Saisquoi?

Hey, look! Cute baby in cute pants!







This is Leapfrog in Cascade 220, so they are multitasking pants which serve as excellent playclothes as well as a diaper cover. Oh, and did I mention the cuteness?

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with them. They are a little shorter than I'd like them to be, and so I'm considering taking out the cast-off edge and just adding another cable repeat or two to make them full length pants. Not that they're awful now...just shorter than I intended. C is a bit hard to knit for--her legs are very short (just like her Daddy's), so everything I make is either way too long or too short as I overcompensate. The first pair of longies I made for her ended up being about 4 inches too long because I followed the pattern rather than my kid.

I'm not quite sure where my error was on these because I actually tried them on her to confirm proper length before I cast off the first leg. I'm guessing she may have done something crazy like grow. Or I just can't measure to save my life. Either are possible.

In other news, I wrote a guest post for Babywearing It Up last week which you can find here.

And last weekend, we took C for her first trip to the Big City for dim sum.




A good time was had by all. She loved all the different things to try. Then we took her on the subway to go out to the North End from Chinatown so that we could get pastries at Mike's. The Beloved and I each had an espresso and we all shared a lobstertail. One of the ladies brought C a cookie and told us how beautiful she is. And we brought half a pound of raspberry bow cookies home (they didn't last the night...SO TASTY). We opted to put C in the Ergo rather than try a stroller--we always do a fair amount of walking when we go to the City and C can't quite keep up yet. But between the stairs at the restaurant (we ate on the 3rd floor), the stairs in the subway station, and being in small places like the subway and the bakery, babywearing really was the way to go. Even The Beloved was impressed with how easy it was; we're planning another trip next month for more dim sum and a visit to the aquarium.

I can hardly wait.

And completely unrelated to anything...I'm agonizing over the discrepancy between my Twitter ID (Lustau) and the rest of my online existence as Saisquoi. When I signed up for Twitter, Saisquoi was taken, so I gave myself a new name, but it's always bothered me that it doesn't match. I can change it, but my Twitter ID would include underscores (_) or numbers. I can't decide if I'd be happier as _Saisquoi or Saisquoi_ or even Sais_Quoi or if I should just remain Lustau on Twitter.

This what they call a "First World Problem." I really need to get out more.

I am an avid babywearer. Seriously--I can pretty well count on my fingers the number of times C has ridden in a stroller. My carrier stash looks something like this:

1 Hotslings pouch
2 Slings & Baby Things pouch slings
1 Mei Tai Baby Mei Tai
1 Scootababy hip carrier
1 Maya Wrap ring sling (unpadded)
1 Beco Butterfly 2 soft structured carrier (SSC)
1 Wrapsody Bali Breeze gauze wrap
1 Ergo SSC

Yikes. Granted, I did not buy all of these myself, and those that I did purchase were all bought on sale. But still, I probably could have purchased one of those insanely expensive strollers I roll my eyes at when people suggest I invest in one.

I have used all of these slings and carriers and loved most of them for something or another. The pouch slings were my first and they allowed me to do things like eat when C was tiny. She was one who would wail when I had to put her down to go to the bathroom. So I learned to use the sling instead. I was given the Hotsling and one of the Slings & Baby Things pouches as baby shower gifts, so that's what I turned to first. Pouches are sized, so when I lost 30 pounds in the month following C's birth, the Slings & Baby Things pouch no longer fit. Which is why I bought the second one in the skinnier-me size.

During the summer, I wanted to garden. To do that, I needed to get C onto my back--hence, the Mei Tai. It's a beautiful carrier, and it worked OK, but it was tricky learning to get the baby on my back and the straps always dragged and got tangled up while I was trying to get her affixed to me. Because of this, it wasn't very practical for outings.

As C got bigger, she got more daring and adventurous. She liked (and still likes) riding on my hip in a sling, but she started trying to flip herself out over the back. Enter the Scootababy, which is a soft structured carrier used only for hip carries. I felt guilty spending the money on what is essentially a one trick pony...but C only liked the one trick! It's a great carrier--supportive and comfortable with the bonus of it being incredibly difficult for the little imp to try and flip herself out of.

