October, 2011 | Mama Loves Knitting

I got to be at another birth and it was an awfully special one, especially close to my heart. This little nugget joined our family almost a week ago and I was present for her first breath of Montana air. She was born right in her Mama and Papa’s peaceful bedroom, and she’s my niece Evelyn Mae. I am working on a blanket similar to the one I made for Baby Bill Jeff but with a different color scheme. I knit a bit during the labor, but I wasn’t working on the hat, that was complete and I had gifted it to Sarah that night, at our house, right after her water broke at our kitchen counter. We were having a bit of a surprise party for her because her birthday was only a few days later and we figured the weekend would be the best time. We were about an hour into the party when ~ “blammo” drenched drawers. We surprised her baby out! Or maybe Evelyn thought the party was for her.

We headed to her house, and I went along for the ride, as I’d planned to be her birth doula. Her midwife visited just to check heart rate, blood pressure and dilation. All looked well. Contractions hadn’t started just yet, so I headed back home for an hour, when Bryan texted me things were getting more serious. That didn’t take long.

Sarah labored through the night with mighty gusto. Bryan was by her side the entire time and things went perfectly. Mama might still beg to differ, but I’m sure not for long. Sandhano (her midwife (and mine 4.5 years ago)) came back around 5:30 AM and Sarah was ready to push. 1.5 hours later she pushed her sweet baby out right before the light of the morn on October 22nd.

Not sure how many stitches I cast on but I know that I just looked back at another ribbed hat for a babe I’d made before. I suppose I probably did somewhere near 60, of course some multiple of 4 as that is a requirement to make this pattern work. k2, p2 all the way around using size 6 circular needles. The variegated yarn I used was wool from Skyline Yarns purchased a couple of years ago, her Etsy shop has been empty for a while now, but I save it (hoard it) for special occasions…such as this one. I am promised the yarn shop will be back someday. The yarn pictured is sock yarn (fingering yarn) but just because it is “sock yarn” doesn’t mean it has to be used for socks only. In fact I’ve never completed a pair of socks…but I’m always on the lookout for pretty sock yarn.

This little hat is so tiny that I was asked if it was made for a hamster. Uncool. Hamsters don’t even wear hats.

I promise to share more photos and love just as soon as I complete the blanket. I’m 1/2 way there. Here is a snip of what it looks like (a bit before the 1/2 way mark) and Thanksgiving felt project my sister (Sloane’s Mama) and I are working on.

Welcome to the world sweet Evelyn. We all adore you!

It all came to me one afternoon. I was wondering what on earth to do with my yarn scraps, they aren’t all just scraps – I’ll use them again. I used some bits to tie a quilt just this past week. I use all kinds of bits for projects I’ve got going in other realms of my world.

I love glass, I love canning, I love yarn and if you put it all together in a pretty window sill you get the perfect element of storage/eye candy.

I might be a dork, but it is the little things that make my heart sing.

Plus someday I want to make some scrappy leg warmers, and I will make use of this pretty canned yarn.

Baby William really digs his new blanket.

The hat on the other hand…well that is another story. He looks really peaceful in these photos. This was another project I started this past summer for my baby nephew. I told my sister I could finish it up before I left the Midwest on our summer vacation.

I didn’t end up finishing while we were still there, but it was really shortly after and it gave me something fun to knit when I had some down time while we played at the lake. On the pontoon boat one foggy morn I made a bit of progress.

When I wasn’t too busy adoring these lovebugs.

Tired Bugs

They were a little bit tired this foggy morn.

The hat was similar to most of my other ribbed hats. I used some Amy Butler yarn (didn’t know she made yarn until our trip to Crafty Planet). It was simple to knit with. I think I used size 5 or 6 circular needles. I decided to just wing the color changes between the blue and brown color. The yarn is a mix of organic wool and organic cotton, so perfect for a brand spankin’ new little baby head.

I got the idea to do a double pom pom up top from a hat that my kids had when they were a bit smaller.

