Knitting Pharm

One more darned try

Thank you for all of your wise words re. blogging platforms.  I'm trying very hard not to overreact, but since Typepad ran a major upgrade, I've had a hard time with posts disapearing.

Head to toe for June will follow (backdated, natch!), but for now I must bore you with the same project, with only the colours changed.

Like a certain Canadian treasure, I've been blessed with girl babies.  They're all I know, and I love them dearly.  Now that they're a bit older, there are more girl babies in my life, namely their sweet girl baby friends.  There is a nice balance at this stage, because while they're old enough to have friends, they're young enough that I can have some say as to who their friends are, a luxury I'm told I will lose as they get older.

This time last year, all of my girl baby friends were receiving felted backpacks.  The felted backpack of 2008 is not a backpack at all, but a ruffly little tank I can't seem to stop making.

The pattern, as I'm sure you will recignize, is Christine Schwender's Monica, from Knitty Spring 2007.  I made a pair of these for my own girl babies last year, but, as they have a habit of doing, my kids have grown and needed some new pretty knits.

Between a trip to Halcyon Yarns in the spring and the leftovers from a recent sale at Tangled Skeins, I had amassed 20 skeins of Cotton Fleece in many, many shades.  Monica is a perfect pattern because you can work a tank in just a skein of each of 2 shades, or just a smidge more for the body if your girl is a Glamazon-in-training as my beautiful Amy is.

Little time commitment + little yarn commitment = many, many tanks!

First up, for little Eve, in Terracotta with a Blush ruffle.

Next, for her big sister Angeline, in Raging Purple with a Blush ruffle.

For my pal Mikayla, in Candy Apple and Blush, with little ladybugs.

For my own firstborn, in Wisteria with a ruffle in Spryte.

For my baby, in Raging Purple and Wisteria, or, as she calls it, "Purple one dark one", I suppose to distinguish it from big sister's "Purple one light one."

It seems it's photo posting that is giving me grief, so please forgive the multiple saves if you've landed on this post from Bloglines more than once.  I will persevere.

This post was inspired by Heather, Ravelry name scrappygurlknits, who mentioned my blog and described it as a favourite, albeit an infrequently updated one.  For you, Heather, I'll try harder.

Little People, Big (piles of) Knits

All around me, people are making babies.  Friends, coworkers, acquaintances, you name it.

Let it be said, I'm done with having babies.  I have two sweet daughters with the man of my dreams, and we were fortunate to have that moment of closure when we first laid eyes on our second.  We had our family.

That said, I still love babies, in a thank-God-for-vasectomies kind of way.  I am relieved that my Breedy McHumpalot friends are keeping me supplied with babies to hug and love and hand back when they cry.

And knit for.  Never forget that part.

 

Teensy raglan and socks in Lucy Neatby Celestial Merino Dream, Sugar Maple colourway.  This has been sitting in my stash since last summer, so it was great to fish it out and fall in love with it all over again.

Teensy raglan and socks in Crystal Palace Panda Wool, Basil Curry colourway.

And as I whip off teeny knits, I have two constant reminders that I am no longer the parent of a baby.  This outtake from a recent portrait session perfectly shows the silly side of my sweet girls.

Have a great day!

Letters from Daycare

I think my work here is done.

Cake can undo any ill

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes and comments.  I had a wonderful, cake-filled, butter-frosted day, despite a few changes in plans.  Nothing like a birthday to bring out the Febrile UpChucking Kid.  (capitalization intended; look a little closer, and know that I'm not nearly as upset as the flowery language may imply.)

With my sweet Laurel in her sad state, I opted to stay home with the people I love last night.  We oinked on nachos with the best guac I've ever tasted, cake and chocolate.  Not a glamourous evening by any stretch, but a ton of fun.

Amy, at 4 1/2, is starting to get interested in knitting, so I figured no time like the present.  I have a knit-in-round stockinette project going on a large needle, which seemed perfect for her beginning fingers.  She took to it like a duck to water!

It warms my heart to see her so excited about it, and I'm certain Laurel will follow in her footsteps in no time at all.

The sweater for little West Coast Sarah is coming along, with just the sleeves left.  I worked a 3x3 brioche rib a la Grumperina's Roza's socks pattern on the bottom edge, and will do the same on the sleeves.

Sort-of-secret baby project is now finished.  Kindly avoid my Ravelry notebook if you're presently with child.  You likely know who you are.

