The Knitty Gritty

So this week was pretty uneventful. . .I have had an awful cold since Thursday and have been taking is easier than usual. Now I can at least breathe through both nostrils 80% of the time so I'm on the way to recovery. . .But before I get to the knitty gritty, I have to share a conversation I had with John over the phone earlier this week.

John: So how are you feeling?
Me: Snotty.
John: (shocked, rushed, and frazzled) I'll be home as soon as possible. I might have to steal a car, but I'll be there. . .
Me: Oh, I said SNOTTY, not "naughty"
John: Oh. . .never mind


On the knitting front, I finished the second blanket I started for KidZilla. This one is blue and was super-fast only because it is knit with big needles and two strands of yarn at the same time. Pros and cons. . .fast project but you spend half your time unravelling a messy, tangled ball of yarn as the strands meet in the middle. I felt like a cat pawing at the rat's nest for hours--literally. Finally, it's finished.
So this one is smaller and has a little hood that looks nice for snuggling. The pattern is the baby blanket on the Lion Brand Pound of Love label. I really enjoyed this project and it was easy--except that I needed more instruction for the hood. It looks fine at first glance, but a knitting critic would notice imperfections in the seed stitch.
When I started knitting for baby Koogler, I wondered if I would be more careful with the stitches than I am on projects for others, and if I would undo huge parts of the project to re-do any slipped stitches or imperfections. What I've discovered is that I am way more careful with projects that I make for other people. Personally, I want the kiddo to use what I'm knitting so that means it will live a hard life--it will probably be spit up on and worse. Ultimately, it should fall apart at some time after spending years as a "woobie". Bottom line: I really want to use these things.
Last spring, Stiggs and I were discussing whether or not people actually use the knitted items we make for them. My opinion is that most people do not. This statement was made moments before Mooney stopped by and made a comment that his wife used the blanket I made for his baby, "Deuce", every night to rock him to sleep. . . so while that theory may not be fact yet, I still don't think people use blankets we knit for them.
Maybe they are worried that they will unravel. Wrong! If you have ever actually tried to disassemble something that is hand-knit you will know that it is really difficult! Or maybe people are worried that they will damage this heirloom item that was handmade for them. I don't know what Stiggs or my other knitting sistuhs are churning out these days, but I'm certainly not knitting anything that is heirloom-quality! And while each items is handmade with love, we want that love to wrap you up in a scarf or blanket or tea cozy. (Actually, John has forbidden the production of cozies--I think it was after he read last year's "urban assault knitters" articles in the Chronicle. Knittah, Please! I think was the title. I need a cool knitting code name like the chicas in the article. . . I'm too lazy to try to find it, so sorry there's no link. Maybe when I'm not blowing my nose every five minutes.)
So my theme in this blog is starting to, um, unravel, so I guess I'd better cast off pretty soon.
When I have the energy to go upstairs to get the camera, I'll take a pic of the little girl's hat I made yesterday while watching a really bad movie about forest fire jumpers on the Irish channel (yes, it was in English). I figure I can at least "support" and watch the channels that the ridiculous television license pays for. . .
But back to the hat. . .it is my first project that I completely invented with no pattern at all. Not sure if it will actually fit a child, but it is really cute. I'll have to catch Chica #1 out here to see how it fits her girls, and then I can determine the age range for the patter (or if it looks like poo when worn).
More to come. . .