Routine

I am finding that being a working mother of two is all about routine.  Every morning we go through the same steps and every evening another set.  Being the giant nerd I am, I have even created a list of everything to to in the morning and at night so I don't forget anything.

The do-to list has included blogging, but I never got around to it.  Loving my children, feeding the family, getting kindergarten homework done, washing diapers and washing bottles are all far more important than blogging.  But now as I am getting used to the new routine and have have made it through my second week of being back to work, I have a bit of time to write.

I have been knitting!  It is pretty glorious.  Let me say it again, I have been knitting. It feels so good.  As you may recall, I had to stop knitting because I lost feeling in my hands due to swelling in pregnancy.  It took several weeks after little/big Stormy was born, but I have feeling in all my fingers!  That is great news for typing, knitting and just about everything really.

In one week I made this little cardigan for Stormy's baptism.

Finding baptism clothes is really hard.  Finding inexpensive baptism clothes even harder.  We saw things for sale between $55-80.  So much cheaper for me to knit a keepsake.

The pattern is Baby Boy 5-Hour Sweater.  I did not time myself knitting this, but I think it took about five hours total, but over the period of a week.  Caring for a baby takes up a lot of time. I used Read Heart Soft yarn.  I usually don't use this yarn, but I needed something durable like this 100% acrylic yarn.  Stormy is a bit of a spitter.  Okay so saying "a bit" is an understatement, the kid spits up constantly.  I needed something I could wash and wouldn't stain so easily.

Here he is on baptism day.

During the baptism he only spit up three times.  Such a good little baby.

Matchy Sweater Complete

I finished D's sweater that "matches" mine.

It just barely fits her.  I think it should last through most of this winter.  She is growing so fast.  She isn't even 4 1/2 yet and wearing size 6 or 6x clothes.  We even bought one pair of size 7 jeans just to be prepared (and they were awesome stone wash purple jeans.).

The weather looks to be on a cooling trend this week, but it will be awhile before it is sweater season.  I have made three sweaters in the past two months and I have weeks to wait until sweater season.  I just doesn't seem fair.

Are you looking forward to a fall cool down?

Not Too Matchy

Months ago I bought yarn to make D and myself matching cardigans.  Sounds cheesy doesn't it.  Well I am not making them too matchy, just a bit.  I am making the cardigans from the same pattern and the same yarn, but not the same color or, of course, size.  I am really trying to convince myself this is not cheesy like the picture I have of my mom, sister and I all wearing pastel kitty sweaters in the early '90s.

I am spending a lot of my time doing a bit of professional knitting, but I finished up some of those projects and could not start the next.  It was Sunday and the yarn I needed was at Hobby Lobby.  Why do I want to go to Hobby Lobby only on the day it is closed?

So, I decided to cast on Yoked Cardigan by Knitbot for my D.

I love this pattern because it works up so quickly and in a variety of sizes.  I could make as small as a 17" chest.

Here is mine:

You may remember when I made this late-June/early-July.  I was my first cardigan.  Really my first knit article article of clothing.

I don't have a picture of me wearing mine because I would have to have someone take my picture and I just never get around to asking and doing it.  I like getting my picture taken, but I end up taking most of the photos around here.

Here is D's so far.  I have only knit on it a few days.

 

I just have another inch or so in the body and then the sleeves.  This is a short/waist-length cardi with just-above-the-elbow sleeves. (Is there a technical name for that?)  

She seems to like it so far...

So how cheesy of an idea is this?

Finished!

I finished my Ravellenic Games challenge!!!!

I will tell you all about it... later.  I have to get ready to sell my wares at the Peoria Riverfront Farmer's Market tomorrow.  Stop by if you are around. Look for the yarn.

Consumed

I have been consumed with watching the Olympics and knitting. I was blessed to have Thursday and Friday off from work because D's day care was closed for training.  That means I got to watch daytime Olympic coverage!!!  Oh the random sports I have been missing.  I think I am in love with water polo.  I would never want to play it (I don't float or tread water too well), but I love watching it. D is really getting in to the games too.  She says she wants to be a diver- not sure if platform or spring board, yet, and a volleyball player- inside not in the sand.

I am so close to finishing my Ravellenic Games cardigan.  Maybe I would have been done by now, but I had to work on some other projects too. (Yes, had too.)  I get a bit antsy when I only have one big project to work on .  I need other projects to keep me happy, too, so I made a few baby bibs and a hat.  Oh and I spun a bit too.  I have to keep the variety up.

I just started working on the second/final sleeve.

Just a few more inches to go.  I think I can have it all finished up by the weekend or at the very latest by closing ceremonies on Sunday.

I need a suggestion for buttons.  What do you think for buttons? Color? Shape? Size? I'm not sure.

Sweater Blocking

I am happy to announce that I have finished my first ever cardigan!!! 

Well, I have finished all the knitting.  I gave it a soak and now I am blocking it.  I hope blocking teaches those edges to stay down and not curl up.  Once it is done drying, I will sew on the buttons (the buttons are amazing, I'll show you later).

It was nearly 100 degrees on Friday when I bound off the last stitch and gave it a bath.  Something about the heat really made me want to make a sweater.  I also did a bunch of yard work.  The heat will make you do crazy things.

I really loved making this cardigan.  I like a new challenge, but something that is not too challenging.  I can definitely tell that I am improving my knitting skills with each new project.  

But for now, it is drying and waiting for me to return from vacation (our first family vacation that is not to visit family, squee!).  I hope to finish my socks and start something new... maybe that hedgehog you all voted for me to make next. 

Vacation is for knitting right? Where are you vacationing this summer?

Nearly Done

I have been working on knitting my first ever cardigan.  Really, it is my first time knitting any piece of clothing.

I am really so close to finishing.  I just have half a sleeve to finish and then add the button band.  Just a few more hours and it will be all done.

Front:

Back:

(So these photos aren't the greatest.  I really need to work with my photography skills.  Maybe I should think to take pictures using natural light instead of waiting until night.)

Soon it will look like this:

Image Ravelry

 

Well maybe not quite like that.  I think this cardi might be a bit big on me.  I even did two gauge swatches.   I guess only time will tell.  I'll finish it and block it, maybe this weekend.

I would have finished by now, but this came up.

Image Goodreads

So good.  Review to come.

What distractions do you have this week?

First Ever

It is my first every cardigan.  Are you surprised?

I have never knitted adult size clothes before and only two baby tops.  I did crochet a sweater for D a few years back, but this is really uncharted territory for me.

The pattern is Yoked Cardigan by Hannah Fettig.  I am knitting with Plymouth Encore yarn.

So far so good.  It doesn't look much like a cardigan now.  The pattern starts at the collar and works down, so this is a photo of the collar and shoulder parts of the cardigan.  You can see a bit of what it will look like on the pattern in the picture.

I also bought yarn to make another for D.  The won't exactly be matching sweaters because her's will be in purple.

In other totally unrelated news: tonight is my sister's wedding rehearsal and dinner.  Tomorrow, she gets married and I am her matron of honor.  I am so happy for my little sister.