baby p: June 2006 Archives

baby p, 96% done
blankie, 38% done

Here we are, 11 days from delivery, and the blankie has grown to 38% complete (32 of the 84 diamonds).

On a more important note, I heeded all your great advice and weaved in all my ends. I now have a few more again, but still, those were a lot of ends!

I'm also knitting in the end that starts the color change. So, I've halved the total number of ends. Again, because you all pushed me and made me realize that I should! I don't often (ever?) do much with multiple colors of yarn so it just didn't dawn on me to do this.

I am, yet again, losing steam on this project. But, I'm staying on task and I haven't picked up the needles to knit anything else.

4

The baby is due in 11 days. If I knit 4 diamonds a day I will make the deadline. And -- almost as important -- I will not have my 4-day July 4th vacation consumed with baby blanket knitting.

OK, dear readers, you were right again. Several of you implored me to weave them in as I go.

I really didn't want to do that though. As we all know, if the knitting is done, we can claim an FO.

well, not really, but doesn't it FEEL like an FO?

Then I did a little math.

always, always, trust the math

84 diamonds * 4 ends per diamond = TMFE*

So, I've started knitting in the ends that get created when I start a new diamond. That halves the total number of ends.

And then, I've been occasionally weaving in some ends just for fun.

not really for fun, but certainly for good my sanity

Here's the latest shot. It's a little over 25% done -- which means it's officially growing at a speed several times faster than baby p.

too many fucking ends...336 to be precise

Thank you all so much for your suggestions and general good vibes that you sent my way! I haven't had a chance to reply to them because all free time has become blankie-time. So, here's a big public thank you to you all!

I had a lot of great ideas to consider. In the end I've decided to

• Knit exclusively on the blankie. Any other knitting right now wouldn't have the same meaning. I have 2 cute sweaters sketched out for the baby but they're not being done in a day (one is a gansey and one is an aran).
• Look at the store to see if any of the coordinating items for the baby's room are available. There are a few really cute ones that I could wrap up and be very happy with giving as a gift.
• Put together a gift for Kelly -- bubble bath, candles, etc. She's had to live with my brother's baby inside her for almost 9 months. She can use a little pampering.
• I may also make a few bibs or burping cloths from MSD after finishing the blankie. I really like them a lot. I chose not to go this route for the shower only because it feels like cheating to hit the Saturday deadline.

Two things that several of you said that made me decide this path were the fact that a) the baby isn't born yet. Kelly is scheduled for a c-section on July 7th, and b) they're my brother and SIL and will DEFINITELY understand.

I will probably NOT bring the blankie with me to the shower. I want it to be a surprise in its completed form. Kelly used to read the blog but I had asked her to stop (and she's so cool that I am positive that she did!) so I want the completed blankie to be the first time she sees it.

She already knows I won't be finished. My brother told her last night and she called me and told me it wasn't a big deal.

See, I told you...she's very cool.

Now if you got this far you deserve a pic of the blankie. Here it is, all 17 squares of it.

The texture that has come out in the past day pleases me to no end. I've decided not to line it, which means every end has to be woven in as well as they can be (no hiding them inside the lining!).

Those of you who know me well know that I take it as a good sign that I fell asleep last night knitting the 17th square*. And I'm using that to tell myself that weaving in the ends won't be so bad either.

I know, but let me live this lie for a little longer.

* it's a prime number!

My brother IMs me at work yesterday and we start talking about the crib that he's making.

this is of interest for 2 reasons, the obvious one, and the fact that it's supposed to be the main attraction at the shower and he wanted to drape the blanket on it so it's not just a big piece of wood sitting in the middle of the yard

He tells me that he's sweating it out because it needs a few more coats of shellac and the garage door broke the other night and so he really has to work on that first.

So I suggest, finish the crib on Saturday, then do the door on Sunday while we're all at the shower. Simple, and both will be done by the end of the weekend.

here's where the problem arises

Small issue with that...the shower is on SATURDAY.

I have no idea how I fabricated that it was on Sunday, but after a panicked call to my mom I confirmed that the father-to-be of my blanket-to-be was right.

So, dear friends, thank you for all the encouraging words. But, unless the encouragement comes with a flight to Philadelphia and an all-night knitting party on Friday night, it's not going to happen.

It is mathematically impossible.

So, I have 3 choices:

• Finish whatever I possibly can, and giftwrap it with a little "in-progress" note. Shudder when she opens it up in front of everyone
• Make a small complimentary pillow, stuff it, wrap that with a little "blankie-to-come" note.
• Knit up a quick baby sweater. I keep reading on other people's blogs that they got a garter stitch baby jacket done in a night. Is that crazy? I've never knit a baby sweater but that seems optimistic

None of these options are exciting me, but I have 55 hours from the moment I'm writing this, 24 of those spent at work or commuting to/from work. Throw in some sleep and a few showers, and it's not happening.

What would you do?

Blankie 9.5% done Baby P 92.5% done

Pangs of guilt hit me on Sunday and I pulled out the blanket to work on for a bit. I only got 1.5 squares done.

Then last night, after dinner, something clicked. This blanket is for my brother's baby. The baby for whom he's spent the past 6 months building a crib. My little nephew. The guy who will carry on the family name.

That's when I realized: he cannot enter this world without a blankie from me.

We were sitting outside and it was already pretty dark, but I just had to knit a little. I knit a couple squares before I couldn't see a thing.

I love the design more than ever. The little garter stitch edges give it a great tactile feel, and the RYC Cashsoft is so soft.

The shower is Sunday. Let's just hope my motivation kicked in soon enough.