Gradually, C outgrew the pouch slings. I know they are supposed to be sized to the mother and theoretically carry 4-year-olds, but mine didn't. Part of this was perhaps due to C being a pretty fat baby (she has slimmed down considerably since becoming mobile; her rolls used to have rolls). Anyway, I used my pouch slings a lot because they were easy and portable, so I decided to try a ring sling thinking it would have a little more flexibility. Lo and behold--it did! And so the ring sling now lives in my car where it is my go-to for any and all outings.

For Christmas this year, the Beloved asked what I wanted and I decided the time had come for a soft structured carrier which I could use for back carries. The hip carries are wonderful and still my favorite for when we are out and about so that C and I can chat about what's going on, but they are not good for things like cooking and cleaning. Once C became mobile, I really needed to have her up and out of danger when I was making dinner or doing laundry. I decided on the Beco because it's got a high back and theoretically it would be harder for the monkey child to flip herself out. Also, it is a much more attractive carrier than the Ergo, which is the other one I was looking at. It worked exceptionally well in that I got very comfortable with back carries (there's an excellent insert that serves as training wheels for the faint of heart like myself) and that C would actually tolerate to ride on my chest even when she wasn't sick (unlike in the Mei Tai, which was only acceptable to her when she didn't feel well).


A few months ago I ordered the wrap because it was on sale, it was a skull print, and I wanted to try wrapping without breaking the bank. It was a winner on all counts. When I get C wrapped properly, we're both very comfortable, and because it's gauze it's really cool when the weather is hot. Unfortunately, gauze takes a bit more attention to detail--it can really dig in to your shoulders if you're not careful how you wrap--and C is a wiggly monkey.


In the last month, I've worn her a lot. But I've also developed back pain. So much so that I actually started looking at strollers, thinking our heavy duty babywearing days might be over. I ended up buying the Ergo on markdown from Babysteals last week as a last-ditch effort. I wore it today and was pleasantly surprised--no pain! Unfortunately, it's much lower in the back than the Beco, so C tried to flip herself out of it. Fortunately, she stayed put...but it makes me a bit nervous.


Anyway. Now that we've taken the long way to my problem, here it is:


I'm cleaning house. I don't need this many carriers and am planning on selling the ones that no longer work for us, so I'll list the pouch slings and the mei tai and hang on to the rest for the time being. The one carrier that's up in the air is the Beco. I love it. It's beautiful. My husband bought it for me--not because he understands babywearing at all, but he understands that it's important to me to be able to carry C as much as possible...and also because I think he recognizes how stroller-unfriendly our downtown area is. But it doesn't seem to be a good fit for me with a bigger baby. It was fine until she passed 20 pounds, but now...not so much.


So, what should I do? Should I hang on to it so that I have it for the mythical, hoped for, but not yet created baby #2? Should I sell it? Should I fiddle with it some more to see if I can make it not so hurty on me (after all, I actually feel safer about C riding in it)? What do you think

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



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





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?

So, my due date has come and gone. While I know that it's pretty normal for babies to ignore their due dates and come when they damned well please...and they frequently please to come late...it's really the one thing I wasn't prepared for.

Mostly because between my age and the gestational diabetes, the smart money had her coming early. Particularly if you add genetics into the picture--she's seriously the first baby in three generations of my family to go past-due.

I can't even tell you if she's thinking about coming out. I spent three hours at the Birth Center on Friday hooked up to monitors because my blood pressure has decided to spike. It turns out, though, that it's worse in the doctor's office than it is over, say, three hours of testing it every 15 minutes. Also, since my bloodwork is fine and the baby is fine, they decided to let her stay put for a little while longer. The other interesting thing I found out? While I was there, I was having contractions every 6-8 minutes. But since they didn't hurt, they sent me home. The other interesting thing? They haven't stopped. So, I've been having contractions every 6-10 minutes or so since then (yes, that would be going on three days now), but they aren't exceptionally painful. They get uncomfortable--particularly in the evenings--but I don't have to stop what I'm doing to focus on them. The Beloved is beside himself, because this is not what the video they showed us in childbirth class was like, so he really doesn't know what to do or expect. Poor guy.

