Ollie's Story

(As I said when JJ was born, if you like hearing baby birth stories, read on; if you prefer to think storks drop little pink and blue bundles off to expectant parents around the world, just scroll down to the bottom, where I remind you to enter the Sock Yarn Scarves giveaway!)

Oliver Martin made his unexpected arrival on Friday, August 1, and the whole thing played out much like JJ's birth: I went in for my 39 week prenatal visit, my blood pressure was high so I was sent to the hospital for monitoring. Ultimately, my bp stabilized, but it turned out that I was having mild contractions, and the baby was not responding well to them--his heart rate was dropping and not recovering quickly enough. So, lucky me, I was bound for another csection.

This all happened around 3pm. The doctor first told me the procedure would be done around 7pm, but as the afternoon went on, the baby was not behaving as they hoped, and it turned into "How fast can your husband get here?" CP was, of course, at home with JJ, waiting for my sister to arrive to babysit.

Finally CP arrived and things got underway around 4pm. Oliver made his appearance at 4:39pm, weighing just 5lbs 11oz (anything under 5.5lbs is considered low birthweight, so he wasn't officially low, but definitely small for his age). They measured him at 18", but we've since been to the pediatrician where he's been 19 3/4", so clearly someone made a mistake somewhere along the way.

We finally made it to recovery and were attempting the tricky task of breastfeeding while still mostly numb from surgery when a doctor arrived to explain that Ollie had very low blood sugar and would need to be taken to the NICU. She thought they could get it back up quickly and his stay would be relatively short. So off he went, and I didn't see him again until the next morning, when I was finally allowed out of bed.

Unfortunately, getting his blood sugar up was no easy task. He had an IV for glucose, was being fed formula (and later pumped milk), at one point had a feeding tube--which he kept pulling out--and they even tried putting a line in through his little belly button, but it took nearly a week for his blood sugar to rise and then remain stable without interventions. I was discharged on Tuesday morning, so I spent the next few days living at the hospital, eating crap from the cafeteria and snack machines,  pumping milk behind a curtain, and missing my little JJ back at home. It was by no means enjoyable, but compared to the long stays of other NICU babies, I'm sure it was a piece of cake.

We were finally able to bring Ollie home on August 8, a week after he was born. We've settled in and are all working to adjust to life with a newborn. Fortunately, CP has 4 weeks of paternity leave, which will hopefully make my transition to full time mom of 2 kids under age 2 a little easier!


My knitting time is certainly at a premium right now, but fortunately I can enjoy other knitting-related things, like podcasts, blogging, and giving away yarn! Don't forget to check out the Sock Yarn Scarves giveaway--you have 1 more week to leave a comment on that post and be entered to win!

Wittle Wednesdays: Ollie's Hat

 

When you have a baby, the hospital gives you a rather terrible newborn hat that's all stretch and no structure. It falls off baby's head after about 30 seconds, and you spend most of your hospital stay putting it back on. 

Why don't they just keep things warm enough that baby doesn't need a hat? I don't know. One of the great mysteries of life, I guess. 

Knowing we would be given another of these useless hats, before Ollie was born, I set out to knit him an alternative hat. I wanted something newborn-sized (about a 14" head circumference), done in fingering weight, simple and quick, but not plain stockinette.  I searched and searched Ravelry and came up short.

So of course I wound up just putting something together myself.

This little hat knits up so quickly, even in fingering weight, and the chevron pattern is easy to memorize, as are the crown decreases. It's a great way to use up leftover sock yarn, works well with variegated, self-striping or solid color yarn, and best of all, in Ollie's honor, this is a freebie. Check out the pattern below.

 

And if you have some extra time (who doesn't?!?), consider knitting up a couple for your local NICU (using a soft, non-allergenic yarn). They play host to so many tiny babies and exhausted moms and dads who will certainly appreciate your generosity. Ollie's NICU stay was relatively short, but I'll always be thankful for the support and encouragement we received while he was there.

