Enfin, a new blog post! I cannot believe it has been a full month since I blogged but in truth, I did very little knitting until the last two weeks and I'm committed to only blogging when knitting so here you go. There will be more updates to come because I am on spring break and I'm fully over my post-Christmas knitting funk!

By the way, have all of you discovered the new lines of Knit Picks???? I really want to order some Shine Worsted but I'm still getting through the $50 Knit Picks order from December. Do you know how much yarn $50 will buy you at Knit Picks? Take my word for it - HEAPS!

Before I show you what I've been up to, check out this amazing baby blanket my secret pal sent!!!!!!!! It's the kid's first hand-knitted gift - how exciting! We haven't bought or planned anything for the baby yet so maybe this will inspire us to start.


THANK YOU SECRET PAL!!!!!

Beth has inspired me to try a couple of diaper covers. She gave me a wonderful pattern that I've used to make these two. Sorry for the links to my flickr account. Blogger won't let me upload more pictures for who knows what reason.

Also, I bought this Phildar layette magazine last year so that I could make this one.

I hadn't made it yet because I didn't know anyone who was having a baby girl and planned to use cloth diapers. I still don't know anyone like that but I just wanted to make the little culotte so I did. :-) I also learned how to do intarsia so something good came out of the experiment.

Here is another sweater I've sort of finished. It needs a zipper. I don't know how to sew in a zipper. I need to do some research before I tackle the finishing process.

My current project is a little brassière from the same Phildar book (Layette Spring/Summer 2005). I don't know what this kind of sweater is called in English but it has a cardigan-style back for ease of use with a small baby. I'm using Kona Superwash wool for the first time. I might knit a swatch to see how well it washes and if it is machine dryable.

I'm spending the first few days of my spring break to sewing. I hate to sew but this mission is entirely outcome-driven. I found some patterns for maternity clothes and I thought I'd try to make them. With labor costs aside, I'm not saving a significant amount of money but I just wanted to make my own stuff. I've discovered that it is nearly impossible to find maternity clothes for women whose pre-pregnancy waists and inseams were under 30". If this graduate school gig doesn't work out, I might open up a factory to make maternity clothes for 1) short people and 2) people who exercise. Only Fit Maternity makes apparel for real exercise. This is a major source of annoyance chez moi.

I'll leave you with recent updates in the belly picture series.

Check out the goods from my dear Secret Pal!!!!!!!!!!!! This was a great Vday surprise!! I must say, however, that the candy she sent is not pictured. I'm sure you can imagine where it went! So thank you so much, S.P!!!!!! The washcloths are so cute! What a good idea. I haven't decided what to make out of that yarn but it's one of my favorite colors!!!!

On the knitting front, I have to finish that variegated yarn garter stitch scarf soon. I'm close but not there yet. Maybe this weekend.

I have been so busy with school and sick/tired with pregnancy that I just can't wait until the weekend comes. I'm glad to hear from several other bloggers that they weren't able to knit much while pregnant. I'm sure I will get motivated in the summer!!!!

Lots of things to catch up on! First, many many thanks to my kickass Secret Pal who is making my knitting life way easier. I received these two handy tools recently - a yarn cutter you wear around your neck and a cool little sheep tape measure! I haven't opened the cutter yet (and apologies for the sideways pic) but I'm planning on bringing it to my knitting group on Sat. I always end up there looking for something to cut my yarn with - usually it's a butter knife from the cafe so this will be a MUCH better alternative! Also, I'm so excited that my little sheepy measure is black. I identify completely with the black sheep!


And speaking of black sheep, I would like to hereby declare that I think I am the only knitter on the planet not participating in the Knitter's Olympics. My knitting friends are doing it, bloggers I read are doing it, my Secret Pal is doing it - even a lady from one of my LYS is in. I realize that 2500 knitters signed up - if anything, that makes me want to boycott the games on principle. Why? I'm a black sheep. :-)

Finally, here's the best reason I have for being a complete bum about exercising, knitting, blogging and responding to email:

I've been too busy running to the bathroom and wondering when morning/midday/afternoon/evening/night sickness will end. They say 12 weeks. I passed 12 weeks and I'm waiting patiently. Don't get me wrong - I'm happy about the kid thing. But if another old lady tells me how wonderful, happy and FUN pregnancy is, there will be violence...

