It’s depressing to look at my blog. I know I haven’t posted since, what-? Last Monday? Forgive me, please. I just hit 24 wks (6 months) pregnant and I’m TIRED. By the time I get home from work I’m lucky if I manage to watch an episode of TV, much less knit anything, MUCH less blog. The lack of knitting and lack of anything interesting in life leaves me with pretty much nothing to blog about.

But there might be stuff soon. Yannick and I have 90% officially decided that we will be moving. Yes, at 6 months pregnant, we are going to be putting our house on the market. (As an aside- forget getting married and having a baby…there’s something about saying “we’re putting our house on the market” that makes me feel oddly grown-up).

We have met with an agent to evaluate our home and tomorrow he is coming back to take photos and measurements and so on, and by next week I think we’ll be listed on MLS. ACK. He’s of the “sell first, buy later” camp, figuring it will be harder to get a buyer than it is to find a house we like, so we should ensure that we’re not stuck with 2 mortgages by selling first. Our only condition is that we sell by March 31st (sell- not move) because if we haven’t sold by then, we will have only a month and a half to get our house ready for baby. I refuse to cut it closer than that. I’m not sure when we’ll actually move…I guess sometime in the end of June or later, or if it is sooner then it will have to be before the 3rd week of April in case this kid is early. If the move is sooner it would be a huge rush to pack, but we can do it if we work hard. If it is later we’ll have more time to pack slowly, but I won’t be able to help as much ‘cus I’ll be busy with the little one.

So we’ll see. I’ll update with more info as I have it, but for now that’s all I know. We’re going on the market, and then the house-hunting will commence in earnest!

Update: see end of post for information about a downloadable pattern pdf

I finished this cardigan on December 28th 2006 but it was blocking and I never remembered to take a photo of it, so I took a few quick ones today before putting it away in the pile of knits “to be washed” with baby detergent for our baby.

This is the yarn I got from Mona and Veronik at one of the last Montreal Knits meetups I’d attended. I knew I wanted to use it for a cabled cardi because I loved the color and thought it would look so cute with a wee pair of jeans. Unfortunately after swatching some cables I didn’t like how the cotton blend held up the cables. It was too floppy for my liking, so I played around with other textures and came up with the idea of mixing stockinette and moss stitch in large blocks that extended down over the sleeves too.

Yarn: 3 balls of Schewe Baumwoll-Mix (50g/120m, 50% cotton, 50% acrylic)
Needles: 3.25mm for ribbing and 3.5mm for body
Pattern: My own. I used fully-fashioned raglan decreases as I felt they blended better with the look of the moss stitch, as opposed to the smooth diagonal line you get when you angle the decreases with the slant of the shaping.

I wrote the pattern for one size, roughly 6-12 months. But you can get a larger or small sweater by changing your yarn and using the appropriate needles.

Gauge: 24 sts x 32 rows = 4″ st st with larger needle

Notions: tapestry needle, stitch marker, 5 buttons

Pattern notes

This sweater has shaping worked within moss stitch. When the increases or decreases are done at the edges of moss stitch work the increase or decrease then resume the moss stitch as established.

Except for when working ribbing, the first and last st of every row are worked in stockinette for ease when seaming later.

Pattern Instructions

Back

CO 58 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle

Work in 2×2 rib for 11 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Work 1 more row of ribbing, increasing 2 sts evenly across (60 sts)

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle

Next row: (RS) k30, pm, *p1, k1, rep from * to end of row

Next row: (WS) *k1, p1, rep from * to marker, slip marker, p to end of row

Repeat last 2 rows until 44 rows have been worked (not including ribbing), ending after a WS row

Next row: (RS) *k1, p1, rep from * to marker, slip marker, k to end of row

Next row: (WS) p30, slip marker, *p1, k1, rep from * to end of row

Repeat last 2 rows 4 more times

Armhole

BO 2 sts at beginning of next 2 rows (56 sts rem)

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in est patt to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 16 more times