 

OLLIE'S HAT

Size: newborn; approx. 14" head circumference
Gauge: 7.5st/in in st st
Needles: US size 3 DPNs, or long circular for magic loop
Yarn: Approx. 50yds fingering weight

Abbreviations:
kfb: knit into the front and back of the same stitch
s2kp: slip 2 sts as if to knit; k1, then pass both slipped sts over and off the needle

CO 104 sts; place marker and join to work in the round.

Rnd 1: (k2, p2) to end.

Work Rnd 1 5 times total, or until brim is approx. 1/2".

Next rnd: Knit, increasing 1 st. 105 sts.

Chevron pattern:

Rnd 1: *Kfb, k5, s2kp, k5, kfb; rep from * to end.
Rnd 2: Knit.

Rep rnds 1 and 2 until hat is approximately 3".

Crown decreases:

Rnd 1: *K6, s2kp, k6; rep from * to end.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rnd 3: *K5, s2kp, k5; rep from * to end.
Rnd 4: Knit.
Rnd 5: *K4, s2kp, k4; rep from * to end.
Rnd 6: Knit.
Rnd 7: *K3, s2kp, k3; rep from * to end.
Rnd 8: Knit.
Rnd 9: *K2, s2kp, k2; rep from * to end.
Rnd 10: Knit.
Rnd 11: *K1, s2kp, k1; rep from * to end.
Rnd 12: S2kp around. 7 sts rem.

Cut yarn, pass through remaining stitches, pull tight to close and fasten off. Weave in ends. Put on squirmy new baby.

And Then There Were Four

We welcomed Oliver Martin into our lives on August 1! Despite being born at 39 weeks, he weighed just 5lbs 11 oz, and was 18" long--a peanut. Unfortunately some issues with low blood sugar have kept him in the NICU. We're hoping to bring him home tomorrow--fingers crossed! I'll be sure to share his whole story with you all as soon as I can.

In the meantime, check out the new collection Knit Picks released today, Sock Yarn Scarves, featuring my latest design, Siempre, an infinity scarf perfect for fall!

Wittle Wednesdays: Kelbourne Woolens Baby Collection

It is Wednesday, right?

Sometimes I'm not even sure anymore.

I know it's April.

Or, I'm pretty sure.

Wittle Wednesday this week is dedicated to a knit I finished a while back, but didn't have a baby to use to showcase. I decided to go ahead and post it, because I wanted to talk about Kelbourne Woolens Baby Collection too.

This sweater was originally started for JJ, and then by the time it was done, it was too small. So it will be going into storage for baby #2.

(Did I mentioned that baby #2 is a boy? It's a boy! Another boy!)

The pattern is Beatrix, and can be found in Kelbourne Woolens Baby Collection, a delightful  set of practical and timeless baby knits, all featuring the beautiful Fibre Company yarns.

This pattern calls for Acadia. I happened to have a little, so I used it for the contrast color, and used up some Knit Picks City Tweed DK for the main color.

I knit the 6-12 month size, and I think 12 months would probably be pushing it. Based on just this sweater, I would guess the patterns might run a bit small, but you can remedy that by actually measuring your baby, and not just winging it. 

The entire piece is knit in garter stitch, so it's full of squishy goodness, and the body is knit in one piece, with mitered shaping on the front.

 It has just one button, so I picked a decorative one I had in my collection.

I love the grown up-looking collar on this piece, and can't wait to see it on a squishy baby this fall!

Photo courtesy of Kelbourne Woolens

This is the first piece I knit from the KW Baby Collection, but won't be the last. There are some great patterns in here. Like Collette:

 Photo courtesy of Kelbourne Woolens

Pretty girlie, but in the right colors and sans the hearts, I think it will work for a boy.

