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Published on April 16, 2006 By dharmagrl In Misc

This was originally about Ashley Grace's baby blanket, but there's another thing going on right now that falls under the title 'a work in progress' too.

This baddest of bad-ass baby blankets is really coming along well:

 

The stitch that I'm using has a right side and a wrong side to it, much like a piece of printed fabric.  In the photo the wrong side is facing the camera - the right side is much nicer to look at.  Also, the colors don't show well; the lilac and periwinkle blue and turquoise are hard to differentiate.  They're there, though, in all their technicolor glory.   I'm really very happy with the way it's turning out, and as I've said before, I'm going to have a hard time parting with it because I like it so much!  I've decided that I'm going to try and have one on the go all the time - if I can't find someone to give it to, I'll sell it either on eBay or at one of the consignment stores in town.  I'm also going to try and make each blanket unique by only using color combinations once.  I might use the same colors in another blanket, but their sequence will be different.  I figure I have about 12 or so different colors of the same yarn that I can use - I can't even begin to think about how many combinations I can come up with without duplicating. There must be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. 

Last weekend I picked up a book called 'Simple Abundance; A Daybook Of Comfort And Joy'.  I'd heard of it a few years ago and had been meaning to get it but always forgot about it.  So, when I saw it on the shelf at the BX, I bought it. 

I've read it each day this week, and I've actually started to apply it to my daily life.  I've been able to visualize my 'authentic self'; the person I TRULY am, and I've been able to start to bring her to the forefront in small but significant ways.  I'm a work in progress; she's a work in progress too.  We're all works in progress if we're honest with ourselves, we're all learning and growing and developing - or at least, we should be.  We should be changing until the day we die - and then we'll change again, but this time in a much more dramatic way; in a way that we as humans simply cannot comprehend.  As the world constantly changes and our physical bodies are always changing, so our spiritual and authentic selves should always be changing and growing.  It's when we stop growing that we run into problems.

I hope I never stop growing.

 


Comments
on Apr 16, 2006
That is gorgeous! I showed the poncho to my MIL on Friday when she came over. She is a progressing knitter. She knit these really cute little "pocket pals" for the boys for Easter. They are made with that fuzzy yarn with other parts made with felt and squiggly glue-on eyes. There was a skunk, duck, bunny and mouse.

Seeing you refer to Ashley Grace blows my mind. I'm still getting used to the idea of having a daughter. I don't think it will really settle in until she's here. I just showed the ultrasound video to the grandparents this weekend and it says "I'm a girl!!" with an arrow pointing between her legs. I keep watching over and over trying to get a grip on the reality.

3 more months! When I see stuff like the blanket you're making, I can't wait for her to be here. Other times when I'm thinking about how much I have to do before she gets here or simply enjoying time with the boys, I wish time would slow down. Either way I am so excited and so thankful to have friends like you who share my excitement!
on Apr 16, 2006

That is gorgeous! I showed the poncho to my MIL on Friday when she came over. She is a progressing knitter. She knit these really cute little "pocket pals" for the boys for Easter. They are made with that fuzzy yarn with other parts made with felt and squiggly glue-on eyes. There was a skunk, duck, bunny and mouse.

Oh good, I'm glad that you like it.  Like I said, the colors didn't show up as well as I had hoped...some of them faded and others are brighter than they actually are, but trust me, it's much prettier in real life!  It's going to have flowers with french knots as the centers to act as the quilting part and hold the backing to the knitted front, along with running stitches and then some more french knots on different rows.  I have all kinds of ideas and a lot of high hopes for this blanket - and now that you've said that you like it I can breathe a sigh of relief!

What did your MIL think of the poncho?  Seeing as she's a knitter I'm kind of nervous about her opinion of it - us 'fiber artists' can be a bit critical of each other's work!

Seeing you refer to Ashley Grace blows my mind. I'm still getting used to the idea of having a daughter. I don't think it will really settle in until she's here.

I find that using her name rather than 'Debbie and Brad's baby girl' helps me focus on her when I'm knitting. I want to make this blanket all about her so that you'll have a story to tell her about it when she's older ...'this person that we've never actually met thought so much of you that she knitted and made this blanket for you...see, it has your name sewn into the corner!  She said that she thought about you the entire time she was making it, so there's a little bit of love in every stitch!' (or something like that....) BTW, I hope that you're not offended by my using her name (and I don't think that you are, I just wanted to make sure)...

I keep watching over and over trying to get a grip on the reality

It'll come.  One day in the near future you'll wake up one morning and realize that it's all real - that it's Ashley poking you in the ribs and sticking her elbows out to show her daddy and brothers that she's in there.  That's how I was with Jake - one morning I woke up and as I was getting breakfast I caught myself telling Shea that I was feeding Jake.  That's when I knew that the reality had finally sunk in.  I think you'll be the same way; that it'll sink in slowly and quietly and sneak up on you!

Either way I am so excited and so thankful to have friends like you who share my excitement!

I'm REALLY excited about this!  You're the first friend I've had the opportunity to knit baby things for in about 4 years (except for Janders, Lifehappens, Gideon and Dev, that is - but my friendship with you is a little different to my friendships with them).  Back then I wasn't knitting as seriously as I am now, and since then I've found patterns for all kinds of adorable little bits and pieces for babies and toddlers.  I'm not going to subject you to all of them but there are a few that I'm just thrilled to make for her (and you).

