Two scarfs

My dear Andrew has taken both of our children to his parents' house and given me a morning off. I spent it paying bills and writing thank you cards while listening to loud music. I know there were about a billion more fun things I could have done, but I really feel better for having taken care of those tasks. Now I'm making my monthy blog post. I don't want my posts to be this far apart, but I'm afraid that for the time being, it's just got to be that way.

Here is the Chevron Scarf again, now halfway complete. I love Jo's yarn, love the feel, love the colors, love everything about it. And the pattern is so easy that I can work a row or two here and there and put it down when Jamie fusses or Rose wants to play.

I was thinking about the first scarf I knit, which, stereotypically, was my first project. The yarn was a skein of jewel-toned acrylic. Just one skein. I knitted it up in seed stitch on needles that were probably two sizes too small for the yarn (they were all I had), so I ended up with this very dense, cardboard-like, too short scarf. I gave it to my mother, who praised me sincerely then proceeded to never wear it. Not that I blame her; she probably couldn't make it bend around her neck! Fortunately or not, I have no photo of that poor project.

What a far cry this beautiful, wooly, soft, drapey scarf is from that first one! I'm not giving it to Mom, though, this one's for me!

Jamie's booties

When Jo mailed me the yarn I had bought from her Etsy shop, she also included some surprises: a sweet card of congratulations on Jamie's arrival, a coloring book and markers for Rose, and these adorable baby booties! I know this is not the greatest photo, but you can see them better here.

I'm typing this one-handed because someone just won't settle down unless he's in his mama's arms. :) So it's another brief post, but I couldn't go another day without showing Jo how the booties look on his little bitty feet!

Briefly

I'm stealing a few moments for a family and knitting update. Sleep has been much more valuable to me than computer and knitting time lately, but I've managed to get in a few stitches and a little browsing here and there. I need the escape and reminder of "normal" life.


This is one of my two current projects:

The Chevron Scarf from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, knitted up in a beautiful yarn I bought from my friend Jo at her Etsy shop. The colors are blending so subtly and gorgeously together. I'm also knitting the Charade socks, but it's a slow go. I'm only halfway down the leg of the first sock and I've been working on it for more than a month now. Usually I'm done with an entire pair in a month. Of course, I've had other stuff going on, haven't I?

My dear Andrew and our son. As the days go by, Jamie looks more and more like his Daddy. Andy says "poor thing" every time I say that, but I think Andy's pretty cute, so of course I think Jamie's a living doll.

An early arrival

Our family would like to welcome Jamie. He was due the 13th of July, but born last Monday, June 30 at 8:30 am.
He weighed 6 lbs, 1 oz, and measured 18 1/2 inches.
We are glad he's here, even though we weren't quite ready.

More soon.

For fun and profit

Friends of ours from church were cleaning out the home of a recently deceased parent and found an amazing collection of needlework magazines from the 1950s. Knowing my, ah, interest in knitting as well as the affection my husband and I both have for vintage items, they knew exactly who to give this treasure to.




Just a small sampling:


"The Workbasket," from May 1952, featuring patterns for a crochet doily and a "shoulderette."




















Another issue, dated August 1954, with patterns for booties and knit edging among other articles. I love how pleased the model seems with her lace collar.






















The third one I scanned is from September 1956. I really like the rug on the cover. Another project from this issue is a "TV scarf," which is a runner to place over your television. I'm not sure how that would fly today.

Looking through these has been so much fun. One thing that struck me was the emphasis on "fun and profit" in both the articles and the advertisements. Here's a small sampling:

• "Earn extra money making artificial flowers at home! In spare time!"
• "Turn cooking talent into cash at home!"
• "Make big money at home -- Be an invisible reweaver"
• "Ladies! If you have spare or full time you'd like to turn into money, here is a wonderful new idea. Show latest dress styles to friends and neighbors and take the fast orders they will give you ... "
• "I'll pay you to 'give away' nylons at 49 cents!"

There's more to share, but I'm getting tired again. :-)

If I get more time to scan more covers or some of the articles or ads, I will. With at least thirty magazines, there's a lot to share here.

Just don't feel like blogging

But I finished a little sweater last night, and I think I like it very much.


It's for Peanut, knit in a 6 month size (I hope). It's not blue because the baby is a boy -- we don't know that yet, and we don't want to -- it's blue because a) my favorite color is blue, b) I feel blue looks beautiful on a boy or a girl, and c) the other colors I noticed in this yarn were lime green and coral and other tropical colors, which I also like a lot, but not for Norwegian-style colorwork.

Wow, how was that for a run-on sentence?

The yarn is Schoeller + Stahl Baby Micro, a superwash wool and microfiber blend. It's fingering weight and very, very soft. I really loved knitting with it and I'm almost -- almost -- tempted to make myself something with it, except I just can't imagine knitting an adult sized sweater at 7 stitches to the inch.

I bought it at a new yarn store in Wyandotte. Yes, a yarn store here in my own town! I didn't have to drive 30 minutes to buy a #3 16" circular needle when I needed it, I just headed downtown and had it in my hand! The store is fairly small and the selection is still limited to mostly basic "workhorse" yarns (and sock yarn, yay!), but the owner is very friendly and open to requests from her customers. She's getting more yarns in this August (one is a camel/merino blend, yum!), so here's to hoping the shop will keep growing.

In the meantime, I'm getting bigger and tireder, and haven't felt much like blogging. Andy's home for summer vacation now; that is such a blessing. We have 3-4 weeks to get the baby's room done. I hope it happens sooner than later.

A little meme

This meme is courtesy of my friend Jo. I'm quite grateful since I needed some blog fodder. (My life is very good lately, but very boring!)

1. What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was 25, living in a little house with two kittens, working at Bon Secours Nursing Care Center as a Music Therapist and commuting 50 minutes each way -- boy am I glad I don't have to do that any more. And dating Andrew Kilburn and waiting (somewhat) patiently for him to ask me to marry him!

2. What 5 things are on on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
Pay bills
Take Rose to the park if it doesn't rain
Go to an OB appointment
Buy a #3 16" circular needle
Attend a surprise retirement dinner

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Peanut butter with apple, Tagalog (Girl Scout) cookies, Combos, candy corn, peanut butter M&Ms

4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire:
Set up accounts for us and our families to live as comfortably as possible for the rest of our lives; support our parish; buy a building for the local community theatre; go to Disney World every winter; go to Nova Scotia; go everywhere we've always wanted to go.

5. Places I have lived:
Wyandotte
Kalamazoo
Delaware
Caro
Wyandotte