piccys galore

Right.... I have a few FO pictures for you today. I have finished the bolero with a few modifications and I also have the blanket pictures though I finished the knitting of it before I went into hospital.

Here is the finished bolero















In the end I just couldn't face knitting a mile of garter edging and sewing it on. Also... the edging was supposed to produce a shawl collar but I thought it would be a right P.I.T.A. and not lie down so I decided to try crochet. This stitch is the shell stitch which I found after browsing through crochet bible the "Happy Hooker" by Debbie Stoller. I love this book and learnt the little crochet I can do from it. I'm hoping that eventually I'll be able to do more than edging or really simple stuff.

This is a close-up of the edging.













The crocheting itself wasn't hard but the calico is quite splitty and made it harder to hook those DCs.

Here are the last of the blanket pictures.













This is the front of the blanket which I was super pleased with. I picked up around each finished edge in a different colour to tidy it up a bit but I wouldn't have had enough of one colour to do all the same. Still, I thinkit worked out ok.














However, this was what the back looked like after it had been sewn up. I have to sew things so they're indestructible so I didn't just tack the edges together, I used my usual method of sewing up which has a name I cannot remember. This left the back looking messy so I fixed it with....fleecy fabric. Or rather mum did ;o)














Mum added the fabric on the back for me while I was in hospital bless her. Also, it means that Ava has a non-wool/alpaca surface against her skin while her skin is still dry and flaky from being so overdue. The Rooster Almerino is super soft but I can't have pure wool or animal fibre right next to my skin.

Lastly, I have a gratituitous Ava pic since she's wearing something I knit while I was pregnant. I was super impressed with this cardi I made. Not because it was difficult but to have the sticking power to finish it in time. I get bored or just a short attention span and this was a lot of fiddling with hoods and bands etc.


















This was knitted in Sirdar Kisses DK. It's acrylic but soooo soft. It's the softest acrylic yarn I've ever felt and it's a semi-solid colour. I made lots of minty-duck egg things this time around. When I was having Seth my "neutral" colour was yellow and I wanted a different unisex colour this time. The little suit she has on has some mint in it today so I put her this one on. I definately recommend this yarn for baby knits as it's machine washable and dryable and very very soft. It isn't often I rave about acrylic so make the most of it!

I think thats all I have.... I'm amazed I got the bolero done in under a week, but to be honest it's not a big knit. The bolero is obviously a cropped pattern but nontheless it was 4ply and I don't usually knit that fine.

Until next time,
xxx

knitting frenzy

Well I'm steaming along with my girlie projects for Ava. I started the Debbie Bliss Baby Bolero from Baby Cashmerino 2 in some sirdar calico. The calico is supposed to be DK but it's on the fine side and DB Baby Cashmerino is more sport weight than 4ply I've always thought so it's a pretty good substitute. The first size is 3-6 months so it's on the big side atm but since she's in 0-3 month clothes at 7 days old I doubt it will be too long before she will be able to wear it!

I started this on Saturday and did the back... Sunday I made a front and a sleeve and today the second front. Tomorrow maybe I'll get the second sleeve done and then be able to do the bands. I think the bands will take the longest :o( They have to be knitted separately and sewn on. To me that's even worse than picking up around the edge.














This was my progress at lunchtime. I've sewn the one side together before knitting the bands because the bands go from middle back up the front to the neck shaping before getting wider. The book says to sew the bands in before the sides and sleeve but I think that would be more confusing and harder to do the other sewing up later.

If you guys are wondering how I'm getting chance to knit.... well not only have I not been sleeping that well but also when Seth's playing he's quite accomodating and lets me knit. I'm sure when I'm back to normal I'll have less time but I grab the opportunity when I can. Also, with baby knits they work up so fast so the gratification is so much more!

Well I confess I've done something tonight I haven't done for about 10 months. I've had a drink. Not a lot though of course I'm a responsible mother and all... but I treated myself to a glass of Jacques fruit cider. I'm not breastfeeding so there is no danger of Ava being affected. With Dad doing the night feeding it's nice to be able to unwind. Or it would be if Seth hadn't decided he wanted to get out of bed 20 minutes ago so now we're all sitting on the bed while I blog.














Something tells me it wont be the relaxing night I'd hoped for!

first project for Ava

Hi guys

I decided to make so very simple mittens for Ava since she has monster hands and all the scratch mittens are either too small or fall off. Nothing fancy mind:




















I used koigu KPPPM on 3.25mm needles or any 4ply would do.

The pattern I made up was:

Cast on 32 stitches
8 rows k1 p1 rib
make an eyelet row: k2 yo k2tog across the row
20 rows stockinette
k2 k2tog across
purl
k2tog across
purl
k2tog across
purl
k3tog
fasten off
Sew side seam

The tie was made using a small crocheting hook and making a long chain.