BO remaining 22 sts for back of neck

Left Front

CO 30 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle

Work in 2×2 rib for 12 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle

Next row: (RS) *k1, p1, repeat to last st, k1

Next row: (WS) *p1, k1, repeat to last st, p1

Continue as established in moss st for 44 rows (not including ribbing), ending after a WS row

Next row: (RS) k across row

Next row: (WS) p across rowContinue as established in st st for 8 more rows

Left Front Armhole

RS- BO 2 sts at armhole edge (28 sts rem)

WS- p across row

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, k to end of row

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 6 more times (21 sts rem)

Neckline and Armhole Shaping

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row until 5 sts remai

Next row:  k1, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k1

Next WS row: continue as established

Next RS row: sl 1, k2tog, psso

Cut yarn and pull it through last st

Right Front

CO 30 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle

Work in 2×2 rib for 12 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle

Next row: (RS) k across row

Next row: (WS) p across row

Continue as established in st st until 44 rows have been worked (not including ribbing), ending after a WS row

Next row: (RS) *k1, p1, repeat to last st, k1

Next row: (WS) *p1, k1, repeat to last st, p1

Continue as established in moss st for 8 more rows

Right Front Armhole

WS- BO 2 sts at armhole edge

Dec row: (RS) work in est patt to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 6 more times (21 sts rem)

Neckline and Armhole Shaping

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in est patt to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Repeat decrease row on every RS row until 5 sts remain

Next row:  k1, sl 1, ssk, psso, k1

Next WS row: continue as established

Next RS row: sl 1, ssk, psso

Cut yarn and pull it through last st

Sleeve 1

CO 34 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle.

Work in 2×2 rib for 11 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Work 1 more row of ribbing, increasing 2 sts evenly across (36 sts)

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle.

Work 6 rows st st

Inc row: k1, m1, work in est patt to last st, m1, k1 (38 sts)

Repeat increase row every 8 rows 3 more times (44 sts)

Work 7 rows st st

Change to moss st, and work inc row as follows:

Moss inc row: k1, m1, *k1, p1, repeat from * to last st, m1, k1 (46 sts)

Work 7 rows moss st

Repeat moss inc row 1 more time (48 sts)

Work 1 more row moss st as established

Armhole

BO 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows (44 sts rem)

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in moss st to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (42 sts rem)

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 16 more times

BO remaining 10 sts in knit.

Sleeve 2

CO 34 sts with 3 US / 3.25mm needle.

Work in 2×2 rib for 11 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Work 1 more row of ribbing, increasing 2 sts evenly across (36 sts)

Change to 4 US / 3.5mm needle.

Work 6 rows moss st

Moss Inc row: k1, m1, work in moss st to last st, m1, k1 (38 sts)

Repeat moss increase row every 8 rows 3 more times (44 sts)

Work 7 rows moss st

Change to st st, and work inc row as follows:

Inc row: k1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1 (46 sts)

Work 7 rows st st.

Repeat inc row 1 more time (48 sts)

Work 1 more row st st as established

Armhole

BO 2 sts at beg of next 2 rows (44 sts rem)

Dec row: (RS) k1, k2tog, work in st st to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (42 sts rem)

Repeat decrease row on every RS row 16 more times

BO remaining 10 sts in knit

Seam both sleeves into place

Button Bands

Note: As this is a unisex sweater, it is designed with the button holes on the left (boys’) side.

With 3 US / 3.25mm needle and RS facing, beginning at ribbing of Right Front, pu&k 8 sts along edge of ribbing, 30 sts along st st section, 14 sts along moss section, 3 sts at base of v-neck (1 right before the turn, 1 at the corner, and 1 right after the turn- this is to ease the curve around to the neckline), 13 sts along v-neck, 10 sts along BO sts at top of arm, 22 sts along BO sts at back of neck, 10 sts along BO sts at top of other arm, 13 sts to base of v-neck on left side, 3 sts at base of v-neck, 14 sts along st st section, 30 sts along moss section, and 8 sts along left side ribbing (178 sts)

