Apparently I Dropped Off the Face of the Earth

     I can't believe I haven't written a blog post since June.  Sorry about that.  In all actuality I have a pretty good excuse.  On July 1st I found out that I'm pregnant!  A few weeks after that I was hit with some pretty terrible morning sickness symptoms and I feel like I fell off the face of the earth for about 2 1/2 months.  I stopped knitting completely mid July and didn't take it back up again 'til the middle of October.  The first trimester can be pretty terrible.  We found out on October 5th that we're having a girl.  I have several projects planned and some yarn set aside or purchased but I haven't actually started anything for the kiddo yet.  So I don't have too many updates.  I also don't have too many pictures, since I've been too tired to really take any.  (Also the weather has been uncooperative for the last weekish.)  

     Right before I started feeling really crappy I finished up Turnstile.  That's the infinity scarf cowl thing I was working on.  It's soft and the perfect length for me to wrap twice.  I don't have pictures yet of that.  I really want to get some good ones since it turned out quite well.  Except for the crazy Kitchener seam I somehow managed to do inside out...  More on that when I have pictures.  I also finished the sweater I was working on for Evelyn.  I wasn't able to make it to the birthday party since I worked that weekend.  So it sat until this part weekend when I wet blocked it four hours before I was giving it to Jess.  I let it dry on a towel in my back seat on the way down to Syracuse, but it was still damp when I gave it to her.  Cue face-palm.  Then of course I didn't get a post-blocking photo either.

Clementina in Vaa

I'm glad I did block it even though I cant show you the difference I assure you there is one.  The sleeves relaxed and hang much more naturally now.  The garter section also relaxed and the whole sweater elongated a bit.  This picture makes it look so squatty.  The Vaa colorway is a darker green in real life.  This picture gives it a yellow tinge.  The button is another from my grandmothers collection.  This pattern is really wonderful and I hope to knit one for my own daughter when she's big enough to wear for a bit.  I'm hoping to see this on Evelyn at some point so I can judge the fit.  I shortened the sleeves just a tad since I was getting low on yarn.  They still looked good proportionately after I blocked the sweater. I love Rios for kid items, its gorgeous and durable.  Vaa is a particularly gorgeous color in my opinion.  I got many oohhs and ahhhs when I handed this off to Jess.
     That particular morning I also blocked my two gifts for Raelynn as well.  Kimberly wasn't able to make it to out little meet up so I had to bring back the hat and mitt set, but now, if the sun ever comes out, I can take post blocking pictures.  Here are the pre-block ones.

Barley

Maize

Blocking didn't really do too much for the mittens and it really just made the hat bigger and looser.  The yarn is Queensland Collection Super Aussie which is a superwash.  Generally that means growth and lots of it when wet blocking.  I counteracted that to a certain extent by breaking out the hair dryer.  (Normally I would have thrown these in the dryer for a few minutes.)  The hair dryer tightened the hat back up to an acceptable level.  Maize and Barley are both free patterns in a set from Tin Can Knits, one of my favorite design groups.  Especially for hats.  The patterns in this set are geared for beginners, but I found the simplicity refreshing.  I think tonal hand-dyed yarn would look better, but Raelynn's favorite color is purple and this is what I had on hand in the worsted superwash category.  It's really an under appreciated yarn in my opinion.  Its very soft and nicely plied.
       Back at the end of June I whipped out another Entrechat in one day.  I haven't gifted this one yet either.

Entrechat in English Rose

This one is the 2 year old size and it didn't even use a whole skein of Rios.  The button is also from grandma's stash.  I haven't blocked this one and I probably wont.  Entrechat always looks good right off the needles.  I will be making another one of these for my daughter.  I love this pattern!  
     It took me a while to get my knitting mojo back even after I started feeling better.  So the first thing I did was crank out a couple of dishcloths.  I did three incarnations of the pattern Petal Dishcloth.  I've made it before and I like it.  It's got a slip stitched edge which I really like for circular cloths and these turn out fairly large.  I only meant to make one, it turned into three.



You can never have too many dishcloths.  I also have a funny feeling I'll be needing lots of them for the kiddo.
     I'm working on a hat now for Evelyn.  She has a big head and the orange one I made is snug on her now.  I think the one I'm making now looks small, but I'll see once I finish it.  I got to see pictures of Kylie in the hat and mitten set I made her, they both fit!  The hat is from last season and has held up well.  I love MadTosh for gifts too.  

     I've acquired more yarn of the past several months but again no pictures of that yet.  I have so many things to catch back up on.  Hopefully I'll get a but caught up before the baby comes, because after that I'm guessing all bets will be off.  
Until Later, Happy Crafting.
-Q