Ooo Baby Knits

Purposeful Knitting

Both of our daughters are gifts from God. I was blessed to even get pregnant. We had no way of figuring a due date for DD#2, so guessed at it from the ultrasound. When I went into labor (at the faculty lunch on the last day of school- I didn’t even get to eat my chicken) we thought I was two weeks early. That would have been okay. I got to hold my little blue baby for less than a minute before they whisked her away to put her under an oxygen tent. A few hours later, she was moved to the NICU across town. Her lungs weren’t developed, and the doctors then said she was closer to four weeks early. She was full term in size and so much bigger than the other babies in the unit, but wearing the same loose diaper, monitors, and IVs as all the others. We could touch her, but we weren’t able to hold her for several days.

The first night we went home to spend some time with our first daughter. I sent Mom to Roses to buy yarn, and I stayed up that night until I finished knitting a pair of booties. They turned out too big, but they stayed on her feet until she came home. They made her look more normal and that was comforting. So was being able to do something.

Six years ago, I was home recuperating from surgery. I finished up a baby blanket for my nephew, then got online to search for knitting patterns. I found a whole new culture. There were groups of women who knit for hospitals and orphanages and homeless shelters. Patterns were posted everywhere. Why didn’t I know about this before? I joined a group and soon joined another. I called the hospital NICU where my daughter lived the first two weeks of her life. They didn’t receive many donations at the time, and were thrilled to have someone knit for them. So I started knitting every day.

Every once in awhile, my knitting gets so scattered and out of focus that nothing gets finished. I know I’ve been knitting, but I have no idea what. At times like this I go back to the roots of my knitting obsession. Knitting for others, people I’ll never meet who will never know me or why I do this. This week I dug through my knitting bags and baskets and finished a sweater for Guidepost’s Knit for Kids program, a sweater set for Little Life Crisis Pregnancy Center, and a hat and scarf for Stand Up for Kids. I knit a prayer into each one for the recipient. I can’t work any more- some days I can’t get out of bed- but I can knit, and I do every day. I knit at home, in the car, in movie theaters, restaurants, and waiting rooms. I’ve knit at a NASCAR race, a motocross event, on a mountain, at the beach, and even in hospital rooms still hooked up to my morphine drip. Because that’s what I do. I knit.

You’ll Knit Anything

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that! I am officially securing my place in the Nerd Knitter’s Hall of Fame with my very own felted pocket protector. I was gifted a lovely pen and pencil set for Christmas (I love pen and pencil sets- they make me feel writerly and scholarly). Unfortunately, I destroyed the box the set came in trying to get the pen and pencil out. They were screwed in. What were “they” thinking? Didn’t “they” know someone would want to take them out and use them? Maybe even keep them in a nice box? What was I to do with a loose pen and pencil that belonged together? Now they can sleep cozily together, eagerly anticipating their daily adventures working crossword and sudoku puzzles.

   back:                              front:                             felted:   

This has been the Christmas that never ends- mostly because I keep buying stuff. (Note to self- stop buying stuff.) I set the Jaywalkers aside until I found reinforcement nylon to work in the heels and toes. Elann didn’t have any, but look what they did have. Yarn for a purse for DD#2, a gray vest, a blue summer sweater, and that green- I picked it out for a specific pattern, but I don't remember what. I hope I wrote it down somewhere. I did find reinforcement at Elizabeth's Fiber & Yarn Store, but It didn’t make sense to pay more for shipping than for a card of thread, so I checked the clearance isle and bought yarn for a scarf and socks. Yeah, I know, more pink. I’ve got to branch out. And speaking of branching out, I’m thinking I’ll knit another Branching Out with the white. The Woman in White is this month’s Knit the Classics book, and it’ll be a good knit-a-long project.

My goal this weekend was to finish the first mitten then knit booties. I've been sidetracked. DD#2 was to go with her youth group to throw a birthday party at a nursing home. Each teen was to bring a gift and as scarf was on the list of gift suggestions, I felt compelled to knit one. The Bow-Tie scarf is a quickie. Finished it last night, then the party was postponed due to inclement weather (but once again our forcast snow is rain). At least it's ready for next weekend.

This morning, my Sunday school class took up a collection for Little Life Crisis Pregnancy Center. I volunteered to deliver it this week and hate to go without a little knit something, so I started a MDK kimono. Hubby bought me a most excellent knitterly accouterment, so today will be spent with football, buffalo wings, baby sweater, and a screwdriver. A most excellent day.

Merry Christmas!

