Warming up

OK, first we need to talk about the weather. This past week’s weather has been IN. SANE. My Instagram feed has been full of screenshots showing the current negative degree windchill, or people throwing boiling water out the door and watching it turn instantly into steam (MegEmily). It is ridonkulous how cold it’s been outside, so cold that both my kids have had school or preschool canceled for most of the week, bringing this winter break to a full THREE WEEKS for our family due to the fact that E was sick with the flu before break started.

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I would love to be one of those parents who says they are “so glad for just a few more days with my kiddo before he goes back to school,” but I’m just not. We have been going bonkers trying to keep the kids entertained without being able to go outside or even anywhere in the car because of the windchill, at the same time trying to get things done around the house as we prepare to move, not to mention work. And while I’m glad I have the ability to step away from blogging or pattern making whenever I want to, I actually love my work, so I’m practically jumping up and down for joy today that the temperature is finally going back up into the 20’s and I can finally be back in my studio redrawing darts for Josephine (our current pattern-in-progress) or cutting out fabric for baby clothes. HOOORRRAAAY!!!

Meanwhile, I’ve got a few knitted projects to show you. It’s been a cold winter so far so while I’ve been stuck inside I’ve been working on making things to keep us warm. That adorable little hat is for our baby that we’re expecting in early April; I made it last week with just a little bit of Purl’s Super Soft Merino yarn and the free Hats for Everyone pattern from the Purl Bee. Not sure it will be wool hat weather by early April, but you never know.

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I also made this baby blanket from a free Purl Bee pattern (the Super Easy Baby Blanket) and is now looking a wee bit pilly because Clementine decided it was hers and has been using it as her snuggly blanket for the past couple of months. Also made with Purl’s Super Soft Merino yarn; a bit $$ so I just did five colors instead of the seven (I think?) called for in the pattern.

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This cowl is a slight modification of the uber-popular Gaptastic Cowl Pattern — which, hey! is also free! and also garter stitch! — I didn’t have quite enough Super Soft Merino left after the baby blanket so I cast on about 25% less than the recommended stitches and used 2.5 skeins instead of the four it would have taken if I had made it full sized, but I actually like that it hugs my neck pretty closely…definitely makes it warmer. I feel like I’ve been wearing it non-stop for months, inside and out. Shown here with my new blue glasses (whee!):

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So now I’m working on a little baby sweater that (so far) is just knit upward in one continuous piece. It was inspired by this little sweater I saw on Pinterest which doesn’t have a pattern but I just made a swatch and did some math and we’ll see what happens. It will have a hood. I also think it needs to have some red or orange buttons, don’t you think?

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Now I know some of you are wondering…is this baby a boy or a girl? The hat could go either way (though if you an astute follower of me on Instagram you might already know just because of a comment I made about the color of the pom-pom the other day), the baby blanket has pink in it (though I’ve never hesitated to put Elliot in pink…), and then the sweater is pretty gender-neutral too…hmmm.

Ok, I’ll tell you. It’s a BOY! Fun, right??? We’re so excited to have another baby boy in the family! That also means more BOY SEWING!! I’m already putting together a little list of projects I want to make before he arrives, and freaking out a little that I only have about 12 weeks left before he’s due. And oh yes, we’re moving in two weeks. ACK! *deep cleansing breaths* So anyway, that’s all for now; some whining about the weather and a baby-gender-reveal. You know, like any other day! Over and out!!!