Anyway, the kid is due 8/17 (the first day of classes, I might add!) Well-timed, eh? We aren't going to find out if it's a boy or girl - I am just content to know that there is only one in there!

I wish I could say this means lots of baby knitting but until I feel better, there will be no knitting happening. Besides, I'm not so sure how I feel about knitting for my own kid. Isn't that like counting the chickens before they've hatched??? Am I crazy? Opinions???

While I have no knitting content to report, I've been doing a lot of sewing in the last week. My mom sent me the diaper bag turned knitting bag she used when I was a kid. It was made of lime green corduroy and lined with a green and pink calico. I have always wanted a bag like it and so my mother-in-law showed me how to measure the original bag to make a pattern. Soon, I had three bags made! The first bag was electric pink canvas with a light green polka dot liner. Once I realized how easy the bag was, I made two more - an electric blue one with large blue flower print on the inside and a red one with a black polka polka dot liner. I only thought to take pictures of the pink one. Anyway, I hope this will be a great knitting bag. It will certainly hold multiple projects!

Also, I've just learned that the baby I've been knitting for will be a girl and she's due in a week or so. I found some flannel print for a little blanket for her as well. I bought the flannel because Ihad a blanket as a kid made out of the same stuff and I just like it a lot. Here's the baby blankie.

I'll be back to knitting soon with some FO pictures from the blue baby sweater. Thanks to everyone who emailed me about the Colinette. I think I will stick to the scarf - you are all right - it is good scarf yarn!

Not much knitting but CHECK IT OUT - Phildar entered the modern era and now you can order yarn online. The new site is great. Also, the free downloads used to come without pictures. Yeah, I know - how helpful is that??? Now, they have pics. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this marks the end of my knitting funk. Check out their site!

In other news, the knitting group exploded! Normally we have 3-4 knitters. I counted 14 on Saturday! It was great. I'm really excited that there are that many knitters around interested in the group.

Finally, I'm really looking forward to Secret Pal 7! I've corresponded with both the person I have for a pal and the one who has me. It should be fun. My pal is a runner and a student too so I've got some good non-knitting ideas too.

Here comes the Secret Pal 7 Questionnaire:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
Only somewhat. I love Lion Brand Cotton-Ease and Wool-Ease isn't bad either but I won't use Red Heart. I don't mind acrylic (especially if it makes the yarn washable) but I don't knit with anything that is 100% acrylic. Also, even though I'm vegan, I use animal fibers. It's less a political thing and more a dietary thing for me.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? Nope.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? In some pretty vases that never get used for flowers.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned first as a little kid but I really got started six years ago. Intermediate to advanced.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Amazon list only has a couple things on it. I'm more of a glutton for my Knit Picks wish list. Email me if you want that. I warn you in advance: it's long and frivolous.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I can't say I'm really into scents. I like a lot of things just nothing too overpowering.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Sweet tooth, you bet. Unfortunately (well, fortunately for my health, I guess), I'm vegan and don't eat anything with meat/dairy/eggs. That cuts out a lot of sweets. I'm a sucker for dark chocolate without milk or butter.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Knitting is really my only crafty habit.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Anything but country and metal. I love classic jazz and world music. Yes, I can play mp3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I love blue. There aren't any colors I dislike but I admit to being the only knitter in blogland that doesn't like variegated, multi-colored, pooling and self-striping yarns.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Married with two smelly dogs (see flickr account).

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves, hats, mittens, no ponchos.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I'm currently going through a Knit Picks phase. I don't buy expensive yarn- I'm really cheap. I like washable yarns like Dale of Norway Falk, KP Shine, Essential, Cascade 220 Superwash, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, etc. In addition to being cheap, it appears that I'm also lazy. When it comes to socks and baby knits, I don't intend to do any hand washing. I readily knit with feltable wool for scarves, mittens, hats, etc.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? 100% acrylic, poofy scarf yarn, self-striping yarn

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? I'd have to say either baby sweaters or mittens. Maybe socks. I'm just looking below at old blog posts and that seems to cover it.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? It depends on the season, my mood and how cold I am!

17. What are you knitting right now? A blue baby sweater (see picture below).

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Straight. I know it means sewing (which I dislike), but I like the feel of straight needles better than circs.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Bamboo or any kind of wooden needles.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Nope.

