help! what size are baby feet?

Last night, I started a pair of baby socks as a gift for a pregnant friend. Although I'm not really following a pattern, I did use the dimensions of the baby socks in Interweave Knits' Better Than Booties patterns.

The pattern has you make the foot 4 3/4" around and 3 1/2" long. So that's what I did. (And then made a ribbed leg.)

But, these look awfully big for a baby! I did find a chart online that says that a 6 to 8 pound baby has a 3 - 3 1/2" long foot. So, I guess these are O.K. Any moms out there who can confirm or deny that these WILL fit a baby, maybe a month or two after birth??

And, while you are at it, what do you think of the color of the yarn (Koigu)? Okay for a baby girl? I love the bright colors, but I wonder what others think??

scarf-ghan

Drive-by posting:

The MIT Stitch n Bitch group collected 18 (?) red scarves for the red scarf project.


A few are missing from the photo above, but this is most of them.

I present my contribution -- "Red scarf, in shades of greens and blue."


Project specs:
Yarn: Lots of scrappy bits. Mostly wool and wool blends. Some from MDK, some from the Mafia, some of unknown provenance.
Needles: Size 15, 36" (or 40"?) Clover bamboo circs.
Pattern: Cast on a whack of stitches. Knit. Switch colors occasionally. Bind off when it seems big enough.
Finished dimensions: Longer than I am tall x 7ish inches wide.

garter rib socks - done!

The socks, they be done.


Project specs
Pattern: Garter Rib socks from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Schaeffer Anne
Needles: Size 0 Addi Turbo, 40", Magic Looped
Gauge: about 9.5-10 sts/in, I think
Pattern Mods: None. Nice basic socks.
Comments: Toes are a leeetle bit too long, but not tragically so. I did NOT rip and reknit.

This was a UFO for a long time. Well, the first sock was done, but I succumbed to Second Sock Syndrome and never knit the second sock. I started them sometime last winter. Boy, am I glad to have them done!

My next socks are some [big] [boring] grey socks for the hubby. But, I think he'll like them lots, so I shall knit them, despite the sheer boredom factor of grey stockinette.

hand-knit socks

We've been doing a lot of laundry at our new house, since the washer and dryer are ours, and not coin-op!

Sometimes, things just shouldn't go in the dryer, though. Case in point, handknit socks.


What will we do when we move in and hang curtains???

Socks and YFC

Wow. You know that you are a boring blogger when you post a photo of a sock that has only grown by a few inches since its last photo.




So, let's pretend that I am instead posting a photo of my new sock-knitting bag. This gold bag is part of a lavendar-scented gift set from Crabtree and Evelyn -- 2 lotions and a shower gel. The bag, which looks like silk dupioni, is just the right size for some socks in progree and a photocopied pattern. Très chic.

In other news, I signed up for Rebekah's Yarn Focus Challenge, which nicely complements my efforts in KFYS2007. The short description is that from Jan 15 to April 15, participants don't buy any new yarn. Everyone sends enough yarn for a pair of socks to Rebekah, and at the end of the 91 days, she divides up the sock yarn between all the participants who "stayed on the wagon" for 91 days. Also, participants will each knit one chemo cap during that time and donate it to a cancer center where her husband is undergoing treatments. Sounds like a good way to stay focused -- I might win some yarn!

Oh yeah, a few "before" photos have been posted over at the "Thom and Danielle Buy a House" blog. I'll be posting a room at a time, I think. And "after" photos when we are all moved in :)

My First FO, my current WIP

Yesterday, I dug out and wore my first-ever finished object -- a garter stitch scarf made out of Lion Brand Homespun. I wear a scarf almost every day, and often leave it on throughout the day. I reached for the same scarf again this morning, so I thought I might post a pic of it (thanks, Photo Booth!).


I taught myself how to knit about 3 1/2 years ago. While technically, my mother-in-law taught me how to form a knit and purl stitch, I didn't *really* learn to knit from her. From what she taught me, I knit a few inches but kept making mistakes, and with nobody there to help me, I put down the needles before long.