There are a couple that I've found that I'm not going to make.  Like the nursing tank top called 'Peek-A-Boob' http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTpeekaboob.html - yeah, I'm thinking that if I wouldn't wear it, you won't either.  I'm all about nursing and specially made bras and shirts and stuff, but knitting your own nursing bra/tank top?  Not so much.

I'm pretty envious that you got a DVD of your ultrasound.  The best we got when I was last pregnant was a fuzzy still photo that looked like some primitive satellite imagery!!  I sometimes wish I could have another one.....

on Apr 17, 2006
The colors came out beautiful in the pictures, so if you are saying they dont look that good, we can only imagine what it looks like in real life!
on Apr 17, 2006

The colors came out beautiful in the pictures, so if you are saying they dont look that good, we can only imagine what it looks like in real life!

It's a lot more 'girly' in real life.  There's a lilac, a periwinkle blue, a dark violet and a reddish/pink that don't show well in the photo.  The bright pink and the bright green stand out really well, though!

I took this project with me when I went to the doctor's office in St Louis, and a LOT of people stopped and commented on how pretty it was - even the doctor said it was a beautiful color combination.  That makes me feel really good about it!

on Apr 17, 2006
us 'fiber artists' can be a bit critical of each other's work!


My MIL isn't at artist level yet. She is in the very beginning level. I give her tons of credit for picking it up at this point though. She thought the poncho was beautiful.

BTW, I hope that you're not offended by my using her name


Not at all! I find it quite thrilling actually. I will certainly be telling her the story. What a lucky girl!

yeah, I'm thinking that if I wouldn't wear it, you won't either. I'm all about nursing and specially made bras and shirts and stuff, but knitting your own nursing bra/tank top? Not so much.


You read my mind. I doubt you would have enough yarn anyway I'm a big girl normally but when lactating I rival Dolly Parton. It's really ridiculous over kill if you ask me.

I'm pretty envious that you got a DVD of your ultrasound.


This was the first time we got one. It wasn't an option with either of the boys. I was so happy we got it because they wouldn't allow us to bring Alex because the room was so tiny. He was okay with that since he had been there for Ryan's but he got a kick out of watching the video. Yesterday he said "you know how I used to be kind of up set about you having a baby? Well now I can't wait!" You can't believe how happy I was to hear that!

I can't thank you enough K. Not just for the actual blanket but the sentiment behind it.
on Apr 17, 2006

My MIL isn't at artist level yet. She is in the very beginning level. I give her tons of credit for picking it up at this point though. She thought the poncho was beautiful.

Yes, it's quite something to learn how to knit when you're over the age of 12 or so.  I take it for granted; I've bene knitting since I was about 7 - so that's an almost 30 year affair I've been having with needles and yarn!

Not at all! I find it quite thrilling actually

Good!  I didn't think you'd mind, but I wanted to make sure.

You read my mind. I doubt you would have enough yarn anyway I'm a big girl normally but when lactating I rival Dolly Parton.

I know exactly how I feel.  When I was pregnant I was a D, but when I was nursing I was easily an E.  I had a couple of DD nursing bras, the kind that had the flap in the cup - and I literally busted out the sides of the flaps. It was ridiculous!  I made enough milk to feed 20 kids - and when the babies started to go longer between feedings I'd get that let down reflex every 4 hours because my body was used to them eating that often and I'd soak my clothes or bedding...then I got mastitis and had to quit.  Man, nursing was a bad experience for me; I'm very envious of women who can nurse their babies successfully.  I didn't nurse Jake, and I really regret that.  The doctor advised against it, but I really wish that I'd have tried.  It such a bonding experience, you know?  It's a special thing that only moms can do, it's a testament to the miracle of human engineering.  We can not only make babies, we can house them, we can give them safe passage into the world and we can make nourishment for them.  It's really something spectacular when you think about it...

This was the first time we got one. It wasn't an option with either of the boys

It wasn't an option for any of our kids either, that's why I'm envious!

Yesterday he said "you know how I used to be kind of up set about you having a baby? Well now I can't wait!" You can't believe how happy I was to hear that!

That's fabulous!  It can be hard for siblings to accept the news that their parents are having another baby - they're sometimes worried that they won't get as much attention or that their moms and dads will somehow love them less when the new baby comes.  Whenever we go visit someone who's had a new baby, I like to make a point of taking a little something for the older siblings and making sure I pay them as much attention as I do the new arrival.  Actually, I need to talk to you about what your boys like so I can get an idea of what to make for them...I was thinking wrist bands, maybe with their initial on them?

 

I can't thank you enough K. Not just for the actual blanket but the sentiment behind it.

You are more then welcome, and I'm having a blast doing this.  It's a really good experience for me - knitting is becoming akin to meditating; I'm really learning to focus whilst I'm working with my needles and the yarn.

on Apr 18, 2006
Random thought before I go to bed....did you make the quilt next to you?
on Apr 18, 2006
Oh so now I can't sleep 'cause I saw those colors and I wanted to see if I could make them pop a bit for you.
Here you go.....hope you enjoy!