My bloglines subscriptions are dropping like a big belly in the ninth month! I mean, sure, pregnancy’s all wonderful and everything and a miracle blah blah blah, but let’s face it: I wouldn’t want to hear about someone puking everyday, so why should you? (Still happening by the way.)
So let’s talk about something else. Let’s talk about *GASP* KNITTING! YAY! Whenever I get anxious, as pregnant women are wont to do – you know, will I ever stop puking? OH MY GOD, what have we done!!!!!!!?!, the baby comes out WHERE?! – I think about what I used to do to calm myself. I used to knit. Oh how I miss it! But also, not so much. It’s really really weird.
I managed to buy yarn – on clearance at WEBS – for the Mommy Snug. I even swatched for it on two different needle sizes and I fully intend to knit it for myself. I think it’s going to be fantastic. But it’s not going to be done for Rhinebeck, maybe not even CAST ON for Rhinebeck, but I want something new. I want to be knitting towards a goal, you know? I want something – ANYTHING – to spur me on.
Enter Sundara and her fabulous yarn!
After I went through all the fabuloso yarn Sundara sent for Spin Out prizes, there were a couple of colors I just HAD to have. The Orchid colorway you see in the photo was one of them. I pass by it a million times a day and it calls out to me – it’s practically screaming at this point – KNIT ME KNIT ME! So I’m thinking I’ll start a pair of socks. For Rhinebeck. And Soctoberfest, which starts super soon. I think I haven’t missed a sock-filled October yet, so why start now? And with a sock I can see progress pretty quickly, without having to knit that much. I can ease myself back in.
I need your help though. I can’t figure out what pattern to knit. I want something plain-ish – not too busy – to show off the beautiful subtle coloring. And while I love the LOOK of a rib, I hate to rib in socks more than anything. Really. I don’t mind purling – like in the monkey sock – it’s the back and forth I hate. Got any ideas for me? I really appreciate it! Thanks!
Business: Tomorrow, a HUGE post of Spin Out prizes. HUGE. It’s going to take me all day to photograph them! And all of you who have asked about the Spin Out location and whether or not you need to bring chairs – I’d say YES – you need to bring chairs. I’m planning Wednesday to scope out the sight and I will report back Thursday with all the particulars of the event, but until then – you’re going to need somewhere to sit if you’re bringing your wheel – and don’t forget – you can always knit or spindle!
Have a great day! I’m sure gonna try!
L, C
How about Jane Cochran’s “Hedgerow Socks”? She designed them, inspired by some Sundara yarn. http://www.knittersreview.com/article_how_to.asp?article=review/profile/070823_a.asp
I love hearing about pregnancies AND knitting! I hope you’re feeling better soon.
I really don’t mind reading about the puking! It keeps me entertained! 🙂 But I do like me some knitting stories once in a while, so this post makes me happy!
And yes, the baby does come out THERE!!!! OUCH!
What about Yarnissima’s Firestarter Socks? They’re simple and interesting all at once.
http://yarnissima.vox.com/library/post/like-that-firestarter.html
What about the Anastasia socks from pepperknit.com? They are mostly stockinette (so it will show off the subtle coloring well), but the spiral of YOs keeps the knitting interesting.
How about the Charade socks? They are tons of fun yet simple.
http://www.imaybeknittingaranchhouse.com/archives/charade_revised.pdf
Hey! Great yarn! The color looks really rich I’m just getting out of the stage you’re in. This is my second pregnancy & it’s been much worse than my first was. I promise, it doesn’t last forever.
And, yes, the whole birth thing sounds really horrifying from where you stand now… but it’s really not so bad. Once you’ve done it & you’re holding your bundle of joy, it’ll seem like it was a piece of cake!
Have you checked out WendyKnits? She just had “The Summer of Socks”, 19 pairs. Most are original designs and quite lovely. You can get some great ideas there.
That color is gorgeous! I don’t knit socks so I can’t help with patterns, but I sure look forward to seeing them!
Regarding bloglines – I’ve stopped using it. I’ve moved most of my subs over to Google reader, and I get most of my knitblog updates via Ravelry (that’s why I friend everyone whose blog I read even if I’ve never met them!) So it could be the Ravelry effect…
I had the same problem when pregnant, not the puking, but no desire to knit, craft or even read. I was totally exhausted. I think the waving lace socks from IK would be nice.
Socks are a good place to start…Charade was my choice, too. XOXO
Still subscribing, puking and all 🙂
How about Charade? http://www.imaybeknittingaranchhouse.com/archives/2007/04/charade.html
I was also going to suggest the charade socks…
Also, if it makes you feel better I puked my guts out last night too. Except mine was more shell fish than baby related. Gross.
