Changing allegiances: my first knitted finished item!

Thursday 31 May 2012
To use a well worn daytime tv phrase: "here's one I prepared earlier".  I had a nasty bout of mastitis last week, backed up with a weekend to the inlaws house so I didn't get much done and am still trying to catch up in terms of washing and housework, let alone sewing and blogging. 

Actually that blog title isn't true in either aspect - I shan't be changing allegiances from sewing to knitting because I'm a terribly slow knitter and also a terrible knitter (so many dropped stitches!). It's not my first finished knitted item either, I've just repressed the memory of the ugly chocolate brown jumper that took me ages to knit but my tension was so tight that it didn't even fit when I did finally finish it.  My mum repeatedly told me to loosen my tension, much like she repeatedly told me to lower the presser foot when I was learning to sew, hence my blog name.......

Anyway, during the last month of my pregnancy I finally conceded to the aches and pains I was experiencing and gave up trying to spend some frantic last minute sewing each night.  It was just too painful to constantly move between my sewing machine, ironing board and cutting table.  But I just can't sit still and waste time watching tv, I have to keep doing something.  So while I was laying on the lounge like a beached whale I got out the knitting needles and made the baby a simple raglan sleeved cardigan in a neutral flecked grey coloured wool that I had in a big box of wool inherited from my gran.  It only took me a few weeks, and even though I thought I might be able to finish it during the labour if necessary (expecting an epidural during a long labour - ha! how funny am I?) I did actually manage to finish it a few days before Toby was born.  I think I did pretty well too - there aren't any holes in it, I didn't make too many mistakes and I managed the fancy manoeuvres like ssk (slip, slip, knit), using stitch holders - thank the internets for youtube instructional videos.  And I swear knitters use more acronyms than us sewists do - all these co, yo, bo and ss that I had to look up.

I left off sewing on the buttons until I knew what the baby turned out to be, and in a typical lazy fashion I still haven't sewn any on! This is how UFOs get made, except that I've been dressing Toby in it anyway.  Luckily I decided to make the 3-6 month size to compensate for my tension issues, and it fits the wombat perfectly since he is larger than the average 3 months old:



Look at those chubby cheeks! The chunky monkey has been putting on about 400gms each week, and he is off the charts now for his weight and height.  His legs are so chunky that when he had his vaccinations last week he didn't even flinch, let alone cry. 

Despite being terribly sick last week with mastitis (how horrible is that!), we had a good weekend at the inlaws and I'm feeling recharged.  Which is a good thing because I'm currently replacing the elastic on Anna's cloth nappies so that Toby can start using them, and it's such a mind numbing boring task but we're getting proper smiles from the little wombat now so it makes it all worthwhile:



And whilst I was in Spotlight the other day I picked up some more balls of wool on sale and have already half finished a little vest for him - hopefully I'll finish it before he busts incredilbe hulk style out of his clothes!

20 comments:

  1. Great sweater, and your baby is darling!

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  2. Adorable. Does he have red hair?

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  3. The wombat is absolutely adorable! I feel for you about the mastitis - I had it with my first baby, and ended up in the hospital for a few days I was so sick. Wowza.....

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  4. Oh, that is SO painful. I am glad you're better.

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  5. Now this is a gorgeous wombat! Love the sweater. I hope you are feeling better now.

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  6. The baby is so adorable- he could wear a paper bag and look cute!

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  7. Yay, As a fellow knitter, I'm glad you're coming back to the dark side! Toby is adorable in his new sweater & he seems to be growing fast!

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  8. I can't believe how much he looks like Anna! And his red hair is coming thru with flying colors!!! He's all your's too isn't he? Such a cutie!
    Great job on the sweater. I certainly can't trade between sewing and knitting! Well done!
    Sorry to hear about the mastitis though, that's rough stuff! Feel better... hope your taking it a bit easy!
    Take care of you and your's....
    Hugs Jean

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  9. Congrats on finishing the sweater. Wombat looks adorable in it.
    My Elly put on weight like your wombat. Now at 2 years old, she is still off the charts. I hope your doctor is like ours and reassures you that all is well. Wombat is just drumming his own beat.

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  10. Hi I'm new to sewing and I drool over the wonderful clothes you make for you and the children. I often get stuck and use youtube for tips, sometimes I think why am I doing this trying something new at my age (39yrs) but I'm desperate to make clothes for my 3.5yr old daughter so she too will stop wanting to wear peppa pig and dora dresses kindly given to her by friends/relatives. So I was pleased to see you have tackled knitting and kept going. By the way we live in the inner west too, moved here nearly two years ago from the uk. Thanks for your inspiration. By the way your kids are adorable, I just love the Wombats chubby cheeks :)
    Sue

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  11. Your wombat is a redhead?! Wow how cool is that. Looove the unpredictability of genetics. You did a great job on the big boy, and his new sweater too. I adore all the neutrals, on you and now on him.

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  12. Lovely wool & yr wombat is clearly a delight. Hope you chase away the mastitis quickly!

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  13. Lovely wool & yr wombat is clearly a delight. Hope you chase away the mastitis quickly!

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  14. What a gorgeous chubba bubba! When you're a baby is the only time such lovely chubby thighs are cute! I sewed some little baby jackets before my baby was born...only to get a long skinny baby. They'll almost be bolero style by the time she's wide enough for them!

    Sorry to hear about the mastitis, it's the absolute pits but hopefully your little wombat will clear it out quickly :)

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  15. Okay I had to look mastitis up because I had no clue what it was...and boy am I glad that you're doing better! Can you tell I bottle fed my children?!? The wombat is getting big and is so gorgeous!

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  16. He's a cuddly little wombat and his cardi is wonderful.

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  17. Lovely cardigan! My son was a chunky baby also. He weighed 12 lbs at 3 months, and I also breastfed him. Now at the age of 5 he's so skinny you would have never known he was a big baby unless you saw pictures. Your son is a cutie, and he has a great mom in you to knit and sew for him!

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  18. Goodness, he's a little brick! Well done mama.

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  19. That is so cute, he is an adorable chunk! But I am glad you are not really changing your allegiance to yarn crafts. Sewing 4-eva!

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  20. Hi love your sewing. Have you joined Ravelry? Try Tikki knitting patterns. An Australian mum who designs with breast feeding mums in mind - you would love the Milo pattern and all it's variations for your two children. Re: mastitis... Try feeding bub from above if you feel it cOming on again. Helps reduce pressure points and uses gravity to help milk flow past blockages. You still need to see dr but I prOmise you are more comfy if you get sick At night. Good luck! Kathryn

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