.....or something to that effect.... ;o) of course this is easily adaptable by adding stitches at the beginning and rows to the length.

If I could have been bothered to use dpns of course I wouldn't have had to sew a seam!

And here's the cutie I made them for:



















That's all folks for today x

Ava Grace Wilkes 02/06/09 9lbs

I'm just announcing the birth of my daughter Ava Grace :o)

It was a traumatising few days in hospital so this is just a quick post until I'm back on my feet and the land of the living so to speak. We came home on Tuesday after I'd been in since Sunday.

I'll hopefully be able to keep up with the knitting world once things have settled down a bit at home. With visitors and settling Seth and Ava together plus just getting used to a new routine ourselves I may be a bit sporadic in what I manage to keep up with!

I'm taking part in the UKSwap too.... well I hope that my partners keep in mind that I'm around though a little preoccupied. I'm sure I'll be able to keep in touch though and find some nice goodies to spoil my downstream pal.

Until the next post... here's just the odd picture.

Blanket update only

Hi guys!

Just thought I'd give a knitting update.... no baby to introduce you to yet.

Here is what I have of the blanket so far. I only have 2 squares left to knit so it's nearly done. I took a small break from this due to ravelry corruption.... too many patterns inspire me to just carry on with a main project!
These pictures turned out a bit pinky.... the 'medium' red is more orange in real life so it does look uber-girly-fied here.




















The colours are as follows: Gooseberry, custard (now discontinued I think), rooster, cornish, brighton rock, cherry (plus gooseberry again).




















It's strange how the lighting makes things so different. The 'rooster' red looks all wrong here... you can see a slightly more accurate colour here.

Here is the 8 squares already sewn together.













I like the scheme but I guess it wont be very boyish.... I changed my mind a few times but who says boys can't have a blanket with pink on.... if it were blue a girl could still use it right? Ah well... maybe it's wishful thinking ;o)

Well there is a little bit of baby news, but it isn't mine! My friend from work phoned and told me she'd gone for her mid-trimester scan and she's having a girl... which means I can knit frilly pink things! That was the only downside to us not knowing. I have had to as plain and neutral as possible with things I have bought or made, but the surprise will be worth it.... when it gets here! I really liked this pattern that someone had knitted on on the ravlery 'babycakes' forum. I was going to wait and see what we have before knitting anything girly, but I have an excuse now and if we have a girl I can always make another! Hurrah!

Well, goodnight folks I'm going to stretch out on the bed and attempt to sleep!

No news isn't always good news

Ok..... so now the baby is late.

I went to see the midwife on Wednesday and she booked me in for a membrane sweep for next thursday if nothing has happened by then. I had to have one with Seth and it got things going, but those who know what it is or have had one will understand why I cringe at the thought! Hopefully things will move along before then but as of today he/she is a day late. I'm not amused! Worst case scenario is even the sweep does nothing and I have to go into hospital and through labour induction next saturday. Please people pray for me while you knit for a nice spontaneous and quickly resolved labour.... like in the next five minutes, or an hour... just let me make sure I have time to pack the camera and chocolate!

On a more cheery note, the Green Thumb mittens are finished :o) Sheer miracle that I've completed them in 3 days and on dpns too. I'm going to attempt to configure a ribby scarf and hat to match using the leaf motif. I'm thinking that a scarf is no problem really, but the beanie hat- well a bit ambitious but I'll give it a go. It would make a great gift set for someone or even for myself. I'm still deciding!



















Im rather pleased with them and now Dan wants a non leafy pair in a manly but boring grey/blue/black. Hmmm for someone that doesn't "see the the point of knitting" he sure gets me to make him a few things like fingerless mitts while he's on the pc or an ipod cover ;o)

Hopefully I'll have more exciting news next time I blog. x

Something new (and not the baby)

Hey folks!

Just a note before I carry on... no baby not here :o(

However, I've been knitting on a new project which I literally cast on after seeing the pattern yesterday on Ravelry.

Here is the 1st of the Green Thumb mitts (details on my ravelry projects page)




















looks kinda squashed when not on



















stretched out on my hand but still very roomy



















leaf detail on the thumb gusset

The pics aren't great I know as they have been done by my phone. I had to email them from my phone to my hotmail before saving and editing them on the computer. That said, it only took a matter of minutes. Who needs camera cables?! ( me obviously)

I'm really pleased with how the first one has turned out. I have been knitting avidly throughout the day- a couple of hours here and there while Seth has been playing or napping and voila! A finished mitten in less than 12 hours. For those who are extremely prolific knitters, I know this is no biggie, but I'm not much of a sock/mitten knitter so for me to achieve this on dpns is quite a feat for me.

