A couple things…

I made another pair of fingerless gloves.  This is only because I didn’t feel I had sufficiently proven my fingerless–glove–knitting prowess last fall, while preparing for the Christmas of Knitted Gifts.  And it is also because I have a special friend who I will be seeing soon at a certain baby shower (for me! OMG!) and I happened to have an extra hat from last year (it got a little crazy at the end, there), so I thought, what the heck, I’ll make some gloves and complete the set!  So I did.

And, let me tell you, I am SO GOOD at making these now.  I think I can stop now.  Except that, somehow, I still don’t have any for myself. 

Pattern: Raspberry Mitts (Ravelry Link)

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Paris Night

Mods: I turned them inside out so that they are in reverse stockinet.  I just liked how they looked better that way. 

In other news, this fall has been disappointingly hot and dry–most days it hovers in the mid 70’s and just stays sunny.  Oh well, at least the dogwood tree is giving us a nice show, as always.

Autumn Leaves, take 2

There’s a fear that’s been developing for the past two years, and now that I’m about to have a baby (in four months), it is rearing its ugly head.  I think my sister stole my good baby karma.

My parents tell me that my sister was a horrible infant.  She didn’t sleep, she didn’t eat, and basically behaved like those bad babies that hang out in the checkout lines at grocery stores.  Specifically Wal-Mart.  Anyway, she was so bad, they almost didn’t have me because they were apparently developing borderline personality disorders by the time she was two.  But have me, they did, God love them, and lo, my presence was a soothing balm to the household.  I was a Good Baby.

ERGO, the logic of the universe tells us that, when it came time to have our own kids, Sister Friend was doomed to have a hellion, while my biggest complaint would be that all the strangers complimenting my perfect children made me late for supper.

And here’s where things get worrisome: SHE had a Good Baby!!!  So now, I’m a little concerned.  At least, though, if I do end up with some screamy freak-out child, I will have someone to blame, and doesn’t that make things at least a little less unjust?

ANYWAY:

Yesterday was a great day for knitting! I finished up two projects which were languishing on the needles and even had time to knit a wee little plain baby cap.

I only have one picture to show you today, because the other stuff is downstairs, so obviously, that’s too far away.

But it’s a cute one:

Does this look familiar?  It’s because I knitted one for my niece Ellie (soon to be known as “the good one”).  It’s the Autumn Leaves Cardigan from What to Knit when You’re Expecting, done in the (washable and cheap) Lion Brand Wool-Ease and with yellow buttons.  Awwww

A GIRL!

Last Friday, all 4 soon-to-be grandparents came to see the “big ultrasound” where we would find out what, exactly, this child has going on between the legs, if you know what I mean.  The answer?  NOTHING, which means…GIRL!  Join me in a contented sigh of relief.  Just kidding (sort of), a boy would have been fine, and in fact, it’s sort of weird to let that go.  No little boy.  But, as a member of a girl-dominant family myself and as a knitter, this is good news.

After the ultrasound, David and I had a lot of discussions about gender neutrality and how we would obviously not be going pink and purple crazy or anything like that.  Immediately following this conversation, I knit a purple pointy hat and bought hot pink yarn for a blanket.  Oopsie.

This is the gnomey child’s hat from Ravelry, done in the beautiful and pricey and (sob) now discontinued Noro Iro that I’ve been hoarding for months now.  Seriously, if you find this yarn, buy it and then spend the weekend running a single strand between your thumb and index finger.  You will be transported.  I know this looks blue in the picture, but David’s iPhone could never properly capture the color transitions of Noro.  Trust me, it’s pink and purple with a mauvey gray stripe.  So pretty.

 And this is the cuddly cotton baby blanket from the purl bee.  Obviously, if you are having a baby in the middle of winter, you do not make their blanket from cotton, so this is done in the lovely and washable Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (a name that always, ALWAYS elicits a little giggle from David).  I ask you, is there anything on this earth more gratifying than knitting super-bulky yarn on giant needles in October?  The answer is no.  This guy is almost done–I just have to sew the scalloped edges on (which will make it match our stroller and carseat perfectly, I might add) and then we will have two completed projects for baby girl. 

Projects on the docket: The February Baby Sweater, of course.  Also, I have almost completed a skirt for the crib.  Sewn not knitted.  Our nursery is yellow and gray (see, we didn’t completely throw the gender neutral concept out the window) and it is hard to find anything for babies in those colors. Also, we’re not buying a set of bedding, since half of it seems to be designed to suffocate your baby and I can already hear my future 2am conversations with David about the baby breathing:

David: is she breathing?

Me: Yes.

David: You didn’t even check!

Me: (checking) She’s breathing.

David: (coming over the check for himself) Okay.

REPEAT EVERY 4 MINUTES FOR THE REAT OF MY LIFE.