Sometime, you just need a good Ballpark Frank

I know I'm losing it when I'm blogging about hot dogs, but oh well. Purchased a package of nitrite-free, filler-free 'dogs from Trader Joes this week, thinking that they'd be healthier and less of a junk food to the kids, and that at least I wouldn't be brining the latest babe (need to think of a good pseudonym for her too, now that I think of it) in chemical soup. Too bad that they tasted as funky as they did. Like I said, sometimes you shouldn't mess with preservative perfection.
I'm searching for the perfect "back-to-my-body" knit. I have about ten things I'd like to start, but then I get frightened that perhaps *this* body is it and that the size S I'd knit would fit around my forearm, and I chicken out.
Off to swatch again...it's about the largest piece I can focus on at one time.

I know an old lady who swallowed an octopus

That's how I'm feeling at the moment. 1cm dilated, no more. For those of you not in the know, that's typical for me. Two weeks left.

On a cheerier note, I believe that Mamma has persuaded me to knit this:



By the time this distracted Mama gets it done, I may actually be able to wear it. I've only gained 32 lbs with this babe (as opposed to the 40+ I usually pack on) so perhaps it will be easier to ditch and I'll be back in my jeans- my JEANS!- in a few months' time.

Off to check the stash and oogle yarn...

Elvis has left the building

This is the last of a series of just,well, really tired posts. Look at that, I almost typed, "tured". Real nice.
You see, I'm 38 weeks pregnant. OK, not until Tuesday, but still, I'm rounding up. My belly is so why shouldn't I? Anyhow (sometimes I type 'anyhoo' and then I realize I *hate* it when I hear someone use that word. Hate it.) I'm just about checked out of my life at this point waiting for this babe to arrive. I feel like I'm going through the motions, just getting through the day, because honestly, I'm just plain beat. As you know, there are three other little ones under four feet tall in this house and it's a perpetual motion machine around here. Sorry to sound like such a bummer, but I'm just going to go stick my head in the sand until December 13th. Or later, as each child has been 'late' by 3, 2, and 4 days, respectively. I always thought that that number was supposed to go down with each pregnancy (as labor is *supposed* to be shorter each time as well. My first was 12 hours, the third was about 8. Guess that works) but somehow someone forgot to tell my body it's okay to have a baby anytime after the docs give the 'all clear' signal.
So we're waiting. And I'm driving everyone crazy.
And I'm trying to knit, but I'm just being plain stupid and making ill-timed mistakes, and then realizing that it takes more brain RAM than I possess to rip out half of a Conwy sock to fix the third row of cabling and then get back into it. LL on size 1s should be banned from gestating women, I swear.
MIL's Christmas socks in Bearfoot are more than halfway done, and I'm quite pleased. Since we wear the same size, I knit hers to be the same length as mine, and they *do* fit me, so I'm crossing my fingers that somehow my feet just appear to be the size of a small dinghy and in fact, are not.
Two weeks left.

The waiting is the hardest part

Two weeks, 6 days, and some-how-ever-many-hours. Until my due date. Which I always pass. But it would be nice to have a baby on THanksgiving, wouldn't it? My grandfather was born on Thanksgiving and they always teased him that they got two turkeys that year. I'm just not feeling myself lately, I guess. No serious contractions yet, just that "Who the heck is talking out of my mouth?" feeling again. It's like I cannot make normal conversation anymore....sheesh.

Knitting....I'm absolutely addicted to Bearfoot. I went to the LYS this morning and bought two more skeins, one for Mom, one for MIL (neither of whom read this blog, so pbbbttthhhpptt~you'll both be sur-pri-ised!) and I'm trying to figure out which patterns to use. MIL was very gracious this week and stayed for us for three days while DH was in Toronto (just in case, dear. You never know what might happen) and Mom's coming up for two weeks once this little bambina actually gets here. I was thinking Christmas, but I may just give them early if she makes her appearance sooner. I really like a slightly lacey pattern, sans cabling if I can help it for the bulk factor. I must say that my favorite socks of all time (and I've knit five pair so far!) were Sockbug's RIver Rapids Socks. The pattern is easy to memorize (although I changed the number of knit-around rows to 4 instead of 3 as it elongated the pattern. Unlike what Hub says, it wasn't *ahem* a mistake. Cough, cough.
I'm still plugging ahead on Hub's Conwy socks, which are beautiful, but so slow going on the LL and size 1s that I can't seem to really concentrate on what repeat I'm on, etc. When I get motivated I'll break out the notebook and really go to work. But the wooly mohair is calling to be wound into a lovely ball....must...not...keep...for...myself.
Anyone up for a game of guess when this baby's coming?

We're getting there

First, Happy Veteran's day to everyone. I'm so thankful for your contribution to the freedom of our country and my personal safety. Words are not enough, but thank you.

Today, I'm starting to feel better. The princess is home from school today, as is the monkey boy. And they're actually getting along...should I say that? Don't want to jinx myself. I actually slept about 1/2 hour longer than I usually do because they were cuddled together reading books this morning. Yay! I have no idea what happened between yesterday and today, but hallelujah.

Second River Rapids sock is almost done. Like if I get off the computer now at 10:05, it should be finished by lunchtime done. I think that I have a second "if I could only knit with one yarn for the rest of my life, I would choose this" yarn, and that is Mountain Colors Bearfoot. The color, the hand, the froggability without showing frogginess, *sigh*. Aurora 8, you're still tops in my book too.

That leads to Hub's socks. I think I may just veg out and knit these in plain stockinette. Boring, I know, but he'd prefer it, and it would get me a quick "kudos" from him, as I've only ever finished one project from him. We have a running joke that he will get a sweater one day. I started one for him while we were dating, and grew to hate LB Woolease and then became a better knitter and my gauge changed, and well, it's just a big basket of frogged goodness now. That's almost ten years of promised sweater angst. I started another sweater for him this fall, but I don't like the yarn for the project, and I'm thinking that my DH's tendency to wear his clothes in a full throttle way might just preclude the use of Paton's Merino. I see a big bark-green pilled mess, and that ain't good, folks. I'm thinking perhaps something in a cotton blend or a superwash may just work better. I'm just not knitting sweaters right now, as I'm sock-addicted.

Off to try to grab a shower while the kids are camping in Monkeyboy's room, and then, sock-love.

Son of a knitblogger

Silly, I know. Little Bobo, our youngest as yet, is finally over the croup. His sister, the Princess, is still hacking upon rising every morning, although she seems no worse for the wear. Their chunky, pregnant Mama, on the other hand, has finally succumbed to the beginning of Cold Season. I've been trying to get to bed early, and therefore have knit very little. I'm halfway done with the second of the River Rapids socks, but other than that I have little ambition. Dear Hub keeps asking when HIS socks will be started. I haven't the heart to tell him that I need to finish another Cascading leaves first, nevermind the two sleeves for Princess' sweaters (which she may need this week as it's finally getting colder here).
I really, really want to go to ABC tonight and knit, but my head is feeling not-so-good. Perhaps another early night might just ward off the full-blown ick. I can hope, at least.