22. How did you learn to knit? My mom taught me when I was 6 but my little brother taught me when I grew up.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? Oldest UFO that I haven't abandoned entirely? Probably a year.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? I love dogs and I wish I could adopt ten. I don't watch TV so I couldn't name any animated characters.

25. What is your favorite holiday? July 4th because there are lots and lots of fresh tomatoes around then. I could live a happy life with only fresh tomatoes to eat.

26. Is there anything that you collect? Bad habits? No, not much else.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None. I never buy mags. Occasionally a Phildar one but it's pretty rare. When I started knitting, I went a little nuts on books and now I'm not really pattern-deficient!

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? Not really (see above). I have a pretty decent collection of books and more size 8 needles than I'd care to admit. I'm always game for yarn. :-)

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Steeking. I'm way too scared to actually try it without adult supervision. Maybe in another lifetime. Besides, my fair isle knitting is confined to small projects like mittens, hats and socks.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I love socks. I'm sort of a slow sock knitter. I didn't know what to measure so here are three different spots:
Around lower part of calf: 11"
Around ankle: 8.25"
Length from heel to toe: 8.75"

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 12/03

Well, in an attempt to lure myself out of the knitting funk, I started a small baby sweater for a baby that's due in less than a month. It's going quickly but eh, I'm not really into it. Here's a progress pic:
The pattern is from Debbie Bliss Baby Knits and I used Knit Picks shine. It is a little old man sweater:

Also, I received a couple of balls of Colinette Prism as a gift but I'm really struggling with a purpose for them. I never knit with hand-dyed yarn and I'm not really fond of it. Still, it is gorgeous yarn. I started a garter stitch scarf but I'm not sold on it. Any ideas? Here is what the yarn looks like. I have two balls (about 240 yds) and it calls for size 10.5 needles.


Happy knitting!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm back to blogging... well, sort of. You see, I guess I'm ready to return to blogging but the problem is I'm burned out on knitting. This happens to me every January so I anticipate light posts this month. It will give me more time to read and comment on everyone else's blog- how about that?

Holiday (i.e. deadline) knitting always runs me down. My hands, wrists and head are tired of knitting. I tried desperately to motivate myself by starting a new baby cardigan and knitting continental style instead of English, but I got bored. Since I can't knit much, I've been spending my time reading, sleeping and doing the NYT crossword puzzle. My LYS had a huge sale all last week and I didn't even poke my head in. I ought to regret that later but my stash is just fine, thank you very much! This was made clear to me over the holidays when my sister-in-law came to visit and wanted me to teach her English knitting because she hates the continental way. She asked if I had spare yarn she could practice on. I think she went home with 4-5 balls! I hope she keeps it up. She absolutely adores scarves and I think she'd enjoy making some of her own. Besides, as we all know - knitting is great stress relief!

Also, I'm returning to a "diet" (poor word choice since it's more like a lifestyle) I followed this summer, a slightly modified version of the McDougall Diet. I'm not trying to lose weight - I just want to eat better. The basic deal is that you eat only fruits, veggies, high-fiber starches, no oil and nothing made with refined flours. I modify it a little by adding lite soy milk and soy yogurt. I don't particularly care for fake meat, seitan or tofu unless they are very well hidden so I get my protein in fake dairy, tempeh and beans. McDougall is not much of a departure from my regular diet since I'm already vegan, but I have a bad habit of letting breads and vegan sweets sneak in, leaving me feeling lethargic and sluggish. I've noticed a lot of us in blogland have the post-holiday blues (what I call a massive sweets hangover).

I don't recommend McDougall for the casual dieter because it is a real commitment, especially for non-vegans who aren't used to living without animal products. As far as weight loss is concerned, I swear by Weight Watchers. I lost almost 30 lbs on WW a few years ago and I think their carrot-and-stick approach is a winner. There was nothing like having a mean and cranky old lady ready to weigh me at the scale every week to motivate me to forego the cookie. Over time, I learned to control myself without the cranky b*tch. ;-) One thing you can't really count on WW for is exercise. They really don't emphasize it enough but then again, that's probably how they entice new members. Successful members learn pretty quickly that they can eat more if they get out and move.

Best of luck to you dieting bloggers and remember - each day is a new day. If you fall off the wagon, you just get right back on - no guilt required.

Toodles!

