Cutest Habs fan

Ok so that shawl? It's not gonna happen. I keep messing it up and I haven't knit a stitch in days because I'm no longer motivated. I guess I could try again and hope to have it for the second wedding I have to go to at the end of August, but I don't even want to. So it'll be put in time out and maybe in 6 months I'll want to try again.

And my mom is getting married in two years, so maybe I'll get to wear it at HER wedding! :)

Now to make this post less boring, I'll give you pics of my cutie in his new Habs diaper! :)

Ooops I did it again...

Ok so you all know I have a Knit Picks addiction, right? I know some people don't like their yarn, but I love them and I love their prices. And their needles too.

I'm usually pretty reasonnable though and I order from them maybe twice a year. You may remember I ordered some of their Palette yarn recently, just before the price increased. Well, I did it again and made another order a couple of weeks ago.

See, I got this code in my emails for 10 $ off a set of Zephyr interchangeables. I already have the nickel plated set, but I wanted to buy a second set and I like the Zephyr tips sooo... I just couldn't say no to 10 $ off. And of course, if I'm going to order, I'm going to add some yarn.



I got some Wool of the Andes in Pumpkin and Forrest Heather for a Pumpkin Hat. Some Wool of the Andes in Cloud and Cobblestone Heather to make Christmas Gnomes (I'll also use some WOTA in Cranberry that I already have). I bought a few skeins of Stroll Sport (in Mink Heather, Wave Heather and Winter Night) for hats. And a skein of Stroll Tonal in Gypsy, just because.

Can I say just how much I love (LOVE) the Stroll Tonal? I have three colours so far, but Gypsy is definitely my favourite. It's beautiful!

I got socks!

I finally got a FO to share! It's actually my first post-baby FO and no, it is NOT a shawl! After frogging to the lifeline a stupid number of times (*coughFIVEcough*), I decided I needed a break from the shawl. And I'm glad I did, because now I have socks!

**ETA: Sorry if the pics are huge, I'm not sure how to fix it**



PatternEunice, by Cookie A.
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Tweed in Plum
Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) and US 2 (2.75 mm) DPNs

I love that pattern! It was a fun knit and it would have been quick if I didn't have a baby to take care of ;)

Also, I wanted to share my latest Etsy purchase. When I bought my set of interchangeables from Knit Picks, it came with a binder to store them. Well I never liked that binder, so I finally bought an interchangeable needles case from Southern Woolies and I absolutely love it! You can fit more than one set in it (which is good since I *may* have ordered a second set recently ;) ).

Stupid nupps

Hello world!

I hope everything is well in the wonderful world of knitting. I am happy to report that 3.5 months after giving birth, knitting is finally back into my life (and by that, I mean I can do more than 1-2 rows a week). Yay!

For a while, I was happily working on my Eunice socks. I don't have much longer to go and I LOVE the way they are turning out.

But sock knitting came to a halt when I bought this dress. See, I have a baptism to go to soon (my friend's baby, I'm the godmother) and then I have two weddings later this summer. So I got this simple dress but it's sleeveless. Sooooo I decided I needed a shawl. I decided that last week and the baptism is on July 3rd. No problem. I chose a simple small shawl (Swallowtail) and chose a skein of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in peppermint and happily cast on.

Things were going wonderfully. I was totally going to finish on time. I did the 14 repeats of the second chart and started the third...

It has nupps. Stupid little nupps. The p5tog on the wrong side are taking forever AND I made a mistake in the last row I knit yesterday and will most likely have to frog to the lifeline (only 5 rows, but still).

Now I'm not so sure I can finish for the baptism. Oh well. I know I can still finish for the first wedding at the end of July so that will be my new goal.

In Julien news, I am happy to report that he now sleeps through the night. He actually started doing it on and off at 10 weeks (he's 15 weeks now). But for a little over a week, he has slept through the night every night (I'm talking from 7-8 pm to 6 am). Let me tell you, it's nice.

He has rolled over (tummy to back and back to tummy) a couple of times, he holds his head up really well and he loves to "stand" (we hold him of course). In the past couple of weeks, he has found his thumb (and seems to think it's the best thing ever) and his toes. He smiles a lot (and cries a lot too, still) and I love him to pieces. Being a mommy is awesome!

Pretty!

