Tag Archives: Flower Scarf


by 3 Comments

holiday wrapup part 2

On the 19th I finished the last of the 3 Flower Scarves for Jakob’s daycare teachers.  This was the result of my “magic knitting”…the knitting that gets done on the go so by the time you settle down you realize you’re practically finished.

fsvofo3

Pattern:  Flower Scarf by Robyn Diliberto (Ravelry link and direct link)

Size:  one size. 

Yarn:  Colinette Jitterbug, in the colorway Velvet Olive.  I didn’t check yet but I’m assuming it took the same 150 yards as the other two.  These photos don’t do the color justice…after my original hesitation, I LOVE this colorway.

fsvofo4

Needles: 3.75mm needle and crochet hook

Dates:  December 8 – 19 2008

Modifications:  None!  I used the garter variation from the pattern itself, and did everything else as written.

As usual you can find my finished (and unfinished!) projects in my “projects” page by clicking the tab up at the top of every page on my blog, and I also have this project in my Ravelry notebook here.

fs3fo

I made labels for the Flower Scarves just like for the socks for my in-laws, and also wrapped up a little remnant of the yarn “just in case”.  I was afraid the 3 teachers might not realize that it was an outdoor garment and not just a “hold my bangs back” hairband, so I also included a little photo-card of some possible wearing methods.

fsgroup2

Here are all 3 gifts ready to be wrapped, with their photo-cards and yarn baggies tucked into the labels.  Last Tuesday, the 23rd, was Jakob’s last day of school before Christmas, so I brought in the gifts when I dropped him off.

Wednesday, Christmas Eve Day, saw Jakob home from school and reacting to either a sick kid from his class or the flu shot & vaccines he’d received Monday morning, so while I went to my latest OB-GYN appointment, Yannick kept the store open for me with a sleepy Jakob on his lap.  Things went fast (and well) at the doctor and not long after I got back to work I kicked them out so Yannick could get Jakob home in time for lunch and a good, long afternoon nap.  I closed the store early for Christmas Eve and braved the freezing rain to treat myself to some highlights.  I guess the baby hormones have been kicking in, because the last batch that I did on my birthday in early September had grown out by almost 3 inches, and looked horrid.  I know I won’t get a chance to go again until there is some kind of breast feeding and sleep routine established with the new baby, so I decided to go now.  (Plus my hair gets to look good in any “new baby” photos). 

I had my eyebrows done while I was there too.  Isn’t it amazing how just that one, simple act can open up your whole face and make you look like you’re rested and wearing makeup, even if you’re not?  I don’t know why I don’t go more often, I love the results!

Christmas Eve was spent knitting in front of the TV together, catching up on some of my tapes.  A few of the shows that I tape are ones that Yannick enjoys (Chuck, Heros, Pushing Daisies*, Terminator and Supernatural), so whenever I come across one of those as I am watching I have to make a note and remember where to rewind back to so we can watch it together.  It felt good to “clear off” some tapes and be able to reuse them instead of just adding to the growing pile of “watch when Yannick is home” cassettes.

*RIP, sob.  😦


by 4 Comments

magic knitting

Magic Knitting = knitting that appears to fall off the needles, completed, as if by magic.  Knitting that gets done before you realize it.

I’m having my own little spell of Magic Knitting (hahaha).  I don’t remember if I mentioned that on Monday I’d cast on for the second of my mother-in-law’s Queen of Cups socks.  Both of my in-laws’ first Christmas socks fit perfectly, so I now have to knit their mates before the holiday is upon us.  The pattern is lace and charted, and so not as easy to knit “on the go” as other projects would be.  Therefore I’ve been using it as my nighttime, TV watching project.  The lace knit up fast, and by Wednesday night I’d turned the heel and had completed 2 of the 3 lace repeats on the foot.  Yesterday I finished the last repeat and the toes, and wove in all ends.  One gift completed- YAY!

Yannick has been coming to work with me every day while my parents are on vacation.  He’s got a bunch of renos to do before my dad comes back, and so we’ve been carpooling in the morning.  Because he prefers to drive, between getting Jakob to daycare then driving to work, I’ve had about an hour of car knitting time each morning since Wednesday.  I couldn’t work on the lace socks and manage the chart in the car, so I brought the green (and final!) Flower Scarf to work on.  It’s a simple garter-variant and requires no pattern whatsoever.