The other thing I found out is that I now get to be on modified bed rest indefinitely. Meaning, until the little bugger decides to come out or is evicted. Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment where hopefully they will tell me how long she's got to make up her mind to come out before they choose for her. I hate to say that I hope they don't make me wait until 42 weeks, but bedrest sucks. I don't want to watch TV, read, or knit. I'd like to go for a walk or clean the disaster that is my house. But these have been declared off-limits for the time being. Plus, The Beloved is still working, so it's me and daytime TV. Yuck.

So, what have I done with all of my free time? I've finished stuff! The Cobblestone Sweater is finally finished. I have no excuses for taking so long with this--grafting the underarms and weaving in the ends seriously took about 30-45 minutes. I finished it while The Beloved watched The Mission on Netflix. Then he put it on. I don't know if he'll let me photograph him in the sweater--he's goofy like that. But it's a very nice sweater. It wasn't difficult at all and it's not girly or anything. Now he wants something with cables. But he's going to have to wait.

I also finished the round baby blanket I started in October.



I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I think it will be nice and warm and an appropriate size for covering The Tadpole when she's in her carseat or when we're out and about this winter (assuming she ever decides to, you know, be born). I knit until I had 650 stitches on the needles and then used a picot bindoff. The end result is pretty cute, but the edges tend to curl a bit and it seriously took me three days to bind off all the stitches. The blanket is done in Cascade 220 superwash paints. I can't remember the name of the colorway, but it's mostly pinks and yellows and oranges. It's definitely girly, but not pastel. The Tadpole has way more pastels than I intended--mostly because that's what there is for tiny babies, and particularly for baby girls. So I'm making a concerted effort to knit things in brighter and bolder colors.

She's got a purple bonnet made of Mission Falls 1824 Superwash Merino Wool--it's sooooo soft.



And a little kimono-sweater made from Colinette Cadenza. Instead of making ties, I'm going to sew snaps on it and add buttons.



I also finished off the Child's French Socks I started knitting for myself shortly before I found out I was pregnant.





Now I'm trying to decide what to do next. I've jumped on the Noro scarf bandwagon and have started one of those, but really intended for that to be hospital knitting. However, it may end up being done before the kid decides to come out. Right now, I'm trying to decide whether or not to start sock 2 of an unfinished pair, start another pair of socks, or knit something else for my stubborn child. I have enough Cascade 220 left from The Beloved's sweater to knit her a little tunic and probably a pair of longies. Not to mention the Malabrigo I bought intending to knit longies that's been out sitting in the car. But, as I said, I'm actually so out of sorts that I no longer feel like knitting. I had two false starts on a new pair of socks last night and ended up ripping both out because the yarn just wasn't speaking to me. I don't know whether to give it another go or throw in the towel...Perhaps I'll see if a nap improves my outlook at all.

Or Winter, anyhow.







I'd like to say, my husband is a saint. At 36 weeks pregnant, I'm not really able to help with snow removal. I tried the other day to shovel out around my car and it just made me have contractions, so we're all done with that right now...

We really are thinking about Christmas here, too...in spite of all the snow. I put up a tree:



Please forgive the crappy picture--we haven't had much natural light 'round these parts lately.

I'm home from work today because the plow left us a wall of snow and there was no way I was getting out. Hopefully a) I will not go into labor today and b) the Beloved will be able to get at least one of the cars dug out. Have I mentioned what a good guy he is?

Speaking of him, I've finally, finally finished the Cobblestone Sweater. Well, mostly. I need to graft under the arms and wash it. If I do that today, it might be dry so that I can wrap it and put it under the tree for him. No pictures, yet, but hopefully he'll let me take pictures when the sweater is complete and wearable.