Next row: (WS) k across row

Work in 2×2 rib for 2 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

Buttonhole row: (RS) work as est for 124 sts, k2, *p2tog, yo, rib 10 sts, rep from * 3 more times, p2tog, yo, k2

Work in 2×2 rib for 2 rows: *k2, p2, rep from * to end of row

BO in ribbing

Seam sides and sleeves

Attach buttons to line up with buttonholes

Weave in all ends

A close-up detail shot of the back where the texture switches. Because of the stitch pattern difference, the moss and stockinette sections of the same number of rows won’t seem to be the same size, but the minor difference eased out very well in seaming and blocking.

This photo is just to show off the cute wooden buttons that I found at the Wool Shop in Pointe-Claire. They match perfectly!

Update!

This pattern is on Ravelry here.

This pattern is provided for free above, but if you’d prefer an easy-to-print PDF version, I have made it available here for a very small fee. The PDF includes the full instructions, abbreviation definitions, an easy to read layout and newer, full color images.

*Updated January 2020

Hey…if there are still any of you out there reading my blog after my holiday absence…can you please click on the link under my photo and add yourself to my frappr map? It’s quick and easy and is a fun way for me to know where you are from!

Thanks!

Robyn tagged me, so I’m playing along.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

My gosh…there are so many weird things about me, why can’t I think of any to get this started?

1) I don’t like chocolate. I will eat certain kinds if there are nuts or nougat or caramel or something in it, but I am definately NOT one of those women who would pick chocolate over…well…anything. 😉

2) I love bagels with cream cheese and onion, but will not touch cream cheese and lox. I hate lox. For some reason, I like smoked salmon. I know they are the same thing. Give it to me on a plate with some onion slivers, sour cream and capers, maybe on a bed of lettuce or crustini and I’m happy. Give it to me on a bagel or toast with cream cheese and I’m nauseous.

3) I love school supplies. Even if there is nothing I actually need at the time, I can spend hours browsing through Bureau en Gros and find stuff to buy. A girl can never have enough pens, paper, highlighters, notebooks, etc…

4) I love onions and have often eaten one as a snack. I’d cut it into a flower shape (kinda like a Bloomin’ Onion) and pop it in the microwave with a small pat of butter. Yummy!

5) I am scared of spiders. Ants, earwigs, centipedes, any other kind of bug with 1-7 or 9+ legs are fun. Not arachnids. (And no, spiders with missing legs are still spiders). I am finally at the point where I *can* kill them myself…but I prefer to have a large man, brave friend or central vacuuming hose around to do the job for me. I’m always afraid it will move and crawl onto my hand. And you can’t just crumple the tissue and throw it in the garbage- spiders MUST be flushed. How else do you know that it isn’t still alive in the tissue and won’t crawl out later? (I was forced to watch Arachnaphobia once. I gnawed my thumb so hard with fear or tension that I had a dent for a week!) Luckily, I am unaffected by Spiderman and have managed to enjoy all incarnations of that series.

6) I don’t like alcohol. I can’t stand Sex on the Beach, Screwdrivers, Vodka-Cranberry, Martinis in any flavor, or any of the other typical “chick” drinks. If given the opportunity, I will choose “virgin” versions of a drink 100% of the time. I hate the feeling of being drunk or even tipsy. I also don’t like wine or beer. There is one sparkling wine I like only because it tastes like Sprite. The only mixed drinks I can say I enjoy are Brown Cows, Kahlua and Milk and Amaretto Sours, and these are only for the flavor of the drink. If I could get the same taste sans alcohol I would prefer it. I did, however, love being a bartender (and loved being the only sober person at the end of the night).

I’m not tagging anyone because the only people I know for sure read my blog have done it already. But if you read this and decide to play, leave me a comment and I’ll update this post.

I spent so long trying to post this morning that I thought I would be late for work. I had written up a great long post about an alternative to the provisional cast-on method used in some patterns, and I had even taken step-by-step photos of the process. The final step was to post it- and Blogger was having “issues” with uploading photos again. I tried to upload the images to my Photobucket account so I could finish up the post from work and wouldn’t you know it- Photobucket was down for maintenance.

