warm.

This picture is completely inaccurate--I'm on the second button band.  I'll take a short break from sweaters to whip up a few hats for all the babies that are about to make their appearance in these parts, then maybe I'll cast on for a sweater for me.

Yarn Along: New Goals

I have been knitting up a storm this week, inspired by our lack of car and the weather. We had one day that was -14!  I just cracked open Baby-Led Weaning, and am on the lookout for a good audiobook.

So I churned out a cowl for Pete, who has been walking back and forth to work. Lucy got a heavy bonnet, which acts more like a hood. And I've been swatching for a scarf for myself without much luck.

I also powered through the yoke of Lucy's eyelet sweater throughout the day yesterday. She slept through knitting club again, the little doll. I kept knitting giddily and giggling quietly to myself the whole time, like I was getting away with something.

I am in the baby sweater zone right now, but I feel strongly that I should be making something for myself too. I made the Seam Allowance pledge (wearing at least 25% handmade every day) for both myself and Lucy. She is well on her way, but so many of my great handmades are either impractical for my new lifestyle (Alabama Chanin dresses without easy accessibility to the boobs) or ill-fitting (owl sweater, vest, other vest). I do have a few great long Alabama skirts that are indispensable, but I want to start knitting toward that goal too. So I think it's time to begin the planning for a sweater for me. Suggestions welcome!

Yarn Along: Catching Up

I have so much to share, but I'll try to stick to yarn and books and save the rest for later.

Lucy's Christmas Stocking flew off the needles super fast.  I'm not sure of the exact dates, but I think it took about 2 weeks.  I got the Manos on a recent trip to Princeton, NJ with my friend Emily.  I cast on almost immediately, which is always exciting.  It was done before I knew it--and now I am sure we'll struggle to fill it for years to come, as it is ginormous.  

Matt's hat, on the other hand, has been on the needles for almost 6 months.  I just finished it up today, before leaving for Knitting Group.  Miraculously, Lucy napped for the first few minutes, so I cast on for a baby bonnet to reward her good behavior.

I just finished The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Death, and Hard Times, by Jennifer Worth, which my sister loaned me.  It has inspired the PBS series Call the Midwife, which I also highly recommend.  I can't wait for the second installments of each!

research: Modern Family

In the most recent episode of Modern Family, Mitch ditches the sweater that Cam knit for him, then makes Phil swear to pretend it was stolen.

"I can't."

"I can't."

"I can't do it!  I can't take this stupid thing anymore!"

"It was stolen out of the car.  Do you understand me?"

 When Cam discovers the truth, he is furious.

"You know, I knew that sweater wasn't stolen."

"And here I picked blue yarn to match your eyes,"

"But I should've picked black to match your heart."

"Although you look amazing in black."

"Damn you."

Yarn Along: C'est fini!

I finally got through Bringing Up Bebe, and I wanted so badly to finish Lucy's new sweater before Knitting Group.  I knit feverishly on that final inch of sleeve during The Hobbit (our first real post-Lucy date without her), but got distracted and had to frog a couple of rows of the edging.  Yep, I messed up garter stitch...

So instead of arriving with a baby in a new sweater, I got to bind off while being cheered on.  Lucy wore her big blue snuggly sweater home, and got called a boy by the children's librarian, who was oddly insistent about it.

Librarian: What's his name?
Me: (obliviously snapping pictures of Lucy) Sorry?
Librarian: What's your little boy's name?
Me: Oh...her name is Lucy.
Librarian: He's a girl?
Me:  Yes, she is a girl.
Librarian: Oh.  I really thought she was a boy...

I guess it's my fault for knitting her a blue sweater...

 Next time I'll break out the pink.

Yarn Along: IRL

Today I made an amazing discovery.  There is a knitting group half an hour away that meets in a local library every Tuesday afternoon. It's like a yarn along in real life! 

 Everyone was really friendly and tolerant of Lucy's antics. I got a few rows done on her blue pullover, but mostly I wrangled her and got to know everyone. One woman spins, so we made plans to bring our spindles next week. I have wanted to have a group like this for so long. I really can't believe it's actually happening...

Yarn Along

Lu's new sweater is coming along nicely.  I remembered the pattern as being somewhat convoluted, but it turns out it's perfectly clear.  I was just pregnant when I knit it the first time.  Even with a crawler whose favorite game is overturning the wastebasket and investigating its contents, I'm following along with ease.

Meanwhile, I'm fuming through Bringing Up Bebe.  So far, the French and I have nothing in common.  I don't know why I keep reading it when it annoys me so much.  I've also got An Everlasting Meal stashed in my diaper bag, and I've been scarfing it down a few sentences at a time.  Highly recommend.  Much more useful than French parenting tips.