I've also knit a bunch of small baby things. I've got a baby sweater that I've been meaning to finish for a good month and have been working consistently on a round blanket. But, I gotta tell you, being able to knock out a hat, or mittens, or socks in a couple of days is very satisfying.









I think my favorite is the coral-colored hat. The Tadpole will be required to wear hospital garb while we're at the hospital as part of their security protocol. But I can bring a hat for her, so I think I'm going to put that little one on her as soon as I can. She's also got a little hat made from leftover yarn from her coming home sweater, and so that will likely be a going home hat.

The Beloved is bemused with my knitting of teeny-tiny things. Today I plan to work on either the never-ending baby blanket or the unfinished kimono sweater. After I wrap gifts. And do laundry. The baby laundry is almost done--her clothes are clean and put away, sheets and towels are done, and I'm left with baby blankets and diapers to take care of. Of course, I should also make sure that the Beloved and I have clean clothes and linens as well. And perhaps do some more picking up before Christmas Eve when my in-laws are scheduled to come for a visit.

Fortunately, I appear to be nesting. I have to be careful about how much I do--I have moments when my energy level feels very high and I get a lot done, and then my back starts to hurt or I start having contractions. Oops. But there's so much left to do--our house looks like a bomb hit it and I'd like to be a little more squared away before the baby shows up....

We'll see what happens, I suppose.

Dear God, it looks like knitting.


Baby Surprise Jacket in "Sweet Lime" Yarn Pirate Sock Yarn

This is the first object I have completed for the Tadpole. OK--she's got a couple of pairs of socks, but those don't really count as at least one of them was knit before I knew I was pregnant. It's also my first venture with the oh-so-popular Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman.



This was a huge leap of faith for me. The knitting itself is not difficult, but EZ did not write in step-by-step instructions. Following a very conversational pattern was not standard operating procedure for my very type-A brain. But I made it--and the next time I knit this pattern (because it was fun and easy and makes an excessively cute little jacket), it should be easier since I know that the amorphous bit of garter stitch really does fold into a garment.

I love the buttons.



I wish I could tell you they were handmade or came from a cute shop, but that would be a lie. I found them at Joann's and I just thought they were perfect.

The sweater is knit in sock yarn on US size 4 needles. I think it will fit a newborn. I'm hoping to use it as Tadpole's coming home sweater. I don't anticipate her being small enough to wear the sweater for very long, but I think it will be very sweet for the time she does get to wear it. It may be a little spring-y for a January baby, but I don't care. I'm happy with it.

I've started another little sweater for her--a kimono sweater--that's sized Newborn to 6 months. The other garments I have planned will be in the 3-6 month size as I don't expect her to stay tiny for long. Eventually, I'll knit even bigger clothes, but I'm reluctant to knit things that will likely fit her this summer as it can get really hot and uncomfortable up here and I'm not sure where the Tadpole will be. The Beloved and I are mostly sure that I will go back to work, but we have begun to seriously consider whether it's worth it for me to go back full-time. Child care is very expensive, and the places where she's wait-listed have told me that March and April are difficult times to place kids. So...we'll see. I think it will depend on what happens with the economy and with fuel prices. If it looks like my entire paycheck is going to be spent on day care and gas to get to work, it doesn't make a lot of sense for me to go back. The prospect is moderately terrifying, but all we can do is wait and see.

The Tadpole appears to be doing just fine. She's a very busy baby--the doctor had a hard time getting a heart rate at our last appointment because she kept squirming away. We go for another ultrasound at the end of the month to check her growth. I believe this is probably to make sure that the gestational diabetes diet and exercise plan is working as well as the weekly bloodwork suggests and that she's not getting too big too fast.

Other than that, life progresses here at Chez Saisquoi. I had a cold last week, which was not the most fun I've ever had. The Beloved has it now. He's decided that he only wants to live so that he can get even someday. But aside from that, life here is pretty good.

