The Plight of the Poor Second Baby

Poor Second Baby. Traditionally doomed to wearing elder siblings' hand-me-downs and playing with gently used baby toys, they have nothing to call their own.

Except knitwear.

I seem to have managed the fantastic feat of having children of the same gender at the same time of the year, and because I am a hoarder saver, Happyface Hello doesn't need a single stitch of clothing. I went up to our attic the other day to sort through Henry's baby clothes, and it was an embarrassment of riches, thanks to my Gymboree and Hanna Andersson addiction and my mother's exuberance over being a first-time grandma.

But where this kid is going to win out is in the knitwear department. My knitting when Henry was born was embarrassingly basic. I made him a blanket, some simple hats and sweaters, and of course, all of those Mason Dixon Baby Bibs. Happyface Hello is already reaping the benefits of a much more experienced knitter for a mother.

First, pants. My husband has run away screaming from the idea of cloth diapering, but I have been avidly stalking all kinds of patterns for diaper covers, soakers, and longies. Neither of these two projects would actually work for cloth diapering, which requires non-superwash wool, but who can resist knitted pants?

A newborn adaptation of the Milo Soaker, from Vintage Baby Knits, knit in Berroco Comfort DK:

February Baby Leggings, from Elizabeth Zimmermann's A Knitter's Almanac in Malabrigo Rios. I shortened the torso and ended the leg after decreasing to 48 inches. I have no idea if these proportions will actually work on a baby, but the end result is still pretty cute:

Next, sweaters. I bought three skeins of Cumberland Sport at the Miss Babs booth ("Where did Anna go? She's at the Miss Babs booth AGAIN?")  at Maryland Sheep and Wool with the express purpose of knitting the Harvey Kimono from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding, and I'm proud to say, I actually followed through! Check out the cute turtle buttons:

 

More to come!

Another Reason for Second Sock Syndrome

The scene: Maryland Sheep and Wool. The Tess booth gleams in the sunlight and I can't resist. It's hot, and we're all sweaty and dirty. The booth is crowded, and Tess herself (the owner's daughter) is shockingly surly for someone in a retail position. I can't stay away. I get separated from my group. Where's Anna? someone asks. Oh, she's back in the Tess booth. Again. Steven remarks that these colors are really girly. And then I see this:

I love it. I have to have it.

Three months later, when I'm packing for my trip, I see this again and wind it up, and then toss it in my bag. On a windy day, when it's too windy for the wind-phobic Preschooler to hike (seriously, ask him how he feels about wind), I start a pair of Sunday Swing Socks.

And they are perfect. The colors align to spiral gently down the leg. This sock has no ugly pooling, no blotches of color. I don't have to think about strategies to make this beautiful skein of yarn continue to be beautiful in knitted form. Even in the gusset, where cuff-down socks tend to look their worst, this looks great.

How can I possibly risk making another?

Sheep and Wool Haul

From left to right, first row: Tess Laceweight, Three Irish Girls Glenhaven, Tess SuperSock and Baby, Miss Babs Sport.

Second Row: More Miss Babs Sport, two Socks that Rock Mediumweight, Miss Babs Sock.

Third Row: More Miss Babs Sock, Autumn House Bamboo Tweed (this is my precious), Miss Babs Tweed, Brooks Farm Solana (bought specifically for a sweater for The Preschooler).

Sheep and Wool

So I have, like, degrees in Women's Studies. Yet I think they will be revoked because I wore this to Maryland Sheep and Wool this year, as part of Steven's groupies.

It was ridiculously hot this year, to the point where I was standing in line for The Fold at not even 9:00 am, and I realized that it was just going to be too hot and I was not going to make it through the day. Unfortunately, that's come to be just part of life with a semi-chronic (according to the headache doctor) pain condition, and some of us were back at the hotel by 2:00 for a nap.

Fortunately, it did cool off enough for me to wear my completed Tappan Zee Cardigan to the after-party.

(Oof, I should have sucked my stomach in more!)

I got a terrific haul this year, and I'm so excited to cast on because Spring Cleaning is OVER! I finished four pairs of socks, a child's vest, and the Tappan Zee. It's so time to cast on like a crazed weasel again.

Spring Cleaning

I posted a little about this on the store blog, but I am taking April to finish projects. As of today, I have eleven WIPs in my Ravelry projects and um, a lot of projects in hibernation.  My two main goals are to finish the Tappan Zee Cardigan I started the other day from the new Knitty in time to wear to Maryland Sheep and Wool and to finish the Baby Moderne blanket I started over a year ago. How many projects can I finish before MDSW?

Posting on the fly

I need to do my MDSW wrap-up, but my husband is Far Away in Foreign Lands, which means 1. free time is scarce, and 2. he has the camera! For now, here are a bunch of projects I am dying to start. I haz the Startitis in a bad way.

• Any sock project at all with my Tess sock yarn, but particularly a Child's French Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks or Waving Lace Socks from Favorite Socks.
• The Minimalist Cardigan with my new Tess superwash worsted
• Anything, anything at all with all my new Tess!

No, I don't have a problem. Why do you ask?

And now to really make it complicated...

