Countdown: 6 Weeks to D-Day

Sleep deprivation and limited brain power = mis-crossed cables.

Where oh where does the time go? Day to day, things seem pretty normal around here, but in actuality, it's getting a little hectic.

Baby #2 is expected to arrive in about 6 weeks. SIX WEEKS, PEOPLE. I still can't believe people do this on purpose. (Have kids 18 months apart, I mean; not have kids in general. Although, some days . . . )

Baby #1, AKA, JJ, has decided to mark this auspicious occasion by hating sleep--he's either waking up at 5am, fighting his naps, fighting his bedtime, waking numerous times a night or, worst, all of the above. (See, he was up at 5:15 this morning, and just woke up from his nap after only an hour--not cool.)

 This is my apologetic face, mommy.

I'm working on a big translation contract, which will help in padding our finances for baby #2's arrival, but is also using what little brain power I have left (see mis-crossed cable photo above).

And I'm finalizing some designs that will be published later this year, and getting some proposals in before I start "maternity leave," so to speak, in August.

And of course, the knitting continues.

My swift (finally) broke, and I've been so pleased with my new umbrella swift that I've actually been enjoying winding yarn (almost). Including this:

This is a club color from Forbidden Woolery that is the epitome of autumn. It's pretty busy, though, so I decided some plain, vanilla socks were in order:

Such simple knitting after a long day.

I spent the last week on a particularly difficult translation, so I took yesterday off and stored up a little brain power to fix that mis-crossed cable too:

I've never actually dropped down to fix a cable before, so it was a new experience. And I've got one more to fix, since I managed to mis-cross on both sides of the sweater--go me!

Here's hoping I can continue to be productive over the next 6 weeks--come August, things are going to be very different (and by that I mean CRAZY) around here!

2014 Year of the Pullover: WIPs

I can hear you wondering, "Whatever happened to that Year of the Pullover Kristen was so excited about?"

You'll be pleased to know, I have not one, not two, but THREE pullovers currently on the needles.

First up, Aunt Fred.

Yarn: Quince and Co. Chickadee, Cypress and Leek

This one is moving surprisingly quickly for a stranded sweater. Of course, I'm not even close to the tricky part: steeking. I'm so happy with the colors I chose, and the yarn is squishy, soft and delightful.

Next, Sprig.

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh DK, Isadora

I've made significant progress on this one. I've finished the entire body, including the fun collar, and am now working on the left sleeve (the pattern indicates knitting the sleeves before the collar, but I didn't want them flopping around in the way while I finished the neckband). This is the very first time I'm trying magic loop, and I don't know why I waited so long. I think the word "magic" threw me off; I assumed something called "magic" would be extremely complicated, but it's not. I can see using this technique for all sweater sleeves from now on!

Lastly: I Heart Aran

Yarn: Knit Picks Andes del Campo, Dove Heather

As you can see, I just started this one, but despite being knit in pieces, I expect it to move fairly quickly in heavy worsted weight (I could modify to knit in the round, but I do find side seams give sweaters more structure). This will be a great cozy fall/winter sweater, I can just tell.

Any pullovers on your needles?


P.S. Don't forget, tomorrow, May 19, is the last day to use coupon code MAMA14 in my Ravelry shop to get 50% off Javi, Hugs and Smooches, Nevado or Cielito!

Photo Friday: The Week in Pictures

(Well, ok . . . maybe a few weeks.)


Socks on the needles. Chrysanthemum frutescens in Miss Babs.


Yummy new yarn from Tanis Fiber Arts.


Finally finished a sweater design sample and mailed it off.


It snowed. Freaking AGAIN.


Worsted weight shawl coming along.



Someone is messy and needs a haircut.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

I thought today was the day I was going to show you guys our finished Mommy and Me sweaters.

Only . . .

I noticed something after blocking.

Something . . . suspicious.

Well.

That can't be right.

Yes, somehow I knit one sleeve about 4" longer than the other.

And of course, it's not that the long sleeve is too long.

The short sleeve is far too short.

So I face ripping out that colorful cuff and adding several inches to the arm, or some kind of sweater surgery where I detach the cuff, knit the sleeve and then graft the cuff back on.