Things are still proceeding as they should. Well, more or less. I'm in the process of removing all normal clothes from my closet and dresser as I keep having moments of insanity when I think they'll fit. Ha. I ordered what will likely be most of my maternity wardrobe earlier this week and need to pop down to the post office to pick it up today.

On Wednesday I had a doctor's appointment and it appears the Tadpole is doing better than me. I'm starting to feel little flutters and the occasional kick here and there. Not every day, but it's reassuring when I feel something going on down there that isn't gas.

I, on the other hand, have developed insane hip/lower back pain. I don't know if it's actually sciatica or if it's just something that falls under the pelvic girdle pain umbrella. All I know is that it's unpleasant. By the end of the day I have a very hard time walking or rising from a seated position. I also can't roll over in bed without waking up and swearing. It's fun stuff. Really. Yoga helps somewhat--particularly the Yin Yoga class I take on Saturday mornings which focuses on joints and connective tissue. My midwife suggested I incorporate more yoga into my day. I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to assume a yoga position long enough for it to help my hip/back in my cubicle at work. So, while in theory a good idea...not terribly practical for me. At least not right now.

I also failed my one-hour glucose test, which was cause for more swearing. After I get my "special diet" I need to call and schedule the three-hour. Ask me how thrilled I am. I'm seriously beginning to doubt the conventional wisdom that my body was designed for this.

I'm also awaiting results of my AFP test. Seriously, I will happily take the three-hour glucose test (fasting and all) and even gestational diabetes over bad results on that test.

This is not to say that I am not absolutely delighted to be pregnant. I am thankful every day--hip pain, inability to process sugar correctly, and all--for this baby, which I honestly didn't think would happen for the Beloved and I. But I am human--and I wish that at least part of this could be easy. Oh well.

The other problem I'm running into is an absolute inability to knit baby things. The burp cloth and baby hat lie unfinished on the knitting pile and I can't work on them. It's frustrating. Initially, I thought it was exhaustion. But that's mostly gone now, and I really want to knit. But baby things nearly bring on panic attacks. I start them and find myself exhausted almost immediately. It's almost as though I'm afraid of jinxing something. So, I'm not knitting baby things right now. Or spinning the fiber I bought which is intended to make baby things. I'm going to try and pull out the wheel this weekend and just spin...and I'm finishing up the Beloved's Cobblestone Sweater. Pictures if I can find the battery for my camera...

After that, I suppose I can go back to socks, and I've got yarn for a kimono style sweater that I should be able to wear even with my new figure that I may start knitting. After that, I'm out of ideas. Any thoughts on pregnant-lady knits?

I know I've been quiet for a while.

Losing Polly was very hard. I brought her home today--which was also hard. The Beloved said to me, I don't know if we'll ever find another cat like her. And he's right--we may never find another cat like Polly. It will be a while before I'm even ready to look for another. It will likely be close to a year. The other three cats need some time to adjust because there are some big changes coming down the pike.

A while ago I mentioned that I had figured out why I was so tired all the time. And today I got to hear the heartbeat of our baby (the Tadpole) who is due to arrive in January. It was strong and steady and sounded really, really great.

There's a lot to do between now and January, and hopefully my energy level will start to return. PFC Sibling asked today how many baby items I've knit--she said she keeps reading about Suri Cruise's multi-million dollar wardrobe, and will my baby be in People Magazine for the largest collection of handknits in the U.S.? I'm ashamed to admit that I've been working on a burp cloth and a baby hat for the past month. I've been so tired and I just haven't wanted to knit. Plus, it's been hotter 'n hell around here, lately. God willing, the knitting mojo will return.

I'm hopeful--my appetite is beginning to return. So maybe it's just a matter of time.

I've started in on a sweater for my beloved spouse. This is about 12 inches of the Cobblestone Sweater from the Fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. It makes for excellent TV knitting.

I wish I could tell you I've been doing really productive things in my month of silence, but no. I've been watching a lot of TV. Netflix on demand, mostly, but TV nonetheless. I've also been playing Rock Band. We're planning on making family members play on Easter Sunday to determine who gets to sit at the dining room table and who gets shunted off to the satellite locations. I hope they've all been practising their cowbell.