Someone in the Knit Picks group on Ravelry organized a "Palette sampler coop" recently and I decided to buy a share, since Knit Picks doesn't offer colour cards anymore. Since the price of Palette has gone up, I'll want to be sure I really like the colours I'll order in the future and now I have a sample of every colour offered. I love my mini-skeins, they're so pretty!

Logical

Yaaaaaarn!

I received my Knit Picks order and it is yummy!



Lots of Palette = a lot of mittens! I'm glad I was able to get that much while the price was still low. I tried to get a good mix of neutrals and of colours so that I have choices when I pick colourwork patterns.

I also got two skeins of Imagination in Looking Glass.

Now I just need to find the time to actually use all that yarn!

Half FO

Well I did find time to knit after all. I finished one sock, only one to go for the pair! This is Eunice in all its unblocked glory. Better pictures will come when the pair is finished:

En vrac

Hello? Anybody here?

It's been over a month since my last post and, sadly, I don't have much to share in terms of knitting content. I'm not worried, I know I'll have time to knit again, someday, but right now my baby boy is taking 95 % of my time (I sleep the other 5 % of the time).

He's in my arms a lot and, sadly, I haven't yet mastered one-hand knitting. I can (and do!) browse patterns on Ravelry a lot though, so my queue has been getting longer even though I'm not knitting. Here are a few patterns that have recently caught my fancy:

Calligraphy cardigan
Bazinga mittens (as a brand new Big Bang Theory addict, I *need* these!)
Garden gnome hat and mittens
Midnight mittens
Wayna Picchu Earflap Hat

In other news, I just found out that Knitpicks is going to dramatically increase the price of their Palette yarn. Instead of 1,99-2,19 a ball, it'll be 3,29-3,49. The price is supposed to go up sometime today. Palette is my favourite yarn for fair isle mittens, so I decided to stock up while the price was still low. I got 20 colours!

I'll post a pic when it gets here. Meanwhile, here's a picture of the boy who's been occupying all my free time:



Why would I want to knit when I can spend all my time looking at that cute face? :)

Duckie

Believe it or not, my little Julien will be one month old tomorrow! Time sure flies. This week has been my first week alone with him (Chris has gone by to work) and I'm now getting pretty good at doing things with one hand only (like typing this post).

Sadly, I haven't learned how to knit with one hand, so I haven't done much of it.

Julien has spent his first month almost exclusively in pajamas, as most clothes I have for him don't fit yet. But I did put him in jeans (too big!) a few days ago.



See his feet? He's wearing duck booties!



They were a gift from Tara. We love them!

Why mommy why?

«I like my hat but it's a little big on my don't you think?»



Knitting done since having a baby: 1.5 rows on my sock. Yeah, there won't be new FOs on here for a while! :)

Introducing...

...


Baby Julien, born on March 9th 2011, after a super quick labor.

For those who like to know these kinds of things: Contractions started at 9am. At 10, they got really intense. We left home at 11:10. We got to the hospital at 11:30 and found out I was already 10 cm dilated and ready to push. I pushed through three contractions and baby was born at 11:56. Crazy fast!

Julien is beautiful and I love him so much. Being a mommy is the most wonderful and most difficult thing I've ever done. Don't expect many posts in the next few weeks, I'm a bit overwhelmed! And no, I didn't finish the socks before giving birth! ;)

No baby but new socks!

Pregnancy status: Overdue! This baby has decided to be fashionably late. My doctor didn't seem to think I'd make it to my next appointment (this Thursday), but I'm starting to think it may happen. Who knows?

Last week, I started a brand new pair of socks and I was wondering how much I'd have time to knit on them before baby got here. Would I turn the heel? Would I finish sock #1? Would I get to the toe of #2?



I actually finished them! I'm sorry I don't have a great picture, I'm not really in the mood for a photo shoot (and bending over to photograph my own feet is not an easy task, let me tell you!).

Pattern: Glynis, by Cookie A
Yarn: Slackford Studio, LLC Stalwart Sock in From Dusk Till Dawn
Needles: US 2 - 2.75 mm needles
Notes: I usually use US 1 needles for socks but I had read comments saying it wasn't a very stretchy pattern so I opted for bigger ones. They fit very well so I think I made the right choice. I also chose to do only eight repeats (instead of nine) on the legs, because I have short legs.

If you ever knit this pattern, don't forget to check the errata.

So I finished the socks yesterday and I cast on this morning for... another pair of Cookie A socks, also from the book Sock Innovation. This time I'm making Eunice, using Knit Picks Essential Tweed in Plum. I guess I'm in a purple phase. I really like the yarn, it's a shame Knit Picks has stopped making their tweed sock yarn!

