Knit, Knit, Knit, Knit

I need to address a few things.

1. My knitting ADHD.  It is keeping me from finishing many a project.  I'm told that I will not have the luxury of time to knit once baby is born. 

WIP #1 - A onesie I'm knitting for winter, from beautiful squishy merino wool bought from Skeinz.  I'm trying to buy more NZ made wool - it's such beautiful quality, but I still love a bargain.

WIP #2 - Most possibly the most expensive sock(s) I will ever own (ends not woven in).  So far I've only made the one.  It's a beautiful merino/silk mix from Spinning a Yarn.  Bought from a local shop - I couldn't resist the colour and how soft the wool was.  Worth buying for the fun name of the company!  With the colour and pattern, I kind of think it looks like a crocodile when I put it on.

WIP #3 - The 3rd attempt at a baby shawl.  I picked up this wool on the way out of the shop and I couldn't put it down.  It was so lovely and squishy and soft and I had to have it.  It was much more than I'd ever spend on wool, but so, so, so very lovely.  Italian wool - supersoft merino.  My first attempt at knitting lace.  It's going okay, but frustratingly (much like the frustration of the photo uploading sideways.)  Have also developed great love for that particular brand of circular needle - a birthday gift from my dear Juliette - possibly another addiction??

Finally finished something - a baby hat I whipped up last weekend from the gorgeous book Fiona got me for my birthday.  I needed to finish something.  I quite love it and can't wait to see it on our baby!  Knit with a lovely cotton wool, so hopefully good for summer.

2. My massive wool stash.  I love it, yet I loathe it.  (Thankfully, I'm not at this stage... yet.)  It's taking up too much space in bub's closet... and I've nowhere else to put it.  It taunts me... silently pointing out that I don't knit fast enough and that work (house work, work work, garden work) takes away from my creating time.  Work and napping.  Let's be honest.  I'm 32 weeks pregnant.  I have priorities.  And yes, I have fallen asleep with knitting needles in my hands, more than once.  Whatever.

My beautiful birthday haul of wool from Phill.  I was giddy while shopping and his mum encouraged me every step of the way!  I got some lovely wool that I've been aching to try, but wouldn't ever buy because it was a bit too expensive or I just didn't need it.  Since it was my birthday present, I took the opportunity to buy some bamboo, cotton, lace and luxurious sock wool.  Love!  The book is from my lovely Fiona who seemed to somehow know that I had looked at it in the shop, sighed heavily and put it back.  She read my mind!

 3. I'm addicted to buying more wool and pattern books.  I worry I'm going to become a Hoarder.  The Hoarding team will come into my home and find my child surrounded by skeins, cakes and balls of wool.  If nothing else, my baby will be warm.  I will cry and go a little loopy when they try to take it all away.  

Yes, October!

My Facebook newsfeed is full of comments that say things along the lines of "October?  Where did the year go?" or  "October already?" and so on and so forth... which gave me pause to think for a short moment (because my attention span is that much shorter now... sort of like a gnat... this post has taken all day... I'm not kidding.  A gnat.)

YES!  Yes indeed, it is October!  And I for one, am SUPER excited!  I have always loved October, regardless of the hemisphere I've lived in.  October is awesome.

I love a good Wordle!

First of all, it's my birthday month.  I freakin' love my birthday.  A lot.  More than simple words can explain (but I will still try.)  My birthday is my day to unabashedly celebrate my wonderful life, blessings, achievements, accomplishments, and what the future may hold.  How can I not be fond of a day so full of blessings, love and promise?  This October is extra special because at the end of this particular October, I'll be in my last trimester and almost 30 weeks pregnant... again, the promise of the future is almost too much joy to bear... The mind boggles!  Score one (or even two) for October!

Next - the weather.  Some may think me nuts, but when I was in Canada, I loved the crispness in the autumn air; the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows of the leaves changing and the myriad of cozy sweaters and the autumn wardrobe (my favourite of all seasons for fashion.)  Bliss.  It doesn't stop there!  Pumpkin pie; apple pie; amazing, crispy apples; those lovely pumpkiny lattes from Starbucks and Thanksgiving (which is a whole host of other wonderful familial blessings!  Let's not get into the fun of Halloween and the cute little ones in their costumes!!)  In New Zealand, the weather starts warming up (while unpredictable) the rainy days are punctuated by brilliant sunshine and the birds singing in a cacophony outside my window in the morning.  Veggies are planted in the garden, the air is fresh and smells like springtime.  Lambs frolic and bounce in Cornwall Park (so cute, it's almost stupid!) and it's the time of year where the ducks start herding their ducklings across our school grounds.  It happens every year and I'm looking forward to it again this year!  More promise for the future.  October - that's another point for you, my friend!

The Don Valley Parkway in autumn.via

Cute!  Lovely Lamb in Cornwall Park! via

In addition to that wonderfulness, there's school!  Up north, school (work) is starting to get into the swing of things, getting a handle on your classroom and starting to chug along - it's a feeling of excitement of what the year will bring - the children are bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Alternatively, down south it's starting to wind down, to see the end of a long year and the long awaited break is on its way!  Woo hoo - I'm glad to be on that end this year.  October - you're doing pretty well in the points tally.

So yes, it's October - it's about time!  I'm so glad you're finally here!

What's your favourite thing about October?

Hippo's Baby Brother

So a month later, I've finally finished the second hippo for another friend's bub.

He's a bit more trim than his purple sister, but still quite endearing.

I loved using this squishy wool from The Wool Company,  I bought it from a lovely parent who donated it for use in class and when I spied it, I implored her (quite shamelessly) to let me buy it from her.  She wasn't fussed and I ended up with another lovely skein of squishy wool from one of my favourite shops (as if I needed more.)

This means I can start knitting for my own bub next!  I'm very excited to pick my pattern and the perfect wool for my baby!

Hungry, Hungry Hippo!

I'm in hippo love.  I'm so taken with its chubby gorgeousness, that I'm powering through a second one already... I just have to decide which one of my soft toys I like best and start one for my baby!

Chubby and lovely and squishy.

I love the little tassel on the tail!

I honestly can't decide which of my soft toys I like best - do any of you have a preference?

Awwwww...

I've been full of gratitude for the past 15 weeks or so (since we found out we were having a baby.)  While it's been hard not to shout it from the rooftops (however, in my excitement, I may have let it slip a bit early at work) it's been really hard not to tell my students.  Especially when about two months ago, one of them sat down to tell me that she thought I'd be a really good mum (when I decided to have kids.)  Oooooh, I had to bite my tongue quite hard that day!

They make me crazy often sometimes but they are such loving, sweet, wonderful people.  They were so excited on Friday when I finally got to tell them that I was having a baby.  They were also full of questions... (Will the baby be dark or light when it comes out?  When you eat, is the baby eating too?  You mean you're pregnant NOW; AS IN RIGHT NOW?  Eeeew.  Do you know what you're having?  Would you be offended if we took bets if you were having a boy or a girl?  Are you going to knit for your baby?  What are you going to knit?)

I got lots of messages from parents to congratulate us today, but I was greeted with a present to say congrats.  Such a lovely start to the day.  

The card said: Tezneem and Baby... Dear Tez, Congratulations!  You will be the perfect mother.  Remember "****" is a great name for a girl!  Lots of love (hugs too), xoxoxox

 

What can I say?  Just so grateful that I'm lucky enough to have such a caring class.