I couldn't find my 3.25mm dpns that the pattern calls for which is a shame as I reckon that would have made them a perfect fit. I cast on with 2.75mm but after a few rows I could tell they were way too small so I had to go with 3.5mm clover bamboo dpns. They knit up a dream and I reckon anyone with average hands would find them perfect. I've got quite small hands and wrists so they're a little roomy but that said they aren't too big so I'm going to keep them! I thought that if they came up way too big I'd gift them out but I'm smitten with my mittens!

Apart from that, not a lot else has happened today. I've been particularly lazy other than having a bath so can't really complain. I've got to go to ante-natal at the docs tomo for the average blood pressure/wee/blah blah check so I've got to be up and motivated tomorrow. Not easy when walking is excruciating but I'm sure I'll be able to get dad to come fetch me and Seth. Of course, thats if I don't miraculously give birth between then and now!

x

fingers crossed please

Hi guys!

Thought I'd say hi again while I have the chance and a huge thanks to those who said hi and left such supportive comments.

I've been inseparable from my laptop for hours at a time at night now it's fixed and getting to grips with whos going what etc. Also... thanks to DB I may add.... I've been stupidly addicted to a game he showed me. I should put my fingers in my ears and screw up my eyes when he does that, coz I know I'll end up playing silly games and wonder where 4 hours went ;o). To those who have ever heard of "Puzzle Quest" maybe they'll understand?

On the knitting front.... er well the afore mentioned game has thwarted progress a bit but I'm finishing up on block 9 of 12 of the Debbie Bliss mitred square blanket. The first 8 are sewn into place too which I'm proud of btw. I thought that if I left all the sewing until last then there would be no way I'd finish it as those who know me know I hate the sewing up. Strangely enough though it was nice and refreshing to have a balance of knitting and sewing up and have done it in strips of 4 together then joined 2 strips together in one go.

As part of getting ready for the baby, DB and I have had to do some major spring cleaning. To make room for the huge cot bed in our room, now that Seth has a big bed, we had to sort out wardrobes and drawers and all sorts of things. Now the fact that most of my wool storage is actually my wardrobe as well as alongside the wardrobes meant he actually saw the extent of the hoardage. Oh Dear! I was very ruthless though and chucked a lot of stuff out. I also found about 30 pairs of knitting needles that had been used for a project and not returned to the needle rolls so I have far far more needles that I imagined since I usually just buy another pair of I can't find what I'm looking for. I must have at least 10 pairs of 4mm needles I'm sure!

Well..... the baby is obviously still cooking and showing no signs of entering the outside world so of course I'm still fed up and grumpy. However, I guess it's better than being too early and then being sick though my hips, ribs and back have a hard time seeing it that way!

I'll be back with news soon hopefully. It'd better be soon.....

xxx

Back in the land of the internet

Hi guys!

I've been offline for sooo long but now I have me laptop working again and thought I'd better just grace yourselves with a really quick update.

So far I'm now on maternity leave after having 8 weeks sick leave due to a number of pregancy complications. Thankfully the baby is doing fine and I have a week exactly to the due date. I'm praying every five minutes that I'll go into labour! At 26 weeks I was told I had Symphis Pubis Dystonia, or SPD for short, which basically means that the ligaments that hold the pubic bone into place are weakened and pressure on the pubic bone basically gives you the most excruciating pain. The 'treatment' for this is not to walk or stand for long periods of time and also long periods of sitting can make it worse too. Ergo..... I had to have 8 weeks as sick leave, a couple weeks of annual leave and started my maternity leave at 36 weeks. So far I've also managed to put my back out so I can't walk very far without a walking stick at the moment :o(

The good news though at the 36 week scan was that the placenta wasn't low lying anymore and I didn't have to be booked in for a planned c-section. However, they did say that the baby was already about 6.5 lbs....EEEK! No wonder I'm absolutely huge and have so much pain. With the baby putting on roughly a pound a week I could have a huge baby that has to come out naturally!

That's pretty much it.... on the knitting front I've made a few baby cardis, finished off an old project or two and I'm currently 2/3 way through a baby blanket. I'm making a mitred square blanket that's a Debbie Bliss pattern. I've used Rooster Almerino Aran which is lovely and soft though not machine washable. I'll get around to pictures and stuff when I've found my camera leads and such again!

I've had a quick scan through the odd blog or two and hope to catch up on what everyone is doing over the next few weeks.... baby and Seth permitting! I'm also thinking of joining the latest UKSwap too which might me a bit optimistic since I'll have a newborn soon, but I think it will give me something other that babies and washing to think about which is vital when I have a very limited choice of people to talk to right now! I don't miss work for the work itself, but it's horrible not knowing the gossip and having adult conversation that goes further than what's for tea or what episode of Thomas the Tank Engine Seth wants to watch!


Hope to update soon
love Fi xxx