Every year before we eat Thanksgiving dinner my family stands in a circle and we all take turns saying what we are thankful for (we give abbreviated lists, of course). It’s a simple tradition, but I always enjoy it. This year the things I am most thankful for are all family-related and God-related. I am so extraordinarily blessed! I’m especially thankful that God has blessed me with a beautiful, healthy daughter that I adore and a handsome, loving husband (that I also adore, tee hee).

Our thanksgiving dinner was a huge to-do with about 21 guests in all. I made enough green beans to feed almost twice that much… it gets hard to estimate such large quantities! We have a lot of leftovers. I also made six pies. It was a good time.

A good friend of mine took some family pictures for us, so I will close this entry with a few family photos for you. (Sorry, no knitting photos until I can find my camera cable…) My mom sewed Edda’s dress. Also, note the handknit blanket…

I finished the sweater that I’ve been referring to as the “Robin’s Egg Sweater.” I realize that the name seems to suggest that the sweater has some kind of egg pattern on it, but at this point the name has stuck. (The name actually refers to the color, which I believe is robin’s-egg blue.) The pattern is Knitting Pure and Simple’s Bulky Baby Pullover and the yarn is Snuggle by the Alpaca Yarn Co.

I think Edda likes her new sweater. She also has a new hat. (Please excuse the messy, unmade bed…)

I’m also working on a Fiber Trends pattern: Huggable Hedgehog (FT228) and some socks (for me) and some Christmas stuff. I can’t really give any details about most of that because of the need for secrecy and all.

In non craft-related (and most exciting) news: Edda said “mama” for the first time today!! At the risk of sounding truly silly…. I almost cried. I have been trying to get her to say “mama” for months. She would say “dada” and “dog,” but not “mama”! I was beginning to think she never would. I was beginning to feel a little insulted. (I mean, “dada” is one thing, but “dog”?) However, she has finally figured it out and now I am reassured that she does indeed love me.

I’m actually separated from the computer from which I usually do all my blogging, so I can’t post any photos. The lack of posts is not an indicator of lack of knitting, however. I have been knitting up a veritable storm, but sort of secretly.  As soon as I can get to my photos, I will begin to share some of my goings-on with you.

Hey, I do have a few photos on flickr that I forgot about:

some homemade jam and a ballband dishcloth as a birthday gift for my grandmother

and some lovely, delicious socks for myself.

Marley’s blanket: I used the “Round or Pinwheel Baby Blanket” pattern and Knit Picks Comfy Sport in “Creme Brulee.” From what I have heard, it is already getting quite a lot of use, which is the best thing a knitted gift could ask for. (Marley is my friend Anna’s little girl. She was born about three weeks ago and she is lovely.)

I made one of these for my neighbor’s new baby, Gabi, and it was so cute that I had to make another for Edda. I used Hobby Lobby’s “Bamboospun” for both bunnies, which is not normally a yarn  I would use. I initially picked it because it was soft and machine washable but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. And I do love it. It is not at all “plasticy” like a lot of these fluffy yarns that are 100% acrylic and it has a lovely drape thanks to the bamboo. I’m considering making a sweater out of it for Edda to wear this fall/winter. The pattern is Lion Brand’s “Bunny Blanket Buddy” and there appear to be  several permutations of it on the  Lion Brand website. This is the one I used.

I made the head about 2” tall instead of the 3.5” the pattern calls for. For the face, I cut a roundish shape from white craft felt and embroidered the features on it and sewed that onto the head with white floss. I sewed a bell into a little, felt pouch and put that inside the head along with the stuffing to add an interesting sound when Edda shakes it. (I sewed it very securely, there’s no way in the world she’s getting it out and swallowing it.)

Meet my new excuse for never blogging anymore. She’s sweet, but she keeps me busy! When I get a spare moment, blogging is just not that high on my list. I would rather just knit. My knitting has been pretty boring to blog about anyway, since my sleep-deprived brain can only handle very simple things right now. I did finish a pair of purple socks for my mom that have been hanging around for months.  I also started working on a blankie for a friend’s baby. I’m not sure if she reads this blog, so I won’t get into specifics. It’s on ravelry, if you’re interested. The yarn I’m using is Knit Picks “Comfy Sport.” I highly recommend it. It’s very soft and not very splitty. The colors are lovely, too.

I made some  “Christine’s Baby Booties” for Edda out of some leftover cherry tree hill sock yarn and they have been the best ever at keeping her feet warm. She can wiggle her way out of any sock or bootie on the planet except these. If you ever make them, don’t leave out the tie. The tie is the key to the staying-on-ness. They look pretty darn cute, too!

