Knitting Therapy

And here it is, the purse. With my much suffering machine in the background.

2009 was both the best and the worst year that I've ever had. I have been pregnant for 9 out of 12 months. My daughter's brief existence was entirely encapsuled in 2009. I miss her terribly. Most of my pregnancy with my son will have been in 2009. I had my lowest lows in the days after losing my first pregnancy, and some of my highest highs as I felt my son kick for the first time, saw his profile on the ultrasound.

This year I was a crafting maniac. I knit two sweaters and half a shawl on top of dozens of smaller projects, I designed my first pattern (three in one year!), I learned fair isle, I participated in Tour de Fleece and spun more yarn in a month than I'd previously spun at all. I upgraded to a fancier spinning wheel. I got my sewing machine repaired and made an entire purse myself, the first project from it that I'm incredibly proud of. I crafted for Christmas and strung my first necklace. I dyed yarn.

This year I was a traveler. I started off the year in San Diego, I visited DC for the inauguration, I visited dear friends in Switzerland. I was back in DC for girl's weekend, I organized a knitting retreat in the mountains of NC, I went to the NC beach and Lake Superior in MN.

So long, 2009. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. Let 2010 begin a new chapter.

So, the sewing machine guy is fixing it for free! And it'll be done tomorrow!

Apparently, the problem is the capacitor, which has something to do with the motor. (And is apparently NOT a flux capacitator, surprise surprise?) My repair guy said that Husqvarnas of this era tend to have problems with them at some point in their life. When the capacitor goes out, it causes one of two things to happen: the Husqvarna starts smoking while not being used, or the machine starts to sew and won't stop, even when the peddle isn't being pressed. Which sort of sounds funny (runaway sewing machine!) but I'm sure would've made me just as upset as the whole smoke bit.

So, long story short, that purse will still get made. Tomorrow.

I was working on a new purse when poof. My sewing machine, a 1972 Viking Husqvarna that I inherited from my grandmother, started smoking. This is the first time I've used it since getting it repaired. To say I'm pissed is an understatement.

Christmas brought me a lot of fabulous knitting and crafting goodies! I'm looking forward to diving into the Knitters Book of Yarn and the Knitters Book of Wool, care of my mother in law, as well as some lovely fiber that she brought me from Australia. I also have a great reason to dig out the sewing machine - hubby got me a book of knitting patterns that use only a yard of fabric each! I went out to the store and picked up a yard of fabric to start on a purse. Now I just have to get hubby to haul the 40 lbs of sewing machine downstairs.

I also need to get some twine. One of my cats chewed through the drive bands on my spinning wheel. Guess I'll be spending time with the sewing machine instead!

Just need to rant. I think I'm getting a cavity. My cats have fleas, and I have three brand new bleeders on my arm to showcase my attempts at giving them baths. I need to bake Christmas cookies, but I can't get myself to do it. I'm tired. So tired. And all I really want to do is curl up and read my baby a book, but he's still in there and not out here yet :(

... and my poor kitty paid for it.

Over the past couple of days, my silly half-blind cat has been sticking close to my ankles. It's not a new habit of his, truthfully, but it's only very recently that I've started stepping on his poor paws! When he gets under there, I just can't see him until I hear him yowling. Who'd have thought that I'd be big enough to say that at the very end of the 2nd trimester? 1.5 more weeks to go before I'm officially in my 3rd! On Christmas Eve, I intend to raise my sadly non-alcoholic fizzy grape juice to 3 more months of pregnancy and wishes for a happy and healthy little man in March.

Along those lines, I've finally gotten around to starting a sweater for the little man to wear. While I've done a couple of small projects - booties and a couple pairs of socks - it was hard for me to believe that he would actually be joining us any time soon. Each day ahead seemed like ages before his birth. Now, however, I flip through the calendar, and he's almost here! I have so many things I was planning to make for him, and now I really have to hustle to get it all done.

I finally managed to finish up my February Lady Sweater, too. It's in burgundy Malabrigo, and I altered the pattern to add a collar, changed the yoke to seed stitch from garter, and used only a single button rather than the three called for in the pattern. Here's a half-assed picture of me wearing it, at 25 weeks:



I should've worn it with a white shirt to show off just how big my little man is getting!

Little Mr. got to go "see" a Broadway play last night. He really seemed to like it, if the constant kicking and dancing meant anything! I figure this is as good a place as any to keep track of some of the fun things he's done in utero.

At this point, he's been to 3 musicals: Grease (1st trimester), West Side Story (2nd trimester), and Phantom of the Opera (end of 2nd trimester). West Side Story was one of the first times I really felt him moving around in there. All the books say he could hear loud noises from outside the womb as early as 15 or 16 weeks; at 17 weeks, he could certainly hear the loud songs in West Side Story. "America" really got him dancing.

