Oh, Baby!

I have renewed respect for the photographers of those adorable Dale babies.

Excellent picture

Not so excellent picture.

I love looking at those Baby Ull cuties, even though I have no intention of making any of the sweaters. My baby sweaters are much simpler, aimed at the newer knitter, or knitters like me, who are not necessarily lazy, we just want a project that doesn’t require too much thinking.

I recently designed a baby sweater to use KoiguPPPM or Claudia handpaint fingering yarns. To me, the handpainted yarn needs a fairly simple design to show the beauty of the colors. I also set out to have a pullover that would accommodate giant baby heads without any picking up of stitches for buttonbands.

I enjoy setting some parameters then designing within them. There must be a name for a this concept, as it shows up in cooking, engineering, and lots of areas in life. It makes the process both less and more challenging. Since you don’t have unlimited possibilities it helps narrow the focus. Since you have fewer options, you have to stretch your imagination or skills. My solution for this sweater is a boat neck shaped by short rows. I don’t think that short rows are too difficult, even for the newer knitter. The sleeves are then picked up and knit down to the cuff. No finishing, no fuss, no muss. The optional buttons are purely decorative.

After getting the pattern back from my tech editor (Hi Wendy!) I set out to take a picture. All you need is a cute baby, right? Well Maya couldn’t be cuter but this kid cannot stay still – like a worm on a hot brick, as my husband says – wiggle wiggle wave squirm. Maybe I just need a better camera, or, more likely, better skills.

Here’s a sample of mostly unusable pictures of the photo shoot:

Getting the model prepped.

The keys only made it worse.

I can sit up, really.

Almost!

The pattern is available online in my web store, on Ravelry, and from The Yarnery for a mailed-out copy.

If anyone has good suggestions for learning how to capture a baby in flight, please let me know. I have a few more sweaters to photograph!

MLE

Sacerdotal Honors

The wedding was wonderful. Great fun. Here’s a picture of the wedding party’s footwear:

as well as the footwear of yours truly, the official, now known as the Reverend Lou.

Yes, I wrote and officiated the wedding ceremony. It was such an honor, when my niece and her fiance asked me I got a little teary-eyed. My little niece, who once snuggled up to me in bed and asked me to promise that we would always sleep together, wherever we go. That didn’t extend to the wedding night, in case you are wondering.

Much much knitting, but requests for some, which is always nice, too. Returned home to piles of weeds and finally harvestable beets, broccoli and a few golden cherry tomatoes. Let the weeding begin!

Guilty and Gone

I deliberately chose not to try and get much done over the long weekend. I wanted to get some R and R after several stressful weeks. I did get in some relaxing, but then the Sunday Afternoon Guilts got me. I didn’t get that pattern finished. I didn’t weed enough. I didn’t I didn’t…. I’m sure you all know the feeling. I did get in some garden gazing, including this fabulous flower whose identity is unknown. I planted it several years ago and it has done nothing. I kept wondering, then this year POW – a lily/freesia like flower with a fragrance you can catch from half the yard away. I picked one stem and the whole living room (small room, but still) is scented. Anyone out there know what this is:

I did get a few things done – we put up our Fleet Farm screen house:

I weeded this bed, with the poppies that came from a neighbors yard at some point:

Not so much weeding here:

Now I am off again, to my goddaughter’s wedding. Should be fun, and wild, and anything but relaxing. I just wish all my flowers could hold still still I get back.  I better make sure I have enough knitting.

MLE

Home for a Bit

On the road again, unexpectedly. My sister in Texas called last week. She needed an emergency medical procedure and her husband and son were off camping out of state and unreachable. She was sobbing into the phone as she told me. What are big sisters for, anyway? I whipped out my frequent flyer miles and off I went. That, in itself, was a miracle. It is harder and harder to use them these days, but there I was, on a direct flight only a few hours after the phone call. Without going into medical detail, she had heart surgery as a teen and this current issue may be related to that. It is really frustrating that no one knows at the moment. More tests, probably major surgery. It was frightening for her, and I was grateful to be able to be there. It was frightening for me, too, but I think that when you are supposed to be the supporter, you can’t break down. I had to wait to get home to do that.

My BiL and nephew were reached and came home as soon as they could, so I got to spend a couple of days with my favorite 8 year old. I did have a knitting project (or 4) along, but ended up making socks for him. Apparently, Camo Boy was asked recently if he even had camo socks. He told the woman, “No, my aunt hasn’t made me any yet.” how can that be refused? I used Pagewood Farms Yukon, because he also loves bamboo. I didn’t have my camera along, so no photos, but the socks were pronounced perfect. Then, he hatched a plot where I could get a part time job at the newish LYS, Yarnivore. Just in the winter, of course. So we went to Yarnivore, where he charmed the pants off the owner, selected more bamboo sock yarn in “spring camo,” but failed to snag a new job for me. “I’m kind of shy about things like that.” Oh well, I guess I’ll have to keep the day job.

I thought I would get more knitting done, but it is hard to knit and watch you tube videos with an 8-year old. It has to be full participation. Watch this part. This is really funny. I paused this ’cause you weren’t looking. I now have quite a few items book marked on my laptop. Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick, Crazy Frog, Batthumb, and Thumb Wars. I gained major points when I told him I had seen Thumb Wars when it first came out at some goofy short films fest. Note: it is easier to search for Thumb Wars when you don’t spell it thom.

Back home and trying to prepare for my next family adventure. At least I get to look at this:

For the Americanskis in the audience, have a lovely Independence Day weekend.

MLE