Ugh.

Eyeing the Finish Line

Finally--FINALLY!--I can see the finish line for one of my biggest projects of 2013, the Mommy and Me sweaters.

Were they done for our family portrait session? Of course not. But I can say, without a doubt, they will be done in time for us to wear them at some point during the holiday season.

Because if they're not, I'm going to jump out a window.

You may recall I'm using Tanis Lavallee's CoolBreeze cardigan patterns for this set, and her Yellow Label DK yarn as well, in a lovely palette of autumn colors. The mommy sweater is down to the cuff on the second sleeve. I made the brilliant decision of knitting the buttonbands before the sleeves, so hurrah!

Although, of course, there are many ends to be woven in and buttons to be sewn on.

JJ's cardigan is even closer--all the knitting is done, the sleeves and underarms just need to be seamed.

I am determined to finish both this week.

And this ball of yarn sitting here taunting me is my inspiration:

This is the yarn, some lovely Madelinetosh Vintage, for my Pumpkin Ale cardigan. This sweater needs to be in my collection yesterday. I adore it. Not casting on has been killer, but I've just had so much on my plate. I promised I would finish these sweaters first.

Almost there!

And speaking of yarn, if you haven't already, check out the Knit Picks BIG SALE, going on right now, through December 1. So many gorgeous yarns and colorways marked down, it's the perfect time to pick up a few skeins. I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that Wool of the Andes Sport, used in the Javi sweater; Swish Tonal, used in the Cielito baby blanket, and Palette, used in the Warblers fingerless mitts, are all on sale!

Leafpeeping

This past weekend was, I suspect, the best leaf weekend of the season, so I thought I'd share a few photos.
 

Now the fall rain and wind will come and blow these all away, and before you know it, we'll have bare trees and maybe even some snow!

And I'm happy to say all these gorgeous colors are being reflected in my knitting:

This is the smaller of the Mommy and Me sweaters I'm determined to finish for JJ and I to wear for our family portrait session.

Um . . . on Sunday.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, technically, my birthday is tomorrow, but CP has to work tomorrow, so we're celebrating today.

I got breakfast in bed, a picnic lunch:

and I'm eagerly awaiting sushi and roasted pumpkin ice cream for dinner.

And to top it all off, CP had my studio/office/craft room painted yesterday! Once we move the furniture back in, I'll get a pic to share with you guys. It looks great, a calming shade of pale green/blue. Just perfect.

I've also gotten in some knitting time this weekend, so my Hugo is slowly, slowly progressing:

I'm knitting this up in Knit Picks Andes del Campo, which I just love, a soft but sturdy aran weight. I'm sure CP is going to look great in this sweater . . . someday.

I also got some exciting news to start my birthday weekend--one of my designs is going to be published in a magazine! I can't tell you which one, yet, or when, exactly, but a pretty popular one, next year! I can't wait to get started!

I don't want to keep all the birthday fun to myself, so I'm offering a special deal in my Ravelry shop this week--33% off pattern purchases. Just use the code BIRTHDAY, good through October 20th.

Seasonally-induced Startitis and other Ramblings

I'm currently going through a very difficult blogging phase, in that I can't share a lot of what I'm working on/finishing, for 3 reasons:

1) Many are designs, which can't be shared until they're published.

2) I'm knitting for JJ, but things for him to wear over the fall/winter, so they don't currently fit him, and can't really be modeled appropriately.

3) I'm knitting things for me, but by "me," I mean the "me" I was before I had JJ. The current "me" still has 10-15 pounds to lose. So again, unflattering photos of ill-fitting knitwear.

I do have a few vague WIP photos to share:

Beatrix baby cardigan

June's Favorite Cardigan

This is just a sample of the 5 WIPs I'm currently working on--that is, active WIPs. That doesn't even include WIPs I'm ignoring. Fall has given me a serious case of startitis.

