076knits: Kille

If you've been reading the blog, you might have seen the pictures. I can't get enough of Bubs running around and doing anything but standing still to have his picture taken.

It all started when Bubs had only just joined us. I wanted to knit something for me, instead of the pile of baby knits that had gone before. I had a really (really) nice skein of Ripples Crafts Assynt Storms, a circular needle, and a naptime to gather my sanity before the next round of nursing, nappies and cramps. A new mom needs a bit of pampering, and that hank of yarn was just the trick.

One thing led to another (ever so slowly) and with help from two lovely professionals (hello Dutch Wool Diva and Yarn and Pointy Sticks) I can now present you my first ever pattern, Kille

Kille is a cowl with lots of nice and easy stitches, not a lot of counting and lots of pretty colours if you pick your yarn carefully. The sample shown is a new colourway by Dutch Wool Diva, Strolling through the Woods, and it's perfect for matching the Autumn colours out there right now. The sturdy Sock Star is perfect for sharing the cowl with your little one, especially when they like chewing on your knitwear, and soft enough to be worn against the skin. If you don't have a little one or like to live dangerously, go wild with your yarn choices! Be careful though, changing the gauge means changing your yardage! The pattern is carefully tech edited, but if you find a problem, please let me know!

You can wear Kille inside out and upside down, but not twice around your head.*
You can even try it on your other person, but I would keep it. It's a selfish treat, remember?

You have to knit it first, and you can do so after going right here: buy now (you don't have to be a member)


Love,
J



*definitely not twice around a little head so that pulling on it doesn't pull it tight

RSVP: Otherwise Engaged

You might be confused about what I've been doing for the past two years, if all you had to go by were my most recent purchases....

As a matter of fact, I've not touched dear neglected Bea in two years. I've spindled a whopping 50 grams of adorable fluff since the beginning of the year.

There's no rational reason to purchase these, or is there? Well, Juno Fibre Arts appears to end business soon, if not already. Catch it while you can, that's what I say.

This one contains camel. Camel fluff. You heard it. Camel in this fluff. It's for research and learning purposes. 

There'll be no irrational spending here!

PS. Exciting times ahead. Soon, soon!

On getting things done (with Little Spare Time)

So I finished another thing, this time including buttons! Lovely quiet day of nothing and a bit of knitting. As you can see, Bubs was in a hurry to get things done though! 

The pattern is Little Spare Time by Terry Kruse (link to Ravelry) and the yarn is Cascade Elysian which I purchased in a Tardis slash home-away-from-home and not-quite-Local Yarn Shop called Fibre Circle in Farmersville, Texas. Buttons, a shawl collar and pockets, this pattern has it all. It was a quick knit, a lovely pattern and I really recommend it. Bubs decided he needed to wear it and wouldn't stand still for a picture just in case I'd take it from him...

Sneaky sneaky... on how to get to where you want to be taking baby steps in secret

I never imagined that writing would be the most difficult thing to get back to after the fog of sleep deprivation lifted. Mind you, that fog lingered like nobody's business and it doesn't need much encouraging to return.

It's not wonder that the Big Plan was put into hibernation for a while, at least that's how it would seem. In the very early hours of sleep deprivation (otherwise known as the beginning of motherhood) I was in desperate need of some comfort knitting.

Fortunately, I had some one-of-a-kind hand dyed sock yarn on hand and no idea what to do with it.

You can always knit a pair of socks. You can, but no new mom should be forced to make 2 of a thing, not unless she really wants to. It can be a struggle to juggle a tiny little babe, no less than 4 tiny little dpns or a tiny little circular needle for magic looping, a ball of yarn as well as keeping track of where your sanity disappeared to. And then have to repeat the process because not many people only need one sock. Trust me on this.

There isn't a bag hidden away with two different socks and 2 balls of yarn in it. (It's in plain sight, mocking me and my cold feet)

So what to knit?

It had to be a luxury item compatible with grabby hands and unfortunate spillage. Luckily, I had some gorgeous yarn at hand that's also easy to wash.

And that, as they say, was only the beginning. The Big Plan?

Baby, it's on...

Six months

Sweet Bubs,

I can't believe you're already six months old today. 

I can't believe you're just six months old today.

It seems like it was only last week that you looked up at me for the first time and yet I can hardly remember a time before you arrived.

You haven't changed a bit since before you were born. You never stop moving because you're too busy exploring and expanding your reach. 

Sometimes I wish you would stop rushing ahead so I can get used to your progress, but it's so much fun to watch you develop new skills that I just try to keep up with your pace. You can roll over every way you want to and scoot around on your back to get where you want to be. You're working hard to learn crawling and sitting and standing. I can tell because you get so frustrated when your little legs don't do as you want them to. You really enjoy family meals in the garden and so do the birds that get to clean up after you.

You're growing and learning and rushing ahead and I love you to bits. Happy half birthday little Bubs!

A few things that came off the needles...

Tiny socks!

A colourful pullover 

Edwardian Boating Socks (not quite off the needles yet)

A sock

Pièce de Resistance

Not pictured in this post: Gigantic kilt hose for the Photographer, which we failed to photograph before he had to return home. I know, mommybrain. They were handspun even. Another not-pictured-here: a lovely cardigan. It's waiting to be washed now, being the victim of a vicious milk attack.

Amongst things that never came off the needles, except for to frog: a few cardigans for Bubs, who has either outgrown them before they were finished, or no longer has any need for, due to his furnace-like nature. 

The boy glows in the dark.