So you’re getting a photo-less post today, folks.

First of all, a big HELLO and THANKS to all the people who came on by from the Knitlist after I put out the message telling you about the free pattern for the Bowling Socks. I know you’re not really coming to see me, you’re coming for the free goodies, but maybe one or two of you will stick around so I’m thanking you in advance. Quite a lot of you have taken me up on that free pattern offer- a few days ago my Yahoo group had 55 members and now I have over 140! I promise to keep working on some more free patterns to make it worth your whiles. I have a moss block baby cardigan that I designed which I will most probably put up as a free pattern, and a pattern for Sweetheart Mittens from two years ago that I just need to get around to typing up.

What’s going on with me? Lately it seems like I’m only getting real knitting time in on Sundays and Mondays (my days off). I used to get home from work, make supper then park myself in bed and knit while watching TV until 11:00 or 12:00 then get into bed, play a few games on my Palm then go to sleep. These days? I’m lucky if I’m still out of bed by 9:30/10:00! ALL I want to do these days is sleep. Sleep in all morning and go to bed as early as I can at night. I thought that I was supposed to be more tired in the first and last trimesters, but instead, smack dab in the middle of the 5th month, NOW exhaustion is hitting me hard. I have to tape whatever shows I really want to watch and instead watch something else on TV because I have no guarantee of being awake long enough for the first show! Monday night I was in bed by 8:15. 8:15!!!! And I would have been asleep right away too if Yannick hadn’t been in a chatty mood.

The pregnancy is going good otherwise. I’m still not hungry, and still have only gained a couple of pounds, but my (old) doctor doesn’t think that is anything to worry about. I will ask my new doctor when I see her for the first time on the 30th. I am starting to feel the baby move a bit more, but it’s still not regular and still not more than occassional tickles. No hard kicks or punches yet, except for 1 time- at my 5 month ultrasound last Tuesday the technician was pushing really hard and when she dipped into my belly button and was pushing I guess baby felt really squished and kicked the wand away. I couldn’t stop laughing which made the rest of the ultrasound take longer, but I didn’t mind (more time to see my baby!) I love ultrasounds- I love the window into my baby’s world. I will take any opportunity I can get to see this little one before its first appearance.

I’ve been knitting tons of stuff for baby too. The Froggy and Ducky Hat/Socks sets were finished a while ago (and blogged, plus there are photos in the sidebar). I finished the Moss Block Baby Cardigan which was from my own design, and now that it is finished blocking I will try to remember to take a photo and post it.

I’m still working on a sock yarn cardigan using one of the Regia Canadian Colors…I forget which one offhand but it’s mainly yellow with some irregular stripes of brown, purple and lime green. I have the back done and am about to the armhole shaping on the first of the two fronts.

I have started the Debbie Bliss Alphabet Baby Blanket. The rows go a bit faster than I’d thought and the charts aren’t hard to follow at all. The first day I started it (about 2 Mondays ago) I managed to nearly finish the lower block of letters. I have only done a few rows since. It will be a slow project because I don’t plan on it being portable. I tend to leave my chart-heavy projects at home and tote around stuff that is easier to work on here and there.

Speaking of easier to work on…I have also started an entrelac blankie for the baby. It is using two colors of Patons Decor and I love the squooshy woven look. I have finished one full ball of each color and for the size I made (the blocks are 10 sts wide) it will probably take 2 or 2.5 balls of each color for the blanket then an extra ball of one color for a border. I haven’t figured out the border yet- the blankie is of my own design and I’ll worry about the border once I’ve finished the main part.

