Secret Squirrel

I've been finding it hard to compose a post, even though I've finished one project and am 3/4 of the way through another because they need to be kept a secret for a little while. Taking part in secret swaps is so much much fun, but not great to blog about, at least not until the package has been received. I'll do my best to try and write something that makes sense even though I won't mention the pattern or add any pics.

My plan was to knit 2 versions of this hat, one for secret toddler and, once that was done, one for Cassie. However when I did my swatch I was a little unsure that my gauge was going to work so I ended up knitting Cassie's first as it would be less of a disaster if it was too small. Bizarrely the finished hat ended up a little too big. Because Cassie has a small head I made hers I the smallest size with the intention of making the swap hat in the next size up, but I've ended up making the second one in the smallest size too seeing as how Cassie's is quite large. I'm pretty glad that I did make the practice one, size aside I have made a few tweaks to the swap version as there were a couple of elements that look a little scrappy on Cassie's hat and I would be unhappy sending it to another knitter. I'm really pleased with the second version so far and I can't wait to send it off and then I can share both projects here.

In other non news, Felicity's blanket is drying and then will be waiting for me to find time to sew on the backing and binding. Life with two kids is actually proving to be a little easier than I'd feared, but sewing up the blanket will not be made easier by having Cassie in the room so I'll have to wait until I have someone to watch the girls while I get on with it.

And finally, because I do feel like a post without pictures is a bit sad here's some cuteness for you!

 

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Yarny oops.

So this happened. Whoopsie! My graph is going to look really bad at the end of this month. However, once again all of this yarn has a purpose, I know exactly what I'm going to make with it and I'm going to make it all soon. Here's the line up.

Top left: Cabled Teddy Hat, probably one each for Cassie and Felicity.

Top right: Lotta Bolero from Millamia's Bright Young Things for Cassie.

Bottom right: Secret hat swap project, this yarn is actually for two versions, one for the swap and one for Cassie.

Bottom left: Themisto hat for me.

Hopefully I should blow through these projects pretty quickly, they are all fairly small which is ideal after knitting the baby blanket. Speaking of which, I have actually finished knitting the blanket. Considering I thought it might end up being a first Christmas present I'm really impressed that it's done before Felicity is even two weeks old. I now need to choose a fabric for the backing and sew that on with some binding, but the end is in sight. I hope to be able to share the finished object with you soon.

 

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Tongue tied

Things have been a little chaotic here of late, Felicity and I have been having some difficulty with feeding leading to our house needing a revolving door for all of the midwives and infant feeding coordinators that have come to see us. It turns out that she had a tongue tie which was tethering her tongue to the bottom of her mouth and understandably affecting her ability to suck. However, we managed to work with it and she has continued to put on weight and today she had a little procedure to correct it so hopefully my greedy little monkey will go from strength to strength.

With all this going on I've had only a little time to knit but I'm pleased to say that Felicity's blanket is so close to being done. I decided that I could probably have got away with casting off after I finished the second repeat, but that leaves me with around a quarter of a star completed at the top of the blanket, so I'm going to keep knitting until row 60 of a third repeat in order to complete those stars. Although a lot of people who've knitted the blanket haven't bothered I've decided that I'm then going to add a backing and binding round the edges. My blanket is a little curly in places and I'd like it to look really good when it's finished, after all it's taken me long enough to knit. I'm hoping to knit like the wind and get it done in the next few days so that I can cast on for my next, super secret project. I'm taking part in a hat swap with some other mums from Cassie's due date group on Ravelry. I've picked such a cute pattern and I can't wait til I can share. What I can share though is the new yarn I had to buy in order to knit it (oops) and all the other yarn I had to buy to keep it company in the mail! I'll save that for tomorrow though.

 

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4 days

Felicity has now been with us for 4 days and of course I am no less charmed by her, she really is the sweetest little thing. She is so tiny and delicate though that Cassie seems to have trebled in size overnight! Cassie herself seems to be having a bit if a tough time, she clearly is quite taken with her sister, but doesn't understand why she's not allowed to really play with her and she's also very jealous. Moments like this make me realise that everything will work out though.

Obviously I've not had much time for anything not baby related over the last few days. I'm not even sure I've managed to sleep lying down so knitting has fallen by the way side but I did manage to get a pic of Felicity in the final of her trio of woolly Wormhead hats and because I've had far too much time in the middle of the night with only a baby and an iPad I've made a little collage of the whole collection. Cute huh?

 

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The question...

Since I made the decision to work exclusively on baby's star illusion blanket I've been amazed at how quickly it started to come together. Nearing the end of the second balls of each colour and the end of the second pattern repeat a question began to form in my mind, can I actually get this done before she arrives? The race was on, which would be finished first, the blanket or the baby? Well we finally have an answer!

This is the blanket:

Blanket, note needles

This is the baby:

Note, well, baby

Yes she's finally here, she doesn't have her own hand knitted blanket yet, but she doesn't seem to care! Her name is Felicity Rose, she arrived at 12:05pm on 6th Jan, weighing in at a dainty 6lb 15oz. After having Cassie who was a round 8lb at birth Felicity seems very tiny and delicate but of course they are both perfect.

So that's another knitwear model added to the family, my beautiful girl, I wonder if she knows how cosy she's going to be?

 

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The year ahead.

2013 was a good year for me craft wise and also blog wise, I made the most posts ever and it's helped me keep track of all of my projects and my stash. I'd really like to keep it up again this year, a tough promise to make with a newborn about to be part of my life again but my iPad has made it much easier to throw together a quick post so who knows, it's worth a try. Of course said newborn may make it difficult for me to actually do anything worth blogging about, I don't expect to complete anywhere near the 24 knitting projects I completed in 2013 but I can always fill up the space with cute baby pics!

In the last year I achieved quite a few of my knitting goals, stranded colourwork being one of them. I want to keep practicing at that and would really like to design something myself. In fact I would quite like this to be the year where I do actually take some of the ideas I've had rattling around in my noggin and turn them into real knits.

As far as projects go I would like to actually knit something big, like a cardigan, for myself. I made a start last year with Cria but before long I found out there was a baby on the way and my focus shifted back to little people knits. As I have no idea what size I'm going to end up for a little while it's not realistic to put in any work on that or anything else for me just yet, but later this year I'll get cracking on a big selfish project.

I also need to make something for Stu. He keeps whining how I never make him anything (which if anything makes me rather disinclined to actually do it) but I would like to make him a winter set for next year. I have some green yarn I've spun which will be perfect and I just need to spin up the grey yarn I'd like to go with it and then I can get on with that.

Skill wise I do just really want to concentrate on perfecting things I've learnt to do recently as well as continue to up my repertoire of cast ons/offs. The only thing I have been meaning to do which I keep putting off is crochet. I can do it but I'm very rusty so I'd like to pick at least one crochet project and actually finish it this year.

So, some modest expectations for the year ahead. I wonder how I'll do?

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