The Gift of Knitting

The disadvantage to giving someone a gift that you have knitted. . . is sometimes they like it TOO much. I knitted my mother some socks. They were finished a while ago, except for (pause for the chorus from the peanut gallery) "kitchnering the toes".

A year later (possibly more, but I am giving myself the benefit of the doubt), I finally kitchnered, the same time as I did my Pomotomus socks. I grandly presented the finished socks to my mom, and not long after, she proudly displayed that she was wearing them.

A week ago, we were arranging for a needlepoint piece of hers to be framed, so we paused at the sock yarn. I found one that caught my fancy, and so did Mom. After we finished with our purchasing, she handed her yarn to me. Um, it appears that she wishes me to knit another pair of socks.

Today, it is all about the complimentary request.

Transitions

We have some transitions around the house these days.

Bugaboo transitioned into a toddler bed. (He looks very excited about it, doesn't he?

Then he helped Daddy reassemble the crib for Doodlebug.

And last but not least, my Pomotomus socks transitioned from the knitting bag to the sock drawer. Woo hoo!

What to start next?

Today, it is all about the joy.

Special guest

I received an email from my lys reminding me about Sock Club. Thank you. I had forgotten all about it! I had a goal too: my pomatomus sock only needed a toe. A toe is totally doable during two hours, right?

Doodlebug behaved himself. He slept the entire time, to the disappointment of all the ladies there, who didn't get to hold him. Bugaboo was with his Daddy. Mommy had uninterrupted knitting time. Except that I arrived a half hour late and got distracted by new yarn.

Ok, so the toe isn't done yet, but I am determined to do it today. My mother has my oldest son. The cleaning lady is (allegedly) coming today, so I am home all day with just the new baby. Laundry, and maybe a little work is on the agenda for the day, but all of that is behind the sock. The next post, I intend to be wearing my newest socks. (Ok, considering how often I post, that isn't saying much, but I still.)

Today, it is all about the resolution.

Guest post

Mommy asked if I could handle her blog post this week. It has been quite a week. I knew something was up when Grandma picked me up really early one morning. Mommy seemed a little distracted, and was playing with her phone a lot. Grandma came and picked me up, but I didn't know why. Grandma watches me sometimes when Mommy goes to that work place, but Mommy usually drops me off at Grandma's house. Just before Grandma and I left, Daddy came home from work.

I played at Grandma's house as usual. Grandma has toys that I don't have at home, and I like playing with Grandma's dog too. After dinner, Grandma brought me to this strange place. It was really big, and had a lot of people around. I held onto Grandma's hand tight. We went in an elevator, and down a long hallway. When we went into a smaller room, all the people I love were there. Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa. And Mommy was lying in bed, with a blankie in her arms. I was a little afraid, but I looked at the blankie, and there was a little person there. Daddy says that is my baby brother. I looked closer, and he looked a little like me, but much smaller. Daddy called him Doodlebug.

I spent the next day with my other Grandma, and we went back to the big place with the long hallways again after dinner. This time I wasn't as afraid, and got a good look at my brother. Mommy and Daddy even let me touch his hair, as long as I promised to be gentle. He sure is tiny.

Mommy and Daddy brought Doodlebug home, and I have been learning about him. I can still only touch his head. He isn't much for playing yet, but Daddy says that we will play together when he gets older. Right now, he mostly sleeps. I kiss him on his head, so he knows that I am his big brother and want to play with him soon.

~Mommy's Bugaboo

Familiar conversation

I have the same conversation many times a day:

Person: You look like you're about ready to pop.

Me: I have seven more weeks to go.

Pause for look of surprise on other person's face.

Person: Are you sure there is only one in there?

Me: According to the ultrasound, only one.

Person: Boy or girl?

Me: The baby was shy at the ultrasound. Kept doing somersaults. And since there is not medical reason for another one, insurance won't pay for it, so we get to be surprised.

Person (looking at my large belly again.) You're not going to make it to the end of January.

Me: That would really screw up my trial calendar.

Repeat as often as I interact with other humans.

Today, it is all about the repetition.

The calendar doesn't lie

It is really almost Christmas? How did that happen? One minute it is still warm, though I did notice leavings changing color and falling, and the next, we have snow falling and bitter cold. I mean, I did a little Christmas shopping, but that was early, and there was plenty of time. The next thing I know, we have our first family celebration on Sunday. And, you know, did I mention the snow and the cold? We didn't get more than a dusting of the white stuff, but the thermometer this morning reads 7.6 degrees, and that is darn cold.

8 more weeks to the unending pregnancy. A lawyer I work with (well, against, really) commented that I have been "looking maternal" for a long time now. What a nice way to say that I was showing at two months. Right now, I feel the same that I did a week or two before my oldest was born. Unwieldy, uncomfortable, unenergetic, and I still have 8 weeks to go! So there hasn't been much knitting lately. A row here and there, but nothing picture worthy. Resting time is complete resting time. I don't even feel like moving my fingers at such times. I can read, at least. So my mind is not exactly turning to mush just yet.

Meanwhile, I have to come up with one more exchange gift and something to cook before Sunday. Does anyone know how to slow down the calendar? If anyone would figure that out, it would be a knitter with Christmas looming.

Today, it is all about the day counting.

Small creations

I am pleased to announce that my first Twisted Tweed Sock is finished, and (as the antidote to the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome) the second one cast on. I took it with me to California, though was not able to knit nearly as much as I had hoped. There was no plane knitting. We flew across 2/3's of the country, but no knitting for Mommy. In spite of the fact that it was pask his bedtime, eventually by hours, my little guy was wide eyed and cranky for the entire flight. My sweetie was enjoying the open bar (we had enough frequent flyer miles to get first class, which I thought was a very good thing with a toddler on the outside and a wee one on the inside) and wasn't much help to me.


I was able to knit on some of the sightseeing days, when our host was doing the driving. A couple days, I was driving, to which my sweetie initially objected, until he saw the intricate network of freeways in the LA basin. Not for rookies.


As a celebration, I cast on a new sock. Just something to break loose some boredom with my current projects. (My usual model is still sleeping in his crib, so his new Halloween teddy was pleased to substitute.) Some of my new sock yarn in a lovely semi-solid shades of red colorway (with the occasional dash of navy for interest), in a deceptively simple textured pattern. My new favorite style for hand knit socks. (Why was I so enamored of the self-patterning yarns? I maintain that I just had not yet discovered the rich sublety of semi-solids,) I can't wait to get these babies on my feet. I have several maternity tops that would match them, though I doubt they will be finished in time for that. I have other pre-pregnancy tops that match too.


Speaking of pregnancy, I am feeling better these days. Safely entered the third trimester, I feel like I have been huge forever this go round. Some days I can't get comfortable no matter what, and the intermittant insomnia creates some tired days, but last weekend was a couple of good days. I celebrated by turning these,







into this. . . . Yummy Vegetable Beef Soup. Lots of protein and veggies, and all things good for a growing belly, especially in the winter.








I can hear my little guy stirring, so I think it may to be time to start my day. It is Veterans's Day, so the courthouse is closed, but I am going into the office to catch up on paperwork. Best wishes to all Veterans, those serving now, those who served in the past, and those who have gone before us. In that last category, a special moment of silence for my grandfather, Jerome Prescott Knight, U.S. Army, retired, and my father, Allan Prescott Knight, U.S. Air Force. Between the two of them, the fought in three wars and lived to raise families and instill in us a sense of moralily and patriotism. God bless America!