Until one day, when I was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to take up knitting. I went to the local big-box craft store and got some cheap yarn, and knit and knit and knit. The scarf grew to be well over 6 feet. Hooked at once!

For my second FO, I discovered the LYS. And the world of expensive yarn. This second-ever FO, sadly lost along the way, was a roll-brim hat made out of some $15/skein soft wool. Didn't take long before I realized that this hobby could consume me :)

Since then, I've made lots of other scarves, and lots of other knitted objects, but my first FO still has a place in my heart. And, since it is 100% acrylic, it will probably survive until my death!

Why have I resorted to posting photos of long-ago knitted items? Well, I've been running low on knitting time around here. On Friday, Thom and I closed on our new house. We probably won't move until after we do a lot of painting, install a wood floor, and tackle some other small jobs around the place. (For more details, I set up a separate house blog.)


I've been working on the Nantucket Jacket, but the only knitting time I am likely to have in the immediate future is on the commute in to work, and at occasional lunch-time knitting groups. The fronts are about 12" long. Now I need to decide what to do about the collar.

The original design, shown here, has a moss stitch shawl collar. I love this feature. I do not love the moss stitch on the body of the sweater, peeking out from under the collar. The collar is knit along with the fronts. I need to figure out how to adjust the pattern to get rid of the moss stitch on the body. I'll have to ponder a bit...

New Year's Resolutions

I'm not really a New Year's resolution kind of person. Seems too cliched for me. But, I thought I'd take a stab at a list this year. Call them "life goals" or "positive changes" if you will. Some are yarn-y, some are not, but all have been rolling around in my little brain for the past few months, so I thought I would commit them to writing, in no particular order (other than the order I thought about them!). Feel free to tune out now if this is too much navel-gazing for your tastes.

1) Devote more energy to my career/job/future job prospects.
I have a job that I really like, at a fabulous and unique institution. I work for two individuals that I greatly respect, with a pool of talented and intelligent colleagues. I've been given excellent opportunities to learn and grow and (from what I have been told by colleagues), I have excelled. So what's the problem? I'm putting in, on a good day, 75% effort. On a less motivated day, I spend some serious quality time with Bloglines. I need to -- and want to -- step it up a notch. I want new challenges and greater responsibility ... a higher salary wouldn't hurt, either. The problem is, I need to motivate myself to do this, and step out of my comfort zone. I know I can do it. I know I want to do it. Now, I just need to do it!

2) Clean more often, and do a better job of it. Be more organized.
I am a bit of a slob. Not a dirty, smelly, unkempt person, but rather a lazy, clutter-y, piles upon piles kind of person. I live by the mantra of "I'll put it away later." I'm organized in my thoughts, and even in my work processes. But, I have yet to develop a really good system of organizing my "things" -- papers, yarns, files, household stuff. I have a few mini-systems that work beautifully -- my purse has a place for everything, and everything is in its place. My closet is hung by garment type (pants, skirts, long sleeve shirts, cardigans, etc.), and is usually even sorted by color within each category. So, I need more of these mini-systems, as well as some macro-systems to keep the whole house running smoothly.

3) Buy a house, and decorate it beautifully.
We've got the house. (Keep your fingers crossed, though, as we won't actually own it until this time tomorrow morning!) Now I need to choose furniture, floors, paint, and accessories that will make it fit my vision of a warm and inviting, tidy, organized home. Also, see goal #2. I am not confident in my design skills and my eye for color, etc. We may get some outside help. In the interest of keeping this blog as a knitting blog, the house now has its own blog.