JJ and I are going through a transition this week that has both positives and negatives. (If you don't want to hear about boobs, stop reading).
My milk supply has always been sufficient at best, and a few weeks ago, it just tanked. After exhausting all the tips and tricks for boosting supply I could find--including taking a supplement that makes you smell like maple syrup--and confirming with the pediatrician that JJ's weight gain had indeed dropped off, we decided to make the switch to formula. I had quite a number of difficulties with breastfeeding at the start, so my goal was always 6 months--I met and surpassed that, so I should be happy, but I'm still feeling a little blue about not making it a whole year.
On the up side, I can now start on the kind of diet (and exercise? maybe?) regime that would've negatively impacted my supply had I continued to breastfeed, so maybe I can finally bid farewell to those 10-15 pounds.
I can also wear real bras again.

Finish Up Summer Update

So, it turns out, vacationing with a 6 month old isn't that relaxing. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite. I did manage to flip through the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living one afternoon while CP walked the seashore with JJ, and my sister took over baby duty for a few hours one night so we could get out to a (very early) dinner. Otherwise, it was much like being at home, only sandier.

Maybe next year.

I did manage to make some WIP busting progress with some car knitting:




Moms socks are coming along, though there's no way they'll be done for her birthday Saturday. Christmas?



I'm also nearly finished with this baby pullover design!

Don't forget to join us over in the MediaPeruana Ravelry group to Finish Up Summer--we'll support your WIP-busting efforts!

August KAL: Finish Up Summer!

Knitters (and crocheters), we are about to embark on THE best crafting season of the year.

Yes, fall is right around the corner!

(New readers should know that I adamantly define the seasons as follows: Winter--December, January February; Spring--March, April, May; Summer--June, July, August; Fall--September, October, November.)

Why is fall the best crafting time? For starters, it precedes the holiday season, so it's the perfect time to start gift knitting/crocheting. Secondly, the weather is finally starting to cool, so you actually feel like playing with wool again. And third, unlike, say, spring, when you make something lovely and have to wait half a year to wear it, when you knit/crochet something during the fall, you know you'll be wearing it sooner rather than later; however, it's not SO cold that you need to finish whatever is is immediately or risk freezing to death.

The only thing that can make the fall crafting season better is starting with a clean slate.

So, let's use August to Finish Up Summer.

Dig out your WIPs and send them packing; finish them up and get them off your to-do list. Empty out that WIP basket so you can fill it with fresh autumn projects. Weave in those ends, sew on those buttons and get those languishing projects DONE.

What do I have to finish up? Far, far too much to actually finish in August, probably, but here's what's on my plate:

Coolbreeze Cardigan

Still have half the body and the sleeves to finish. (And then JJ's version to cast on!)

Hourglass Throw

JJ's baby blanket. Yes, he's almost 6 months old. Why do you ask?

Shur'tugal socks

Supposedly for mom's birthday on the 17th. No photo of this one, all I've done is the ribbing on the 1st sock!

Dahlia Cardigan

(Yes, still not done!)

And a design sample--a super secret baby sweater knit in sportweight yarn.(That I, uh, incidentally need test knitters for, if anyone's interested.)


Want to Finish Up Summer with me? Come chat in the NEW MediaPeruana Designs Ravelry group, and tell us what you're finishing up! Or flash some photos of what you plan to knit/crochet this fall. We'll offer support and encouragement, and/or commiseration.

WIP (long) Weekend: Pembroke Vest

 

I got a nice, long weekend surprise in the mail today: my copy of Botanical Knits. Sure, I already have the ebook, but there's just something about having the print version at hand. Especially since I plan to cast on one of the sweaters this weekend.

Except ...

At some point in the recent past, presumably when I was drugged up and recovering from my c-section, I agreed to have my brother- and sister-in-law come and stay with us for a week.

They'll be arriving this weekend.

The good news is, CP is taking a stay-cation while they're here, so it may actually result in more knitting time for me.

But I doubt it.

Even with limited knitting time, I've managed to make quite a bit of progress on this Pembroke Vest for JJ:

 

I've learned my lesson about knitting for the present--I'm working on the 12 month size. I'm using some yarn left over from my Rocky Coast cardigan, so when cool weather comes again (I say "again," but to be honest, today's high was 58. Degrees. In late May ...????), we can be a bit matchy.

