Mischa Dress

I haven't been doing a lot of intentional knitting lately. I've always got something on the needles, living in whatever bag I grab when running out the door to our co op or bible study, but I haven't really sat down solely to knit in quite a while. With our birthday month keeping me busy, a few family illnesses setting me back and a renewed focus on getting our homeschooling wrapped up before the new baby, knitting has been put firmly on the back burner.

The Mischa dress lived in my diaper bag for a while. I cast on for it while on my weekend getaway last month and worked the yoke, but once I started the skirt (aka the boring part) I tossed it in my bag for mindless knitting when I was out and about.

I pushed to finish it over the weekend, casting off in the van on the way to church Sunday morning. Despite some pooling in the skirt, I think it turned out rather nicely - and hopefully will fit the new baby in the fall.

I love all of Taiga Hiliard's designs and have been thinking of making a baptism dress next. My only struggle is with the idea of spending hours and hours on something I know for certain will be worn exactly once. On the other hand, how wonderful would it be to make my daughter's christening gown? I'm thinking a longer version of the Lizzy dress will work nicely. On a silk/merino blend? Ohmygoodness.

In the few moments I have had to sit down, I've been reaching more for a book. "Pushed" isn't exactly soothing reading for someone about to go to the hospital to deliver a baby, but it has given me all sorts of reminders about delivering in a hospital and just what things I should be on the look out for. It really is an excellent book and I highly recommend it. Just proceed with caution if you are pregnant and prone to anxiety (wait, isn't that most pregnant women?).

Linking up with Ginny over at Small Things.


If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to future posts.  Thank you.

An (Early!) Birthday Sweater

I convinced him to let me buy the yarn to take on my semi-annual girls trip away. After all, I needed something to work on and the birthdays are just a month or so away...

Well, the yarn came, coinciding with a business trip that took him away for four long days and nights. I had no choice. I started.

At first I told myself I'd just work the yoke - get past the lacework to the mindless knitting that would be prime work for sitting and talking with my girlfriends by the fire. But the yoke went quickly and I told myself alright, just a little bit of the body. When the body was done, I thought maybe I'd save the sleeves but by that point I was really wanting to see the end result.

All in all, I knit her size 7 sweater in a week - trying to convince myself not to the entire way, a good 3 weeks before I left on my trip. I really shouldn't buy yarn in advance. I don't stand a chance.

Apparently I also shouldn't make birthday gifts in advance, because once it was done I couldn't resist giving it to her right away. She has worn it daily for a week and declares it her favorite sweater ever. I really couldn't ask for anything more than that.

Forgive the iphone pictures, my DSLR battery charger bit the dust! The sweater pattern is Granny's Favorite, the yarn is Swish DK  in Dove Heather (approximately 5 balls for size 8), the buttons are 1/2 inch blue glass vintage purchased on Etsy. Linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along today!


If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to future posts.  Thank you.

Azules

There's not much in this world than can raise my spirits quite like a package of yarn in the mail. It came last week, just one skein of malabrigo sock in azules. Yep, that did it. 

I cast on for another sunny side baby cardigan. Are you all sick of me knitting these? Because I'm far from done. I love this pattern for a couple of reasons. 

One, because it uses in many cases just one skein of yarn. That enables this knitter on a shoestring to buy nicer stuff than if I needed several skeins. Two, because it's pretty universally appealing and a star at baby showers. And three because there are always new babies popping up in my circles. One simply cannot knit too many baby sweaters. 

I had thought knitting was making me nauseous but really it was chart reading.   Thankfully after the pattern was established I didn't need it anymore and could just keep on with it. I'm pretty in love. 

What are you working on? 

(Forgive the iPhone posting. Still shaking money trees, hoping for a chrome book soon!)