And Nellie is the cutest little unisex jumper:

Photo courtesy of Kelbourne Woolens

 Many of these patterns are fairly simple and straightforward, which is the beauty of it all: as a new or expecting mom, you often don't have the energy or brain power for something complicated. At your best, you might be able to work simple patterns like these out on your own. But on 3 hours' sleep, you just want someone to tell you what to do.

My only concern with this collection is that, while the Fibre Company's yarns are absolutely beautiful, many of them are delicate and perhaps not baby/kid friendly. So I would suggest taking that into consideration when deciding whether to knit your projects in the recommended yarns (perhaps for special occasion pieces?) or to opt for heartier yarns.

If you enjoy baby knits, I highly recommend this 13 pattern collection. You can buy the ebook through Ravelry for $15, or grab a print copy on Amazon for $13 + shipping.

Mommy and Me: A Story in Sweaters

You might remember, I finished JJ's Coolbreeze Cardigan back in December, and then my sweater had to undergo surgery before I could wear it.

And then, for whatever reason, I procrastinated about putting the buttons on.

Well, first I couldn't find the buttons. But then once I found them, I still took my good old time putting them on the sweater.

I don't know.  I guess I wasn't in a rush given that, after all the work to make the coordinating sweaters, I knew mine wouldn't fit. Because: pregnancy.

Interesting thing about subsequent pregnancies--the body remembers. It's like, "Oh, hey, I just did this. May as well get on with the task of expanding to epic proportions immediately."

But I did finally decide to just sew the buttons on and finish the project once and for all.

 

And, of course, it doesn't exactly fit.  But it looks kind of ok as an open front cardigan for the time being. I think I can keep using it until Spring arrives--if it ever does (I'm looking at you, snow forecast for Tuesday!).

So of course, buttons accomplished, I needed to FINALLY get the mommy/baby matchy match sweater photos I wanted.

  

JJ was less than amused, probably because his sweater barely fits him anymore.  Also, you'd think the photographer (AKA: CP) might mention that my hand is blocking most of JJ's sweater. But no.

 There's a smile. And now his sweater can be washed and put back in the closet for baby #2.

Shortly after taking these photos, I drove myself out to the Homespun Yarn Party, but that was a complete bust. After driving around for 15 minutes looking for parking until I found someone leaving to stalk (and I don't mean to get a parking space close to the entrance--I mean to get any parking space at all), I made my way inside to find an ENORMOUS line. I estimated at least a 45 minute wait to get in--and that was just to enter the room, not to buy any actual yarn. I stuck around for a few minutes to see how fast it was moving--and it wasn't. So that was it for me--I drove the 40 minutes back home, completely wasting most of my Sunday afternoon. Boo.

Happy Birthday, JJ!

My sweet little peanut turned 1 on Sunday!

I can't really wrap my brain around it--an entire year has gone by, and he's becoming a real little person. He's not talking yet, but he understands a lot. If you ask him for a kiss, he'll give you one (well, ok, he'll kinda gum the side of your face--close enough). When his annoying toy Scout says "I love you," he gives him a kiss too. He spends most of the day bringing me books to read to him. When I sing the Winnie the Pooh song, he'll crawl over to his giant Pooh bear and bop him on the head. He's walking more and more, feeding himself, jabbering nonsense all day long.

We celebrated on his birthday with a big party, lots of family and friends. Despite the fact that I nearly forgot to give out the favor bags I put together, and did forget to set up the "Pin the Nose on the Lion" game I bought for the kids, I remembered this important Polish 1st birthday tradition:

You present baby with a shot glass, a rosary, and a coin, and see which one he picks. He made a grab for the rosary, but changed his mind at the last second and went for the money.

Apparently the shot glass was his second choice, he seemed more interested in that than the cake.

(For the record, my parents cannot remember which my sister and I picked.)

He was really unsure about cake. I made him his own smash cake, but very little smashing happened.

Though he did briefly consider this option.

