The past month has been really hard. A family member was (is) hospitalised, and it looked pretty bad at one point, but now things are finally starting to look brighter (and not only because it's spring out there!) There's still a long recovery time ahead of us and anything can still happen but we are grateful for the way things are now and hoping for the best. I feel like I haven't gotten anything done these past weeks, we've just been driving back and forth to our hometown every chance we get and the rest of the time has been consumed by laundry, grocery shopping and other mundane chores.
Another thing that has been keeping me busy lately is that baby-T has learned how to stand up independently. So he's going around the apartment and trying to find everything and anything he can use to drag himself up. He hasn't quite mastered the coming-back-down part so there has been a lot of head banging, crying and even a few bruises, but I think he mostly cries because of his bruised ego. So no more just sitting on the floor knitting while Theo plays with his toys for me, I'm constantly running after him and spreading pillows around him to soften his fall. It's amazing to see him learning new things and getting better at them every day though!
I have been able to squeeze in some knitting time, at least during the car trips, but not quite as much as I would have hoped for (or sometimes feel like I need for my sanity). I have mostly just been working on pretty simple stuff, like ribbing, which I usually hate. I haven't often had the concentration skills for anything more complicated and ribbing makes good car knitting. It has its upsides, such as not having to keep up with row count, or check your charts every few seconds, and you can even do it pretty mindlessly in the car even after it's become dark outside and you can't really see what you are knitting anymore. So I've been mostly knitting my spring beanie (which I finished a few days ago) and my Flaum cardigan (which has only the last few rows of the second sleeve left).
I've also been working on other stuff than just ribbing. I've continued on my Xanadu snowflake cowl, which I love, but it's such a slow knit! I really think it'll be worth all the effort and time though, when it's finished!
Theo has grown so much that i've had to start knitting new pullovers for him, he's almost grown out of everything I have knitted for him before he was born. So over the Easter holidays I casted on for a new pullover for him, the Sweet William by Ann Kingston. It is such a cute design and I love love love the bunnies. I'm now past the fair-isle yoke so the rest is just simple Stockinette stitch which works fine for me at the moment.
I also started one last wintery knit before I'll change to more summery projects, the Snoqualmie cardigan I've been in love with every since I saw it on the newest Brooklyn Tweed collection, BT Winter 16. I got the yarn I'm using, Shishang wool, from my mother, she brought it back from Shanghai over the Christmas. Now she wanted to know if she should buy me more so I had to cast on with it to know how it feels and if it's any good. So far I like it. The only complain I have are the HUGE skeins, not the easiest to work with...
I hope you all are doing fine! Now we are off for a walk, the sun is shining outside!
I hope your family member recovers well. Sorry to hear you've been having a very difficult time but thank you for sharing that. Your knitting is -- as always -- beautiful. I can't wait to see these projects grow.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of growing -- your Theo is growing so fast! And now he can do all that exploring on his own :-)
Thank you for your kind words! Things are getting better, slower than I would hope but it could be worse. And yes, I can't believe how fast he's growing, already now I'm wondering if I can call him baby anymore or if he's reached the toddler stage!
DeleteI hope your family member feels well soon. The snoqualmie cardigan is gorgeous! Have seen that Closet Case Files are having a knitalong for it?
ReplyDeletethanks you! And no, I didn't know about the KAL, I should check it out!
Deleteoh no, I hope your family member is doing much better! That cruising stage that Theo is going through is the one I find the hardest, since you spend a lot of time hunched over trying to help them along, and it's hard as a parent to watch them struggle, fail, and try again. And I know that frustrated cry sound, too. But what it reminds me is how we are naturally wired to work hard when we want something!
ReplyDeleteYes she's better, but still in hospital.
DeleteAnd what you said about working hard, that's exactly what I've been thinking about. If only there was a way to keep even the slightest amount of the determination he has when we grow up, how much more we would actually accomplish! And also how we give up way too soon!
I hope your family member is doing better now. I love your projects and your Xanadu Cowl is so inspiring. I hope to finish mine this weekend!
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