Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Introducing



Benjamin Daniel
Born Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 5:00 am
8 pounds, 1.5 ounces; 19 inches long

We are enjoying the newest member of our family and already can't imagine life without him.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Knitting the Time Away

What do you do while waiting anxiously for a baby to come? Knit a ton of bibs, of course! Actually, most of these will be gifts, but it has been a fun and calming process.

I have been wanting to make the Petal Bibs from One Skein for quite some time now, but most of my friends/family have been having boys. Finally some little girls are on the way, so I ordered some Knit Picks Cotlin and got started. I ended up knitting three, but my first had so many mistakes that it won't be gifted. I learned quite a bit, though, about short rows, applying an i-cord, and being sure to check my gauge. I knit the first on size 6 needles, and it turned out WAY too big and floppy. The two pictured were knit on size 4 needles, and they're just perfect. The pattern is such a great design, and I will be sure to make more of these in the future.

A couple of weeks ago, when I was thinking that our little one was going to come any day, I started looking for patterns that would be very simple knits. I settled on the Baby Bib O' Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting, but made up my own pattern since I didn't have the book. I used Rowan Handknit Cotton DK, which is a lighter weight yarn than the yarn used in the pattern. The size of these bibs are more appropriate for an infant, and the original Bib O' Love is sized more for a toddler. I also wanted the strap to be adjustable, so here is what I did:
CO 33 stitches
Knit in garter until desired length was reached
WS: knit 7 sts, put on holder. Bind off 19 sts. Work the next 7 stitches in garter for about an inch. Bind off on wrong side.
Reconnect yarn to 7 sts that were on the holder and work for 23 garter RIDGES.
*Buttonhole row (RS): knit 2, knit 2 together, yarnover, knit 3
Work 3 Garter Ridges
Repeat from * 2 more times
Bind off on the WS
Weave in ends and add a button to the "short" strap side

This was also a learning experience for me, and I made improvements on each bib. Although the design is not my own, I enjoyed making adjustments to fit my needs.

So, what now? I've picked up my Wisp that's been hibernating since last summer, and I've also started a blanket for the Linus Project. I checked out some movies at the library today, and the newest issue of Mothering Magazine came in the mail. I am planning on relaxing this weekend and, most importantly, I am at peace with the fact that this little one will come on his own time, even if that means past his due date.