And he got more toys than any baby needs. We actually put a few away--with a birthday right after Christmas, it's a toy deluge, and then a toy drought for the rest of the year, so we plan to spread them out a bit. At least until he's old enough to catch on.

JJ wanted to share the fun, so he advised me to put the Javi sweater pattern on sale in honor of his birthday.

So until February15, you can pick it up for just $2.99. No coupon code needed, the discount will be added automatically after you put it in your cart. Enjoy!

2014: Year of Making Indeed

Remember last month, when I said I was feeling under the weather? That was, I'm . . . excited? to say, a clever euphemism for "I'm all knocked up again and whatnot."

Yep.

Seriously.

This could go down in the books as one of the least planned pregnancies in the history of time (I won't go into the details, but suffice to say, proper precautions were taken--and apparently ignored). We planned to have our kids about 3 years apart. But here we are--Gizmo, as we're calling him/her, will be arriving on or about August 7, and I'll be the proud but exhausted mother of 2 kids under the age of 2.

And scared? Did I mention scared?

As with my last pregnancy, my 1st trimester was plagued by an exhaustion so all-encompassing I could barely pick up my needles. (AND Gizmo found both coffee and diet Pepsi repellant!) Fortunately, I am officially done with the 1st tri, and my energy is returning. Which is good, because I've got a few deadlines looming and a number of designs debuting in the coming months.

Still, I'm feeling as though 2014 is already in a bit of an upheaval. Remember when I declared it the Year of the Pullover? I don't know about that now--what on earth size should I knit? Will I ever be my pre-pregnancy size again? Who knows. 

I'll probably make it to MD Sheep and Wool, but Rhinebeck is definitely out. Anything involving travel after June is out. (I also had some vague plans to take myself to Stitches West this year, and that's out too, though for different reasons.)

And what do I knit for an August baby?? Surely s/he won't need a coming home outfit made of wool.

What I do know is that 2014 is going to be another crazy, amazing year.

Delayed Bind Off: Pembroke Vest

Sifting through my posts, I realized I never told you guy about this little gem.

Since I didn't finish our matching sweaters in time for our family photos, I decided to have JJ wear another handknit, which was primarily intended for Christmas Eve mass.

Of course, now it's been so long since I knit it, I'm not sure what I have to say.

 
Pattern: Pembroke Vest by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Tonal in Pearlescent, about 250 yards 
Size: 12 months
Mods: none, but I have a "shoulda, coulda, woulda."

This is a free pattern (yay!) and was fairly straightforward--knit flat in 2 pieces, lots of cabling, buttons at the shoulder to get it over giant baby heads. My "shoulda coulda woulda" is that both front and back are cabled--and who looks at the back? No one, that's who. If I knit this again, I would make the back plain. It would make this a much faster project.

Otherwise, smooth sailing, and a great baby project.

These photos, meanwhile, were taken by Ashley Dougherty, a local photographer who did an amazing job. And by happy coincidence (no, really!), we're featured in her latest blog post, so you can stop by and see a few different photos, should you be so inclined.

Wittle Saturday Wednesday Bound Off Sampler . . . Post

The speed at which the days slip away from me is astounding. I intended to come here and post this on Wittle Wednesday, yet here it is Saturday, and I'm just now sitting down at the computer. But, since I have no Saturday Sampler post prepared, I guess I can just go ahead with JJ's sweater.

My little booger angel turned 10 months old on Monday! So incredible to be closing in on a year already.

He's crawling, chasing the cats, pulling to a stand on anything stable (and not-so-stable), cruising, walking with his walker and determined to crack his head open the instant I turn my back.

To celebrate, I made him wear his finished Coolbreeze cardigan--with sleeves of equal length!--and pose with Christmas lights, which he did not appreciate at all.

Oh well. Just the start of a never-ending parade of things to be done to make mommy happy.