I also started these, which I may or may not finish:



Cute, eh? They're just a bit too small for the babies I know. And since it appears I'm never going to have one of my own, looking at the wee sockie just makes me miserable. I did start a second sock, but I just don't have it in me right now to work on it. Maybe in a couple of weeks. I seem to do this in fits and starts.

I also started a bunny intended for Backwoods, but that's been lingering in the unfinished pile for a while, too. It seems to elicit a similar emotional response to the wee socks, and so I just haven't been able to bring myself to complete it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to bring myself to rip it out, either, so it sits there unfinished and mocks me in the dead of night.

I should probably elaborate a little: I haven't written because I've been...well...miserable lately. And it's generally better if I don't inflict myself on others when I hit this sort of mood. In brief, anything I would have written over the past several weeks would have earned me a well-deserved vacation at my local psychiatric ward. And, while I could probably use the rest, I don't think they'd let me take my knitting, and that just wouldn't do at all.

The Beloved and I have been trying to start a family for over a year. Well, we've been trying in earnest for over a year--I took my last birth control pill about four years ago for what that's worth. Our family still consists of four cats. If I am honest with myself, I realise that this is not likely to change--until the number of cats shrinks due to attrition. And this is basically intolerable to me. My husband, being a man, does not see what the problem is.

Maybe that's unfair. He keeps telling me he wants me to be happy; maybe it's only a problem to me and I need to "chill out and not worry so much." I don't know. What I do know is that I'm very tired. And exceptionally cranky. And very bitter. I don't particularly enjoy myself right now which basically means I've retreated into a dark, dank little den of self-pity. Which really doesn't help matters at all, but since I'm fresh out of ideas....

Anyhow. There's more light in the evening. It's getting warm enough to walk again. I'm sure the dark, nasty mood will come and go until I come to terms with what is and figure out how to go on from here.

Until then, there's Rock Band and the sweater. I should start the arm by the end of the week. I'll keep y'all posted.

My camera! Woo-hoo!

Now I can show you pictures of my baby socks and the finished Calamity socks. Can you stand it?


Baby Socks
Pattern: A variation on the Magic 28 theme (I think they were Magic 36)
Yarn: Yarn Pirate 100% merino sock yarn in the "Rum Runner" colorway
Purchased from: Yarn Pirate "Booty Club"
Needles: Susan Bates US size 1/2.25 mm (5-7 inch DPNs)

Cute, aren't they? But a little small for me. These fit a bit better:


Plain vanilla with a side of picot socks
Yarn: Yarn Pirate BFL sock yarn in the "Calamity" colorway
Purchased from" Yarn Pirate "Booty Club"
Needles: Knitpicks US size 1.5/2.5 mm (5-6 inch DPNs)

The lighting is crappy. I apologize. I miss sunshine, but am too lazy to use the photo editor right now...





I like them. They're cute. They took forever to finish, but I blame the Alpaca Silk Shrug. No pictures of that one, yet. I'm on the ruffle, which means it is almost done. The ruffle is supposed to be six inches long--I've knit three. It's killing me. The 5x5 ribbing may be more boring than the miles of stockinette. But I try to keep going because the end really is in sight.

I also started a pair of socks out of the "Butternut" colorway. I'm not thrilled with them. I like the colors and I like the texture of the yarn, which is a merino/tencel blend, but the colors are pooling funny. Now, I'm generally not bothered much by pooling, but, thus far, my sock just looks goofy. I can't get a picture that even approximates--I'll need sun for that one. I'm not ready to pull it out yet, because I can't be sure that it won't get better. I can live with a goofy looking cuff it it evens out eventually, but... (whine).

In other knitting news, I got a Ravelry request to use one of the photos of my Epiphany mittens (this one, I think) as a featured photo for the pattern I used (Basic Pattern for Children's Mittens by Elizabeth Durand). Neato, eh?

