nearly finished

The hooded baby blanket is nearly complete and I'm really happy with it. The main blanket is done with just a few more rows on the hood until I sew them together. The construction was simple, but the seed stitch took me forever. It always surprises me that seed stitch seems to take so long, but during the middle of this blanket I realized that it's the equivalent of 1x1 ribbing, so I felt a little better about the creeping progress.

I'm happy that I finally chose a baby project - making knitted items for others is great because I usually spend most of that knitting time thinking about the person who will receive it. In this case, it was fun to spend that time totally focused on the baby, and it was especially neat when the baby would kick and spin while I was working on the knitting. It made me feel even more connected to the little one.

In the meantime, though, my project list has grown. Next up is the Huge Triangle Shawl from Greetings From Knit Cafe. I got the book out of the library a few months ago and copied the pattern out. I can't find a photo of it online, so you'll have to wait. Our aunt was recently diagnosed with cancer, and while we haven't heard details or prognosis yet, Dave requested I make something for her. I've never done a shawl before, and I considered doing something lacy and fun. I want to whip this out quickly, though, so the one from GFKC will be perfect. It's entirely stockinette with simple construction, and it's done in a super soft alpaca yarn. It'll be the perfect thing to wrap around her shoulders in the coming months.

I must get those flip top mitts off to our friend before the weather starts to turn warm, and I really need to knit up another quick cabled hat for Dave and I. I did one on Thanksgiving between rolling of dough and pie construction. I think it took me about 3 hours total, and we fight over it each time we go out. I'm going to make the next one in a bright color, so Dave won't be tempted to take it. He prefers muted greys and greens, so I'm thinking a bold red will deter him. I want to do at least 2 stuffed animals for the baby, as well as one for Dave's coworker who is also about to become a father. I'd like to do one more blanket for the baby before the birth, but I'm not sure I've got time. Fortunately, I've been enjoying more and more time on the couch these days, and with the cold weather outside I have no incentive to do anything except hook up a movie, make a cup of tea, and sit down to knit.