97 days of knitting
Monday, April 9, 2012 at 4:37PM 97 more days until Baby Shamrock is due to arrive. Telling a baby when to arrive works really well, have you ever noticed that? They follow instructions. They care about your comfort. They understand timelines.
So this post should really be titled "83-111 days, or thereabouts, of knitting."
What kind of Yarnista would I be if I let my baby girl arrive with no squishy knit things to wear? While it's true that I have no clothes, toys, toiletries, or safety gear to use, I figure that can all be solved with one epic Target trip. Knitting, on the other hand, takes time, and that is what I will run out of if I'm not careful.
Over the weekend I started a spiral baby blanket, which I'll post a picture of soon. It's coming along swimmingly.
Ideally, I would like to get 25 baby things made before Shamrock arrives. Telling a Yarnista to knit 25 things works really well, have you ever noticed that? I'm certain I'll have no trouble whipping out 25 adorable knitteds, right? That is so easy and not time consuming, which is why everyone in the world does it.
Humor me here, OK? I have reached the I have nothing to wear phase, and you should take pity. My husband, who is 6'5" and 220 lbs, doesn't have any clothes that fit me, either. God love him, he is not pitying my lack of wardrobe options nearly enough.
I need more people to say "You poor, poor girl. It is NO FAIR that you have nothing to wear! You have my complete sympathies!"
Instead, God love him, he told me this morning that he was going to an outdoor/camping store to buy some REALLY GIANT T-SHIRTS that he heard were on sale.
Can you hear the violins that I've queued?
I told him no thanks, that I don't wear clothes from outdoor/camping stores because that is just not who I am as a person, but that if he wanted to buy HIMSELF some really giant sale T-shirts he was welcome to do so, and if I felt so inclined, I would steal them from him.
Do you know what he said? He said, "Right, that's exactly what I meant."
Pity? Do you feel it yet?
Let's get back to the baby knitting. That is more fun and more cute.
I've picked out several projects, and want some input on which colorways I should choose.
First up in the 97 days of baby knitting (once I finish my spiral blanket which is one of the larger projects in the queue) will be this sweet hat:
It's called the Rosy Scalloped Hat, and was designed by Kate Oates of Tot Toppers. So adorable.
I'm thinking about using one of these three colorways:
Parisienne:
Sproutling:
or Sweet Pea:
Help me choose!
I'm going to knit it out of Springvale DK, if that makes any difference to you.
I think I should reward myself if I actually complete my knitting goal, don't you? What is an appropriate reward for, "You just finished knitting 25 items for a baby human that you grew and gave birth to"?
Taking suggestions!
Reader Comments (20)
I love the solid color of the Sproutling. I think it will show off the edging of the sweet hat beautifully. I also think that if you knit all 25 items, you deserve 2 things. One an immediate gift: an iPad, I love mine. The second, a deferred gift, a trip to somewhere warm next year/winter. You may choose to include your significant other or not.
Smiles,
Cheryl
You have one super-smart husband, who is very wise about the ways of hormone-fueled spouses. At about this stage of pregnancy, I decided I was going to sew curtains for almost all the rooms in our new house. I didn't make a single one. The windows stayed uncovered until a while after our son arrived and we got blinds for most of them. I still have the curtain books I bought. In my second pregnancy, I was much smarter about it and planned a whole bunch of knitting projects, and actually finished one or two of them. 25 knitted items sounds extremely awesome, and if anyone can do it, you can....but you're also allowed to just knit 5 or so and get lots of rest. You're growing a person!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. I'm a big fan of the Epic Target trip for newborns. I have done it a couple of times!!!
Personally, if you knit all those things for your little Shamrock, you should then knit something for yourself. Or maybe just take a long weekend, whichever works.
Your husband is a super smart man.
An afternoon out for high tea!
POOR POOR YARNISTA!!!! It is NO FAIR that you have no clothes that fit you! To heck with the epic Target trip for Baby Shamrock (which will happen eventually anyway). You need to do an epic Target trip for YOU!
I think you should just open up your queue to use and let us knit the 25 things while you sit back & relax! :)
A hot stone massage with rocks from Lake Superior? (Maybe one massage per group of 5 knitted items, how's that for incentive?)
Actually, I think the best reward will be seeing Baby Shamrock looking cute and snuggly in all those knits! That in itself should be a good incentive to get it all done. Though you'll still get half the reward if you don't complete anything - getting to see Baby Shamrock anyway!
And I do feel so sorry for you and the lack of clothes! Guys just don't get it, ever.
I know the feeling of having nothing to wear due to baby, and I offer you my sincerest sympathies in your plight!!! It's worth it, but it's no fun!
As for your colorway, I have to plead my case for Sproutling. I just knit a pair of socks with Sprouting in Springvale DK and I absolutely love the way they turned out. The colorway is GORGEOUS and perfect for a little one. You can see the picture here:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Jaia/sproutling-socks
It's one of my all time favoritest colorways that you've done - it's gorgeous!
Are you kidding? You get the best reward of all for anything in life ever: a daughter! Lucky, lucky you. Swaddling her in handknits is icing on the cake.
I completely agree with Rhonnie. Let us knit for you! That doesn't remove that you can tag ones just for you to knit (there's something delicious about knitting for your own wee one) but then you can do the epic Target trip for Shamrock and toss in some shopping for you. Like the gals have said, you're growing a human, you deserve to feel as pretty and put together as you can.
We love you. We're super ready to help knit for our new Irish Girl!
Rhonnie and FairyofYarn, that is SO nice of you! Thank you for thinking of me. :)
HA! I hear ya with the clothes! I was huge! Like the kind of huge that gets the comments "You must be having a linebacker" or "You sure there is just one in there!" I finally just went to a consignment shop and bought a few giant tops.
Good luck with the 25 projects! That is ambitious but what do you have to lose? Go for it! As a reward... is there something that you need/want for your home or office? Like a heated mattress pad or a feather bed? Or maybe a new desk chair with a back massager? :)
A trip to Hawaii of course, as a reward for knitting 25 baby items AND having a baby.
The only reward for "You just finished knitting 25 items for a baby human that you grew and gave birth to" is nights of screaming baby followed by night after night of screaming mummy, daddy and baby. It should be a long far-flung holiday though.
I'm in with Rhonnie. :)
Totally no fair that you have nothing to wear at this stage. I think your husband should give you an early Mother's Day present to a cute maternity shop so that you can enjoy wearing a new outfit for the next 83-111 days.
--fellow Minnesota native who now lives in Arlington, Va.
3 nights of uninterrupted sleep!
Definetely agree with Val, playing dress up with your daughter in clothes you made yourself is totally rewarding! Oh yeah, AND a SPA Day! ❤
Perfect gift for knitting any number baby items and growing a human? High praise from the Daddy of Shamrock, a weekend at a hotel all to yourself with books, yarn, a remote, take-out, a massage, and coffee and chocolate delivered by a sweet-faced cabana boy!