Knitting:

It’s done!!

I think it is really cute, but I’ll let you see for yourself.

I should have done a close up of the buttons. Those are ladybug buttons and they are adorable! I was going to get something in a bright pink, but I didn’t find any that I liked and these seemed perfect. The ribbon around the neckline is a lovely addition and ties the ladybugs in nicely. It isn’t supposed to be there, but I had “issues” with m1. By “issues,” I mean holes. Whoops! I rarely do increases, and I haven’t mastered the m1 yet. I’ve since read that you’re supposed to ktbl, which I didn’t. Oh well. They were there and evenly spaced, so it worked out fine. I made the hat using the Umbilical Cord Hat pattern from Stich ‘n Bitch. It was very easy, though I’m not sure that the baby will be able to wear the hat at the same time she can wear the sweater. The sweater will probably fit at 12 months and the hat looks much too small for that size of a baby. But, I had extra yarn and baby hats are so cute.

To sum it all up:

Yarn: KP Shine Worsted in Apple Green. It’s beautifully soft and I love the color for kid/baby things. I’d definitely use it again. I used about 6 skeins for the sweater and less than one skein for the hat.

Needles: KP Options in size 6 (I think)

Pattern: Daisy sweater pattern from Knitty, largest size and no modifications. Hat is Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch n’ Bitch

I also made a couple of cotton baby bibs. Pictures are on my flickr account.

I’m still working on the Embossed Leaves socks. I’ve turned the heel on one, so I’m getting close to the foot. That should go pretty fast and I hope to be done with the pair by the end of next weekend.

Reading:

I’m about halfway done with The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky, by Ken Dornstein. It’s a memoir written by the brother of a man who was killed in the terrorist attack on Pan Am flight 103 that went down over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. I really like it. Dornstein focuses on how he dealt with his grief after the death of his brother. He basically wanted to find out who his brother was. He talked to those who knew his brother and read all the journals and papers left behind by his brother. It’s sad, but it’s very interesting. I’ve been to Lockerbie, so the part of the book where he visits the town was touching to me. Because I’ve been there, I almost connect to that attack more so than with the September 11th attack, since I haven’t been to NYC or the other places that were a part of that day. The brothers had quite a few years between them (almost 10, I think), which is something I can relate to also.

Other than the socks, I’m floundering at what to knit next. I’ll start a swatch on a sweater I want to make for me. But, it’s wool and I wouldn’t be able to wear it until next winter. I would really like to make a wrap sweater that I found somewhere on the web (it’s bookmarked on my computer at work), but I don’t have any or enough yarn in my stash and I don’t have the money to buy more. Oh woe is me! I have plenty of sock yarn, so I think I’ll manage to survive.