I must have really gotten into a groove Wednesday and Thursday mornings, because somehow the scarf nearly finished itself!  Last night I settled down to knit in front of the TV and my mother-in-law came to join me (they’re in again for the final office building stuff).  I didn’t want to work on my father-in-law’s socks in case he came down to watch TV too, so I pulled out the Flower Scarf instead.  I swear I only knit for about 20 minutes when I counted my rows and realized I was finished the length!  A quick weaving-in of ends later, and suddenly I was one flower and one stuffed ball away from having a second “FO” that same day.

I started the flower but it quickly grows from 9 to 243 sts and so I didn’t quite finish yesterday, but by tonight I will be done.  Photos to come next week because my in-laws are sleeping in what is still my office, and we turn the computer off while they’re here so the fan noise doesn’t bother them.

But…hopefully by Monday I’ll have a few more items knocked off my baby checklist!


by 3 Comments

velvet olive

When I chose the Velvet Olive color of the Colinette Jitterbug from Robyn to use for the green daycare teacher neckwarmer Christmas gift, it really was the lesser of the 3 evils.  The onscreen colors of the 3 green shades I was able to choose from weren’t exactly like the actual colors, and instead of having a typical “green” there were instead a yellow/lime, a darkened jade, and a khaki-esque green to pick from.  I chose the darkened jade, the Velvet Olive colorway, and now that I’ve been using it, I’m so glad I did!

fsvowip1

I really couldn’t see where the name came in while it was still skeined.  “Velvet Olive”?  Um, okay.  Nothing about this colorway says “olive” to me, and I couldn’t figure out the velvet reference.  But now?  Now that I’ve wound it up and begun knitting?  Oh yeah.  I get it.  I totally get it.

I still don’t see “olive” anywhere.  But I can’t stop looking at it in the light and almost breathing in the velvet-ness of it.  There are very subtle variations in color in this yarn, you can barely see in the photo above that the cast-on row is slightly paler, and there are random stitches here and there that are alternately paler or darker than the main color.  The effect his has in person is mesmerizing. 

The best way I can describe the color’s appeal is to reference a carpet, or- to adopt from the colorway’s name itself- a swatch of velvet.  You know how when you run your fingers one way, the nap lies flat and looks almost silvery, but when you run back the other way they seem to stand on end and look darkened?  I’m not sure if I’m explaining this right, but that’s the effect this yarn has on me.  Gorgeous colorplay of shade-on-shade greens. 

This is also my first time using Colinette Jitterbug (or anything Colinette) and I have to say that the yarn is so wonderfully springy!  I truly hope I have leftovers to make a pair of footies socks for myself, because the spring and elasticity in this yarn is delightful.

Ok, now that I’ve said “me likes” full of flowers and prose, I’m going to make supper.  I was supposed to go to the Montreal Knitting Guild’s December meeting (and likely my last until at least February) but we’re in the midst of a snowstorm here and I really didn’t feel like braving the night drive, nor the digging out of my car.  Instead I’m going to settle down with Dr. House and the other TV men of Tuesday night, and get my knit on.


by 3 Comments

more of the same

This weekend went by faster than I would have liked.  I worked on Saturday as usual then spent the night having dinner at my sister-in-law’s house.  Jakob was wonderful and went to bed in a pack ‘n play, stayed asleep for the transfer into the car and then the whole car ride, and through the transfer into the house and into bed when we got home.  He stayed asleep until 6am the next morning.  I was so relieved because my in-laws were sleeping in the next room and I’m always afraid he’ll pick a night when they’re over to wake up at 3am screaming.

My mother-in-law and I took Jakob to his swimming class Sunday morning so Yannick and his dad could get started on the office downstairs.  Things never move as fast as I would like when it comes to construction, but by the time they left Sunday night we had enough accomplished to make me feel like things might start to come together before too long.  I did some knitting while watching TV that night, and then again on Monday while sitting at a local coffee shop for 2 hours.

Oh- get this.  I brought my car in to have a wheel alignment done.  After 2 hours of me sitting at the cafe next door (ok, Tim’s, but still it was better than sitting in the garage itself) I finally call them to see when my car will be ready after the supposed 1hr wheel alignment.  “Oh Madame,” the guy says, “I was going to call you, you need suspension work, etc, etc, I just finished your estimate now.”  So basically they did nothing on my car and want to charge me nearly $600 to do what they claim needs to be done first.  And if that weren’t enough, when I got back there to get my car, my driver’s side window was wide open!  Parked in the parking lot!  Anyone walking by could have reached in, opened my door and taken whatever they’d liked.  It could have rained.  Hell, it’s Winter in Montreal- it could have snowed.  And my window was so wide open at first I thought they’d removed the glass.  Boy did that guy get a piece of my mind!