This is the back of the vest, and I realized far too late that no one looks at the back of a vest, and there was really no reason not to just knit it plain, which probably would've shaved quite a bit of knitting time off this project.

Oh well.

It's working up quickly enough in worsted weight, and I've already started the front. I'm sure JJ can hardly wait to wear it.

(Had to sneak this photo in, since I missed Wittle Wednesday. His sweater was knit by my sister-in-law!)

WIP Weekend: Coolbreeze Cardigan and Wee Austin Hoodie

I am still finding some time to knit, in stolen moments here and there: when baby naps (which seems to be for either 30 minutes or 2 hours; but I never know which one I'm going to get), when CP is home in the evenings and on weekends to help with baby wrangling, or when JJ is sufficiently distracted by his playmat. It doesn't seem like much, but it has allowed me to make some progress on two projects.

First, my Coolbreeze Cardigan.

I just adore this one. Tanis created two sweater kits for this design, and I picked the warm one. The color selection is amazing, and while the yoke looks somewhat complicated, it's actually an easy to memorize slipped stitch pattern that works up quickly. Lots of ends to weave in, but I think it will be worth it.

My hope is to knit JJ a reverse version of this cardigan, using brick red as the main color, and then maybe the matching hat for CP, so we can be disgustingly cute for holiday cards this year.

I've also nearly finished the Wee Austin Hoodie for JJ, just in time for it to be too warm for him to wear it:

I've just got one sleeve left to finish, and buttons to attach--the primary concern being I don't think I actually have any buttons suitable for this project. 

I'm knitting the smallest size, 6 months, which will probably fit JJ sometime in July . . . sigh. I suppose it might come in handy for over-air conditioned places.

I hope.

WIP in the New Year: Recap

After a few days away from my computer, I'm back and ready to tackle the new year.

So, how did I fare with my WIP in the New Year plan?

You already know I finished 2 pair of socks:

So what about the other 2 projects?

Sad to say, they're not done.

But I DID make significant progress, and am determined to finish them in January.

The Dahlia Cardigan went from this:

to this:

(That's a good 5 inches of knitting on the body--a very boring 5 inches.)


The Rocky Coast Cardigan was trickier, as I had to rip out both sleeves, and then figure out how to make them larger.

You can find errata for the pattern, addressing the sleeve problems, here. However, as this sweater is a top-down raglan, these changes only help you if you know ahead of time that the shoulders/sleeves are going to be too small. So by all means, if you're planning to knit this sweater, check the arm measurements, and adjust accordingly when you start.

Once the sweater is done, however, you're a bit out of luck. The sleeves will only unravel up to the yoke, so if you need the actual yoke to be bigger (your sweater is too tight in the shoulders), you're going to have to start over.

I have zero--no, negative--interest in starting over, and my problem is more in the upper arm area, rather than the yoke/shoulders. So I ripped out both sleeves, and added some stitches. Sleeve 1 was very cooperative:

While it's not blocked yet, it does seem to fit better. I'll be doing a separate post on how I enlarged the sleeves.

Sleeve 2 has an attitude problem. I've now tried to reknit it 3 times with no luck. So it's in time out until it learns to behave:

Once it decides to cooperate, I'll pick it up again.


As you pick out projects to kick off the new year, don't forget, I'm running a special in my Ravelry shop until January 15: use the code NEWYEAR to get a FREE pattern, with the purchase of a pattern--BOGO! 

WIP in the New Year: Project 1

I'm pleased to announce that, so far, WIP in the New Year is a huge success. I've already finished Project #1, my Glam Hufflesocks!

Before:

After!

The pattern used is Crosswired, by Wendy Gaal, and as you can see, I opted to reverse the colors on the 2nd sock. I also used Stroll Glimmer for the black yarn, so they have a bit of shine.

If I'm being honest, there wasn't really that much to do--I'd already turned the heel on the 2nd sock. It probably took more time to figure out where I'd left off than to actually finish. Which makes me wonder why I abandoned them in the first place.


Nevertheless, they are done, and I've already moved on to Projects 2 and 3: Business Casual socks by Tanis Lavallee, and the long-awaited Dahlia Cardigan. The socks are nearly complete, but the cardigan needs a lot of work.

