Progress!

(click for larger photo)

It took me a while to get this thing going. I had so many problems getting this on the needles. You'd think it'd be easy, especially since I've done this type of thing many times. It wasn't. It kept slipping off, I messed up the (embarrassingly simple) pattern, I dropped needles. It took me three days to finally get it going!

Once I got it going, however, it really started moving. This is my progress up through Sunday night. That was when I ran out of contributors. I have been working in the yarn I've received in the order that they have arrived, once I got past my three guys here at home. So far this is who is worked in:

1. Matt (He actually picked out his own yarn at the store! Have I mentioned how much my husband rocks?)
2. Gabe (I picked one of my stash yarns that he always wants to carry around, close enough)
3. Rocky (Yarn that's basically the same color as his fur, again: close enough)
4. Jenny
5. Fran
6. Michele
7. Tabitha

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. I am really, really touched and am THRILLED at how it is coming out. True, it looks like a really ugly puffy hat right now, but that's because it's big enough that I need to swap out the cable for something longer. Trust me, it looks good.

I have to give a quick plug to the knitters out there. When I ordered my yarn I got a set of size 8 Harmony wood needles for my Options interchangeable set from Knit Picks. I am in LOVE with these needles. They are super pointy-sharp and smooth while still giving you the grip you'd want from wood needles. I couldn't be happier. Plus, they're really gorgeous. Now I need them in all the sizes! Plus the DPN's!

21 Weeks and All is Well

We had another prenatal visit with the "real" midwife this morning and everything is going great. The baby is doing fantastic and seems to be happy as can be. My blood pressure has dipped nicely and my insane craving for RED MEAT has settled in, so that means my blood volume is increasing nicely. Everything's just great.

Not much other news. Boring pregnancies are a gift, for sure.

As for my project, I am *this close* to getting it on the needles. I have one more i-cord tie to put on a baby gift that I won't describe, since there's a chance this little girl's mommies are going to read this blog. I'm just happy I'm going to finish on time! Too bad the OTHER part of the gift is stuck in limbo and will probably arrive after the baby. Oh well, points for trying, right?

As soon as I post this I'm going to settle into the big chair and knock out that tie, assuming my little monster doesn't cut his nap short. I hope to have pictures of the project actually on the needles tomorrow. Wish me luck!

It's here!

My yarn arrived! It's gorgeous and it's silky-soft. I can't WAIT to get started. I need to get my husband to pick something out because I want his yarn to be at the center, so I think I need to go stash diving to give him some options. I can't imagine him going to a yarn store, no way. I wonder if they sell yarn at the tackle shop? ;-)

The only problem with the yarn is I'm not the only one who loves it. I may have to sacrifice a ball . . .

My (Hopefully) Last Shadow Care Experience

I went in this morning to get a nurse to check the TB test I got on Wednesday. The nurse pointed at my arm and exclaimed, "Is THAT where they did it??"

Uh, no, that's a MOLE.

And that's the end of that chapter [tosses scarf over shoulder]

Yarn Update

So, apparently the yarn I ordered is on permanent backorder. :S The other colors I liked are gone, too. Curses!

I was able to get another yarn, it's similar to a yarn I used for my nephew's baby blanket two years ago, so I know it's very nice. It's a 60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal mixture. I've used the sport weight version before, but ordered the worsted weight for this project. After talking with the company on the phone for a while, I decided to go with Shine Worsted in Reef. It's not quite the aloe color, but it should still be nice. It'll match our house better, as those who have been there can attest. ;-)

It should be here on Wednesday and I can FINALLY get this thing going!

My first package!

I got my first package on Tuesday! I was so excited. Jenny sent me a beautiful skein of variegated yarn and a beautiful necklace she got at her own Blessingway. I can't tell you how much that meant to me.


MY yarn, the yarn I ordered, is backordered! I am so excited to get started but I'm in limbo. I really hope it comes soon. [grumble]

In other news, I went to my (hopefully last) shadow care appointment last night. This time I got less than five minutes with the midwife and she was twitching on the edge of her seat to leave the whole time. There was absolutely no joy in the appointment. At no point did anyone seem, I don't know, excited that a baby was coming. I'm halfway along (20 weeks today!) but it was so very impersonal and clinical. Is this what it's like for the rest of you in hospital practices? I'm just so used to seeing a midwife who knows me really well and is genuinely happy with the progress of the pregnancy and the amazing potential of a new life.

I noticed last night that no single person has looked over my chart totally. Different tests and visits are all done by different people who input the results into a computer. If something is out of order, the computer will flag it. Otherwise, there isn't a single person with a bird's-eye view of the pregnancy. That made me really uncomfortable. What if things are technically in the normal range, but there are enough things edging high or low that it might catch a person's eye and move them to work on prevention? Does this get missed until something is clearly wrong? Just more thoughts.

Anyway, last night my blood pressure was fine and the baby's heart rate was 150 bpm. I made the mistake of telling the midwife about the hip and pelvic pain I've been having and got interrogated about WHY I had PAIN. Well, hell, I don't know. Maybe I was hoping YOU had some suggestions. :-P

Thankfully I already had some good suggestions from my chiropractor and "real" midwife. Heh.