The Pregnancy Blogging Blues.

I'm still around.

I just haven't been knitting that much over the last few weeks.

DH and I have has some issues come up that are taking up all my brain function, and I have been spending hours in deep thoughts instead of with yarn and needles in my hand.

I am falling behind on my MS3 clues. The first 3 clues I had done before Sunday night. I was almost done with Clue 4 when C hit the needles out of my hand, while I was on a border section, and the lace laddered all the way down to the life line 50 rows back. I have done some work on it, but I'm only 1/2 done with clue 5, and clue 6 came out this morning.

The second PFS shawl gets maybe 4 or 5 rows worked on a week. That's it. I was hoping to have it finished this summer, but I don't' see that happening.

I have been working on a pair of socks. Monkey's in one of the yarns I picked up last month. I got the first sock done in 10 days, and have been working on the cuff of the second sock for just as long.

Venezia is still in hibernation. With us hitting the 100's here in Texas for the foreseeable future, it is going to be another few months before she will be picked up again, and knowing that I won't be able to wear her, or even try her on when she is done is a real downer.

In some ways this pregnancy is harder on me than when I was pregnant with C. Maybe its because I'm in my 30's now. Maybe its because it is a second pregnancy, but I was nauseous for most of the first trimester(even if I haven't thrown up), and have been so exhausted every day, that I come home from work and take a 20 minute nap while C is watching a cartoon off of the DVR.

I'll try to be a better blogger, Heck, I'll even try to remember to take photo's every once in a while.

Is it nap time yet?

Finally, an update.

I have been knitting along, mostly first thing in the morning, and on the weekends, not so much in the evenings or on my lunch break. Its too hot at those times, and I'm too tired most of the time.
Work goes on on the MS3 stole. I am almost done with clue #3, and so far, so good. I don't think this is going to wind up being too big, maybe a nice wide, short scarf size, but that cool. Depending on the actual theme, this might wind up being a birthday/Christmas gift for my sister. Work is going slow and steady on the second Peacock Feathers shawl. I only work on it when I have the energy at night, after I am done with that week's MS3 clue. I am almost done with the third chart, and so far I haven't had the massive tinking and frogging issues I had with the first Peacock Feathers Shawl, knit last year. (What are the chances that I just jinxed myself, and will have to frog by the end of the month?)
I did some yarn shopping today at the Woolie Ewe in Plano. I picked up two skeins of Jojoland Kaleidoscope 100% Merino Wool. This colorway is very close to the results of my one experiment with Kool-Aid Dying, and I think they might become a pair of Monkeys.
I also gave into temptation and picked up a pair of Lorna Laces Shepherd Socks in Somerset. The pinks and greys kind of suit my mood these last few days.
So far, the pregnancy is going good. I'll be 10 weeks on Wednesday, and I have my first midwife's appointment that afternoon. Just for laughs, here is a belly shot. I bought a pair of maternity capris today, which is good since my one pair of jeans I could button suffered a horrible rip this weekend.
As usual, please pardon the messy, ugly bathroom and my fat gut.

The Knitting Blues...

For the last three weeks, ever since I found out #2 was on its way, I have had the knitting blues. I'd knit some, but quickly lose interest in what was on the needles. I'd have to force myself to get to the end of the row. Sure, I finished Rusted Root, but really, it is too short, and I really don't care right now. I have had some progress on the first sleeve for Venezia, but more often than not, it has sat there, on the arm of my couch, the next balls of yarn rolled and sitting all alone on the coffee table.
So Friday, came the first clue for the Mystery Stole 3, and I printed it off at work, and spent the next 9 hours looking at the charts (because I left my knitting stuff at home, silly me) and trying to guess what it would look like knitted up.
I cast on as soon as I got home from work, between snuggles from DS and all, and managed to get most of chart A done before bed time. I had a few struggles with putting the beads on, wondering what the heck I was thinking, getting beads that were smaller than the ones called for in the pattern, but they were the only ones the craft store had that were the right color that I wanted. Saturday I finished chart A, and started on chart B, when the perfect way to handle the beads, and not break my tiny hook, came to me. I started licking the yarn before I put the bead on. Not only did it make the beads slide on easier, but the yarn was less likely to split in the process. It went from taking me 5 minutes to put each bead on, with much yelling and screaming, to less than 1. I finished chart B last night, and with it, clue 1, and I realised that I missed knitting lace.
I haven't had a finished lace project since March, just two attempts at the Alpine Knit Scarf, that both wound up in the frog pond. I decided to break my one lace project at a time rule, and ran to the stash for a skein of the Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Tide Pool Heather that was waiting to be cast on for a second Peacock Feathers Shawl. The only problem was my favorite lace knitting needles were in use with the Mystery Stole 3, and my size 4 options were in use with Mommy Snug. But, I remembered something about the options, I could just put the Mommy Snug on hold, and "borrowed" the size 4 tips for the PFS2. So I did, and I cast on last night, and I feel the lace knitting groove starting back up.
Will I return to Mommy Snug before the bump is born next year? Will I finish the sleeves for Venezia? Who knows. But I will say, most likely not while it is Summer in Texas and way to hot to knit sweaters.

Finally, a week for knititng.

After taking a week's break from Venezia, and with many stupid mistakes that shall not be repeated, I have finally started the first sleeve! I decided to save my sanity and not P2tog the hem, but will slow it down when I am finished knitting. There isn't much to see yet, but it will look better in the next photo.


I have been working mostly on Rusted Root this week. I have finished the ribbing on the neck and the sleeves, and only have the rest of the body to finish. I think I have three repeats to finish until the bottom ribbing, and I may have it done by the end of next weekend.

The Alpine Knit Scarf has once again, regrettably, been sent to the Frog Pond. Not for any mistakes with the pattern, but because I hadn't touched it in two weeks, since we were waiting to see Pirates 3, and I needed the yarn for something better.
The Mystery Shall 3 was announced this week, which I signed up or, and the called for colors are either white or black. Midnight Heather Alpaca Cloud would be perfect. I went out and found beads, and bought a small enough hook. It can been seen here, since I accidentally deleted the picture and don't know how to re-upload it with out having to start the whole post over
Cast on is at the end of the month.


I have one other project that I am excited to start, but not ready to blog about yet. I think the photo will give a hint: The yarn has been in my stash for the last two years, since Cotton Ease was first discontinued, and I bought enough of a dye lot to make a sweater, which has been abandoned. I think I have enough yarn for my size, but I'm not 100% sure.