Tina 🙂
there is that little dilemma about having to actually give birth that makes all of us wonder ‘what have we done!’ but no worries – it is soooo worth it. (and it’s over relatively fast compared to the joy of all the years to come)
I love Sundara yarns – there are a few in my stash that are just screaming ‘knit me now!’
Have you seen the Back To Basics socks in the new Knitty?
Those would be pretty in that lovely purple…
I’d recommend doing socks using the embossed stitch directions in Charlene Schurch’s More Sensational Knitted Socks.
Not really a ribbed sock, but Loksins would be lovely in this yarn: http://cassiana.typepad.com/too_much_wool/2007/05/new_sock_finall.html. I’m halfway through my pair, and they are an interesting and lovely knit.
I see someone beat me to suggesting Loksins so I’ll just second it. It’s a great pattern.
I also noticed several people mentioned Charade. It’s a good pattern, too, but it eats up a lot of yarn. Just thought you should know that.
You think talking about puking is bad (and I was well into my 5th month before I stopped puking), just wait until the little one is born and all you can talk about is baby poop. How often, what color, how explosive.
Of course, we’ll still love you no matter what you write about.
You could do a wide-ish rib. For my Trekking sock (still sadly single, but its mate will come) I used k4, p2, baby cable, p2; it was interesting enough to keep me interesting and not too busy to compete with the yarn. Or is that still too ribbish? Alternatively, you could do something like what Stephanie did with Joe’s socks (the recent gray ones — I’m too lazy to look up the post), a small cable going up the sides on a purl background and the rest st st.
How about Crusoe socks from Knitty? Charade is nice, but alas, a rib base…
How about Too Much Wool’s “Fool’s Rush” sock pattern? It’s got a lace rib around the top, so even though it’s got knits and purls, there’s a little laciness in there to be entertaining (as well as very pretty). and the design on the leg looks nice too (at least inthe picutres I’ve seen; I’m enjoying the lace rib so much I’m using it for the entire sock.
Hey, I’m happy to read about the puking – I mean… I’d rather not, but only because I’d rather you’d stopped doing it, not because it’s boring. But it will pass, really it will, and yes, the exit route doesn’t really bear thinking about, but by the time you get to 9 months, you’ll just be so glad that it’s coming out SOMEWHERE that it’ll much less of an issue. (There is nothing more odd than the state of mind of an overdue mother-to-be – intense pain begins to seem so attractive.)
So to move on… pretty pretty sock yarn. What about
http://www.pettigrew.org.uk/anne/images/crazysocks.pdf
– and yes, I am shamelessly self-promoting here, but I think it would work well with the subtle colours.
i agree with lori, charade or maybe twisted tweed?
http://schrodinger212.blogspot.com/2007/08/twisted-tweed-socks.html
I don’t mind the puke updates at all! It’s a productive puking because you;re growing a freaking baby! Enjoyed the Beastie Boys reference in your post title. My mind is a blank for a sock pattern; sorry.
I like your blog, regardless of the subject. So there.
I love to hear pregnancy news. Bring it on! And knitting too. And I remember vividly how knitting would make me too sick in the first trimester, but that went away completely thank goodness, and then I started making pinwheel blankets galore.
Sock patterns…
I’ve been looking for the same kind of thing, and thinking about designing something myself. But I’ve found a couple. Anastasia for one. pepperknit.com.
Cheers,
Larissa
I love your blog, knitting, puking, and all. I’m not so much into the spinning yet, but I do like to read about it, so keep it up as long as you feel like it. We’ll still be here.
Socks? I’d have to say broadripple from knitty.com. I’m kind of partial, since they won me a 1st place ribbon at the county fair and a 2nd place at the state fair. I had to change the pattern somewhat to accomadate a slightly different gauge, but it was pretty easy to figure out…I just put 4 knits in those straight sections instead of the 3 the pattern calls for. I did mine in sock garden fron knitpicks, the color was stargazer lily, variegated pinks with a bit of yellow thrown in, and they turned out beautiful.
And yeah, the baby comes out there, but it’s not as bad as you think. It’s that whole fear/pain cycle. If you’re afraid of something, you tend to tighten up all your muscles. Think what happens if someone scares you…think boo, and then your body’s response. That’s the tighting up. When you’re all taught like that, it’s way easier to feel pain. Your body expects it. If you can keep your body relaxed, and just think of the contractions as contractions, it’ll be less painful than you think. You body does know how to do it, if you can keep your brain out of the way. A contraction feels sort of like you’re doing a sit-up only you can’t stop. If you tense up every time you start to have a contraction, it’ll hurt. If you can relax and let your body do it’s job, it’ll be way way easier. This coming from someone who had one baby in the hospital and 2 at a birth center with a midwife. So, I’m not just a looony, I did it too. You’ll be fine.
