She's here!

Thanks for all the happy wishes! Things are going really well, but Elizabeth is keeping my hands full most of the day/night, so not a lot of time for blogging or emailing - or reading everyone else's blog. She is a darling - but I am having trouble uploading pictures on this slow dial-up connection. I will definitely post a pic as soon as the Comcast people get here to set up a cable modem. Meanwhile, I know Sharon took a picture of E at the knitting meeting last night, so keep an eye out over there. I even made E wear her little Anouk dress and covered her with her farm blanket, so there is even knitting content.

Back soon!

Sweatergirl joins the parade

So, how cute are all these crocheted flowers popping up on blogs? You've seen them on Action Hero, on my mind, Step Into My Thimble, and now...HERE!

I got the pattern from here, thanks to Heidi. Hers, form the April 7 entry, is what finally made me pull out the hook. I guess I forgot how not good I am at crocheting. I only know the rudiments, and I never got the hang of how to hold the yarn and hook, and I think my cheap crochet hooks definitely slowed me down - hard to get through the right loops. This little flower took me an hour - which seems far too long. It is supposed to get two more ruffly layers - we will see about that. If I hadn't told you, and you hadn't seen Heidi's lovely flower, would you have known it was incomplete?

Thank goodness for the crochet insert in the most recent IK - I had forgotten my stitches totally. Boy - it's pitiful.

I'm sorry if I forgot where else I've seen them in the blogiverse - leave me a comment and I will link to you too!

Now just a week until d-day....I am refusing to acknowledge the fact by refusing to pack my bag. Hmm.

Since I'm sure the suspense was killing you...

I decided - to decide later. About the pockets to Anouk. I finished knitting the front and attached it to the back. Then I decided that the pockets should be knitted on, so I picked up stitches and started along on that. So I did decide not to stripe, but did not decide whether to duplicate-stitch the flowers on. They could be cross-stitched on, or I could crochet a little flower head and just duplicate-stitch the stem/leaves. But for now - just making turquoise pockets. Or maybe I will just take an after-work nap.

Sorry to be so uninteresting lately - although I'm not sure I used to be interesting. Similar to a scene in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which I saw this weekend, one of the first things I said to S was, "Umm, I'm not that interesting." Review - well, I really liked it, S didn't. But I kind of love Jim Carrey (except in the Pet Detective/Mask roles). I think part of what ruined it for Steve was some guy who got to the movie late had the nerve to ask the only 9.5-month pregnant person in the entire theatre to move, despite the fact that we had gotten there early to choose a seat with good access to the bathroom and a good view, and that there were other seats, but just closer to the front. Grr. We didn't move, but they did sit next to us and were relatively obnoxious through the movie. I wish they still had ushers at the movies...

Black and white and red all over

Argh - I bought more yarn. This no-yarn-pact thing is just not working lately. I need to stay out of yarn stores (or all stores) when I am upset.

Anyway, I bought black and white Cotton Classic to start my version of the Union Jack sweater featured in Debbie Bliss's Nautical Knits for Kids. It is, appropriately, a balck sweater with a Union Jack intarsia-ed across the front. S is in a British car club (ok, British Motoring Club), and we thought the kid needs a sweater to wear to events! Of course, she can't ride in said British car, as it is a 30-year-old-and-likely-terribly-unsafe-two-seater. But at least she will be appropriately dressed when we arrive in the follow-along vehicle.

Back to knitting stuff - Said black and white yarn (they were sold out of red and an appropriate blue) was purchased at the Yarn Garden in Charlotte, which is a delightful store. I have to remember to go there more often. Especially when they get into their new, larger space in a few weeks! Kim, the owner, was really helpful and interested, and let me pick her next colors for blue and red bags of Cotton Classic, despite the fact that I only need one ball of each AND that I got there only twenty minutes before closing AND I touched, like, everything in the store. And I never knew how many colors Cotton Classic comes in: about 160. Wow.

I also got a good start on Anouk, from the spring Knitty. My version is made with leftovers of the Sam sweater, in fun Cotton Classic colors. It is insanely tiny and cute in the 3-month size. And a quick knit. Gotta love these tiny projects.

Not sure about the intarsia pockets yet - I am not having much luck with the slippery cotton yarn for such small intarsia sections. So I am debating either duplicate-stitching the flowers or perhaps just adding striped pockets. But the flowers are so cute. Tune in tomorrow...

Sweatergirl's back

Lookie! It's the back of St. Brigid!

You'll just have to imagine the happy dance, as the back of a sweater is a slightly indecent garment in which to dance.

Casting on for the front might be delayed, because of this lovely pattern at Knitty! And me with a stash of Cotton Classic to use...

And I am also going to make this! I know just who needs one. How fun.

And, congrats to Sarah (not handknitter Sarah) and Kerrie! Sarah is expecting a baby in October, and Kerrie in August...It's like a pregnancy relay!

And now for something completely different.

Poisson d'Avril - I remember very little from high school French, but I do remember this silly tradition (culturally insensitive. sorry, but it is silly.) of sticking a paper fish on someone's back on April 1. Eh - it was a girls' school - what did we care? 'Twas better to have a better-looking fish to stick, however. And the kids in Spanish class thought we French-takers were nuts anyway.

Lately, when I haven't been able to sleep, I've been picking up St. Brigid and knitting a row or two. Knocks me right out. Because I have to concentrate on the pattern just enough to stop obsessing about whatever had been keeping me up (baby stuff, school stuff, or work stuff...). This morning I realized that I am only five rows from finishing the back! This has been a multi-year sweater, and I've finished both sleeves (well, up to the saddle). So it is quite exciting that I may be able to start the front this weekend.

Ok, and in baby silliness, It's now officially 2 weeks till the due date. I can't wait to meet this kid. April 1 is another "magic date", where all along I have been telling myself that she'll be here anytime in April. Of course, she may take that as April 30 instead of sooner...Anyhow - a diamond birthstone will be nice for a mother's ring someday, no? Better than aquamarine (March).