For JJ's sweater, I used a brick red for the main color, and started the chevron pattern with the lightest color and worked back to dark brown. I should've also used the lightest color on the sleeve ribbing, but I wasn't sure I would have enough to finish my cardigan, so I opted for brown.

(And since I still have 4 inches of sleeve to add to my cardi, this was probably a wise choice.)

This was a very straightforward pattern, though as I recall, I thought something was a little off on the final yoke decrease round, it didn't quite seem to fit the established pattern, but I figured it out quickly. The colorwork section is easy to memorize, and though there are LOTS of ends to weave in, it's easy to wind them through and around the slipped stitch strands on the wrong side.

Is this safe? I'm calling child services!

I knit the 12 month size, and barring any major growth spurts (knock on wood), it should last through the winter. Now, in the midst of all the Christmas knitting, I must fix my own cardigan so we can get at least ONE measly photo of us in our coordinating sweaters.

Yippie!

Hat WIPing and Single Parenting

Hat buddies!

This week . . . wow. It has been a killer. CP left for the Dominican Republic at 5am Saturday and he's still not home. I love my son, but we've been together round the clock for days and it's starting to wear on me.

Especially because his sleep is alllllllllllllllll over the place. I never know what to expect, other than a battle because naps and bedtime are apparently out of style.

I understand this is normal at this age--they just have so much going on, their little brains have trouble shutting down. He's crawling, climbing the stairs, pulling up to a stand, babbling. He's constantly on the go. I put him in his crib with droopy eyes, yawning, and instantly he's trying to crawl. The result is a struggle to fall asleep--and stay asleep. Which is a real joy when there's no one around to tag in for a round.

And some people do this all the time. I can't wrap my head around it. Hats off to you, single parents!

In the midst of this non-sleeping extravaganza, I've cobbled together a quick knit hat pattern that I'm hoping to release early next month for last minute holiday knitting. I'm knitting up a sample in Wandering Wool Heights Worsted and it's soooooooo squishy and soft, I love working with it.

And I'm looking for test knitters, so if you're interested, stop by the Ravelry group and check it out.

Wittle Wednesdays: Gavyn Pullover

I finished this sweater up a couple months ago, and JJ has finally grown into it! He wore it on a cool day last week (actually, it was so chilly, he should probably also be wearing a jacket!), so I snapped a few photos so I could show it off.

Pattern: Gavyn, by Amanda Blackford
Yarn: Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Worsted in the Rock Creek Park colorway
Needles: ??
Rav link

There a few big pluses for this sweater--it knits up quickly in worsted weight, and the combination of knit and purl boxes is quite stretchy, so it should fit for a while. Through the winter, hopefully.

Unfortunately I can't recommend the sweater without noting that the pattern was a bit troublesome. There were some errors and confusing patches that I was ultimately able to work through--since it's a fairly straightforward construction--but it wasn't as clear as a knitter would expect.

Still, it's a free pattern, and a cute sweater, so if you're up to a little fussing and head-scratching, you can make it work.

This was my first time working with Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Worsted (though I'm dying to get my hands on some Lincoln Park), even though she's a local dyer. I think I'll be using it again! The yarn is sturdy, but still fairly soft (not as soft as, say, Malabrigo, but I have a feeling it will hold up 10 times better). And I love the large skeins--400 yards. I even have enough left over for a matching baby hat.

If I could just find the time to knit it!

Wittle Wednesdays: Spooky Wittle Sock Recipe

Ta-da! Here we are at the pumpkin patch, Halloween socks and all.

I was able to finish the socks in time, including an adventure in seaming while doped up on cold meds the morning of, because JJ was kind enough to share his cold with me (and not, I will note, with CP).

Sadly, the first thing JJ did when we set him on the ground to take pictures was rub his socks in the dirt, leaves, sticks and debris. At least it wasn't rotten pumpkin guts.

In case you'd like a quick pair of Halloween (or other themed) striped socks of your own, I've whipped up a little recipe for you.

