Reasonably Random

I still have tons of stuff floating around my head:

1. I think I broke the camera. When your husband says not to leave it plugged in to the laptop (and the cord dangling to the ground), you should listen. I thought I was too clever to catch my foot on said cable and fling the camera across the floor. I was wrong.

2. Wanna see what I'm knitting?



It's the Baby Bolero from One Skein. While I have the appropriate yarn (2 skeins, no less) I succumbed to a yarn emergency and bought a skein (or two) of this. I think it looks less olive-y and more pale green in person, but I blame the crappy picture on my camera.

3. The yarn for these wee cardigans was the first I've bought since Rhinebeck. I can't begin to explain how amazing it felt to buy yarn again. Like, "Wow, buying yarn is fun." How did I forget this?

4. That bit you see that I've done? That's the entire right front of the cardi. It took me 45 minutes. 45. In the car on the way back from South Carolina, I knit the rest of the body (back, and left front). In one 2 hour shift as passenger, including ripping out the left front once after finding I couldn't follow directions.

5. I had no idea newborns were that small. Since I will be delivering one, I'm kinda happy about this. I keep unfolding the body of the sweater, though and trying to imagine a little person in there. I'm having a time with this concept. I had dolls bigger than this.

6. During my last non-blogging period, I found out something I should have shared: IT'S A BOY!!

7. I have no idea how to raise a boy.

8. This wee cardi isn't for me, it's for a friend. Why? She's making a crib quilt for my son (!!):

Some early squares:

Squares she did over the weekend:

Fabric:

The bottom two fabrics are for squares, the green is for the backing, the dotted one is for the border and the top one is for the facing. (I think I have those terms right.)

9. Clearly, I need to knit more for this woman than a tiny cardigan.

10. At some point I spoke about a little project I was making for my child, a thing that deserved it's own post. We've decided to use cloth diapers on baby Buster (my step-father's nickname for him), which is controversial I understand. Before the loss of an antique needle in the Toys R Us parking lot, my wee project was a wool diaper soaker. I don't know if I would be interested in using wool soakers (I like these better) but I thought it would be good to at least knit something. I was having powerful urges to knit, but was intimidated with anything else. The soaker was some old Cascade 220 in the stash, less intimidating than buying baby yarn. That must sound silly. I'm not sure I want to finish it, now that I'm working on the cardis.

11. My reasons for cloth diapering are not environmental. Really, its 45% health reasons, 45% monetary and 10% environment. I was hospitalized more than a few times as an infant and child with asthma, and I found that the chemicals in disposables that make them so absorbent give off emissions that cause asthma in lab rats. I'm thinking the child will have enough genetic disposition in that direction that I don't need to add to it. (Here's a good link. I've looked up the actual studies, too).

12. I've been trying to spin. It's not going so well. How can I forget everything in just a few months??

13. I've been given some additional responsibilities at work, which is seriously cutting into my Bloglines time. As of 10:15 this morning I had 251 unread, and I don't even have that many subscriptions (compared to some). At least my resume will look nicer.

14. I'm sorry, Knitter Bunny. No pics of the blocking, yet.

Gone to Carolina

Though the song is more about people and less about places, I keep hearing it in my head. I find myself back here in blogland, writing about this rather than the knitting I have been doing. Will you humour me for a moment while I get this out of my system?

This past weekend was my sister's wedding, held in South Carolina. I've made more than a few snarky comments about it over the past few months, in part because I was a bit holier-than-thou and part due to what felt like a burden. This is her third wedding, and I was feeling superior (what with me having been married "only" twice--you may roll your eyes at me for this) and a little put out at the cost of flights or car expenses, plus maternity dresses for two formal dinners, hotel prices, and yet another set of wedding presents. As you can imagine, I didn't have high expectations for this weekend.

So now it is Tuesday, and I'm successfully re-entered back into my world, as silly as it sounds for a just a weekend away. Some things got to me: being in the South again and realigning my mindset to that way of life. The landscape. Sweet tea--real sweet tea, not tea with sugar. Seeing my sister happy for the first time in her life.

I'm still sorting all this out.

I'll have more tomorrow, I promise. I have knitting, I have a gift from Knitter Bunny I've been too chicken to block, and I have pictures of something beautiful to me. I just have to think.

We interrupt this morning sickness to tell you...

That I'm (mostly) back in action. Whoo hooo. My Mac is back from the Dr., Mr. C's hard drive is installed and operating, our cell phones actually work (there was a recall on the chargers because they weren't charging. I've been telling them this for months, but to no avail) and our camera? Well, at least it runs on batteries.

So, all in all, I'm back in blogging action--at least as long as the AA's hold up. To that end, I have pictures! I was home alone the day I realized I had batteries, so took these belly shots myself. Sadly, the lighting in the bathroom is wretched and I was forced to try out snazzy effects to make the colors less garish.

Here is a flash-less shot at 17 weeks & 4 days:


And one to say hello, since I rarely show my face around here:


Don't I look too big to be still getting sick?? Yeah, I think so, too. However, it seems this baby is in charge and I'll be doing the porcelain Rhumba until he/she decides otherwise. On a positive note, I'm 45% of the way through, AND I find out on Thursday if I can write HE or SHE instead of he/she in my posts. Yay! (I'm kinda excited about this.)

Right, knitting...

I have finally determined that part of the reason I'm not knitting so much right now relates to the projects I'm working on. The socks for my mom (seen here when I thought I could finish them for Socktoberfest. Ha!) aren't fun to knit as the yarn (Sockotta) is rough in my hands and I think the color is a bit...garish. My Mom picked it out, though, so I don't have much choice. I do need to get them to her by my sister's wedding on Jan 27, which means I need to get working. It would be nice if I finished the second bed sock for my grandmother by then, too. Although she won't be at the wedding, my dad will be able to deliver them for me if I can get them done. I think I just need to just put on my big girl pants and get over second sock syndrome.

Of course, instead of working on either of these, I've cast on a new project to remove me from sock funk. I think I'll save it for another post, though, as I think it will deserve it's own.

In other news, I got a package!!


This is from the Lovely and Talented NeedleTart. What you see is a Burt's Bees Baby kit, a wonderful board book, a book titled "101 Secrets A Good Dad Knows," a book of her own recipes (wow!), a card/social game about food, and the best (hiding behind/supporting everything): a wonderfully scented "rice thingie" (her term) that when microwaved for a short time gives off warmth and lavendar-y scented comfort. She even included a spare cover for it! If you can click for big, you'll see the knit sheepy pattern, too. Ms. NeedleTart must have read my mind, because I've been having trouble the past few weeks with sore muscles at night. Thank you from both me and Mr. CygKnit!

On the blocking board right now (ok, the ironing board) is a wonderful gift from Knitter Bunny. I hope to have a pic of it next time, too. Hopefully, next time won't be another two weeks...