I want my baby.

Yesterday, I knit another ruffle hat for my friend Celeste’s new baby.

I finished it, and we went to her house last night to deliver it and visit a bit. I got to hold her BEAUTIFUL little girl, but I didn’t manage to get a picture of the finished hat. Hopefully, Celeste will send me one. It fit the little darling perfectly, and looked absolutely adorable, but holding her made me want to be holding my own all the more.

I’m happy with the pattern. It comes from Knits from the Heart (that I’ve linked a couple times), and it uses most of a ball of Cotton Classic. The pattern calls for a size 5 needle, but I seem to have lost all of mine, so I use a size 6 on the ruffle, and a size 4 on the hat. I make the preemie size, a quarter inch shorter than the pattern dictates (per a suggestion from my first ruffle hat recipient), and it fits a newborn well.

I had intended on knitting the ruffle hat for my little one, but since he’s a boy, we’re doing other things.

I have washed and dried both the blanket, and the flannel backing. The flannel is a mottled red, and it looks great. I’m hoping the mottled-ness of it will help disguise milk spots, and whatever other stains decide to show up. I’m no whiz in the laundry room, and stains know it. I do not possess that talent.

The blanket washed beautifully, although it did shrink some. I’m very happy with the width, but I wish it was about 3 inches taller. The yarn is still in great shape, and it tightened up a bit, which I like. It feels so soft, and drapes very well… I think this was a good yarn choice.

So, now that both pieces are washed and shrunk, theoretically as much as they will get, I hope to sew them together soon.

Not that I have ANY idea when I’m going to have time.

This morning, I’m taking Abner over to meet one of our blog readers who expressed an interest in him after Friday’s post, and lives locally. She has a nice older dog, and assuming we can get them introduced properly, I think that would be an ideal situation for him.

After Abner’s “interview”, the rest of my day is completely filled with preparations for a big dinner at church I’m in charge of. (No lectures are needed, I’m getting a TON of help, but I am still in charge). So from 1 to about 10, I’m going to be busy.

Tomorrow, I have another (hopefully my last) early morning meeting with the attorney, from which I will go directly to my OB appointment, just like last Wednesday. The afternoon is free as of right now, which I will doubtlessly fill with moving preparations.

Thursday, we intend to buy some furniture for the new house, which I am hoping can be delivered quickly, because we will have no place to sit until it arrives. I also have Thursday down as a day to buy some baby supplies and start the hospital bag.

Friday, I have a baby shower in the early afternoon, and once that is over, I want to go shopping again, and pick up whatever is remaining that I need. Everyone is telling me that this move is going to induce labor. That may or may not be true, but I’d really like to be ready for it if it does.

Also on Friday, we need to finish up getting ready to move, because we’re loading the truck Saturday. So we need to disassemble beds, pack the essentials we’ve left unpacked for our personal use, (which means finding more boxes somewhere, because we’re COMPLETELY cleaned out), and do the 5 million other things that need to be done the day before loading a truck.

Blah, blah, blah. Are you bored yet? My POINT is, that I have no clue when I’m going to line this baby blanket, but lined or not, it’s coming to the hospital.

Oh, and I had a question for all of you, who have repeatedly proven yourselves VERY resourceful…

I’m thinking about buying a new digital point and shoot camera, because the lens on mine doesn’t capture crisp images, and I’m going to have some money this week.

There are a million cameras out there, and I have no clue what to get. Even sticking with one brand, there are too many choices, and I get confused. I think I want one that is smallish, like the standard point and shoots are, because I’m going to be lugging a baby around and I don’t need a bulky or heavy camera at this time. But I’m open-minded on that, because SLR’s are cool, too, and I enjoy using them. Also, I would like a camera that has a flash strong enough to actually add light to flash pictures. My last 2 digitals have not done that, and while I avoid flash pictures at nearly all costs, when I need to take one, I’d like it to work.

What else? Well, a rechargeable battery would be nice. The macro setting has to work well. I’d love it if it has a sensitive flash that adjusts to the distance from the subject, like my film SLR’s did (they were both Canons).

Any thoughts?

Every time I look at it, I think about Shrek 2, when he’s talking about Puss’s “wee lit’le boots!”

1/2 ball of Koigu. (My hat weighs .8 oz, or 24 grams).

Size 2, bamboo double pointed needles

Cast on 100 stitches.

Work in 1×1 ribbing until hat is 3 inches from bottom, (not the cast on), with brim flipped up the desired amount.

Start decreases-

1. (work 9 in ribbing, k2tog), end p1.

2. Work 1 round, working stitches as they are.

Continue the two decrease rounds, working 1 less stitch between k2tog each time until you have done (work 4 in ribbing, k2tog), end p1. Omit the in-between round and just work decrease round until you have 10 stitches. Cut yarn, leaving a long tail, and thread through the 10 live stitches with an embroidery needle. Weave in ends.

I haven’t tried this on a baby yet, but with the brim able to be adjusted higher or lower, and the generous stretch of the ribbing, I think it’ll fit good.

The Superman blanket is done, and my friend and I found what we think will be a good backing on Saturday. It’s in the drier now. You’ll see it tomorrow.

Twice last night, while trying to roll over in bed, my pelvis popped/cracked. Once on each side, like my legs wanted to fall out. It was excruciating, and I’m still sore. Before bed, I was having some serious “warm up” contractions, and I walked around through them, just to get things progressing a bit.

Pretty exciting.