No baby yet! I just thought I would get that out of the way to begin with. For your amusement, I took a picture the MiniMiracle’s bump from my point of view:

I know y’all stay up nights wondering what it’s like to be me.

I made the Mini’s first cardigan (and have misplaced ours).

The Ribbon-Edged Cardigan (sans ribbon) from Special Knits.

This is the first Debbie Bliss pattern I’ve made. It was a simple, elegant and easy knit marred only by the conspicuous absence of schematics. The instructions tend to say things like: Work for 30 rows and then start the neck shaping. This means that particular attention must be payed to row gauge. This makes substituting yarns more challenging (I used KnitPicks’ Elegance). You can use the suggested gauge, do some second grade math, and figure out the length – but how hard is it for designers to draw a little picture? While this kind of thing bugs me to pieces (it bugs me more if the pattern is an adult sweater with shaping), it is certainly not enough to keep me away from her designs in the future. This cardigan is probably the last of the knitting for the Mini until it reveals its true identity. In the meantime, I’ve got a few grown-up projects to entertain me.

Like the May Day Sock Swap. Lynne and I started planning this one a long while back. The idea of a small, closed-circle, conventional, low-impact swap has a refreshing appeal for me. We’ve set up a little blog page (nothing fancy) so that everyone can keep up with the progress. This rounds’ participants have already received their secret sock pals, but I sincerely doubt that this is the last of our Holiday Swaps (Lynne is the Queen of Good Ideas).

In case you think I’ve forgotten: Wee Tiny Sock Swap 2008 (the fastest swap in Blogland) is right around the corner! If you need a little exposition, peek at the Wee Tiny Sock Swap of 2007 post. Sign-ups will be unlimited by anything but the cut-off date. I’ve got the swap on the calendar for the last week in March (I had to push it back a little because Easter is early this year). I’ll be more specific as we get closer and announce the opening of sign-ups several days ahead so that there is plenty of time for word to get around.

There is also some grown-up knitting happening. I finished up a pair of socks and then started another one to keep in my bag.

Tuscany, by the talented Abigail.

A couple more CounterPain Squares are also behind me and I am entertaining the idea of darning the Sock Pile.

Maude chewed the green striped ones, but the rest have holes in the heels.

I think about the Sock Pile about once a month, and then do my best to find something else to knit. Maybe I can squeeze in a hat for my Darling Sister. She can wear it during the next cold snap. Well, the cold snap after this one – it’s 28° here this morning.

I almost forgot! Happy Valentine’s Day!