For the last few days I’ve been knitting exclusively on a pair of black gloves. The MKG is having a Mitten Challenge which is due by our next meeting (the 2nd Tues of February). One of the catergories is to design your own, which I am doing. Thanks to Yannick’s great suggestion when I asked him what would be an interesting new mitten or glove, I am designing a pair of Knitter’s Gloves. I have 2 more fingers (well, 1 finger and 1 thumb) to go on the first of the pair. (I had to call the guild president and make sure that gloves were ok because the newsletter only talked about mittens, but she assured me that any type of cold-weather hand coverings were fine).

So that’s what I’m knitting these days. I didn’t do much on Sunday except in the car because we had Robyn’s son Sean’s bris in the afternoon. He was a real trouper and barely cried! Yannick was a chicken and stayed at the back of the room lest he accidentally see what was going on at the front. Men! The bris included lunch/lupper then afterwards my sister Laura and her boyfriend Mike came back with us. We played Taboo (and us girls won!) then went to my parents’ house for supper. By the time we got home I was exhausted (again) so I went to bed soon after.

Monday I had to go to the Jewish to redo my glucose test. I worked on the glove in the waiting room during both hours between blood tests. I was supposed to go to Robyn’s for a bit in the afternoon but we got hit with such nasty weather that I just went straight home. I ate quite a bit for once (I had been fasting for the blood test) then cozied up in bed with the glove and my tapes from the last few weeks. Within ten minutes I was ready for sleep. I fought it off and stayed up until Yannick came home for supper, but it really was a struggle all day to fight off from falling asleep. By the end of the day I had a headache already from being so tired and I wasn’t even hungry, so Yannick finished my meal (again) and as I said earlier, I was in bed by 8:15.

Last night I did 2 hours of knitting while watching the American Idol premiere then got into bed. I had taken a book on pregnancy massage out of the library and Yannick had a great time going through all the photos and making funny remarks. Then we went through the latest month in his pregnancy book. We have 3 but 2 are mine and 1 is his. Mine are What to Expect When You’re Expecting and The Mother of All Pregnancy Books. His is The Expectant Father and it is a good, funny and informative book. The only problem is that Yannick forgets to read it, so we tend to go through it together when I remember. He particularily enjoyed a passage we read last night about how a woman’s brain actually shrinks during pregnancy.

Tonight is a Montreal Knits (link in sidebar) meeting but I’m really tired and it’s really cold outside so I will be skipping it in favor of going home and taking a bath. I just might get to knit a stitch or two as well.

This was fun! I completely imitated the inimitable (sp?) Deawn. I enjoyed it so much that I ran it for almost every friend/family member whose photo I had on my work computer. Enjoy!

(Note: if anyone wants me to remove their photo just email me and I’ll take it down. For some of you I only had old photos too, so I did the best I could.)

Me:

Yannick:

My brother Mike:

My brother Aaron:

My sister Laura:

My friend Debbie:

My friend Julie:

My friend Jackie:

My friend Kevin:

My friend Rich:
Shoot- I don’t have a photo of Rich online. Sorry Rich! Email me one if you want me to make one up!

It’s fun! Go try it out!

Anime-style drawings of the simpsons gang and the cast of futurama. I love it!

I did it. This baby cardigan is from a Patons Astra booklet. In the booklet the cardi is called “Ducks in a Row” as the original has little ducks across the bottom. I wanted a nice, simple raglan cardi, so I left them out. I also like dark colors on kids…hence the black. I used Patons Astra which is 100% acrylic, and my favorite touch is the numbered buttons. The cardigan is sized for 2 years. I had started it in May of 2006, long before getting married or pregnant. Yannick and I had talked about it, and decided that there was no harm in getting some knitting done for our future child(ren) as long as we didn’t jinx it by telling anyone about it. I had finished the knitting sometime over the summer but it sat in a bag waiting to be seamed and have the buttons sewn on. I finally did that yesterday.
You can’t really see it in this photo, but my proudest accomplishment in this project is visible here. See, the button band is ribbed, but vertically instead of horizontally. I was worried about sewing it on as it is not knit as you go, but rather as a separate strip which is seamed later. In the pattern photo there was an obvious band outlining the button band which I thought was inevitable. As it turns out, whoever made the demo model just sucked at seaming, because in my version the seam is literally invisible. Until you pull the 1×1 ribbing apart a bit it looks like the buttons are in a flawless area of stockinette stitch. A perfect, invisible join that I am very proud of (especially because seaming isn’t the most fun in solid black!)

