Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Me-made maternity at 40 weeks + last-minute glove, sock + doll-making

Didn't sew any new maternity clothes this pregnancy but the maternity tops I adapted from the Jalie 2005 T-shirt pattern last time are still going strong as I approach 40 weeks. This was part of my unfinished ensemble for the Patternreview Mini-Wardrobe c
Didn't sew any new maternity clothes this pregnancy but the maternity tops I adapted from the Jalie 2005 T-shirt pattern last time are still going strong

Last time as I approached 40 weeks of pregnancy I was a total mess: impatient, fidgety, worried, nervous, and more, obsessing over whether baby would arrive "on time" or not, and how much maternity leave time with actual baby I would lose as the days ticked by.

This time I swore it would be different, because "babies come on their birthdays, not on their due dates", as my Hypnobabies birthing class instructor told us. Once I started maternity leave (which was yesterday) I would be relaxed, I would be zen, I would catch up on sleep, finish up craft projects, tidy up the apartment, bank some extra meals in the freezer...

This sounds hilarious to me now as I sit here at my computer compulsively refreshing statistics on the likelihood of giving birth on any given day (today's probability is about 8%, in case you were curious). I have had three false alarms in the past week that I could have SWORN were the real thing, my parents are staying with us so they can babysit our daughter when the time arrives, my maternity leave is ticking away, and we are all just WAITING waiting waiting. I have never been a patient person, so why start now?

Which is why I am currently slowly knitting myself a pair of gloves with size 000 needles (i.e. needles so thin they are basically pieces of straw that feel like they are about to snap at any moment)...

Ever tried #knitting with Size 000 needles? Going so slow because I feel like they are about to snap any minute. (I had been knitting the Knotty gloves with Size 0 and they were coming out way too big so I frogged them and started over with these teeny Bl

These are the Knotty gloves by Julia Mueller (free pattern!) in Studio Avenue Six Bellwether Sock I had started knitting a year ago, but they were coming out way too big for my tiny hands on size 0 needles and I didn't want to try and rewrite the complicated chart pattern...

Ok, I think it's time to admit these Knotty gloves are coming out too big. I'm using the smallest DPNs I have (0) but the pattern is only one size and I have tiny hands. Guess I have to rip back and try to rewrite the pattern? Eeeek! #iknit #knitting #sew

Sub-zero double pointed needles are hard to find (none of my local yarn stores carry them) but I finally located the Blackthorn needles pictured in that top photo at WEBS (aka yarn.com) in sizes as small as 0000, frogged the original gloves, and started over. We'll see!

And I made more baby socks, because, well, why not? These are the free Jellybean Baby Socks pattern from Spud and Chloe in Malabrigo Rios Glazed Carrot, and they took mere hours to make in a nice thick worsted weight. I misjudged foot length so these are too big for a small baby, but huge feet run in both my and husband's family, so I'm sure they will fit before long:

Orange Jellybean Baby Socks

Little Ms. Z and I are also finishing up a few doll projects — a big snuggly mermaid she designed for her one-year-old cousin:

She was so excited to stuff the mermaid doll for her cousin this morning it was hard to get her to eat breakfast. #sewingforkids #sewing #sewing #dollmaking #dolls

And a superhero doll with flaming red rocket boots for Z herself. The doll's name is Super Ruby (Z's secret hero identity) and she has a theme song and everything. She's going to have curly brown bouclé yarn hair (not pictured):

Getting ready to assemble Z's latest doll scheme, Super Ruby, a curly-haired superhero with flaming rocket boots. #sewingforkids #sewing #dollmaking #dolls #sewingwithkids

I'm also getting a last few wears out of my me-made maternity clothes from my last pregnancy, since two kids is a just right for us. (And trying not to be bothered by the people asking me if I've had baby yet, because, well—wouldn't that be rather noticeable?)

OK, back to refreshing those statistics...

14 comments:

  1. Ooh...is anyone actually zen when they're waiting to meet their baby? I love your projects on the go, especially the mermaid designed by Z. Best wishes for a soon and speedy delivery!

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  2. Haha! Hang in there, mama! You're looking great! It'll happen. In the meantime, distraction is the name of the game, and if 00 needles do that for you (dang those things are tiny), have at it! I LOVE Z's new doll ideas, especially Super Ruby. She has a theme song? I don't know you personally, Z, but you so totally rock.

    I cracked up at the whole 8% probability thing. I too am a very impatient pregnant person (maybe just an impatient person, period), you have my deepest sympathies.

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  3. Good luck these last few days, and hurry up, baby! :)

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  4. Haha I think my internet history still has all those searches about probability of arriving on due date! Except that I was trying to keep working as long as possible, so I was hoping SHB would be late. Too bad he was a day early...

    Here's to hoping you have a baby to put into those socks soon!

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  5. What a beautiful cable pattern on that glove-in-the-making. Best wishes for a safe and smooth delivery of your baby-in-the-making ;)

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  6. I don't know how anyone can be zen before a baby - so much anticipation! Knitting is a good alternative :-)

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  7. Best wishes for a smooth delivery!

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  8. Your Daughter's dolls are the best! She has some talent there. Hope all goes well and Torchwood comes soon!

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  9. I was lucky...the second time around my water broke so there was no waiting around guessing :-). And, I will add, the second was a cake walk (10 hours start to finish!)compared to my first at a long, hard, 32 hours. Good luck!

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  10. Those dolls are fantastic!! And I can't wait to meet little baby Torchwood :)

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  11. Super swell dolls you got there! Thinking good, boring labor thoughts your way; even though I ended up with an emergency C for Thing Two, the labor was much swifter and I knew what to expect even when it went the other way. I went home with a baby and another birthday to celebrate.

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  12. Oh, the end is the worst! You will make it and it'll be sooner than later...sooner than later. The super hero doll is so sweet! You and Z's work has inspired my oldest--he made a pillowcase a couple of weeks ago, and we just made some animal stuffies this afternoon.

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  13. Thank you everyone! I'm really trying to be patient over here! I even ripped back those gloves AGAIN when they were still coming out too big!

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  14. I'm in a similar position. Our due date is coming up Wednesday (our first) and I keep reminding myself he'll come when he wants and no sooner. I'm still working but I think this will be the last week.

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