And last night, as his hearing has developed even more, he seemed to hear everything. He kicked away during the Phantom theme. He wiggled for Music of the Night. He rolled around during the opera scenes. Masquerade left him cold, but he danced away for Point of No Return.

It was magic.

Wo, hello December. Time's just flying by. It's only 4 months until we meet mini-me! He needs a name. It's continuously surprising to me just how hard it is to find one for him. Apparently my husband and I have absolutely opposite taste in names. Every time one of us comes up with something, the other goes "ugh. No, I can't possibly name my son that."

And isn't that crazy? Getting to say "my son." My son just kicked me. Wild.

As the little peanut gets bigger and less peanut shaped, so my body requires a sweater to keep him warm. I've been plugging away at a February Lady Sweater since I found out I was pregnant. My first attempt at the pattern ended in a tragic two-sizes-too-large surprise in April. For further note: do not use cotton or cotton blends on the FLS. It grows down to one's knees.

This has been a fun exercise in changing the pattern to make it more fun. The yoke of the original is garter stitch. Nope, I'm doing seed stitch! Garter stretches too much! I'm skipping button holes and planning for crocheted loops over some lovely post-consumer material buttons that I scored at JoAnn's. I'm reducing the size of the arms by one pattern repeat so they don't hang down so big and make me look even more giant than the Peanut is causing. And for the yarn... Mmmmmalabrigo. Lovely, soft, squishy wine-colored Malabrigo. I want to sit and pet my skeins instead of knitting.

So I have a sleeve and a half, and a bit more body, to go. And then, with any luck, a sweater that will finally fit me and that I'll want to wear. It will have taken a long time to get there. Now, if I can only ignore the fact that I messed up a repeat halfway through the body, but refuse to go back and fix it...

Five-Hour Market Bag with I-Cord Handle
S. Sipe



This market bag combines crochet and knit i-cord to create a stretchy bag with a sturdy handle. Gauge is irrelevant.

Cotton, worsted weight yarn (Gauge unnecessary)

US size K/6.5mm hook
2 size-8 DPNs.

1: Ch 4, DC 11 into first ch stitch. This makes 12 stitches. Place a marker in the first stich. Do not join round; continue to work in a spiral.

2: Work 2 DC into each stitch. This doubles the round. (24 stitches)

3: Work 2 DC into first stitch, 1 DC into next stitch. Repeat to end of round. (36 stitches).

4: Work 2 DC into first stitch, 1 DC into next two stitches. Repeat to end of round. (48)

5: Work 2 DC into first stitch, 1 DC into next three stitches. Repeat to end of round. (60)

6: Work 2 DC into first stitch, 1 DC into next four stitches. Repeat to end of round. (72)

7: Work 1 DC into each stitch, repeat to end of round.

8: Work 1 DC into each stitch, repeat to end of round. Join round with a slip stitch.

Begin netting pattern

9: Ch 5, slip stitch into 3rd stitch. Ch 5, slip into 6th stitch. Ch 5, slip stitch into 9th stitch. Continue this pattern to the end of the round. Slip stitch final ch 5 into first loop created in the round; this begins a net that will spiral up the bag.

10: Ch 5, slip stitch into next loop created in previous round. Ch 5, slip stitch into next loop. Continue this pattern to the end of the round.

Repeat line 10 until bag is as big as desired.

On final row, join round with a slip stitch.

Begin top of bag

1: Ch 2, slip stitch into 1st loop created in previous round. Ch 2, slip stitch into next loop. Continue this pattern to the end of the round. Do not join; continue to work in a spiral.

2: Work 1 DC into each stitch, repeat to end of round.

3: Work 1 DC into each stitch, repeat to end of round.

4: Work 1 DC into each stitch, repeat to end of round.

5: Work 1 SC into each stitch, repeat to end of round. On final stitch, join round with a slip stitch. Cut yarn and weave in ends.

I-cord handle

Pick up 5 stitches with one of the DPNs. Begin making i-cord.

1: Knit across the row.

2: Do not turn the work. Slip work to other end of the needle (your yarn will be at the “wrong” end of the work).

3: Knit across the row, pulling yarn tightly across the back of the row.

4: Repeat until cord is as long as you’d like for your handle.

5: With empty needle, pick up 5 stitches on the opposite side of the bag from where your strap begins. Make sure strap is not twisted. Use kitchener stitch to bind off. Weave in ends.

For a market bag with two handles, simply pick up stitches for step 5 one quarter of the way around the top of the bag. Once first strap is bound off, start with I-cord step 1 on the opposite side of the bag from where the first strap began, and repeat directions.