Found!

I am pleased to announce that I did indeed find my missing sock. It was stuffed in a diaper bag that the hospital gave us. One that we obviously hadn't used yet. The twin sock was very happy, and is vowing never to be separated again. In my joy and glee, I started working on it again, and finished the sock. Except for Kitchnering the toe, of course. That just takes a level of concentration that I haven't had time to do yet. So, my mother will be getting her socks long before the cold weather comes. That has to be some kind of record.

When Grandma was watching my little guy the other day, she commented that she has trouble finding booties/socks for him. Well, that was because they were all in the laundry. Then yesterday it occurred to me , I could knit him socks. What took so long for me to think of that? The best thing about knitting baby things is, of course, they are very small and don't take long to finish. So last night, I started a tiny little sock for him. Already have the cuff nearly finished. :-)

My sweetie took one more step in converting to a knit husband. He saw me wearing a hooded sweatshirt that I made a few years ago, and asked if I could make him one. He even went with me to look at the yarn colors in person, and followed my suggestion of which color. (The blue was just richer and prettier. The charcoal gray was just plain boring.) The yarn selected (though not purchased), we proceeded to step 2: He picked out a sweatshirt that he likes the fit, so I could take meaurements and choose a size and confirm his desired level of ease. I am excited. I may even buy the yarn tomorrow to cast on.

Mommy had her six-week post-pardum checkup, and confirmed that I am completely healed. I have lost all but 2 of the baby poundage, and the am cleared to do anything I want. Exercise was also suggested, especially to re-tighten my abs, though that will depend on my level of sleep deprivation. After a bad night with only a few hours of sleep, I am not really in the mood to work out. But what I have been in the mood for is . . . . knitting. (Get your mind out of the gutter.) I have been pulling out long-neglected projects, and dreaming of new ones. It makes me feel like I am truly back to normal to feel this level of excitement about all things knitted again.

Today, it is all about the knit-spiration.

Pomotomus Revisited

I did a little work on Pomotomus at Sock club a couple weeks ago. It was like seeing an old friend again. How could I have ignored it for so long? I just love the easily-remembered pattern, that looks more complicated than it is.

So I have been happily working on it again (what with the plain sock missing in action). I have nearly completed an entire pattern repeat, the last one before starting on the heel.

Unfortuately, this work came with a painful lesson: Never leave your knitting where a toddler can find it. Last weekend, my brother approached me with DPN's in his hand. "Do you know what these are?"

"Yes, those are the spare needles in my knitting bag, right?" I said, the last word filled with weak hope. I ran back to the room where I had left my knitting. There my sock was, laying on the bed without a single needle in it. I suggested that my nephew not sit next to me at dinner. I didn't want to risk an impulse to strangle him.

It really could have been worse. While the little guy did discover that needles are removeable, he didn't realize that pulling on any of the pretty strings would make a bigger mess. I was going to reconstruct the needle arrangment right away, but my sweetie (perhaps wisely) suggested I wait until I was no longer angry about it.

The good news is that the sock is back on the needles. The bad news is that one repeat has an error that I haven't figured out yet. I may just try to knit the next row, and see if that makes it easier to decipher, or at least correct.

My nephew is also fine, and continuing to wreak havoc on grandma's house. Just leave my knitting out of it, kiddo.

Today, it is all about the kid.

Interview with a Muggle

Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
My sweetie: It keeps you occupied when we go places that I like that you don't. (I am guessing that he is referring to Nascar Club, but really any Nascar or sporting even would qualify.)

Me: What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?
My sweetie: When it lays around the house. (You mean that one sock in progress on the coffee table that I worked on last night and will work on this evening?)

Me: What is something I have knitted that you recall as being good?
My sweetie: My socks. (Ah, the Secret Wedding Socks that I gave at the rehersal dinner, so he wouldn't get cold feet before the wedding. At least he appreciates the finished product.)

Me: Do you think knitting is an expensive hobby?
My sweetie: No. (Ok, that is one facet of knitting ignorance I think is best left intact.)

Me: What are your hobbies?
My sweetie: Motorcycles, Nascar, hunting, fishing. . . . .what is this for, anyway?
Me: Um, nothing.

Me: If we compared money spent on hobbies, who would win?
My sweetie: You. You spend a lot of money.
Me: (Remembering that I had not bought yarn at all this calendar year, since I did so little pregnancy knitting.) You mean groceries?
My sweetie: Yes, and CVS. (We will ignore for the moment that he considers groceries and toiletries purchases as my "hobby".)