I promised to post yesterday but I fell asleep. Oops! Boy, do I have some serious knitting content for you! I had to send a bunch of gifts yesterday in a mad dash so I never took pictures of my mom's sweater or my brother's brioche hat. Neither were too exciting. The hat was white and maroon, since those are the color's of the little brother's college and he's in the basketball pep band. Also, I forgot finished product photos of little cousins wearing elf stockings. They were cute but frankly, my hands will thank me if I never use size 13 DPNs with double-stranded bulky yarn again. That was a recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome! I don't know how big-needle/yarn scarf knitters can stand the achy wrists and hands. Maybe that's why it seems like the trendy knitters either move on to real projects on real needles with real yarn or quit. Don't get me wrong - I don't have anything against scarf-only knitters, I just cannot relate.

OK, so my father-in-laws socks (see dk blue/medium blue sock in progress) are taking forever. I made the mistake of swatching on sz 3 needles instead of the 6s I had intended (the yarn is worsted weight). So now I'm stuck with REALLY thick socks for a man with sz 11.5-12 feet. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I've been slaving over the first one not only because I need these done by Sunday but also because I need the needles to finish my sister-in-law's second sock (the plum-colored sock is the first in the pair). Nothing like leaving these to the last minute. In my defense, I am a graduate student so it is not as if I've been loafing around for the last few months!

Still, in order to get the gift knitting done, I've rented a stack of movies including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , the Marx Brothers' Go West and At the Circus , Mad Hot Ballroom , State and Main and Intolerable Cruelty. Yes, I know - that's a lot. You have to understand that we do not have tv service so movies on DVD or VHS are the only option for sedentary zombie days. I've seen book holders online and I plan on buying one but I just haven't gotten around to it. I would prefer reading but as long as I'm knitting socks on DPNs, that seems a little unrealistic.

This is the point in marathon knitting when knitting seems less fun and more of a pressing obligation. As a result, I frequently knit much less than normal after the holidays and in January. To keep up my progress, I'm going to meet the ladies of Knit Lawrence for an informal meeting on Friday evening. Maybe they can save me from the interminable sock! (Note to self: get to know people with small feet...)

I have three more pictures for you. First, the aforementioned Dr. Seuss socks that my husband doubts any sane human being would ever wear. Second, the unfelted flower pin still needing a center bobble and its ends woven in. The pin will be for my stepsister-in-law. Third, a Christmas stocking I made for my friend Julie last year. Because I was an idiot and did not write down the final dimensions, I asked if I could borrow it so that I could make a duplicate for her husband. We won't likely see them until after Christmas so they won't have a pair of stockings until next year but I do need to make a second one for him. I went to my LYS to look for the same yarn although I didn't see it, I was in a rush so I'll go back later when things calm down to get some. I hope they have it. I don't want to have to go to Kansas City (30 minutes away) for one skein of yarn. Some of you may scoff at that drive but since I'm from Massachusetts, my geography worldview is a little skewed. A half hour drive is way too long for yarn.
I promise to post once the gifts are finished and before I wrap everything up.

Happy knitting, gift knitters!

No pictures today, as I haven't much to show for myself. I'M DONE WITH FINALS! Yay. I don't even care how I did - I'm just happy it's over. I had a very heavy courseload this semester so it's a relief to be done.

I'm at the heel of a red and green striped pair of top-down socks. I thought they would be cool stripes but the sock looks more like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. *sigh* I probably won't give these as a present because I don't know anyone that's really into Dr. Seuss socks so I'll probably keep them. I have no pride. I'll wear red and green striped socks.

I saw these labels last year but I forgot to bookmark them. Check them out for your holiday gift knitting. The only thing I don't like is that all of the labels are for Christmas with red and green all over. None for birthdays or other gifts. They can't be hard to make in Photoshop. Maybe I'll bribe my husband with cookies to make me some personalized labels. That sounds very Surrendered Wife of me so I apologize, but he does that for a living and frankly, I like making cookies. :-)

In response to some emails, the Lapland Mittens are from Folk Mittens. The fingerless mitts are from Weekend Knitting but you can find similar patterns for the fingerless mittens if you google them. I've seen lots of cute freebie patterns for them.

I'm planning a new brioche hat but I've found a better crown shaping method at Tipper's blog. Her version is cleaner than Melanie Falick's and looks much easier. So FYI, if you start a brioche hat, go get Tipper's quick and dirty crown shaping!