Generally, the only reason to finish something, is to start immediately on something else. Yes? Good. I got my arse into gear and finally finished the baby items that have lingered unfinished for way too long. The jumper itself has taken 2.5 months - 1 month of that spent not being worked on at all. These are all for someone else, and she reads, so no full on photos here. Yet *. I will reveal all later when they have been sent. I can say, that the jumper was a labour of utter love, and way more involved than I normally make baby clothes be, but the results are worth it. Especially considering I made half the pattern up, decided to use stash yarn, ran out, made other arrangements, ran out, re-evaluated, made additional arrangements, ran out, and then gave up and bought more yarn to finish.
But that means, I can start something else.
Remember the post about possibilities? This is the yarn pictured. Or one of them. The other yarn has also been converted into something, but pictures will have to wait on that one. This is the Martas Yarn variegated sportweight yarn, which I fell in love with as soon as I saw it and had to acquire it for "future petite 6.5st baby project". I like to think ahead. This week has been truly rotten morning sickness wise, and I came away from the first scan last week needing to do something to validate the pregnancy and not focus on the way I was feeling. Hence the flurry of activity to finish the other jumper, so I could start this one. In between trips to the bathroom.
It's going to be a simple kimono wrap top (again). It wasn't until I started working out what size to make it that it finally dawned on me that this is a summer baby (simple concepts sometimes bypass me), and Sydney summers are long, and knitted items like this, which really are only suitable for babes up to about 6 months are kind of useless (umm, I should confess that at this point I'm convinced it's a boy, and kimono wrap tops aren't cool in the playground baby world for boys once they can hold their heads. If I'm wrong, and it's a girl, well then, it's open season on kimono wrap tops till she's 15). Damn it, the baby will wear it, even if it's 40 degrees outside. Add to that a number of other knitted items which I've already blogged about (one of which I said was for someone else last year and then couldn't bear to part with) and Petite 6.5st is already well catered for in the first 6 months of knitwear modelling. Damn. I'll have to re-think my game plan here, and come up with more appropriate things to knit for winter. I feel kind of cheated here - but I know sewn items are just as good, and can be made appropriately for summer. And I figured out a bit more about what I want to do for the quilt, and I'm going to incorporate knitted pieces into it, so that still counts. Yes?
* Hasn't stopped me posting some of it on flickr.
i too did a kimino for my Little Man, from one of the Erika Knight books just because I loved it! He only wore it when he was very young, but as you say too young to worry about it, and it was in a manly navy blue colour. I am always inspired by your quilt making, can't wait to see what you come up with. In fact, I never thought I would want to make a quilt yet here I am thinking about doing one now that we are going to put Little Man into a bed soon. You'd think that maybe I could do something smaller for my first project huh! Only problem is I don't know where to start, I feel a trip to the library might be in order.
Posted by: taryn | March 12, 2006 at 10:06 PM
The yarn looks beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing pictures of the knitted garment that show the yarn off knitted - it looks like all the colors in the yarn are of very similar value, and when knitted, they reflect the colors back on each other, emphasizing an individual color when it is up next to itself. Wicked cool.
Posted by: Dianna | March 13, 2006 at 12:58 AM
The summer baby knitting quandry... I'm right there with you. Knitting with (gasp!) cotton, and accepting that he won't be wearing much knitwear at all for the first four months. I've been pleasantly surprised by both Mission Falls 1824 Cotton and KnitPicks Shine. Let me know if you want to try out the Shine and I'll box some up for you. (Though I'll admit that some is set aside to knit a certain something for a certain tiny Australian-in-progress already.)
Posted by: cari | March 13, 2006 at 02:14 AM
Beautiful pictures and crafts, as usual!
Darn, is 1 year too old for a kimono thing on a boy? I love them and still have never made one. We're at almost 10 months already. Crud.
Posted by: larissa | March 14, 2006 at 10:52 AM
I am so far behind, I didn't congratulate you. Jeez...
Congratulations!!! Woo hoo! I hear you on the "who said this was fun and how can I hunt them down and smack them" sentiment, though...hang in there!
Posted by: Lee Ann | March 16, 2006 at 02:08 AM
I started my first baby's bumpers months before she was born. I finished three of the sides and put off the fourth. I put if off.......you know, she never even needed the fourth side (the very bottom of the crib). She never moved around much. Now she's 2 1/2, in a big girl bed and her sister is now sleeping with only 3 bumper pads...*sigh* I am a hopeless procrastinator. I even slipcovered the bumpers for baby #2 and I STILL didn't finish them. Good job finishing one project before you start on a new one. Maybe I should actually try that (insert wink)! Anyway, beautiful pictures and so inspiring. .
Posted by: laura | March 16, 2006 at 08:26 AM
hi Al, can't believe i missed this momentous news - big congratulations - I have been so caught up in my own new hectic routine that I don't check in on my blog faves as often as i used to. but big BIG congrats your way.
Posted by: kathreen | March 16, 2006 at 05:32 PM
Yeah, I am beginning to like the idea of finish one, start one (ok, maybe 2) as well!
And knitting for babies are always fun! :)
Posted by: Emy | March 16, 2006 at 08:56 PM
I would make jumpers ranging from lightweight yarn to DK...That way if the baby is a boy, he can wear jumpers for every season. Kimono wraps, I'm not so sure.
Posted by: AJ | March 20, 2006 at 04:37 PM
wow, the peek looks beautiful! cant wait to see the whole thing. I love the new yarn you're working with, too. I get so excited when the project is almost finished, a) because I can blog about it and b) because I can start a new one!
Posted by: Dacia | March 23, 2006 at 05:52 AM