...I can't find matching ribbon for this bonnet. That's the problem with trying to be all fresh and modern instead of sticking to tried and true color combinations. Lisa and I looked at every single ribbon in Joann's and Pat Catans last night. (And is it just me who enters into this trance-like state when I enter the door of a Pat Catans? I suddenly get urges to make those plastic needlepoint kleenex box covers. Or to tie great big bows on baskets. Or to Bedazzle something. Last time I went to Pat Catans, I walked out with a jumbo-sized bag of jingle bells. I don't know why, but at the time it very much seemed like I needed those jingle bells.)

Anyway, this brown was the best I could do. I really wanted to match the teal, but since I have to take this gift in person in a few days, I can't do mail order. The perfectionist in me is really twitching on this one.

In other news:

• I'm working hard on some test knitting I hope to share with you soon and some way cute store samples.
• I got a hard-to-find copy of The Knitter - the newish UK knitting magazine for "advanced" knitters at Joann's last night.
• I am delusional enough to think I'll have something new knitted up to wear in three weeks at Maryland Sheep and Wool.
• And, to keep myself honest, I hereby declare that I am watching my weight.

Knitting Festival Wrap-Up

....a week late, I know. Lisa and I went to the Pittsburgh Knitting and Crochet Festival last Sunday. I'm thrilled to do something that shows support for independent yarn vendors, although it seems weird to pay basically to shop, particularly since Maryland Sheep and Wool is free. However, I am thrilled with what I did buy.

First row, left to right: Brooks Farm Solo (1600 yds total), Knitting Notions Classic Merino Sock in Ruby, Knitting Notions Classic Merino Lace in Ironstone (for the Whisper Cardigan from the current issue of Interweave Knits).

Second row: Brooks Farm Solana (again, a sweater quantity), two Creatively Dyed Tradewinds.

Third Row, Creatively Dyed Tradewinds, Creatively Dyed Calypso, Autumn House Farm Twist Strideaway Sock.

It was lovely to be able to shop for Brooks Farm without having to fight the crowds at Maryland. It was also lovely to see the folks from Knitting Notions, where I got my beloved swift last year. Can you believe she can't get a booth at Maryland Sheep and Wool? She says she's applied year after year, but booths are scarce. Isn't there a petition we knitters can sign?

I finished the Christmas Knitting!

Christmas 2007, that is.

Actually, I didn't even make my Mother's Day goal. But it's done. The Clap is finished!

As for my other "goal," you may have noted that I wore nothing hand-knitted to Maryland Sheep and Wool. My Flair is languishing in my knitting basket. I'll finish it, really, I will.

Maryland Sheep and Wool Wrap-up

Happiness is an armload of Socks that Rock yarn.

Standing in line at The Fold was not how I planned to spend MDSW, but I finally understand what all that chatter about “yarn fumes” is about, because I was high on something when I got swept into that line. How could anyone resist the colors, the smooshiness of it all?

It’s a testament to the general good hearted nature of knitters that the line to pay for the STR at the fold went out of the barn and stretched outside down past the next barn and no one seemed to be just grabbing an armful of sock yarn and making a break for it. Instead, everyone got her yarn in an orderly fashion, took it outside, and stood patiently in line. Some people knit, other people had their arms too full of sock yarn to knit, but everybody was in good cheer and chatted pleasantly with their neighbors in line. It was a surprisingly lovely experience.

As for the rest of the haul:

From Brooks Farm, assorted colorways of Solo, their wonderful DK single ply

From Tess, well, a lot, two skeins of sock yarn, two skeins of laceweight merino (dude, I don’t even knit lace), and two absolutely divine skeins of Silk and Ivory, a gorgeous silk and merino blend.

From Just Our Yarns, some green cashmere laceweight (again, dude, I don’t know how to knit lace).

From Cloverhill, a bunch of indie dyer sock yarn

From Spirit Trail, two skeins of beautiful sock yarn

And from the Barefoot Spinner, a stunning skein of handspun, hand dyed sock yarn (and if anyone has a tag from her yarn, please weigh in on the comments, as I don’t know how much yardage I have).

It was a great time, if not a bit overwhelming. Ideally, I think the perfect day would have been to have Saturday’s selection with Sunday’s crowds, as Saturday was a mob scene, but things looked pretty picked over the next day. But in short, A++++ would attend festival again!!!

What Not to Wear: Md Sheep and Wool Edition

So, what does one wear to a knitting festival? Seriously, I’ve never been to a major one, just the Pittsburgh Knitting Festival. Poking around on Ravelry and talking to real life knitters yields two schools of thought on the upcoming Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival:

1. OMG, a knitting festival, I have to wear hand knits! How else will everyone know I’m a knitter? (Um, by the sack of yarn you just bought hanging off your arm?) Seriously, this fascinates me. Is it a desire to show off a little? (And I’m not saying this is a bad thing because knitting can be darn hard work and of course you should be proud to wear what you make.) Is it to establish some kind of street cred? I really want to know. I’m participating in this by casting on for Flair, hoping I can get it done in time to wear to the festival. But school #2 gives me pause….
2. Wear your precious handknits? Are you insane? This school of thought implies to me that this is not a simple trip to see sheep and buy yarn. No, we are preparing for a great journey to the wilderness. We must pack a sherpa with water, wear good hiking shoes, dress in careful layers, and be prepared to get really, really dirty. In all seriousness, this seems like excellent advice because I don’t want to ruin my handknit socks in the mud, I don’t want to pay inflated prices for water, and I don’t want to get overheated in my handknits and pass out, therefore missing the booth with the Socks That Rock.

So is there a common ground for these two schools of thought? What do you wear to a knitting festival?