I can live with reading about the puke, just so long as you don’t start posting arty pictures of it, okay? One picture of puke and I’ll never be back, I swear. ;-)Even if it does match your current yarn.
I don’t have any pattern suggestions for you, but I needed to comment on the beauty of that Orchid colorway. Gorgeous!
Hope you start feeling better soon.
I am thrilled that you will be in for another year, Cara dear! I can’t believe that October is so soon 😉
I’m using Google Reader but I’m still here through all the puking and non knitting. Granted I’m really sad that I just can’t zip up there for Spin-Out but that’s neither here nor there…
Dear Cara, I don’t plan on dropping you. I had no desire to knit the whole time I was pregnant, so I know how it is.
For your beautiful sock yarn, I vote for the Twinkleberry socks from Knitzi.com. They are so cute!
I love reading your blog, no matter the topic. But I do hope the puking ends for you soon. I remember how frustrating it was to be so sick when I was pregnant – not really the way I had envisioned things would be.
Here’s my sock recommendation: Uptown Boot Socks (in 25 Favorite Socks). No ribbing past the little cuff, and the pattern really shows off a subtly variegated yarn. It’s a very small cable-y pattern, almost a honeycomb-type thing. And unbelievably easy (i.e., soothing).
Don’t know how you feel about cables, but the Yarn Harlot’s last pattern, Earl Grey Socks on her Aug 28th post, are pretty and yet plain enough to showcase Sundara’s gorgeous yarn. (Forget that she made them for Joe; the lovely orchid color will wipe that right out!) Have fun!
I’m sticking with you! I like hearing about your pregnancy (even though I’m sorry you’re puking so much!) Pretty Sundara Yarn!!
Thuja is great for a rib without the back and forth too much. You knit one round and then do your rib stitch say k3, p1 for one round and then repeat. The easiest rib ever.
Cara, are you looking in just bloglines or feedburner?
I ask because I thought I lost half of my subscribers not long ago, based on declining numbers in bloglines. Turns out people just switched feed readers and I actually had TRIPLE the subscribers I thought when I looked at the subscriber breakdown in feedburner.
In any case, I love hearing about pregnancy (even the yucky stuff) AND knitting.. so blog your heart out chickie!
I only knit for brief time in my second trimester. I understand.
The Go with the Flow socks in Interweave’s Favortie Socks is a great rib-like pattern that really shows off a nice subtle varigation.
So glad you like the yarn! I’ve got no ideas for patterns, so I’m no help. Although I would like to steal all your gorgeous composition ideas for when I photograph my yarn. Or hire you to do it. Heh.
I puked up a very fancy french meal on Thursday (due to some shellfish though, nothing baby-related) and I thought of you. Aren’t you glad that now whenever any of your blog readers puke, they think of you?
Hedgerow socks are basically ribbing, but entertaining.
I am finishing up the “Poseidon” socks and they are mostly knits – with decreases and yarnovers thrown in. GORGEOUS socks. Look ’em up on Ravelry, and also they are in my project notebook – MeanGirl.
🙂
PS, the ones called Poseidon Socks by Elinor Brown. There’s another, but it’s not what I meant.
Dear Cara;
I say if you feel like sleeping, sleep, if you feel like eating, eat, if you feel like knitting then heck go ahead and do it!
Take good care of yourself and your body will tell you when the right time for knitting is. right?
After all is not like the knitting police are after you!
or are they??
Hugs
The yarn is so lovely. I would say look at the Loopy Ewe and see if they have any patterns.
There is always the mermaid socks, but it is a knit and purl like ribbing, but I love the spiral that they give.
