-NESS

That black hole time post birth. Where everything stands still, and moves quickly. The baby grows too quickly, changing daily from a newborn to a little baby, and I long to hold onto that newness, softness and fragility. She seems to have been here forever, and for no time at all, and I still can't believe I have a little girl in my life. I've become manic in my photographing of small intimate details of Pia-ness. I love her falling alseep against me in the stillness of a warm afternoon, or snuggled under a blanket or quilt when it's been colder, her breathing against my neck, her hands wrapped around my finger, her feet dangling against my stomach.

And then there's the solitude of the times when I can get some knitting done, and progress on the mixed pattern I'm doing. I'm piecing together two patterns - both from Erika Knight's Simple Knits For Cherished Babies:: The Vintage Cardigan being the basis, but with the raglan patterning of the cardigan in the book, except I'm only doing one button hole at the top. I could have cut my losses and done another Rosie pattern from the Rowan Junior book, but the sizing was a little off on that one, so I'm not convinced on using it again this time. That and I like to make things slightly more complicated than they need to be. I almost frogged it - now there's a surprise. You know when you have a lovely skein of variegated hand dyed wool, and you love that skein, and then you wind it into a ball, and it still says 'love' to you, and then you start knitting with it, and suddenly the lovely deep pinks, reds, magentas, purples and lilacs are dominated by some strange brown streak that is not at all apparent in the skein or the ball, but very much apparent in the knit piece....well I perservered through all that, and it's ok, and Pia will look lovely in it, so I'm putting the browness aside. I've done the fronts and back, and the sleeves should be quick. It's been really cold here, so it's a not completely unjustified knit.

What did Pia wear today? Why, a Debbie Bliss baby Cashmerino Garter Stitch Cardigan with a Collette Dinnigan top with Cherries on it, navy striped pants and little red stripey socks.

Comments

[Nicole]

Oh sweet itty bitty hands and feets. Can't wait to get my mitts on her in February and squish her ;)

[Sarah]

I try not to think about that beginning time with a new baby too much. It's one of the things that makes me incredibly sad that I won't be having more children. It's a magic time fueled by love and sleeplessness. Enjoy it.

[Susana]

before I had my two babies a dear friend [who has three nearly grown children) told me she loved babies and wished she could have MANY...now having had the privilege/blessed to have had two babies of my own I understand. A brand new baby on one's belly, skin to skin, what magic, what closeness to the essence of being fully alive.

[Kirsty]

It's all so lovely isn't it and there's more goodies to come, maybe this week?! x Happy knitting! K & lil A

[rebecca]

she is so beautiful. and lucky.

i'm due in march, and just (very guiltily) informed my family that i'd like the first couple of weeks to myself before they are in town. i want to cherish that beginning as well. i'm not planning on more than one child, and i look forward to those hours and days with just baby and husband.

[Kristen]

I love the updates on what Pia wore today, please keep them coming.

[love squalor]

oh my she is so darling! those first days and weeks are magical in the most intimate kind of way - and they do fly by so quickly! but i am finding that every stage brings such wonder and magic and love with it - my heart just keeps filling up and expanding to capture it all. i am so glad you are all wrapped up in the miracle of it - enjoy!

[M-H]

Thank you for this lovely post Alison. It's great to read that you are enjoying Pia so much and that the cooler weather is suiting her wardrobe. :) I hope I get to see her soon.

[Clare Who Lurks]

I can't resist...she is SUCH a sweet pea! *giggles*

[Joy Morykon]

i can't wait to enjoy my baby girl the way you are obviously enjoying yours. Thanks for sharing her beauty with us..

[joyce]

how very sweet! i've knit two sweaters that are still big for her and i can' wait for her to wear them. (sometimes she sports her big brother's clothes)...

[sooz]

Loving the posts and dead impressed with their regularity and general making senseness. I seem to recall this post birth time as a time of great thought and deed chaos. And Amy never looked so well dressed.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is frogging? In sewing it's where you sew on a closure that has a loop on one side and a bobble on the other that act like a button, but in the opening, rather than using an overlap between the two fronts. Same same?

[shelly]

There is nothing more divine than the "newness" of a baby - just a pleasure for all the senses...well maybe not the taste but they sure look edible!!!

[Debs]

Frogging is when you take it all out and start again. I think (and I'm not a major knitter, so don't quote me on this) it's cos you rip it (in a not actually ripping, more pulling undone all the stiches) and that sounds a bit ribbit, which is the noise a frog makes. Hence frogging. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Oh, and just wanted to mention how beautiful Pia is :-)