Travel, knitting, and travel knitting (posted by Ann)

So glad to hear from you! Great snow pictures, and 22" is a really impressive amount to shovel and snow blow. Cute new kitty, I'm jealous. I really want another kitty, but I don't know if I should subject poor old Pumpkin to something as energetic as a kitten.

I am in Rotterdam on my last night of a 9 day trip. I flew to London last Wednesday night, worked in London Thursday and Friday, took the Chunnel train to Paris for the weekend (Musee d'Orsay! Croissant!), worked in Paris Monday, flew to Hamburg Monday night, worked in Hamburg Tuesday, flew to Rotterdam Tuesday night, and worked today in Rotterdam. To say I'm ready to go home is an understatement.

While I was away, Chicago got about 6" of snow. I have to tell you that I wasn't sorry to have missed it, I am ready for spring!

I have saved up some knitting pictures. I've been knitting a lot this year so far, these are all things started and finished since New Years Day. I made this set for a couple’s first baby boy, and they have promised me pictures once he grows into it.

I started these socks long ago, and finished them earlier this year. They are my favorites since I gave my previous favorites to you! They are a twisted cable pattern, with great yarn in shades of purple. I always have trouble with socks fitting my skinny feet, and these are very stretchy since they are ribbing all the way down so they fit really well. I wish I could remember what yarn this is, but I know if I take it to Gene Ann’s she’ll be able to tell me.

I made this scarf for Steve’s advisor out of Yum, in a feather and fan pattern. I love the pastel colors and the pattern, and it’s soft and will be warm in the spring. She lives in New Hampshire, so she’ll understand a spring scarf.

I made another baby sweater that I can't find any pictures of - it was for a little girl, I'll have to wait until the Mom gives me pictures of the baby in the sweater to post.

The current sweater I’m working on is a different story. This is a more complicated pattern, with smaller yarn and needles, than I normally use. The pattern is Rose by Dalegarn, and the yarn is Baby Ull knit with size 2 needles. For the 12 month size, you cast on – wait for it – 195 stitches. Gulp. It’s worth it since the little girl it will go to is special to me. I worked very closely with her father for two years, and he and his wife had their second child in January. Her name is Ananya – isn’t that beautiful?

I did a gauge swatch and it seemed fine, so off I went with the sweater. I got to this point and all of a sudden realized that it looked – well – large. I measured and it WAS large. The pattern only goes up to 12 months, which was what I had targeted, but the size was larger than that. I measured again, and again, and looked at other patterns to see what size a 2 year old wears. I took it to the local yarn store and they measured it. We all decided that it would fit her at 2 years old, which was fine with me, so I went home happy.

Then I remembered that her mother is 5’ tall and can’t weigh 100 pounds.

So when I was in Panama City I asked Mom to rip it out for me since I couldn’t stand to do it. I am making it with the number of stitches for the smallest size, 1 month, but the length for the 12 month size, and it seems to be working. I got a lot done on the flight over here, and will probably be done with fronts and back by the time I'm back to Chicago tomorrow. Then just arms and finishing, and I'll show you what it looks like. My guess is that Ananya will probably wear it when she’s 2 if she’s like her mother, and at 1 if she’s like her father.

You know, the last time I had such a bad problem with gauge was also a Dalegarn pattern, with Baby Ull yarn. I must be a really slow learner to make something too big twice.

No, wait, I take that back. This is the third time.

Remember the dress for Laura’s first Christmas?