Dear Darling Cara,
I have not been reading you super long, a friend of mine linked to you once I think on her blog or something and then I became addicted. I do not subscribe to your blog, I don’t to any, but there are three I check daily. Yours, Knit and Tonic and Dances with yarn. I can count on Wendy for fiber every time. I can count on Jeanie (the friend that linked me to you) for fiber and things I can actually make w/ my questionable knitting abilities sometimes and you for good old fashioned plain spoken “this is my life” and I like to read them all, and I like to read you. I like to read about your photographs. I like to read about puking (I have had 5 children, I have not had easy pregnancies, I UNDERSTAND and my thoughts are with you every day) I like reading about knitting because it inspires and educates me. I love seeing the photo on the top of the page when I come here. My favorite is the Christmas lights (when I was little I used to pretend that a tiny fairy lived in each bulb, that each bulb was her room and her dress was the same color as the bulb. And that the Christmas tree was the actual house.) So you write about what you want to write about, what inspires you, what you are thinking of. You are entering a new stage of your life darling. It’s BIG. Really big. Nothing will ever be the same and it’s all in a good way and if there are people that just want to read about fiber and such that’s fine too, but don’t feel that you have to limit your content to suit our needs. We are here because of you and what you have to say and if what you have to say ceases to interest us we go else where. that’s ok. We change too. But there will be others that come along that are going through similar things as you that will love to hear about your pregnacy and such. It’s all an evolving thing. So worry not.
My pregnacy advice for the day though. Put St. Ives Collagen Elastin face lotion on your belly, hips, thighs and breasts daily. I never had a single stretch mark when I used that. Wonder stuff. And lavender and goat milk soap (you can find it at the union square farmer’s market if you get down there OR I have a great upstate NY online store link if you want it) to make your pregnancy skin even more beautiful.
Good luck dear. . I look forward to reading you every day and my heart goes out to you every day. I have resisted for a while commenting about pregnacy or anything because I was so blessed to be able to conceive easily so I hate to rub salt you know? but now that you are where you are and I feel like I can share your joy and maybe give a little sympathy, encouragement and advice.
Oh, also, for the nausea, I know you said no mention of food, but ask your pharmacist about coke syrup. I had a good ole’ fashioned doctor that delivered all his own babies, didn’t take vacations and didn’t have residents and was a firm believer in such things as ginger tea and coke syrup. It worked wonders. he also had me take high doeses of calcium and vitamin B in addition to my prenatal vitamin and I felt GREAT and my teeth are wonderful despite having and nursing 5 children to the tune of about a decade.
No matter what you have to talk about. Mitters, or babies or yarn or vacation or spinning you make my day every day. Because you are you.
I look forward to more baby/ yarn posts!
Shannon
I’m doing Charades right now and they’re ok but I think the most fun I’ve had on a nice simple pattern were the RPMs I made. I highly recommend them for getting the knitting mojo back.
I couldn’t knit at all when I was pregnant with Ian. I would literally fall asleep with the needles in my hands. I guess it just relaxed me too damn much. I worked on one blanket the whole pregnancy, then after I gave birth I ripped it out and cast on for a completely different one which I finished in a week!
Sorry to hear that you are still puking. I had the same issue with my first baby.
As for the socks I hope that you cast on and enjoy knitting again. My favorite pattern right now is Penllyn socks. Here is the link for the pattern and a picture of mine and the ones that I modified for my daughter. Good luck choosing a pattern and happy knitting(when you do knit again 🙂
http://wildhorsefarmdesigns.com/product_info.php?products_id=60
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8146438@N06/1038959923/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8146438@N06/1402239983/
Hi Cara!
How about these socks for the Sundara yarn?
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/socks/panda-menehune-sock.html
Rosalia
trust me. Enjoy the womb time.
trust me. Enjoy the womb time.
Heh heh – best blog post title that I’ve seen anywhere for a long time – love it. And about those who are dropping you on Bloglines – fuck ’em!
Cara, I love reading your blog, and have been reading for oh so long now….. it’s on my daily read list. I can always relate to what you write about, whether it’s knitting, or just life. Funny thing…. I too am pregnant, and we are on the same week!!!! I love hearing what you have to say….. and just the fact that I am going through exactly the same thing gives me comfort that I’m not the only one! So here’s to puking….. and all the other stuff that comes with pregnancy, and just know that I’m right there along with you!
Yay, chica, you are knitting again! Tell that smelly old puke to stay put and quit bothering you. If you haven’t motored over to Bella Knitting, Sara has a nice little number up for use called Synesthesia. Haven’t gotten around to knitting them yet, but I plan on it.
Nancy Bush Conwy sox – easy to memorize, so pretty!
I’m still reading! 🙂 And I love the baby excitement I’ve been seeing in your recent postings.
What about f.pea’s Wildflower Socks?
http://fpea.blogspot.com/2006/11/free-pattern-friday-wildflower-socks.html
It’s a fun pattern and, come on, Orchid… wildflowers… it just works. I know it’d make me feel better to look down over a big pregnant belly this winter and see soft lavendar handknit socks with teensy wildflowers. 🙂
Hoping the nausea vamooses with this next trimester.
Screw ’em, I like reading about the pregnancy as well as the knitting!