Not a knit hat but a fleece number we got as a gift that I loved. I think I liked the idea of a challenge too, needed to vary my predictable hat just a smidge. I guess my sweater gave me some confidence. I used one of my handy stitch holders while I finished one side and then went back and did all of my decreasing for the other point. I am glad I was putting pom poms on there because I did have some little bits that needed covering. I’m generally quite the perfectionist but when you get right down to it, it just needs to keep the baby head warm.

Don’t you love my creepy model?

The Back

There was a bit of a gap in the middle (between the pom poms) so I ended up sewing that center up just a titch as well, with some yarn of course and it came together just fine. After all of the loose ends were tucked in you couldn’t even tell I’d done anything. I think I also realized how I can make it better the next time I attempt a double pom pom on a ribbed hat.

And Baby William, once again, I cannot wait to snuggle you. Hopefully before you are a month old, if all goes as I wish for it to.

I convinced my sister at 41 weeks (today) to drink some castor oil (in hind sight I don’t think it took much convincing). She is probably checked into the hospital right now. I got a text about an hour ago saying they were on their way. I texted her 2 hours ago and said “Sup?” and she replied with “Not good” about 5 minutes later. I wasn’t sure what that meant but I found out 15 minutes later they were heading to the hospital.

The hugest part of me wishes I wasn’t 1300 miles away right now. I get the amazing experience of being present for many births in Montana but seriously debated trying to doula for my sister in spite of our distance. I tried to be there for Clara’s birth and that didn’t pan out quite as I’d hoped, so I think I learned my lesson. The catch(es) is/are that I have another sister (in-law) in Missoula that is due the 25th of October and I have 2 little boys in school and a husband with a sporadic work schedule. I couldn’t really leave my world for an undetermined amount of time to go to my sister’s world to be at her birth, even though at this hour after a few glasses of wine my heart is telling me that was a bad decision. I realize she is in good hands and she is made up of the same bits I am so she’ll be just fine and probably can feel my love from afar? I hope.

To tie it all in – I’ve spent the last month dreaming about baby William’s arrival and wondering how his story will unfold whilst knitting and knitting and knitting him a precious blanket. Back in the summer Melissa picked out the yarn and held it in her sweet pregnant lap. That lap is not the same size it was then, and that baby is not probably quite as cozy as he was this afternoon. Hopefully his blanket can keep him warm as the fall creeps in.

I used a pattern I found called the Forever Baby Blanket and I found out as I neared completion that another Mama I am doula(ing) for is knitting the exact same blanket for her baby due in February. I used Spud and Chloe sweater yarn in place of the yarn the pattern recommended. This particular yarn is a wool/cotton blend and delicious to work with. I used size 8 needles a bit different than the pattern but good for my yarn selection and circular needles as the pattern calls for. I got one skein of yarn that was a different brand (without knowing) and had to order more – this time I chose to order from Jimmy Bean’s Wool and I love the outcome of that decision. I loved my experience and would recommend it to anyone that might be wondering where to order yarn from. I got a free pattern when I ordered and got free shipping on my next order.

Back to that blanket…

I love how simple the pattern is:

Row 1: K3, *sl 1 wyif, k3, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 2: K1, *sl 1 wyif, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, sl 1 wyif, k1.

And that is basically it. Over the course of the last month I took this blanket with me to Simon’s second grade orientation, watched/helped Gus learn to ride a two-wheel bike, sat on the front porch swinging chair and watched fall come, watched storms roll in, watched the wind blow, went to prenatals, watched about 8 horror movies (it is horror movie month at our house), hung out with baby Sloane, spent hours talking to family on our regular Friday night family night, knit on the beach in the sunshine, all the while wondering about William (Baby Bill).

William Jeffery is here! He came while I puttered away on the keys. I will probably just post some photos and call it a night.

Just got this photo to ‘send out to the world’.

Happy Birthday Baby Will – born on the sweetest Great Grandma’s birthday on earth. That will make Grandma Eleanor smile!

The kicker is the blanket arrived today on their doorstep. Maybe he really was waiting for his blanket from his Auntie.

Month: October 2011

Baby Evelyn Mae’s Hat

Yarn Scraps

Double Pom Pom Hat

Baby En Route