The end result was that nothing was done on my car, but at least I didn’t have to pay for anything.  And after 2 hours of listening to my iPod and knitting, I managed to come home and finish off the last bits of what will now be Vanda’s blue Flower Scarf.

fsnwfo8

Pattern:  Flower Scarf by Robyn Diliberto (Ravelry link and direct link)

Size:  one size. 

fsnwfo1

Yarn:  Dream in Color Smooshy, in the colorway Nightwatch.  I didn’t check yet but I’m assuming it took the same 150 yards as the pink one.

Needles: 3.75mm needle and crochet hook

fsnwfo2

Dates:  November 23 – December 1 2008

Modifications:  None!  I used the garter variation from the pattern itself, and did everything else as written.

fsnwfo3

As usual you can find my finished (and unfinished!) projects in my “projects” page by clicking the tab up at the top of every page on my blog, and I also have this project in my Ravelry notebook here.

fsnwfo5

Here are the completed pink and blue neckwarmers.  I didn’t block the blue one, since I found the pink one ended up thinner and more drapey after being blocked, and I prefer the squishy (smooshy, hehe) texture of the unblocked version.  I’ll probably wet it and let it dry flat to get rid of the ruffled edges, but I’m not going to pin it out and actually “block it” like I did the pink one.

I’ll leave you with a photo of Jakob from a few days ago.  We were playing in bed before leaving for daycare and for the first time ever instead of just wanted to “read” his book, he wanted to sit tucked in bed to read.  He climbed in front of my pillow himself and pulled back the blankets to tuck his legs under.  It was so cute!

2008-11-28-03a


by 3 Comments

go figure!

As soon as I finished the pink Flower Scarf (for Jakob’s teacher Vanda), I found out that Vanda would be leaving the class, to be replaced by Angela.  “Ok,” I thought, “I’ll just give the pink scarf to Amanda and hope she likes pink.  I then cast on for same scarf in a blue Smooshy colorway, to give to Lucia, the “sub” teacher who is in and out of Jakob’s class all week.  (She’s not officially his teacher, but she’s in his class half a day almost every day, which counts as a caregiver to me).  The last scarf I would make would be for Anna, Jakob’s second official teacher, to be done in a green colorway of a Louet sportweight yarn.

I’m about 80 rows into the 200-ish row length of the neckwarmer part of the blue scarf.  (If you count the knit columns there are only 100 on the finished pink scarf, but it takes 2 rows to get 1 knit stitch on each side of the scarf…ergo 200 rows).   I probably could have had the scarf finished by now, but I haven’t been doing any knitting at home this week.  Check it out:

deadline

We finished unpacking all the boxes!  Yes, technically there are about 5 boxes of stuff that was officially unpacked then “repacked” (condensed) into other boxes so all the stuff that will eventually go into my office goes together, but we went through everything!  10 jumbo industrial trash bags and 20+ boxes of clothing, shoes, purses, craft supplies, picture frames, knicknacks and other items donated to the Mercaz later, and we’re done!

So yeah, I haven’t done much knitting, but I knew that once Yannick’s parents got here they would be busy working downstairs, and during the week my nights can return to knitting by the TV instead of deciding which of my possessions are worth keeping.

I got a phone call last night from my cousin who works at the same daycare.  Go figure- Lucia doesn’t work there any more!  Apparently she had some health issues that need her to focus more on herself and taking care of the kids was getting in the way.  Don’t get me wrong- I wish her all the best and a speedy, healthy recovery…but what is UP with my luck lately?  I knit a pink gift- the supposed pink recipient leaves his class.  I knit a blue gift- the supposed blue recipient leaves the school.  I’m afraid to knit the green one- who knows what will happen to Anna?!?

My luck isn’t all bad, though.  Angela’s (the new teacher) favorite color is pink, so she will get the pink scarf.  Anna (supposedly) isn’t going anywhere, so she will get the green one, as planned.  And Vanda has been called back in as the sup (to replace Lucia), and while it isn’t her favorite color, she looks fabulous in blue.  So she will get the blue one.

And now I’m here at work while my mother-in-law takes Jakob and his cousins to a local Christmas parade. I wish I could be there to see his face!


by 5 Comments

back with a finished object and an 18 month old!

See, even when away, I still get knitting done!  Of course…in keeping with the way things have been lately, especially with my “why bother?” post…the first of 3 neckwarmers for Jakob’s daycare teachers that I complete is pink.  The pink one is for a specific teacher (we’d found out their favorite colors).  I got a call on Monday that she would be leaving his class for another class, and a replacement teacher would be starting this week.  I sure hope this new girl likes pink!

cffsfo8

Pattern:  Flower Scarf by Robyn Diliberto (Ravelry link and direct link)

Size:  one size. 

cffsfo1

Yarn:  Dream in Color Smooshy, in the colorway Cool Fire.  Exactly 150 yards.