Are you WIPing in the New Year? How's it going?

Theoretical Thursdays: the final push

You know it's less than 2 weeks until Christmas when I have not 1 but 2 WIPs sitting on my desk at work:

(It's not like I can even work on them here; I'm hoping wishful thinking will be enough to complete them.)

So what's hiding in these bags?

In bag #1, we have my sister's mittens, Glenna C.'s Podster Gloves. These are flip-top fingerless mitts (which I've simplified even further by eliminating the individual fingers), with a flip-top thumb for smartphone use. I've reached the point where I pick up stitches for the flip-top on mitten #1, so these need a lot of work yet.

In bag # 2 we find dad's Space Invaders socks, aka, BMP from Knitty. When I went to order yarn for this project, Knit Picks was out of Stroll Sock in the colors I wanted, to I bumped it up to Stroll Sport. In traditional fashion, though, I didn't bother reworking the math for the socks, I'm just kinda winging it. I cast on 78sts, rather than 92, and worked from there. I'm also not bothering with the duplicate stitch "shooter" on the top of each foot, either. Too much work.
I've nearly completed sock 1.

 

It gets worse though. 

TODAY I ordered yarn for a final Christmas project. CP really needs mittens, I've decided, and somehow, in my entire stash, I couldn't find a suitable amount of worsted weight yarn. I either have enough for a sweater, or scraps. Nothing in between. So, I ordered a couple of skeins of WOTA Tweed from KP--and nothing else! My entire order was $10, including shipping! It's a Christmas miracle.

In other, completely unrelated news, I've started a new project. I really hate when a blog I love about X suddenly becomes a blog about Y. So in the interest of not turning Learner's Per-knit into a blog about childbirth, dirty diapers and teething, I've started a whole new blog. It's called There's No D#$% Stork, and you can find it right over here. It's very much a work in progress, but I expect to write about all the not-so-glamorous moments of pregnancy, childbirth and learning what to do with a baby. 

All knitting and design work will stay right here at Learner's Per-knit, where it belongs.

On disappointment

The last time I showed you my Rocky Coast Cardigan, it looked like this:

Here's what it looks like now:

Just one small problem.

It doesn't fit.

Le sigh.

I made a bit of a rookie mistake.

I forgot that gauge when knitting flat =/= gauge knitting in the round.

The body of the sweater is knit flat, but the sleeves are knit in the round--and while I hated working on such large DPNs, it was a relief to stop purling!

I was so relieved, I forgot to think.

And, alas, the sleeves turned out far, far too narrow.

I can squeeze bare arms into them, but it's not exactly comfortable. And I plan to wear the sweater over long-sleeved shirts anyway.


The good news is, I have more yarn, so I can fix them.

The bad news is, I was already knitting on size 10.5 needles, with a rather loose gauge, and I refuse to work on size 13s.

So, I'll rip back, add more stitches under the arm, and eliminate some decreases.

That should do it.

I just . . . don't want to do it.

Le sigh.

On multitasking

This is going to be a combo post of sorts, as I want to touch on a few points before we leave for Rhinebeck in the morning.

RHINEBECK IN THE MORNING!

First, I don't want you to miss your weekly Dory cuteness, so here she is:

Yes, she's laying in a cardboard box from Amazon.com. She lays there a lot. More than her bed. I tried to throw it out and CP nearly had a heart attack. He spoils her more than I do, which does not bode well for my "have-children-who-aren't-spoiled-brats" plan.

Also, here's Nelly nuzzling her toy, just for the heck of it:

Secondly, progress has been made on the Rocky Coast cardigan, I'm quite excited:

I finished the body, then knit the first sleeve. Then I couldn't stomach working on giant DPNs anymore, so I did the neckband. And now I'm back to the second sleeve. I got a bit done in the car this morning, before I dropped a DPN under my seat and couldn't find it for 30 minutes. Then I got even a little bit more done, but I'd say I've got another 13" to go.

