on the needles

Firstly, thank you all for the lovely reception last week.  After almost a full year away from the blogging world, it's been harder than I'd imagined to get up the nerve to dive back into things.  Thanks for your sweet words and for your excitement about the little one.

My excitement--which might be more accurately described as a mix of anticipation and anxiety--has mostly been manifesting itself as an overwhelming desire to do.  I have lists and piles and plans.  Multiple schedules and calendars.  (If this makes me sound incredibly organized, my partner-in-crime would be happy to set that record straight for you...)

While all the scrambling to stay on top of things can start to feel overwhelming, making gives me an incredible sense of accomplishment.  First, it tends to be cheaper than buying all the darling little handmades I see on the Internet.  I'm also not too shortsighted to appreciate the fact that I have more free time--and free hands--now than I will again for the next decade or so.  I'm relishing it, I promise you.

I have at least five different projects going right now.  To be honest, some of them are coming along faster than others.  My knitting skills, for instance, will always outpace my--very recently acquired--sewing abilities.

The truth is, I've been knitting for a baby--not this baby, but a baby--for years now.  More on that, maybe, some other time.  For the past few months, though, it's been wonderful being able to knit for someone in particular.  A summer baby, who probably won't need any big, chunky ski sweaters in newborn sizes but will no doubt require some protection from the unpredictable, sometimes chilly, Seattle climes.

I'm a big believer in baby leg warmers.  My diaper-changing skills might be a little rusty, but I'm pretty sure I'd much rather stick the kid in a onesie and some leg warmers than wrestle tiny legs into tiny pairs of pants every hour and a half.  I used this free pattern and some leftover Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for this pair.  Quick and easy enough that I started a second set right after finishing the first...

Most of my knitting hours, though, have been logged on a much bigger project, The Purl Bee's Super Easy Baby Blanket.  It really has been super easy, great for zoning out on long bus rides or in front of the television.  The hardest part, choosing the colors, got a lot simpler when I put my man in charge of making the decisions.  Now, 800 some yards of Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash later, I'm still not finished, but the end is in sight.  I don't have a final result to share just yet, but here's a sneak peek at the palette:

I still have two more months of knitting time left, assuming my fingers don't balloon into sausages in the last weeks.  I haven't decided which project to tackle next.  I'm looking for practical--tiny, intricate booties are out--and straight-forward--I don't seem to have a whole lot of brainpower to spare at this point.  Any suggestions for handknits that no self-respecting tiny person can live without?  Let me know...

Speaking of feedback, while voter turnout at the polls was slightly lower than expected, 60% of you dear readers are predicting that the bun in my oven is--gasp!--a girl.  (For what it's worth, that's been my guess all along, too...)