For me, anyway. Mom and Dad gave me a swift to go with my ball winder. Many thanks, Mom and Dad! Oh, so very much fun. My family just doesn’t understand- can’t you just do it by hand like you always do? Why doesn’t all yarn come in balls? They just don’t get it. (Hence I will not clue them in on how much these little toys cost.) I have done more than wind yarn…. I knit it!

Good thing I like pink, since half way up the back of my pink Debbie Bliss sweater I remembered that I have two pink cotton sweaters in my closet already. At least this one is a darker rose, and with my two pinkish scarves I can do some mixing and matching. (Should I mention that I ordered more pink yarn? And yellow is my favorite color!) The next socks I knit will definitely have to be pink. Must color coordinate.

The shawl I stalled on is finished. Knitting for Children does more for Parkland Hospital than just baby things. Slippers and shoulder shawls are much needed, so I worked a couple more inches and bound off. It’s longish in the back for it’s width, but fine for a small shawl. The pattern is hard to see, but it really is quite pretty. If I knit another, I'll increase every row so can make it plenty wide. Also knit a hat over the weekend for Ship Support and a pair of booties for Warm Hearts- Warm Babies.

Then there was the frogging. I’m pretty sure I learned to count in kindergarten. Everyone else did. And you’d think using a pattern I’ve used a dozen times- especially my own- I could get it right. But no. As I was unraveling the yoke, Hubby declared that I have now officially un-knit more than I have knit. Probably true. A friend is expecting her first grandbaby in March. She asked me to knit a sweater for the little one and offered to pay, but of course I said heck no. I’m going to knit, so I may as well knit for someone who will really appreciate it. We decided on mint green since the gender will be a surprise. No picture yet- use your imagination.

Also in the frog pond is the preemie blanket I started last weekend. I keep thinking I can get a preemie blanket out of a skein of LB Jamie, and I keep running short. Will I ever learn? There is a middle-out pattern in one of the EZ books I’m going to try. I’ll find out how many licks in a Tootsie Pop, and if it’s too small, I can keep going in another color for a border.

Also knit and still on the needles is the beginnings of a pair of mittens. Yay mittens! I’m still using the rag wool mittens I got in college a (ahem) couple of years ago. I keep thinking I’ll sew up the holes, but new mittens are even better. This is a pattern by Gail Bable for the Knit Baby Surprise group (click for a picture of finished mittens). It’s an intro to fancy-pants mitten knitten that I know will entice me to try more. (I have the yarn and pattern ready to go.) Using worsted weight, they'll knit up quickly.

I gathered fresh parsley and chives from the herb garden a couple of days ago, but it’s finally turning cold. With temperatures dropping below 60 (yeah, we're freezing here), the puppies are sleeping inside more. Sammie usually is sprawled across someone’s feet, and my cold feet don’t mind a bit.

No Rules- Just Knitting

I wrote my New Years Resolutions, and not a single one has anything to do with knitting. A couple may apply to knitting as well as other parts of my life, but no resolutions just for knitting. No matter what I say, I will knit what I want with what I want. If I see a yarn I like and it’s in budget, I’ll buy it. If I want to start something before I finish something else, I will.
Some days I knit a little,   some days I knit a lot.

Here’s what I’ve wanted to do so far this year.

Cruising along Hwy 40 in December, I saw a sign for Holly Bee Yarns. Dad and I were on our way to my doctor appointment, and we had time to stop for lunch or for yarn. I love my dad. We stopped for yarn. Valdese, NC is a very small historical town that will be fun to explore- but another day. I bought a few things to try out. The pink and white cotton will be a hand towel from Mason Dixon Knitting. I think I’ll like it. We’ll see how it washes. The other is acrylic that I’m not as happy with. It’s soft and easy on the hands and the colors are vibrant, but it’s loosely plied and the fibers are very short. Every time I knit with it, the little fibers get in my contacts. Definitely not good for babies, but it is thick and warm so I'll knit up what I bought for Knit for Kids. The next time I go I think I’ll try some of the other cottons.

My Jaywalkers are knitting up nicely. The pattern is easy and shows off the colors in the yarn so well- they were meant for each other. My feet can’t wait.

Now I’m trying to decide on a sweater to start. I’ve narrowed it down to two.
    
I even have the yarn called for- never done that before. Lottie in Debbis Bliss Cotton Angora, or Pinwheel Sweater in Mister Joe Blanket from Elann. I tend to buy yarn without a pattern in mind, then mix and match what I have. This may be so much fun I’ll start both.