Here are some recent photos of Edda in handknits:

There hasn’t been a ton of knitting going on during the last two weeks. Actually, there hasn’t been much of anything going on besides lots of diaper changing and nursing and lying around dazed and exhausted. In spite of all the trouble, I’m finding motherhood extremely exhilarating. I think my baby is the loveliest ever. Pardon me while a share a few of my favorite photos.

Two of my good friends, Amy and Mandy, made this quilt for Edda.

This is Edda about to leave for her 1-week checkup. (She’s yawning, not crying.)

Edda and Oliver having some bonding time.

Edda wearing her socks that I made.

Edda and her daddy taking a nap after we came home from the hospital.

Edda wearing her viking hat.

Napping with the cozy pinwheel blanket. (That has been the most-used FO so far!)

Ok. Sorry for the picture overload… We’ve pretty much been taking pictures continuously since the birth. Edda was born on Thursday, January 22nd after a grueling 25 and a half hours of labor. We had decided to have a natural birth, but after 20 hours or so, I started having serious second thoughts about that decision. Fortunately Ryan, my Mom and my labor coach were there to help me get through the last five hours without getting an epidural. I’m really glad I stuck with my decision. Even though it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, I wouldn’t change it. Ryan was really awesome through the whole thing and I feel like the experience really brought us closer together. Tomorrow Edda will be two weeks old and I’m feeling almost back to normal. (except for some unfortunate stitches. ugh.) She is such a little bundle of cuteness.

As far as knitting goes, I finished some ankle socks in Panda Cotton (Trail Mix colorway) and I’m now working on some socks in a turquoise, brown and gray colorway of Austermann Step. I also made a pair of fingerless mittens for my sister, Olivia.

Next time I post I will hopefully have some sewing to show off! I turned 21 on January 29th and I bought a cool new sewing book with some birthday money. (This book. It is very inspiring.)

Edda Rose

born January 22, 2009

eight pounds, two ounces

and so, so perfect.

I’ve been sewing a lot recently. A few weeks ago all the flannel at Hancock Fabrics was 50% off so I bought some.

And I made…. burp cloths. Glamorous, I know. They are really cute burp cloths, though. I wanted to practice sewing and I thought they would be an easy practice project. (Those are tiny, cute mushrooms on the printed flannel!)

My stomach has reached a most uncomfortably large size. I’m really ready to have the baby now. Fortunately, the end is near: my due date is Monday. It can’t be long now. I’ve found that it is really hard to take a decent picture of one’s stomach that is isn’t terribly embarassing, but I want to document it so I won’t forget. I’m not sure if i’ll believe it was actually as big as it is after it is gone… This picture is sort of ok, but I’m still only posting the smaller size.

Not much going on knitting-wise except a pair of socks in panda cotton. I thought I would hate the yarn as it is a cotton-based sock yarn and I vowed never to knit with one of those, but I’m actually enjoying it a lot! I think the elastic in the yarn makes all the difference in the world. Maybe they won’t be so warm that I can only wear them in the dead of winter… South Carolina needs to be a little bit colder.

I feel like Christmas was here and gone too quickly this year. It might be that I feel this way because I have a lot on my mind. Baby Edda should be here anytime in the next two weeks and her coming has basically eclipsed any and everything else in my mind. Some updates:

I finished the nursery but I haven’t photographed it yet because every time I get it cleaned up something happens and all the mess from the rest of the house gets hidden back there. Grr.

I gave all the presents that I knitted. I think everyone liked them. (Actually, I’m pretty sure most people liked them a lot, which is excellent because I really spent a lot of time making them exactly the way people wanted them.) I managed to surprise my mom, which is always a big deal as she is very hard to surprise.

Mom’s socks (rav link) I loved this yarn, Zitron Lifestyle.

Ryan gave me a set of knit picks’ harmony straight needles (10″) for Christmas!  They combine the things I like about bamboo needles with the few things I like about metal needles to make a whole new kind of needle (at least, new to me).  I like bamboo needles because they are strong, flexible-ish, light, they don’t “clink” and they warm to your hands as you use them. I like the fact that they are “grabbier” than metal, but sometimes they grab too much.  Also the points are usually too blunt. The harmony needle have nice, pointy tips and they are much smoother! They are also pretty, but that’s just extra. Love, love, love.

Ryan also gave me a cute little espresso machine, which I also dearly love.  Ryan is a keeper.

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Some recently finished baby things:

viking girl hat (ravelry link)

a basic bib

Sorry if this post has been long and rambling… I felt like I had a lot to catch up on. I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas! I may or may not get around to updating before the baby gets here so… if you don’t hear from me in a month or so it’s probably because Her Majesty has arrived.

(of course, I intend to post before then, but you guys know my track record is not so great, hehe.)