So, do you all think I'll get to finish these socks before baby gets here?

Sock Fever (and baby fever too)

Pregnancy status: 40 weeks pregnant! From the beginning of this pregnancy, I've thought I would go overdue and it looks like my instinct was right. I am just now starting to get uncomfortable, so it's not too bad. My next appointment is on Thursday and I do hope baby will be here before then, but we'll see. I've loved being pregnant so much, I'm going to miss it when it's over (and I'm not sure there's going to be a baby #2), but I'm sooooo looking forward to meeting my little guy!

This past week, I've been knitting socks! I'm on a sock yarn kick and a sock pattern kick. If I had listened to myself, I would have cast on for a dozen new pairs of socks. But I've only been working on one pattern, Glynis, by the great Cookie A. Love.the.pattern. And I love my yarn even more:



It's Slackford Studio, LLC Stalwart Sock in From Dusk Till Dawn. The colour is lovely and it's delicious to knit with. I have another skein in a grey colourway but I will be ordering more for sure.

I'm currently done with sock #1 and I'm at the heel flap for sock #2. I could have a new pair of socks soon, depending on when baby decides to come.

I've also spent the past week matching the sock yarn I currently own to sock patterns I want to knit (most of them from Cookie's Sock Innovation book). I doubt all the projects will come true, but who knows. I'd sort of like to knit a lot of socks from stash so I could order tons of new sock yarn guilt free. :)

Go Habs Go

I'm pretty sure I currently have a Habs fan in my uterus. He sure does kick a lot during the games. Therefore, I decided to make him his very own Habs socks.



Pattern: Garter Stripe Baby Socks, by Jennifer Hoel
Size: Newborn, but I used bigger needles so it'll fit him later.
Yarn: Biscotte & Cie Bambooloo in Go Habs Go (I used the leftovers from an adult pair)
Needles: US 1 - 2.25 mm
Notes: There wasn't enough white in the leftovers I used to make a matching pair, but I like the socks anyways. Also, there is a mistake in row 11 of the heel turn in the pattern. You need to leave out the k3tog as there aren't enough stitches for it.

I also decided to cast on for a new project: socks for me! It's been a LONG time since I last made socks (not counting the above baby socks) and I thought I'd go with a Cookie A pattern to get back into it! I chose Glynis, from the book Sock Innovation and I'm using yummy purple yarn (Slackford Studio, LLC Stalwart Sock in From Dusk Till Dawn).

February is for finishing!

Pregnancy status: 39 weeks and 1 day! There's a lot of snow today so I told baby I'd prefer if he didn't show up today. I think he'll listen :)

I have THREE, count 'em THREE, FOs to share today. That means I've finished SEVEN projects in February so far (and there's a good chance there's going to be a #8). That's a lot for me. Do you know how many projects I finished in all of 2010? Eight. :)







Pattern: Icarus shawl by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Knit Picks Shimmer Hand Dyed Lace Yarn in Maple Leaf
Needles: US 3 - 3.25 mm
Notes: I love it. LOVE with a capital L (and O and V and E). It's so light and pretty and it was worth all the work. I don't wear many shawls but it works well as a scarf so I may use it that way, especially when the weather gets a little warmer.



Pattern: Pea Pod Baby Set, by Kate Gilbert
Size: 6 months
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish DK in Asparagus (3 skeins)
Needles: US 5 - 3.75
Notes: Well my finishing skills leave a lot to be desired, but believe it or not, it is getting better. And I think it can only get better with practice, right? I love the Swish DK and I can't believe how much softer it gets after it's washed. I will definitely use it again.



Pattern: Very Berry Bonnet, by Cara B.
Size: 0-3 months
Yarn: Red Heart Buttercup
Needles: US 9 - 5.5 mm
Notes: I had some leftovers after I made my baby pod so I decided to knit this hat. It was a very quick knit, started and finished on the same day. I added the two pompoms, I think it makes it even cuter. I did not check gauge so it's bigger than I wanted it but I figured it'll fit him eventually.

Almost finished blob

Pregnancy status: I will be 39 weeks tomorrow! I've had bad cramps/contractions but nothing regular or anything. I'm feeling good today and don't think today will be his birthday, though you never know. My suitcase is ready, laundry is done, the house is as clean as it'll be, so now I can relax and knit, knit, knit.