Rounding out my month of sweaters is another pair of socks, Becca "Anticraft" Compton's Vinnland.  My only mods so far were to work gussets and a heel flap, adding the fun and addictive stitch pattern to the flap.  I love the effect.

I'm using some Koigu I purchased in Toronto last fall, and I got yet another joint-laden yarn skein!  My mom suggested, and I think she's right, that I don't get more joins per skein than the average person, I just go through far more skeins.  In any case, with the short yardage of Koigu, I didn't have the luxury of not using the wee yarn bits, so there will be lots of working in ends.

Looking at those photos, I think I'd prefer for the front surface of the toe to be ribbed.  Much frogging may ensue.

In 3.....2.....1.....

Thermalicious

With a gentle nudge from my pal Wendy to both finish the sweater and to blog it, I am pleased to present my finished Thermal, aka The Nicest Piece I've Ever Handknitted For Myself.

Click for bigger versions of the teeny ones.

  

[Apologies for the dorky photo.]

This is the best fitting, most squishy-soft, comfy piece ever.  I love everything about it, even the cutesy buttons I've been reclaiming from garments ever since the original sweater purchase of 1996.  (Those buttons are a very well-traveled bunch.)

The photos don't do it justice at all.  The set-in sleeves, the deep, scoopy neck, the just-right sleeve length and abundant twisted rib...

All of this has set me into sweater mode.  I've already started and finished one for BFF Nancy's son for his 2nd birthday / late holiday gift.  I'll post photos once I remember to take some in daylight.

Next sweater is for DD Amy in Cascade 220, a top-down raglan that I'll also post photos of later on.  It's really flying off the needles, and she's sure to wear it by month's end.  After that will be another one in the same colour for DD Laurel.  (They haven't yet rebelled against the matchy-matchy clothing, so I still indulge in it more than occasionally.)

In other knits, I cast on a bag so I'd have some plain knitting to do at the theatre while I watched the best new movie I've seen in years.  The yarn is the Bernat felting stuff, which isn't too bad, very Lopi-like.

Also, the first handknitted socks for my BIL, whose wife has had her holiday socks on every day and is making him very jealous.  These are in SR Kertzer On Your Toes, the sock yarn with a smidge of aloe.  It's an awful yarn, very scratchy for one with aloe.  It also had a very, very awkward join, where the patterning actually reversed!  After much winding I managed to salvage enough for the pair, but I'm quite annoyed and won't bother with the yarn again.

And socks for the other BIL are done and awaiting their postal trip west.

And just one more,a  secret project that went off in the mail to the States today.

Yesterday I had a wonderful visit from Ms. Yes and her littlest kids.  She was sporting the most awesome pair of Back to Basics socks, and we caffeinated, kvetched and, of course, knitted.  Now I'm dying to get my hands on some CotLin from Knitpicks so I can work a Tussie Mussie just like hers!

The girls (my 2, her 1) had a great play and got along famously.  Wee Gabriel?  Maybe it was the yarn fumes.  Maybe it was the lure of the squishy bean bag chair.

   

Or maybe, just maybe, he was just bored.

Back to life, or, a really lousy way to lose 12 pounds

I am happy, (reasonably) healthy and home for the holidays.

First up, thanks so much to Steph for taking the reins of the blog while I was infirmed.  I now feel I must up the witty factor of the blog, perhaps as a resolution for 2008.

I received countless, visits, notes, cards, calls and, yes, pressies, while in the hospital.  I can't thank you all enough for your caring and generosity.  It's times like this when you realize how many people you have in your corner.  I am very grateful to be so loved and supported.

Steph was completely accurate in her telling of my medical tale.  A tiny congenital cyst on my lung, of which my doctor and I were completely aware, awakened this fall and developed into a nasty abscess when I fell ill with pneumonia.  When I was first admitted to hospital, it became clear surgery would be needed at some point, it was just a matter of when.  The first thought was to bring me to reasonable health, send me home for the holidays and operate in the new year.  The problem is that IV antibiotics don't tend to reach walled-off areas like abscesses, so getting me better without intervention began to seem unlikely.

On December 10th, I was sent to have the abscess drained, which unfortunately collapsed my lung and created the potential for the infection to spread within the chest cavity.  Placement of a chest tube wasn't helping in draining things, so the tube was flushed with a medication to break up the mess within.  Unfortunately, within 12 hours, I'd developed a full-body rash in reaction to one of my many medications.