Honestly? I don’t think you’re losing subscribers. I think bloglines is losing users and they’re switching to google reader. You can’t see your subscriber count within google reader though, but you can see EVERY subscriber if you use feedburner. I’ve noticed my bloglines subscribers slowly go down while my google reader subscribers go up.
Puking, yuck. But it will go away, eventually. I spent my first eight (yes, 8) months of each pregnancy throwing up. Maybe that’s why I stopped at two children! But when the baby comes it’s well worth it…you’ll see. Hope you feel better soon!
Kathy in KS is very right, from my experience as a nurse and a doula and a mother twice; the first time at 19yo when you’re supposed to freak all out and scream and be scared? I wasn’t. I was well-read and well-prepared. Get a copy of Childbirth Without Fear by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read and Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. If anyone starts to tell you a “bad” labor story politely change the subject and point out that you’d really rather not hear those kinds of stories right now. Surround yourself with positive birth tales. Be aware of the complications and make decision about how to handle them, but don’t dwell on that stuff. They’re minorities even in the over 35’s. I had a bunch of issues that should have set me up for natural birth failure – but I read, I educated myself, I believed, and it worked.
My best friend had her first 20 months ago, no drugs. Healthy beautiful baby girl. Women have been doing this for thousands of years. Keep hydrated, keep breathing and this too shall pass (labor and the nausea both).
Have you tried (I can’t help myself, advice just comes out of me) red raspberry for the nausea? Sometimes it helps, in either tea or capsules from a natural foods store. I put a little crystalized ginger in my raspberry tea. It helped a little. I barfed my way through my entire second pregnancy. She managed to be 8lbs, 8oz in spite of the heaving.
How about Yarn Harlot’s Earl Grey? It has a ribbed cuff, and just enough cabling to keep it interesting, but it’s still plainish! I’m doing one and I love it!
What about Wendy Knits’ Hearts for Heidi. The pattern should be at the Loopey Ewe real soon. And it’s really a sweet pattern.
Enjoy your time being pregnant, It passes all too fast. As will your child’s time as a child. Mine are 18 and 15, wonderful people, both of them, but sometimes I yearn for those days when they were 5 and 2.
i did drop my subscription. perhaps i am in the minority, but i subscribed for a long time because i enjoyed the photography and knitterly (and crochet) content. but, people change, and i’m not interested in the “content” anymore.
i wish you the best.
Love that color! Lot of baby going around, so I am used to the talk. Knit Bayerische socks if you have the yardage. Those socks are so beautiful, and I think they would be so beautiful in that color. Of course, I totally adore the color no matter what you choose. Also, that is a maybe more complicated pattern than you are looking for right now. Still, they are gorgeous. Maybe you would like knitting Thirassia. Maybe you should give Embossed Leaves socks a go. That looks like a great pair of socks, and is another pair I have been wanting to try.
I was going to suggest Jane’s Hedgerow’s as well! Excellent socks!
I’m gonna suggest Knitspot’s Math Whiz Socks. Zero ribbing, but FEEL like ribbing. Once you get the pattern set up, you can throw it down and um… go puke…and come back and pick it up without losing your place. Perfect, I think.
I’m gonna suggest Knitspot’s Math Whiz Socks. Zero ribbing, but FEEL like ribbing. Once you get the pattern set up, you can throw it down and um… go puke…and come back and pick it up without losing your place. Perfect, I think.
You can talk to me about puking because, 14 years ago, I couldn’t talk about it. As a nurse on night shift, leaning over the toilet and getting bells, “I feel like I’m going to be sick”. I felt like saying, “Get in line sister.”
It is not the baby that is causing this, it is the cocktail of hormones. They will change.
I like reading whatever you write.
Are you completely sick of Jaywalkers? I think subtle color changes would be gorgeous with the chevron pattern. 🙂
I love reading your blog for your excitement and passion for whatever you’re doing. Knitting? Great! Music? Great! Baby? Really great!
People unsubscribing? Really? I think things are just getting exciting around here!
FYI – I really appreciate your openness about your fertility and pregnancy. I’m only 27, but my clock is definately ticking. I wonder what all the 35+ mothers I know of/about went through but I’m too intimidated to ask.
Cara, I haven’t been to your blog in several months (new job = VERY busy!) and wanted to say a belated congratulations on your pregnancy! I can totally relate to the “morning” sickness… and I feel for you! 🙂
I am late to shout “congratulations!” and I wanted to add that I do not mind at all reading about all the puking. I puked for 9 months when I was pregnant with Principessa (I am sure that won’t happen to you) so I sympathize!