Me: Has my knitting in public ever embarassed you?
My sweetie: Oh yes! Um, I mean, no.

Me: Do you know my favorite yarn?
My sweetie: Baby yarn? (Sigh. I have one partial skein of cheap baby yarn. I have a small plastic bin of sock yarn in the house. The rest of my stash is stored off the premises, so I wouldn't expect him to know anything about. How can he not notice that most of what he sees me knitting is socks?)

Me: Can you name another blog?
My sweetie: No (Not even the Yarn Harlot? He really doesn't listen when I speak at all.)

Me: Do you mind that I want to check out yarn stores everywhere we go?
My sweetie: You do?

Me: Do you understand the importance of a swatch?
My Sweetie: Sure, they tell time.

Me: Do you read my blog?
My Sweetie: No.

Me: Have you ever left a comment? . . . . That one would be "no" too, right?
My sweetie: Right.

Me: Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit?
My sweetie: Yes.

Me: Do you have anything to add in closing?
My sweetie: Less knitting; more cleaning.

Hands off, ladies. He's mine. I am trying to remind myself that he didn't marry me because he loves knitting, and that I have had a mere year and a half, and knit-love training takes a lot longer than that.

Any training methods that have worked for other knitters in the past would be appreciated.

Today, it is all about the training.

Knitting Amber Alert

We interrupt this blog for a Knit Amber Alert. Pictured is the mate of a missing sock in progress. The missing sock is approximately 75 % finished, and has been missing since returning from the hospital with baby. Please contact me with any sightings. A reward of competing sock yarn is offered.

In happier news, I finally finished the little guy's knitted hat. Isn't that cute? The picture doesn't really do it justice, since it looks like it could be the size of a thimble.

Mom, do I really need a cozy hat in August? Dad doesn't keep the air conditioning THAT cold.

Today, it is all about the finished hat.

A Well-loved baby

You can always recognize a well-loved baby. They are surrounded by hand-crafted items. Everyone loves babies, and crafters just can't resist making something tiny and cute for any baby that touches their lives. My baby is truly blessed. Here he is, surrounded by aphgans, quilts, hats sweaters and booties, all knitted, crocheted or stitched with love.

He looks so tiny next to that stack. And confused. "Mom, what are you doing?" Cameras are still new to him. I am just glad that I caught his eyes open. He is such a wiggler, half of my pictures show him turning away from the camera.

And here is my scrap of knitted love for the little guy. One unfinished hat. On the plus side, I did find the missing DPN. I have even been knitting on it, having finally coming to the conclusion that storing yarn and needles in the same bag does not spontaneously produce knitted finished objects.

Just so my stack doesn't look so paltry, don't forget I also made a stack of hand-finished receiving blankets. I received several as gifts, as well, but they are in use or in the laundry, so did not get pictured. You can never have enough receiving blankets for a newborn.

Today, it is all about the knitted love.

He's heeeeeerrrrre!

Little Thumper greeted the world on July 29, 2008, at 9:46 a.m., a mere 5 hour and 46 minutes after my water broke. 8 pounds, 4.2 ounces, with a FULL head of brown hair.

I promise that I will post soon pictures of him, and all the wonderful knitted gifts he received. Just haven't had the chance yet. I don't know what I have been doing!

Today, it is all about the little guy.

Not yet. . . .

My official due date is Thursday, and Thumper has not shown any inclination to enter the world early. My sweetie has become more impatient this past week, but I think that is mostly because it has been so ungodly hot, and it isn't like the poor boy works in air conditioning. I think he was hoping the hottest week of the summer so far would coincide with his maternity leave. Sorry, dear, no such luck.

Just to placate him, I did time my contractions last night. They aren't even painful yet, just a tightening pressure around my abdomen, but you can't tell my impatient father-to-be that. Ok, they are 90 minutes to three hours apart, and irregular. No need to go to the hospital yet.

Meanwhile, I have found a coupel scraps of time and energy to work on my mother's socks in progress. I turned the heel in, um, April, and have a good inch or two finished on the foot. At this rate, she may have them to wear by Christmas. It is just too bloody hot to knit anyway! Even in an air-conditioned house (too cold air conditioning, but that is an ongoing passive-agressive dispute between spouses), even the idea of knitting sounds hot.

Today, it is all about the heat.