Surgery took place on the 15th, where a very talented surgeon cleaned away the infection in its entirety.  Being (reasonably) young and otherwise healthy, recovery was according to plan, and I was home to my family by last Friday.

I'm really none the worse for wear, just tired and a bit sore at the incision and my 3 chest tube sites.  I can't express how happy I am to be home with my hub, little girls and visiting parents.

As for knitting, I was sick enough to do just about none while in the hospital.  18 days in hospital yielded nothing but the toe of a sock.  My resting time at home has been barely more productive than that, but the mojo, I'm sure will return.

And if Cristi is right, I need to pursue a refund on this lousy boob job - STAT!

Here's to a happy holiday and excellent health in 2008.

Sometimes a mom just needs to be a mom

I try to keep the kid brags to a minimum on the blog, because I've long since figured out that my girls are far more fascinating to me than they are to others.

However, in the absence of substantial knitting content, I really must share today's holiday portrait proofs.

Amy is 4 1/2, and Laurel will be 3 on December 19th.

Click for bigger.

 

 

   

PS - I'm back to Thermal, working on Laura's deadline because she was the only one who left me one.  Socks are still going strong, pink Loksins are done and second Charade is on the needles.  What, you thought I could compose a post without even a mention of the knits?

Mama who bore me

My dear Mother,

You carried me for nine months, laboured long before epidurals became the norm, fed, sheltered and loved me.  You saw me through the teen years, which I understand ranged from trying to trying-like-hell-not-to-kill-this-creature-I-created.  You supported me in every way through six years of university, inspired me to find the man of my dreams, and have become the most loving grandmother imaginable.

For that, my loving mother, I give you this, for you have earned it.

Please accept and use this card whenever necessary.

In exchange, I will brag about your projects as though they are my own.

Mary's Flower Basket Shawl, worked in Colinette fingering weight she obtained at their factory store in Wales last summer.  It's huge, larger than my blocking surface!  Isn't it gorgeous?

Retraction, and a Knitty-riffic week

With lots of blog hits, the addition of Back to Basics to many Ravelry queues and even some new subscribers, it's been a great blogging week.  Unless you count the total lack of blogging.  Picky, picky.

First off, thanks to all for the nice comments re. the Back to Basics pattern.  It percolated in my wee brain for some time after meeting Cat Bordhi, who first proposed moving around a sock's construction elements.  Several prototypes later, voila!

I'd love to see photos of your finished socks, and will start a gallery if I get enough FO photos.

I'll also post a slightly smaller version of the pattern shortly.  My feet really are larger than all of yours!

In other sock news, I hereby retract my goal of completing the Plunge at the 6 month mark.  Could I do it?  Probably.  Could I do it without going out of my freaking mind?  Not likely.  I'm so bored with socks, I could poke a sock needle in my eye.

But in the interest of sharing, here are the projects provoking such sick thoughts.

Pair 46 in their eye-gouging glory, Cookie A's Titania's Revenge in Louet Gems Pearl, citrus orange colourway.  Keeping the pattern while shaping was a major bitch, but I love the wandering mock cable and will use it again.

[Don't feel badly if you don't like the look of them.  They're a bit on the fugly side, I must admit.]

47, plain, slightly ribbed socks for my manager at work.  He has a size 12 foot, so there's a great deal of real estate on the feet of these.  I am bored beyond description, but the yarn (obtained at KOL swap night) is nice to work with.

48 is in my new Posh Lucia from the Toronto caper.  I love the yarn, I love that the colourway makes me think of pink lemonade, and I love the way Kate Gilbert writes patterns.

I think I'll give myself a sock vacation and work on some neglected projects, perhaps Thermal or Sea Lettuce.  I'm PEI bound this week, and hope to get some quality knitting done between meetings and kid wrangling.

Did somebody say, "gratuitous kid shot"?

[I thought you had.  My bad.]

Dede's girls

I can't believe it's that time of the year again, where the air gets cooler and Grandma's anniversary approaches.  She passed away three years ago now.  Our yearly visit means a great deal to the women of our family, and we're hoping to give my own girls a sense of their family history.

Here are the years in pictures.

2003, with newborn Amy, my mom, her sister and Grandma.

2005, the first anniversary of her passing.

This time last year.

And this past Sunday.

I think she and Grandpa would be terribly proud.