Back to Knitting

I finally started knitting again. I don't mean picking up an old project. No, I started something new. And I have pics. Oh yeah.

Second Lizard Ridge Afghan square in Noro Silk Garden Lite

Saartje's Bootees in Patons Grace on size 2. Yay! My first baby project!

My bin of baby yarn for the next project.
I queued a bunch of projects on Ravelry so I'll be spending my evening on Ravelry.

G has been so good to me - making excellent breakfasts, suggesting lunch at Chino Bandido my local favorite (all the while suppressing his ambivalence), and THEN taking me to my all time favorite bargain grocery store, Grocery Outlet! Again, not his favorite but he kept himself occupied while I gleefully browsed. Now I understand it is a possibility that the merchandise is expired or off-brand or whatever. I check all the dates and near exclusively brand name shop. They usually have a surprisingly substantial stock of my favorite natural/organic brands.

My goodies:
Terra Spiced Sweet Potato chips
Kashi cookies
Kashi granola
Cascadian Farms granola
Soy Delicious ice cream bars
Reser's deli salsa (and 2 other random jars)*
Cheese! A cheddar and a jalapeño jack

Lots more and I only spent $38. This was my first trip to the one and only Phx location. To be clear, this is not a dollar store. Items are more than a buck soooo that means more pricey groceries can be sold there. AND they have an aisle of health and beauty - I always find Nature's Gate and Alba. If you're curious (or love bargains) and live in CA, AZ, WA or NV, check it out!

*Craving chips and salsa - I finished off G's salsa in 2 days, usually takes him 2 weeks.

Shopping for Baby

What is the one item I'm excited to buy for the baby? Hmm I want to buy a Bella Band - it sounds so comfortable but I'm not necessarily excited about it. Baby clothes? Not yet, besides that's more than one thing. Carseat, crib, basinette? Nope. I'm excited to pick out a Diaper Bag! I love purses! And organizing and compartments. For a loooong time, even when I wasn't even close to considering babies, I knew what I wanted (if by chance I ever had a baby) - One that looked like a purse I would carry because darn it I am carrying it! No freakin' quilted teddy bear print balloons and hearts. Not my thing. Okay for others and honestly it's fine for the babies room and clothes and what not. But pleeeease I love purses and want to love carrying it around.

What do you mothers think of this: My sister recommended a particular brand of nursing pads with the best absorption. However... I've heard of ones you can knit. Effective? or *gasp* itchy?

300th Post Contest for Days Go By

Here's another contest I found, Days Go By's 300th post.

What makes this contest extra fun? Earn an extra entry for sharing your favorite knitting tip! I just learned how to knit backwards and it's the time-saving-est skill I've learned in the past year (besides Continental).

If you head on over, let her know I sent you!

I can do it

Okay, I apologize. I just needed to get it out of my system yesterday but today I can knit baby things. No longer grossly intimidated, here's my plan of attack:

1. Identify baby yarn that I already have.
2. Utilize the Ravelry database (stay away from the forums, Urs) to match up my yarn to cute projects.
3. Narrow those projects down to free patterns.
4. Cast on!

Yesterday's whine was admittedly ridiculous. I'm beyond those fears. Well beyond. Thank you for the ideas and encouragement, Kristen and Justshajam!

Ideas?

I have no idea what to knit for the baby. No clue. I like the baby surprise jacket, I want little mitts, hats? What else is there?

Hangup #1 - yarn. I want good yarn but I don't want expensive yarn! The yarn I found in years past at Joann's/Michaels just sucked. I've made many a yarn mistake just grabbing something. Then the colors, they're so blah, pastel. White is good but it gets boring. Is cotton okay? I don't even know.

Hangup #2 - yarn weight. Ugh. They're all so thin they should be interchangeable. Unfortunately I've learned that's not true. The projects are so small that it REALLY matters. Leading to ...

Hangup #3 - small projects. Small projects for most people are the perfect project. They should be - portable, quick, inexpensive. Those are all great features but I'm hung up on the perfect shaping required in such few rows.

I guess I'm intimidated.

Okay. It's still a little weird to say "the baby." Maybe after the ultrasound.

Contest at BarknKnit

Head on over to BarknKnit's blog for a cute Valentine's Day contest and tell her how you met your SO. You can let her know I sent you!

I'm a sap for this kind of stuff right now :)

Notice Anything Different?

I'm pregnant!

The baby is due October 10th.

We're going for traditional Italian names and have a boy's name picked out in honor of Gianni's dad but I'm not sure for the girl's. I'm going to be secretive about the names. I have a good friend that had 2 names "stolen." She was most ticked about the boy's name - her neighbor/friend had her baby a month or so before her and, surprise! She used the name. Then, the one that really sets me off (and not Jacque), she named her first baby Grace. Some six months later a former mutual friend used the name! How dare she? Who does she think she is?? Well, that's her style - take what you want with no regard to others because the world revolves around you, Missy. Okay, actually Jacque thinks it's funny that I get so upset "for" her. She never really cared that Ms. R was unable to come up with an original name of her own. Soon here I'll adopt Jacque's approach. (Yes, I'm admitting she has taken the high road. I'm almost there, Jacque - I took the long road through Angryville.)

I have to figure out how to make the ticker look right. At least on my screen it's partly cut off at the end. Either that or find a new one.