Needles: 3.75mm needle and crochet hook

cffsfo4

Dates:  November 20 – 23 2008

Modifications:  None!  I used the garter variation from the pattern itself, and did everything else as written.

cffsfo6

As usual you can find my finished (and unfinished!) projects in my “projects” page by clicking the tab up at the top of every page on my blog, and I also have this project in my Ravelry notebook here. 

I wanted to thank everyone for the comments over the weekend, and to explain a few reasons behind what I’d said.  When we had found out that Jakob was breech (I think it was early, like 28 weeks) we were repeatedly told that there was plenty of time for him to turn. 

I had been really hearbroken back then about getting “cheated” (my opinion only) out of a natural birth, and looked up all the different ways to turn a breech baby around.  We found many websites, including the Spinning Babies one.  With Yannick’s help I tried most of the non-invasive ones, including, but not limited to: ice packs, music, standing on my head, lying on a board at a 45 degree angle head-down, visualization, talking to the baby, lights and a few more.  We didn’t try acupuncture or moxibustion (is that what it’s called?) and after consulting with my OB-GYN we decided against attempting the version technique.  I know it can be successful but it can also lead to an emergency c-section, and because I had a number of extra pounds on my belly to begin with and was hard to “feel” the baby, my doctor was really doubtful it would be successful with me.  Plus the baby could still reverse afterwards, making it have been for nothing.

Despite our efforts, nothing worked.  They kept doing ultrasounds, right up until 5 minutes before the c-section, just to make sure.   Obviously, he never turned.  When my doctor was doing the surgery she told me that while his body was small (he weighed 8lbs 0 oz) his head was large, and was wedged into my ribs.  She actually had a slightly hard time getting him out because he’d made himself such a home in there.  Also, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.  It was loose and not life-threatening, but I still wonder if he HAD turned, would the cord’s placement have resulted in a possible tragedy?

My c-section went very well, I was awake the whole time and saw Jakob the moment he came out.  Once he was cleaned up and weighed he was given to Yannick who held him at my face and let me kiss him and nuzzle him until they left for our room and I went to recovery.  My actual recovery was relatively painless for my first-ever surgery, and my scar is small, neat and tidy.

So what does this mean for this child?  I won’t be trying any turning techniques.  My desire to have a “natural” delivery (as opposed to surgery) is a desire, but not an all-consuming one that would trump a baby’s safety.  I know there are many mostly risk-free ways to attempt a turn, but after the experience with Jakob, Yannick and I both agreed it wasn’t worth the possible risk to the baby.  I know many babies have the cords wrapped around them and it doesn’t always pose a danger, but I don’t want to know that any risk was caused by my intervention.  As well, I know for a fact that a version won’t work on me.  I have only gained 8 lbs with this pregnancy (so far) and there simply isn’t room for the baby to be turned manually without force, which I am not willing to subject myself or the baby to. 

I know the options are there and I really appreciate that some of you would write to me with suggestions, but I have come to a sort of peace with the fact that I will most likely end up having a second c-section.  My doctor is going to keep checking, though, just in case.

Oh, and about future VBACs…I don’t know if it is an official practice here, but after 2 c-sections, my hospital won’t allow a VBAC attempt.  Could I switch hospitals, find a midwife or other practitioner who would allow it (or who would even allow a breech delivery)?  Possibly.  But my doctor is a high-risk specialist who I trust with mine and my babies’ lives.  If I didn’t trust her opinion I would have switched a long time ago, and I’m not going to run to someone else because she gave me information I don’t like.

That being said…I still have 7 weeks for this baby to possibly turn.  Either way, I’ll still end up starting the new year with a new, wonderful addition to our family, the support of my friends and loved ones, and a year to stay home and get to know the new person in the world.  Things really aren’t as bad as they had seemed last week.

I’ll end this post with one of the shots we took during Jakob’s 18 month chair photo (forgotten about those?) last weekend.  He was getting over the residual fever and had broken out in roseola from it, was tired and a little cranky, but is still as cute as ever!  Enjoy!

2008-11-17-18mo-1


by 3 Comments

who knew?