What makes this a "recipe" instead of a pattern? Let's see.

For starters, there's nothing particularly novel about these socks--they're just slightly more interesting than plain vanilla socks, they just happen to be baby-sized. Basically, I've done a little math to create a smaller sock, so if you don't want to go to the trouble of doing math, it's your lucky day!

Sort of. This sock recipe comes in only one size: Size JJ. His little foot is about 4" long, and 5" around, so if you have a baby that's about that size, or will someday be that size, these socks are for you.

I'm going to assume you already have a general idea of how to knit socks, and have a handle on all the techniques that go with that, so I'm going to keep the instructions fairly simple. I knit these on DPNs, so the instructions are, you guessed it, for knitting on DPNs!

Also, this hasn't been test knit or tech edited.

And finally, while this basic sock will work with any fingering weight yarn, I used Knit Picks Felici and I did a lot of, "Oh, I'll just knit until the next color change," so if you use the same yarn, you'll get the same color blocking.

Spooky Wittle Sock Recipe

Gauge: approx 8 sts/in

 CO 44 sts over 3 DPNs

Work in 1x1 rib for approximately .5", or 1 color repeat.

Knit 1 round, placing a marker after 22 sts to mark middle of the rnd.

Leg Pattern:

Rnd 1: *k2, slp 1 wyib, k to 3 sts before m, slp 1 wyib, k2; rep from * once.
Rnd 2: *k2, k1 tbl, k to 3 sts before m, k1 tbl, k2; rep from * once.

Work leg pattern through 2 color repeats, or until leg is approximately 3" long, ending after Rnd 2.

Heel Flap

Work Rnd 1 once (I purposely worked 1 rnd in the next color, to make a little "strap" across the front of the ankle); at end of rnd, turn work.

Slp 1, then work back across 21 sts, up to the m; as you are no longer working in the round, you'll be purling on the WS, and remember to purl the slipped sts through the back loop.

You will be working the heel back and forth on these 22 sts. Move remaining 22 sts to scrap yarn or a spare needle.

Continue working heel sts in pattern, and slipping the first st of each row, until heel flap reaches approx 1.5", ending with a WS row.

Turn the Heel

Row 1: K13, ssk, k1, turn.
R2: Slp 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.
R3: Slp 1, knit to gap, ssk across gap, k1, turn.
R4: Slp 1, purl to gap, p2tog across gap, p1, turn.

Continue as established until all sts on the needle have been worked; 14 sts.

Knit across 14 heel sts.

Gusset

Return held sts to needle.

Pick up and knit approx 11 sts down the left side of the heel flap (needle 1), work across held sts in pattern (needle 2), pick up and knit 11 sts up the right side of the heel flap, then knit 7 more sts from the original heel flap (needle 3) to bring you to the new center of the round.

Work 1 rnd, knitting sts on needles 1 and 3, and working needle 2 in pattern. (You may find it useful to knit the picked up sts through the back loop on this rnd to tighten them up.)

Rnd 1: Needle 1: Knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; Needle 2: work in pattern; Needle 3: k1, ssk, knit to end of rnd.
Rnd 2: Knit sts on Needles 1 and 3; work sts on Needle 2 in pattern.

Rep Rnds 1 and 2 until 22 sts remain on Needles 1 and 3. Needle 1 and 3 now hold sole sts, Needle 2 holds top of foot sts.

Foot

Continue as established, working Needle 2 sts in pattern and sole sts in stockinette, until foot reaches approx 3.5", or about halfway through the 7th color block. Mark new ctr of rnd between Needles 1 and 2.

Toe

Rnd 1 (start of Needle 2): *k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; rep from * once across needles 3 and 1.
Rnd 2: knit.

Rep these 2 rnds until 24 sts rem; then rep only rnd 1 until 16 sts rem.

Seam toe using kitchener stitch.

Make 2nd sock.

Put on adorable baby.