4) Knit from stash.
I have 2 large storage boxes, plus a small one, plus 2 large baskets, plus one small one -- all full of yarn!! By the end of September, I hope to consolidate down to one large storage box, plus one basket. Some projects I want to make include the following --
a) design and knit a sweater from my red cotton ease. I have a good idea of some of the design features (deep ribbing at the waist, v-neck or turtleneck, set-in sleeves, etc.)
b) Must Have Cardi for my mom
c) Flower Basket Shawl for me
d) a dozen pairs of socks -- 10 for me or for gifts, 1 for Thom, 1 for FIL
e) fitted sweater from Rowan wool-cotton that came in the Mason-Dixon Hefty Bag.
f) stripey cotton vest for me
g) several non-sock small projects
h) lots of bits and bobs for charity knitting. Starting now, my goal is 24 items (a pair of something counts as one item) by the end of 2007 -- 2 per month.

5) Exercise more.
Between 2000-2003 -- the first three years out of college -- I swam, ran, and went to the gym regularly. I competed in swim meets (biggest one was the YMCA Masters' National swim championships), synchronized swim meets, swim races for charity, open water swim races, and road races. Then I discovered knitting. And got married. And gained 20 30+ pounds. I miss my physical activity, and my swim team teammates. I signed up for 100 miles by April 1, otherwise known as Runagogo. Once I move to my new house, I will live 5 minutes from the swim team (not the 25-30 away that I live now). My goal is to build up to the point where I can get back into open water swimming -- swimming in lakes, ponds, and oceans, instead of pools -- this summer.

6) Eat better.
More fruits and veggies and whole grains. Less prepared foods, more home cooked meals. Use all my organic produce delivery each week.

7) Curse less.
I am intelligent and well educated. I need to find better ways to express myself. Reserve the f-bomb for when it is truly needed :)

8) Be more social.
I like my own company. Yet, I like other people too! Reach out a bit more and spend more time with friends and family.

9) Figure out what to do about getting a masters' degree.
Make a plan. What degree? Where? When? Full or part time? Who will pay for it? Finish it before I have kids, or struggle to do both at once?

10) Be more fiscally responsible.
My husband and I have made good financial decisions so far. We have fab credit scores, an excellent financial planner, and we use Microsoft Money to track our spending. But, there are still a lot of places where we can do better. I would like to eat out less at work, and reduce the amount I spend on small, unnecessary items, to save money for the bigger things in life. Having kids, I hear that is an expensive proposition ...

11) Umm, about those kids I keep mentioning ...
(NO! I'm not pregnant!!) But I do want kids, someday. And someday seems to be getting much closer. Figure out when/how kidlets will fit into our life. We didn't buy a 4-bedroom house for just the two of us, you know. Major life changes will involve lots of agonizing and over-thinking.

12) Agonize and over-think less. Live life more.
Not just about kids, but about lots of things.

13) Be realistic about what one person (i.e. me) can achieve in any given day, month, year, decade, life ... Balance my commitments and be happy.
Perhaps I need to make shorter lists of resolutions!!!

Happy 2007 to you and yours!

Nantucket, and some socks

Test, test ... is this thing on?

Yep, I'm back from an unintended blog hiatus. Nothing bad, just got caught up with other stuff and haven't blogged much recently. I have been knitting still, and even took photos, but I think I'll spread them out over the next couple of days...

When I last posted, I was working on my Nantucket Jacket from the cover of the winter IK. The last pic I showed was right before ripping out everything I had done so far. Since then, I've reknit the back, changing the gussets a bit, and adding in more cables to make up for it... and a little more length too.

I've also started the fronts, with similar mods.

Sorry for the crap photos. There's been a lack of sunshine around here. The flash doesn't cut it, but neither does the natural light.

I'm really enjoying this knit. The yarn is the best kind of squooooshy soft merino, and the pattern is easy enough that I hardly have to look at my notes. My birthday is February 1, and I hope to wear it then!

Of course, I also have a sock in progress for mindless knitting needs -- cabled sweaters, no matter how easy, aren't quite mindless. This is a garter rib sock in Schaeffer Anne, the second of a pair. The heel is turned, and I'm headed for the toes.


In between these, I got distracted by two three other projects. Maybe four. More photos of those to come soon.