It seems that the British summer is over before it’s even begun.  Since June we’ve had only a couple of weeks to bask in warmth and sunshine.  July was a complete washout and even though August has been very promising I can already feel the crisp air of autumn around the corner.  No matter.  Summer (not that it exists in this country anymore) is overrated.  I say bring on the apples, bonfires, blackberries, falling leaves and wooly knits.

The cooler air has given us an early opportunity to photograph the modeled Pebble vest.  It is a bit long in the body, giving a bit of room to grow.  And grow he certainly will.  My little model is now 9 months old and I almost want to shed a tear when I see his tiny newborn clothes.

Every day I get to know this boy a little better and am so excited to see who he becomes in another 9 months.  I know he’ll continue to give us a bit of joy every day and I hope he’ll still give me a bit of time to do some knitting.

It’s funny how when you become a mother time really does just fly by.  For example, one day I went to sleep with a tiny baby and woke up to this.

A big, beautiful, happily cruising 8 month old boy who looks more and more like his daddy every day.  I don’t know what he’s done to my tiny gurgling baby (perhaps he ate him) but this upgraded model actually lets me knit from time to time.  As his reward I made him a very big boy sort of vest.

Thrifty Knitter’s Pebble baby vest knit up in lovely Rowan Summer Tweed.  This was my first project since my mother’s scarf and it was a wonderful knit.  Made in one piece the garter stitch was a nice reintroduction to knitting and it seemed to fly off the needles.  I loved everything about this; the yarn, the colour, and the pattern.  Finding and sewing on the colourful buttons felt like a moment of triumph.  When you take such a long hiatus from a hobby like this you almost forget how much you loved it in the first place.

When I started out knitting this I decided not to concern myself with the sizing.  This was not the time for pressure and deadlines, I only wanted the relaxing, unwinding, therapy that knitting can provide.  As it turns out it fits my little man perfectly and as soon as cooler weather hits we will do a modeled photo shoot (if he hasn’t outgrown it by then).

He seems to approve.

I don’t dare check when the last time I updated was. It seems like years ago, particularly now that my time is completely monopolised by a very beautiful and very demanding little man. 2008 was a very poor year for knitting for me, but I don’t mind since I have the best finished project anyone could hope for.

2009 is a year of new beginnings, new baby, new president and new knitting. I am very slowly getting back to my feet with my hobbies. I’m enjoying knitting more than ever now, perhaps because I only have little pockets of time that I really have to relish when I get them. These days just getting out of my pajamas before noon seems like an accomplishment, and going grocery shopping is a downright adventure. I have managed to finish a hat for my bub to wear in this particularly chilly winter.

It is the Thorpe hat from Through the Loops modified for a baby’s head. Basically I just increased until it looked like it’d fit and then winged the earflaps. The yarn is a some leftover Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and Jaeger Shetland Aran. I loved knitting this and it was so quick that I finished it a day of on and off knitting. If only cardigans could be so easy to finish.

I’m trying to keep to one project at a time now as that’s probably my only hope of finishing anything.  Currently it’s something rather special for someone’s birthday, which is nearly finished and hopefully can be sent off this week if I don’t slack off.  A new knitting group has been started in my little village and that will at least give me a couple hours of knitting a week.

I everyone had a wonderful holiday and new year and here’s hoping 2009 is as exciting as 2008.

Back before I went to Cornwall I gave you a sneak peek at a project that I had just finished but hadn’t modeled.  I now can present the Tilted Duster.

I love this cardigan probably more than any of my other knits.  It is warm and fashionable and I have the satisfaction of reusing a great yarn.  I frogged my second sweater, Rogue, made out of Rowan Magpie Aran to make this.  I never really wore Rogue, it was a challenging knit and I learned a lot and did wear it a bit, but it was baggy and heavy and got tossed to the side.  The yarn is a really sturdy yarn and I had just enough to finish this project.  It probably took me a couple of months altogether but it did go in hibernation for a while.  The sleeves and top half went very quickly but man, that skirt took ages.  I finally took it out of hibernation and finished it over a few bad movies and episodes of Voyager.  I’ve not blocked it because I was so keen to wear it, so I think it’ll look a bit smoother and flatter once I do.  I don’t know when that’ll be because I never take it off.

The only thing I maybe don’t like about it is the collar, it is just a bit too big, but seems to roll over pretty well.  I did knit the smallest size and everyone was complaining about the sleeves being so tight so I knit them the next size up and a bit longer and I’d say they’re pretty perfect.

Now for the surprise.  Did you  happen to notice anything different about me in those photos?  No?  I’ll give you a little hint.

I am pregnant!  Big cookies for those who may have guessed it!  I am about 6 weeks along and am so pleased, we have wanted children for a while now and was a bit surprised myself when my test came out positive while we were in Cornwall (in a cafe, of all places to pee on a stick).   I am due about December 1st which means I have seven months to knit a whole arsenal of baby clothes.  I have even started on a tiny guernsey and I can’t believe that there’ll be someone small enough to wear it.  I’m sure I’ll be a baby bore over the next months (and years) but I promise there’ll still be some knitting.  Thank goodness the Tilted Duster is the perfect cardigan for my future bump.