Now it is off to get washed and put away until baby is born and big enough to wear it.

More photos, as always, if you click on the link under FOs 2007 in the left hand sidebar.

A short while ago I put a call out on a swap board looking for peoples’ left-over sock yarn. Any scraps you have after making a pair or using the yarn for something else…I’ll take it. I need lots.

In any case, one woman named Judy was kind enough to send me some from her stash, and sweet enough that she didn’t ask me for postage. So as a thank-you, I crocheted her this little set which I will be mailing tomorrow.
They are all crocheted with Bernat Handicrafter Cotton and are quick to make, but the results are so cute!These guys are made from a free pattern found at the dishcloth boutique. I hadn’t realized until I saw them in daylight that the two cottons weren’t the same- I’d thought I was using a solid white and a blue/white blend. Now I see it’s a blue/cream blend. Design feature, yeah, that’s it. 🙂

This soap-saver bag was also made from a free pattern, but I Googled for a bit until I found one I liked so I forget right now where it was from. One of the first links that come up for “soap savers” has a list of about 10, and it’s in there. Should be easy to find. I varied the pattern only by working the middle section in the variegated yarn, otherwise I followed it as written. I’d thought it was coming out too big but after holding it next to a bar of soap it looks like the correct size.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading over to the post office to pop these in the mail, along with Rebecca’s Samantha dress. I’m also mailing a booklet to Faith over at the Knitting Cook ‘cus it’s something she mentioned once on her podcast and I know she’ll like it.

Today I think I’m going to veg out. Yannick just stepped out to buy ingredients for his special “Yum-Yums” (a breakfast treat he makes) and I’m going to do a few rows on a baby blanket I started. I have another FO I will post as soon as it finishes drying from blocking, and one thisclosetobeingdone wip that just needs a zipper sewn in so I’ll try to remember to pick one up when I go out tomorrow.

That reminds me. I have a couple of other thisclosetobeingdone wips lying around here someplace. I always seem to get into the same moods…I can’t wait to cast-on for a new project, then I can’t wait for the decreases or increases or whatever to break up any boring sections, then I can’t wait to get close enough to bind off. Most of the time I can’t wait to seam and be done too. But sometimes I get waylaid before seaming…usually by another project…and then there is no motivation for me to finish the first project. If there was still one more row to knit so I could bind off and free up the needles…that could work as motivation. But when it’s lying in the bag just waiting for a few finishing touches…how lazy can I be?

Maybe for 2007 I need to push myself to knock off as many “should be FO”s as I can? I know that there’s a baby cardigan that just needs buttons sewn on and a side seam done up, and a fluffy purse that only needs its silk lining sewn in. I also have a “Kosher” sweater that only needs about 8 rows of ribbing then to be bound off (it’s been waiting in this state for almost 2 years!). The Perfect Knitting Bag only needs finishing touches too. I can’t promise to finish the Enchanted Forest cardi that still needs tons of knitting, nor my Clapotis that I keep saying “I want to wear this winter”, nor my Birthday Suit top/skirt that I shouldn’t even count as a wip because I only ever knit 1 row and that was over 2 years ago…but the other stuff I listed? I have no excuse for not finishing them.

Sorry, that sound you just heard was me cracking the bullwhip. I think the few rows on the baby blanket can wait…I’m off to sew on some buttons.

Say “hi”! After 30 hours of labor, my cousin Robyn brought this little bundle of joy into the world on Thursday, December 28. I DO mean little, he was born at 5lbs 5oz and then dropped to 4lbs something, and is still on his way to regaining his birth weight. But other than the weight loss he’s absolutely perfect and, as you can see, quite adorable. He’s 3 days old in this photo. I can’t believe he’s over a week old already! I hope he likes his elephant.