I'm happy to report that I finished knitting the blob! I only need to weave in two ends and to block it. I don't have blocking wires though, but I'll see what I can do. If I can't do it without, I'll order some and block it later. I think it already looks fabulous though, don't you think?

Thanks again Tara for saving my life with that extra ball of yarn!

Next on the list: weaving all the ends of my Peapod sweater and finishing the This end up baby vest. I'm on a roll! After that, I think I hear some sock patterns calling my name, but if baby gets here, I may not have much time for them!

My new love

I have a new love in the form of a scarf I just finished. It's soft, warm and beautiful, all optimal scarf qualities. I was actually happy when I saw it was cold outside today (and that never happens) because it means I can wear it to go to my doctor appointment.

The good thing about early maternity leave is that it gives me a lot of time to knit and finish projects. The bad thing is that I don't necessarily have someone with me to help me take pictures when I want to. So here is me playing both model and photographer. I did my best:







Pattern: Infinitude scarf, by Jeni Chase (I made the larger size)
Yarn: Berroco Vintage (1 skein and a little bit of the second one)
Needles: US 8 - 5.0 mm
Notes: That was a quick knit! I cast-on on Wednesday and finished on Sunday. The only modification I made was an accidental one. You're supposed to purl four rows at one point and I purled only three. I realized it before the next repeat so I kept on purling three for every repeat.

And now, for my pregnancy status: I'm currently 38 weeks and 4 days. I'm still feeling fine and enjoying the end of my pregnancy. At this point, I'd have a hard time predicting when he's going to come, but you can be sure I'll keep you posted.



And I want to thank my friend Robyn again for the lovely gifts she brought me last week (the duckie and blanket are only part of it)! She came to my house for a lovely knitting afternoon and I got to meet her cute son Quentin. I love seeing my knitting friends, we always have a good time.

I was a bad blogger and didn't take pics during the visit, but she did and you can see them in her post.

Tiny little hat

Pregnancy status: 38 weeks pregnant and I don't think baby is coming soon. I have a feeling it'll be a couple of weeks still. I'm ok with this. I'm not too uncomfortable, I can still sleep and I know my life will change completely once he's here so I'm appreciating these last moments by myself and with Chris.

Thanks to maternity leave, I have plenty of time to knit so I have another FO.



Pattern: Munchkin Hat, by Jeannie Kubricht
Yarn: Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull (it's a fingering weight, I held it doubled).
Needles: US 8/5 mm DPNs
Notes: What a quick knit! I knit the whole hat in a day and didn't feel like doing the twisted cord + pompom then so I made them the day after, but I really could have completed the whole project in a day. I wish I had made it longer though. I plan on using the hat for pics only.

Knitting the hat isn't the only thing I did last Sunday. I also went to Espace Tricot, a LYS that is pretty close to my house. There, I met with Tara, whom I hadn't seen in like a year. It was super nice to see her again, plus she had brought this for me:



Knit Picks Shimmer in Maple Leaf! You know what that means? I can finally finish...



The Blob! Aka my Icarus shawl, that I had set aside after I had ran out of yarn in November. Weeeeee! I'm very happy about that, since I only had a few (long!) rows left. Thank you so much Tara!

Oh yeah, and since I was at Espace Tricot, I just couldn't leave without buying a little something. Other than some DPNs, I left with these:



Two skeins of Berroco Vintage. I was actually looking for yarn to make a little newborn sweater. I first picked some Cascade 220 in a cute heathered blue, but then changed my mind and went for the orange. I hesitated, because it's only 40% wool and the rest is acrylic and nylon, but it's super soft and machine washable, so it won in the end.

But then I got home and I realized that I just didn't feel like knitting a baby sweater. Does that make me a bad mom already? Or just a selfish knitter? I just felt like the yarn wanted to be a scarf. So last night I cast on for an Infinitude scarf.

Quick Knit

Believe it or not, I have another FO to share. This has got to be some sort of record (for me anyways). I cast-on for this cocoon during the Super Bowl on Sunday and just cast-off this afternoon. But really, I could have knit it all in one day.







Pattern: Baby cocoon and pod, by Angie Hartley (there are two patterns, I made the pod).
Yarn: Red Heart Buttercup in White
Needles: US 13 / 9 mm

Thanks to my son's teddy bear for modeling. I'm hoping to get a nicer pic with my son in it soon :) I'm not a good photographer, but I thought it would be a cute prop to have.