AnotherPurl :: a knitter's life

0300 hours

Now that the house is clean enough to go on the market, I've been having bizarre dreams. This is the second night where I've woken up from a dream that at least in part has me either late or missing Squam or a similar event. Now, Squam isn't for another 6 weeks or so. There is no explanation.

Instead I wake up, play Kingdom of Loathing, read my web comics and then right when I should be getting up and walking the dog finally feeling sleepy again.

So, I've kind of made a little hidden announcement a few posts ago about being pregnant. Not to bog down the blog with a lot of TMI that no one needs, suffice to say that the first trimester is the "exhausted all the time" period, and the second trimester is "yeah, I finally have energy again" trimester. I'd be posting a ton more if all of that energy hadn't gone into cleaning house.

Instead, here are 10 baby patterns (all rav links, because I'm lazy that way) that I think are cool, and might get around to making.

1. Sleepy Monkey Blanket
2. Dinosaur Leg Warmers
3. Saartje's Baby Bootees - I almost made these for a friend a year or so ago, and decided instead to try to make something match.
4. Aviatrix Baby Hat - Someone at knitting is making this and it is completely adorable.
5. Community Blanket - I bought the pattern/took the class at the last Squam, but it really isn't as much fun to make on one's lonesome.
6. Hockey Skates - My husband really wants me to make these as part of a set that I've already started (a jersey to look like a BU hockey player, a hockey helmet hat, and the skates). We saw someone wearing the set at a BU game and he insisted that I find it and make it.
7. I have the pattern for the Baby Surprise Jacket, so I might make that, but there are a ton of awesome things to make. Tulips was made multiple times a few years ago by Yarn Harlot. Multiple makings of a pattern to me is a sign that it must be awesome.
8. Bibs. Not because I will need hand knit ones, but because sometimes it is just nice to knit something simple. Of course, I'm working on a sweater for myself right now (sock yarn cardigan, which feels like it is taking forever), so this idea will probably be punted to the curb.
9. Monster pants. I don't know what it is about babies, but it seems like the goal is either to dress them in super serious clothes (like grampa sweaters and vests or fancy little sweaters and dresses) or in clothing that they would never pick once they are old enough to make a real decision. I have a mix of both including a sweater I started for a friend or a coworker for her baby more than 4 years ago.
10. These converse booties would have been for a friend if I had managed to finish the baby blanket sooner.

Of course, instead of making any of these (including the baby sweater I started more than a month ago and some fingerless mitts started at about the same time), I am working on Breezy Cardigan. Now, I have no idea what is going through my head, but I mistype that name as Breathless at least once every time I write about it. The sweater is part of a knit along with the Toil and Trouble group on Ravelry, and I might be the slowest knitter there. I'm also pretty sure that I'm the largest knitter there. These things might be related.

Mine is made of a hodge podge of sock yarns as to be a stash busting sweater. I've only bought a single additional skein of yarn in order to guarantee that one of the colors is used throughout the sweater.

That picture is more than a week old and I'm almost to the increases at the waist (or rather right below) and only have about 5 inches before I can start the bottom ribbing. Unfortunately 370+ stitches a row is slow. I'm almost out of the dark blue color, and need to go through my partial balls and find another blue. That part is easy. The hard part is deciding which blue is dark enough and big enough to hopefully last through the bottom of the body, before I have to decide again on the sleeves. I hope it won't be too Frankenstein-y when I'm done.

What are you knitting right now?

this post title has no relevance

Before I post about anything else, I strongly suggest that you watch this.

Transcript available here.

I'm working my way through the break between show weekends, which is good. I'm so far behind on blog post reading that I am thinking of chucking it all and wiping everything clean. Not so good for that one, but in the land of good I'm over 90% done with a new sweater that I started during put in. Light hang conveniently allows me to push scaffolding with people and lights and knit at the same time. I have the sleeves blocking right now... I did them 2 at a time, and it was the first time I had ever used that technique. With the exception of a couple possible burbles, the technique was flawless, simple and speedy. Why have I done it this way before!?

Of course, with the sweater pieces blocking I had to start something else, so I picked a tiny project made of 1 parts yarn to 2 parts silliness. It is also super speedy, but I at least can make more of these and not have it be a big deal!

the evolution of a UFO

Oh my. Sometimes even my post drafts are embarassing.

Case in point (from a post I started last year... in June):

Note: the text for this post was cut, because it was pointless. But the image. The image stays on.

Since I wrote this draft post in June 2010, I have started another sweater, some socks, and easily a half-dozen or more things, many of which are actually complete (well, except for the sweater and the February socks, but I'm going to forgive myself rather than drive myself crazy). Since I took that screenshot, I have finished the embossed leaves and the February lady sweater and the pomatamus (or hippopotamus) socks.
 
I can get things done. It might just take until next week.