Which brings me to the next point: RHINEBECK! I'd love to have this sweater ready to wear Saturday. I could easily finish the sleeve during the 6 hour drive to upstate NY, but then I'd have to block the sweater at the hotel, probably on the floor (eww), and hope it dries really quickly. So that's plan B. Plan A is to miraculously finish it tonight. Wish me luck!

I'm all signed up for a spindle spinning class with Abby Franquemont on Saturday afternoon. The only problem is, I haven't touched my spindle in months:

And I am really just a beginning spinner anyway. I hope I won't embarrass myself too much.

If you're at Rhinebeck on Saturday, look for me and say hi! I'll have a very tall Peruvian in tow, a wee baby bump and my yellow-and-black Hufflepuff bag.

On wee little knits

Babies need handknit things.

It's a rule, apparently.

And I'm not really sure why.

Babies ruin stuff. They poo and puke and roll around on the floor and grow too fast, and sooner or later, that thing you knit is looking more and more like the original tangle of yarn it was. Only dirtier.

But still. Babies need handknit things.

Who am I to buck tradition?

Since our wee Peruanito will be making his debut in February, he'll, of course, need lots of handknit things. February is cold.

So I've made this very small cap to keep his little head warm:

And some very tiny mittens to protect those wee hands:



The hat is the Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap, and the mittens, the Djevel-Mittens. Both patterns feature samples knit in stripes, but I decided to use a single yarn, just to make my life easier. It's not as if baby will know the difference, and I've been on a mission to use up leftover yarns.

I also suspect both are a bit big for a newborn, but I guess we'll see. He can always grow into them.

The centerpiece of Peruanito's winter wardrobe, though, will be Alana Dakos' Little Oak cardigan, which for reasons unknown I keep calling "Tiny Oak."

Peruanito is due February 8, but if he's anything like me (born 2 weeks late, as mom never tires of reminding me), he'll be late to the party and make his debut around Valentine's Day instead.

(There's also a darn good chance he'll interrupt the Superbowl, especially if the Ravens happen to be in it.)

So I figured he needs a red sweater for the occasion.

This seems to be a pretty easy knit, nothing's really going on until I hit the yoke, so smooth car knitting for now. I chose some Madelinetosh (of course) sport for the project, the colorway is Tart. The smallest size for the pattern is 6 months, so this is another item he may have to grown into--though since CP is 6'4", I wouldn't be surprised to have a big Peruanito as well.

I'm totally going to be that mom whose kid is taller than her at age 10.

I also have a pair of very small socks on the needles, and a vague blanket design floating around in my head. What do you like to knit for babies?

On forever Fridays

It's Friday!

And this day is just dragging onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn . . .

This is my very unhappy "I'm stuck in the office" face

I'm beginning to think time is going backward.

Not only do I have a 3 day weekend to look forward to (here at the Organization That Must Not Be Named, we like to celebrate that guy that brought disease and greedy Spaniards to the New World, where they nearly wiped out the native populations), complete with a ghost tour of historic Annapolis, but tonight is the Wild Card game between the Orioles and the Rangers!

This is it. If they lose, the season's over.

(Although, on the plus side, I bet I'll be a lot more productive in the evenings, not glued to the tv.)

So needless to say, I can't wait to get out of here. I've been watching the clock since 10am.

I'm also eager to get back to working on my latest WIP:

My Rocky Coast Cardigan, another gem from the Coastal Knits collection, is moving along swiftly--I've already completed the raglan increases and am working on the body of the sweater. It's an incredibly easy to memorize cable pattern, and there's no waist shaping, which makes for a very portable, nearly mindless project. The kind you can work on while watching a baseball game, for example.

Speaking, yet again, of Coastal Knits, just after I posted earlier this week about the Rustling Leaves beret, Hannah and Alana announced that the collection has been released as an ebook, AND, the individual patterns are gradually being released for individual download. Alana has also been offering a one day discount on each pattern as she releases it--today you can get the Gnarled Oak Cardigan at 25% off!

(If you check out her posts from earlier this week, you might spot a photo of me in my Wildflower Cardigan!)

And speaking of coupons, the fall coupon code for the MediaPeruana pattern store can now be found over on my Facebook page, and among my fascinating tweets, so don't forget to follow mediaperuana on Twitter!