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.
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!
It is, how you say, super cold here? My eyes watered in the car, as it was warming up. The vet said that Shannon does not need to be cold, thanks to her arthritic joints, so she’s enjoying the warm warm house, and I’ll have to shiver at the gas bill later.
I love the bump shot, but the colors on the sock yarn kind of hurt my eyes.
I can’t remember if I’ve told you my favorite baby trick yet. I watched this little girl Anna several times a week from the time she was 3 months until she was 2 1/2.
Her parents made around 10 identical baby blankets – not big, around one foot square – a fuzzy flannel with satin-like edging. A blanket was only brought out at nap and bed times. At first, of course, there was no association, and they’d place the little blanket by her hand when she was itsy bitsy. As she aged, the association became very powerful, and when the blanket was brought out her eyes practically drooped at the sight of it, and she’d rub the satin edging with her fingers as she fell asleep.
Multiple blankets was a charm, too, as one was always in the wash, or left at a relative’s house, and then some just disappeared over the years. It was amazing, and I’m definitely going to try and replicate it when I have kids.
(p.s. I’m working in the nursery at camp, so maybe I’ll get the honor of caring for the mini miracle.)
You can’t go wrong with any debbie bliss baby knit. Aren’t they the nicest patterns? Oh, and, the baby is very, very cute. At least from what I see!
Awww….LOVE the view from your perspective!!!!
AND….a big thank-you for the May Day and Wee Tiny Sock Swap!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!
Ooh, I hope I don’t miss the unveiling of the MiniMiracle! We leave for vacation #2 in another week. If I do miss it, I’m praying that everything goes quickly and smoothly.
And thank you for the May Day Sock Swap. So fun!
I’m surprised the nesting instinct hasn’t resulted in all those socks getting darned! Happy Valentines!
Yay! Sweet Bump! Happy Valentines! Happy Time Killing! So Happy that you’ll be doing the WTSS again this year! 🙂
love the mini me cardi!
Hold on for just five more days (yes, I’m all about winning the contest)!
That little cardigan is just too darling. I think it has finally pushed me off the fence on which I’ve been teetering about whether or not to buy DB Special Knits. Although yes, what is so freakin’ about a little schematic? I mean, it’s easy enough to figure things out for a cardigan, but some of her patterns assemble in slightly non-intuitive ways. People have been bitching about this in blogland for years…clearly neither she or her publisher ever reads the internet.
Ahem. Enough on that tangent. Love the cardigan.
It won’t be long now!
love that wonderful bump! and you made a great baby sweater..
hey, I’m glad you haven’t quite finished “cooking” yet – means I might just win!
Such a cute bump! And the wee little baby cardigan is precious! 🙂
I love your little belly. Happy hearts day to you and baby. Wow you have some cool swaps going. I am thinking about 2008 being a year of no socks for me. Hmmmm think I’ll make it?
Happy Valentine’s Day! What a cute little cardigan!
Always gotta do things your own way. Never what I want. Boo. Why can’t you get hopping, you have 8 hours left of the 14th?! I could still get my extra Chocolate prize. Course, if I don’t win the prize I will get my hat…. ooo, tough one.
Ah, babies certainly keep their own timetables, don’t they.It all looks wonderful. Tell us where the yarn miracle back came from, please?
In total agreement about the Debbie Bliss patterns. I hear rumors that some of the newer books actually do have schematics, though, so there’s hope!
Very cute cardigan! You’ve been very productive, nesting perhaps?
I knitted that ribbon-edged cardi (sans ribbon), too, and I feel the same way about the DB patterns. She never has schematics, unless she has recently started adding them to her patterns. Makes me crazy. But at the same time, her designs can be so sweet. I really love the eyelet vest in the same book. Addie outgrew hers way too quickly.
Getting excited about the sock swap…I bought my pal’s yarn today and I think I have chosen the pattern!
Now Em, you know that little cardigan should be PINK!!!! (haha just kidding, but hoping) It’s adorable and so is the mini bump! Looks like you’re ready for the mini-event!
Just checking in to see if the little one has made an appearance yet. I can’t wait to see pictures and compare stories!! 🙂
Cute cardigan! I’ve got a sweater I need to darn but I keep putting that off too. I’m looking forward to Mini’s appearance!
I’ve knit a few DB patterns, and that was my complaint as well, the lack of schematics. Oh, and no charts. I know it probably has to do with space in her pattern books, but it would sure help to have a visual!
Bump looks good. Big. Can’t wait to see Baby!
Wow–best thoughts and wishes for the new little person who’ll soon be here in the world! Also, adorable cardigan!
What a cute baby bump and cardigan! Just yesterday I was thinking about how I was behind in my blog reading and was worried I missed the Wee Tiny Sock sign up. My sock from last year is on my knitting bag, and I have so many people ask me about it. I can’t wait for another round!