Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Coming along.

So, that knitting thing. I've been knitting away on it though bugs and zits and dark of night.

I've got less than ten rounds to go on the pinwheel body thingie. However, seeing as each round gets bigger, that could take a while. After that, I'm going to do a knit-on lace edging (haven't decided which one, yet), and then do something similar for the sleeves. The white bits you can see in the blue knitting are the sleeve holes; you use Elizabeth Zimmerman's Thumb Trick (using waste yarn, knit across the stitches you want to ultimately be the opening, then put them back on the left needle and knit them AGAIN with the real yarn; later you remove the waste and unzip an opening; EZ originally used this on mitten thumbs). Voila. Sleeves.

I had a question about how easy this was to knit, and I've got to say, really easy. Particularly if you are a skilled crocheter and actually follow the pattern without tweaking it. I'd say it would be a great combination of mindless zombie knitting and a little bit of entertaining crochet at the ends.

Once I finish this, with tweaking and all, I'll publish my version for you. The only real difference is, I'm adding a little bit of length to the stockinette parts, and then knitting on an edge. I'm doing that so I can turn it in to the state fair.

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I've been sitting around with a heating pad on my shoulder (it makes the Mystery Spot feel better), and the cat has suddenly figured out what was going on. She's got a pretty good memory for a cat, and for a long time, when I first got her, I spent many days with the heating pad wrapped around my arm. When she saw it again, she knew! Knew at once!

WARMTH!

She's been impossible, lying in wait on the foot stool. As soon as I move, wham, she's in the chair on the heating pad.

Mama kitty didn't raise any dummies.

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You know, people talk about reading to your children, and I agree that's a good thing. But I've always maintained that it's just as important for children to see their parents read for enjoyment, because then kids start thinking it's a normal thing to do with their leisure time, and follow suit.

She did this entirely unprompted by me; just crawled up in her chair with a book, and kicked back to look at it.

I couldn't be more proud.

9 comments:

Bells said...

oh yes. Very cute. My nephew was about that age when he started reading books by himself. Best story ever - one night his parents found him pressed up against his bedroom door (after bedtime) trying to 'read' a book by the light coming in from the hallway, under the door.

Those sorts of moments are great. She looks very content.

NeedleTart said...

Yay! Reading babies. Love to see them following such good examples!

Rachel said...

The thumb trick is basically the coolest thing ever - I hadn't thought of using it for sleeves! And yay for reading!

amy said...

I agree on reading by example. That's pretty much parenting, isn't it? Good modeling. I love hearing my kids read to themselves, and even better, my older one "read" to the younger one. Pretty soon he'll be able to do it for real.

Sheepish Annie said...

There is a great deal of cuteness around your house what with the cat and the baby and all...

The sweater is looking good! Can't wait to see the finished product and pattern.

Sarah O G said...

All my girls do the same thing, isn't it absolutely GREAT!! I love to see them do this, when we travel I have a big bag filled with books and we trade them out through out the trip, and don't even think of taking the book away if they aren't done, oye.

debsnm said...

Very cute baby, but just how humid IS it at your house? I don't think I've ever seen her hair so curly! Reminds me of my sister every time we went on vacation - her hair would just form these adorable ringlet, no matter what she tried to do with it. Is that hair from you or husbeast? (She'll need to know who to blame)

Amy Lane said...

Don't you just love that--awesome picture! (My cats always loved it when I was pregnant...Mate couldn't sleep in the same bed with me because I put off obscene amounts of heat but the cat was my best friend.)

Alwen said...

The back of EZ's Knitter's Almanac is just full of goodies.

Is your mystery spot right around the point of the shoulder blade towards the spine? I had one there that flared for years until my DH gave me a massage for my birthday. Best present ever.

Doesn't that make you warm all over when your kid does something like that? Look, look, that's where "fluent readers" come from: kids that pick up books as toddlers. And she's holding them right side up and turning her own pages, too, I'll bet! What a good mom!