Otherwise, there isn't much else to report. Work is, well, work. I had my 90-day review last week, and they're letting me stay, so, that's good. They're happy with my work; I just need to get faster. Which I already knew, so...

The Beloved and I are refinancing the house. I'm sure it will be fine and it's the right thing to do and all, but just thinking about the large amounts of money involved just makes me feel ill. When the papers are all signed and its over, I'll be fine, but until that point I think I'll just hide under the bed or something.

PFC Sibling is still in medic training in Texas. She called last week to report that her orders now state that she will be shipping out for Iraq in June. It's not a surprise, but it's still a rather jarring reality. Last Sunday I was at a church brunch and someone asked about my sister. Another woman sitting with us said in shock and horror, "well how old is she?" My sister will be 28 next week. "Oh, well that's OK. At least she's not a baby."

Excuse me? Fortunately for everyone, I had a seven-year-old sitting next to me so I couldn't tell her what I really thought. Like it's somehow less horrible for my sister to go to war since she's "older." Like if her transport gets blown up on the way to some tent city hospital it'll be OK. You know, they should serve liquor at church brunches.

On that happy note, it is frickin' freezing here. I need to see why my fire isn't warming up the room. Maybe I should put my new socks on?

I love rationalizing. I can rationalize just about anything--particularly if it's fiber-related.

Last week I heard some rather disturbing news at work. It seems there was an attempted break-in at some point during the previous weekend. You can see where someone tried to force the door on my side of the building. Apparently they also tried another door and failed. I'm currently working as a consultant for a religious library. The library is located in a building owned by the New Hampshire Conference, UCC and shared by that organization, my library, and the NH Bible Society and the NH Council of Churches. That's right--the once-and-future thieves tried to break into church offices. We assume the miscreants were either kids with vandalism on their deviant minds, or individuals trying to make off with the computers and other other office equipment.

As a consultant, I can more or less make up my own hours. The Library Board likes me to be consistent so that I can help patrons as well as catalog their collection, but, as an independent contractor, I've got some leeway. My hours had been Wednesday evenings and all day on Friday, but those hours left me alone in the building for long stretches of time (during the week, the UCC staff leaves at 4:30 and they close the office at 2:30 on Fridays during the summer). This has never been a problem in the past because...well...it's a church office in New Hampshire. I always felt safe. Now? Not so much. So, on Friday when the UCC ladies checked out for the afternoon, I decided to do the same. That meant I had time after work to check out the Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester--about half an hour down the road. I had to go. There was no sense in staying at the office waiting for burglars, and I was saving money by going from work and then home rather than making a special trip on Saturday. Besides, I was no longer worried about going to my interview naked, since I had picked out an outfit on Thursday [Marianne: the clothes came from my favorite boutique--Marshalls.]

So, off I went to Manchester. And I high-tailed it to the Grafton Fibers booth. I did look at other things, but I was really a woman on a mission. I wanted this fiber. And, I think we can all agree that it was more than worth the trip. I picked up two batts (3.5-4 ounces each) in this gorgeous coral colorway. Don't ask what they're going to become; I haven't got the faintest idea. It will be yarn. And I will knit something from the yarn. But, truth be told, I'm not confident enough in my spinning to tackle it just yet. And since I haven't actually ever thought out a project from fiber selection to spinning to knitting and all, I really haven't got a clue. But that doesn't change the fact that this here corriedale is about the prettiest stuff I've ever seen and I do hope to do it justice.

I also picked up some absolutely darling buttons. They've got little bears on them! Remember the Haiku sweater I was knitting, well, months ago before I got bored with it and set it aside? The one we're not currently talking about? Well, the child for whom I originally started it will now be too big to wear it by the time I'm done. So I'll have to knit something else for her. But Baby K, the recipient of the English Mesh Lace Christening Shawl, is still small enough that the sweater will fit her--eventually. Woo-hoo! Anyway. The sweater was going to need buttons eventually and I think that these will work just fine. The buttons are handmade ceramic, made in South Africa, and were purchased from AffectionKnit. They are also machine washable (yippee!) so long as the garment is turned inside out. Yes, the buttons cost more than the yarn did for the sweater (particularly since the yarn came to me from my sister's stash so I didn't actually buy it at all), but they are just too cute for words.

