Sweet Pea for my Sweet Pea

Don't look now, but there might be some knitting on this here blog...

DSCF0721.JPG


Yes! Look! Knitting! I finished something! Great God Almighty!

DSCF0695.JPG


DSCF0691.JPG


This is the Scrappy Socky Stripey Cardi from f.pea, using Yarn Pirate merino sock yarn in the (wait for it) Sweet Pea colorway. (Note: I have an overabundance of sock yarn, if such a thing is possible, and am forever looking for patterns that can use variegated stuff. For some bizarre reason, I currently like baby and toddler sized items. Feel free to leave me suggestions.)

I made a couple of modifications--the most noticeable being the absence of stripes other than those caused by the variegated yarn. The reason for this mod? I was lazy and didn't feel like searching out a matching contrast. The yarn was busy enough. If I knit it again in a bigger size, I'll add the stripes for visual/knitting interest and also because I used almost an entire skein of sock yarn for this sweater and so will need to add more next time around.

Also, The Tadpole has chunky arms. Too chunky for the pattern as written. So, I added some extra stitches and decided against using the decreases. The sleeves are a bit long, but I actually like them wide.

I loved that this sweater had NO SEAMING. The only sewing I did was to put the buttons on. I'm not crazy about the button loops, but I haven't decided what I'd like to do to make them better. Something to think about in all my spare time, I suppose.

Overall, a cute sweater. The way the yarn pooled? I couldn't have planned it any better. i love it. However, I should have made the sweater one size bigger than I did because The Tadpole will have outgrown it by, like, tomorrow. She's not very long, but she's a solid baby. So, while there's plenty of length in the sweater for her, she's already stretching those button loops. Oh well. Live and learn.

Now I have to decide what comes next on the knitting agenda. I have yarn for soakers, and she needs soakers since she's outgrown all of her diaper covers. And she may be ready to wear wool now as (knock wood) I think she's down to pooping only two times a day instead of, like, seven.

But, gasp, I also have a hankering to knit myself a sweater. Seriously--I bought the yarn and the pattern well over a year ago. I meant to knit it while I was pregnant because it would have worked over my bump. But it would still be a very useful sweater for nursing. And I could wear it if I ever decided to do this grow-a-baby-thing again.

So, what do you think? More cute stuff for my cute kid, or something for the Mama?

On Mommyhood

Still no finished knitting to show you. If anyone is still there. Bueller...Bueller? Yeah. Anyway.

I've struggled over the past several weeks on whether I should shut down the blog entirely or just let it change focus in some sort of mostly natural way. I mean...my life has changed pretty dramatically in the past six months; it's only fitting that my focus would change as well. But does the world need another Mommy blog? Probably as much as it needs the Bebe Gloton, but that's another matter for another day.

Then the question becomes, if the world doesn't need another Mommy blog, do I need to blog? And, while need is a very strong word here, I've come to the conclusion that I miss having some sort of outlet. It's funny--I write all day at work, but don't get to say anything. And I come home to my baby and my husband, both of whom I adore, but both of whom look at me cross-eyed whenever I try to say what's on my mind. Granted, by the end of the day most of my thoughts are a garbled mess of near insanity, but still.

So, I guess, expect less knitting and more ramblings to come. Suffice to say that my deep thoughts currently involve breastfeeding, babywearing, and cloth diapering. The Tadpole and I still go to church, I'm still greatly bothered by the inability of large portions of the human race to GET ALONG and such, but stringing a series of words into a coherent thought has become a Herculean task on most days.

Would I change it, though? No way. I love being a Mom. Like, crazy-love in a way I didn't think was possible. The Tadpole is a rockin' baby and in spite of the mega-sleep deprivation and complete loss of knitting/reading/yoga/self time, I'm having a blast. The only change I wish I could make would be to spend more time with her. My job + commute keeps me away from her 10 hours a day, which is miserable. If I won the lottery this week, I would seriously quit my job, pull the baby from daycare, and buy a Suburu Outback so that I could properly revel in my Mommy-glory. Well, I'd quit my job and pull the baby from daycare, at any rate.

Mommyhood hasn't necessarily been easy, but it hasn't been as hard for me as it is for some. I haven't had PPD and except for the first two weeks of "getting used to things," breastfeeding hasn't been difficult. Pumping sucks (ha-ha--yes, I deserve to be put down for that), but nursing is...good. I have a cheerful and mostly-healthy baby (I suspect we have some allergies in the works, but there's very little I can do about that right now except try to keep my house clean). Life, overall, is very, very good.

Particularly when bananas are involved.

DSCF0557.JPG

DSCF0567.JPG

DSCF0568.JPG

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images