Who knew – that 105.3 F fever in an 18 month old isn’t a big deal?  Not me, that’s for sure.  The fever and yellow eye gunk (we’d already had the Green Boogers of Doom, and now we have the Yellow Shmutz of Suffering) led to Jakob staying home from daycare on Wednesday.  He came to work with me in the morning and slept in my arms for 2 hours until my mom came to get him at lunch time.  His fever was still rising so she brought him to the doctor for me, and they said he had an eye infection and prescribed antibiotic drops.  They also warned that it could lead to an ear infection, so if he still had fever in 48 hrs we should bring him back so they could check his ears.  Ok. I can handle that.  He’s not eating, and when we put him to bed that night he was burning up, so I took his temperature again.  104.5. 

At midnight he woke up crying and when I went to soothe him I almost burned myself on his skin.  105.3.  I’ve never seen the thermometer go that high!  When it hit 105 I started crying, then shaking as it rose higher.  Jakob was nearly comatose; instead of crying and pushing to get away from the thermometer he just…lay there…like he wasn’t fully present.  My mind started flashing- what are we taught about fevers while growning up?  High fever=bad, cool baths, brain inflamation, seizures, warning, danger!  I immediately called the Children’s Hospital emergency room and asked who I could speak to to find out if I should bring him in.  They said to call 811 (the InfoSante hotline).  Anyone physically there that I could speak to?  No, call 811.  Fine.  I call 811. 

InfoSante can’t get me off the phone fast enough, warning danger DANGER go to the hospital, do not pass go, he could go into convulsions, he needs to be rehydrated, why am I still on the phone?  So we go to the hospital.  After a 4 hour wait we get lectured for bringing in a child who doesn’t need to be seen.  “Never call InfoSante,” they say, “They’re alarmists and will tell you to come to the hospital for anything.”  “You told me to call them.”  “Well, it’s ‘cus we can’t give info over the phone.”  So basically I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.  I also don’t consider a rediculously high fever “nothing”, but apparently that’s just me.

To recap the rest of the Jakob saga…yesterday I kept him home with me.  In the morning his temperature was only 100 F and I thought maybe it had broken.  He still was barely eating.  At bedtime the temp was up to 103.4 F.  At midnight I snuck in and gave him another dose of Tempra.  This morning it was 104.5 F at 6:45 am and I noticed welts all over his legs.  So I booked him an appointment with his doctor (as they’d asked) and cancelled the appointment he was supposed to have at a photo studio at noon.  I had my 32 week ultrasound this morning so I couldn’t stay with him, so Yannick brought him to my mom and she’s been watching him all day.  She also took him to the doctor for me.  He still has fluid in his ears but not enough to warrant meds yet, and the welts will probably spread over his whole body before leaving, as they are a side-effect of the fever.  Again, if there is still fever in 48 hours we should go back, but we have his 18 month checkup on Monday anyways, so I will just wait until then.  So in the end there’s nothing seriously wrong, but the poor little guy is sick and looks so pitiful just lying there.  The snuggle time is great if you can stand the heat coming off of him.  Luckily he’s drinking just enough to keep from becoming dehydrated.

Who knew – that there would be enough time during Jakob’s nap on Thursday to finish the first Queen of Cups sock?  (Ok, I had a feeling about this one).  I didn’t weave in any ends because if the final verdict is “good fit, slightly too long” I want to be able to change it without too many headaches.

Please ignore my homebrew sock blocker- I didn’t have any pliers handy and my bare hands couldn’t smooth the hanger the way I wanted it to go.  It is clearly not “blocking” the sock, but hopefully making it look more attractive than just lying on the table.

nqocwip2

Here are the first each Queen of Cups and Boring Brown sock.  Neither is my size, so please ignore the fit (and the cat hair).  My inlaws should be back next weekend to help Yannick watch Jakob while my mom, sister and I spend a 4 day weekend in New York City, so I will get them to try them on (blindfolded) and let me know if the sizes are good.

mknicwip1

I was feeling kinda crappy last night so I skipped prenatal aquafitness and instead started the first of 3 Christmas gifts for Jakob’s daycare teachers.  The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy, in Cool Fire, and the pattern is the Flower Scarf (Ravelry link, non-Ravelry link).  I’m going to have a ton of leftover yarn, which means I can most probably eke a pair of short toe-up socks from the remnants.  Yay!

cffswip1

One last “who knew” – who knew that this stitch pattern is NOT ribbing??

cffswip2

It’s garter stitch!  How awesome is that?  The pattern is written as Fisherman’s Rib which is based on 1×1 rib.  But below that the designer offered a garter adaptation that was supposed to look nearly identical.  I really didn’t feel like working ribbing so I tried the garter version – holy crap it IS nearly identical!  I spend almost as much time knitting it as I do stopping to look at the resulting fabric and trying to identify how it does what it does.  Tres cool.  It’s a nice, cushy, thick, stretchy faux-rib, and I think I’d like to try it on a garment edge one day.