Anyhow. I'm glad I went. I could easily have spent more money, but since I'm currently underemployed I'm trying not to do that if I can help it. Sometimes it's very hard. The only thing I didn't buy that I'm regretting now is a Lexie Barnes knitting bag. They are so cool and they were marked way down for the event. But, I had a hard time choosing which style I really wanted, and, truth be told, I need a new bag like I need a hole in my head. But....they are soooo cool. And I'd use it. I know I would. Still--I promised myself no new bags until I had effectively dealt with the closet full of bags I no longer use. Sigh.

All in all it's been a good weekend. Except that I seem to have misplaced the keys to my moped. Which means it's time to do some picking up to see if I can't locate them under one of the many piles of crap that have taken over each and every room of my house. So I'm off to clean and tidy...and then perhaps go shoe shopping, because I haven't figured that part of my interview outfit out yet. Granted, I need shoes like I need another bag, but....

I know. I said I was giving up on it. But here's what happened....

A week ago Sunday, I saw Baby K and her mom after church. Someone asked about the upcoming baptism, and Mom responded that, well, her family couldn't find the...whatever...that babies generally use at family christenings. And since the baby has been sick a lot over the past several months, no one really thought to ask other family members if they'd seen it. And, in fact, they weren't expecting a large family turn-out, anyway. Did I mention that Baby K is our priest's daughter? Where, in some families, this may be a rite of passage with little actual religious significance (no one ever goes to church, but dammit, we're baptizing this baby and having a party), Baby K's baptism should have been an event. So I told her Mom, "I think I have something she can use."

Then I went home and knit like an absolute fool for the next week. I didn't do laundry. I didn't spin. I wasn't ready for the start of Summer of Socks 2007. All I did was knit the Christening Shawl.

I couldn't knit it as long as I originally planned. In spite of my best efforts, I still had to go to work and occasionally sleep or eat. But, this is what I managed:

Well. I had a busy weekend. The weather cooperated and life, in general was good.

On Saturday, I went up to Contoocook for the NH Sheep & Wool Festival. This was my first time attending an event such as this. It will not be my last. I spent a good deal of time behaving badly with Laura. She is one of my favorite enablers ever. Naturally, Laura did not disappoint and I ended up spending more money than I intended--but not by too much.

Naturally, I bought yarn.


You can't go wrong with hand painted sock yarn. Besides, it's to make socks for The Beloved (you can see the humble beginnings perched atop the ball of yarn), so it doesn't really count as a purchase, right?


This is a ginormous cone of laceweight merino. It's posing with my IPod for scale. It had to be purchased. It was only $12! A bargain! I can make shawls--like, until I die. And I can take the opportunity to learn new skills. Like dyeing. The Beloved should thoroughly enjoy that little adventure...

These two purchases were totally rational and completely understandable. In fact, I planned for them. I knew I would buy some yarn, and since I'm knitting socks right now, the sock yarn made sense. The laceweight was practical (in fact, I'm going to have to start using it right away as a friend's baby will be baptized in about six weeks and some sort of gift is in order...). But we knew that wouldn't last. Particularly when we saw this:


These are drop spindles from Golding Fiber Tools. They are absolutely gorgeous. Words fail me. Now, spinning is not my forte. But it was like I became a woman possessed. I simply couldn't say no. These things belong in Rivendell. I needed one. How had I lived 30 years without one? How could I continue to live without one? Laura agreed. And so now I proudly own this:


You'll be pleased to know that my spinning still sucks, but if you look closely at the single there, you'll notice it's getting closer to something approaching consistency. Look--I can almost spin something that looks like Lopi!

Of course, there were other interesting and exotic things to check out.

Sheep and woolly-type creatures: