My first post about knitting

Last year I decided to make a New Year's resolution that would add to my skills, and be something I've wanted to know how to do for a while. I chose 'learn to sew with knit fabric', yep, pretty geeky yet it was somethign I'd never tried and something that I'd been a little intimidated to try, especially since I don't own a serger.

This year I chose 'learn to knit'. Oh, I've knit before. I think they made us knit a little garter stitch square in Brownies... and in grade 7 I knit a lopi sweater (with some help from Mum) for a 4H project. That sweater was never worn. It was ugly in a way that makes you think it was designed to be worn by a human/preying mantis hybrid. And made in pink acrylic. It was bad. Real bad.

So this January I joined Ravelry. Ravelry is the online place to be if you knit. It now has over 400,000 members worldwide. Ravelry is Queen of the knitting world. So, I joined ravelry and I knit a dishcloth. Then I knit some hats, and a pair of fingerless mits. With each project I learned a skill or two: casting on and off, knit, purl, cables, increases, decreases. It was all going well. Then I had a baby. Now, a few months later I'm knitting again. I've also done some internet shopping and bought the Purl Stitch by Sally Melville that I'd been borrowning from a friend, and her Knit Stich book, too, and a hilarious book by Stephanie Pearl-McFee, and a book with intimidating sock patterns that would probably take me a year to make... If I made it through to the end. And, I had so much fun getting ready to knit again, that I spent some more time surfing around the internet, reading knitting blogs and finding other cool things to make. I found Pattern Fish and bought a few vest patterns. That's when I knew I was getting close to picking up the needles again.

The first vest patterns is pretty easy, but made with a fine DK yarn. I chose a single ply Briggs and Little wool for this one in dark khaki green. I thought it would be a nice warm and casual item for winter. Yeah, mine's going to be much more rustic than the one shown below.

Then, there's the very cool zippered vest designed for worsted weight. I want two of them (for now). I chose Briggs and Little Regal in dark grey and an alpaca/wool/cashmere tweed in a yummy dark orange colour. (Yes, I already have the yarns for these projects!) This one should be the fastest of the three. I'm going to use a two-way zips.

Finally, my favourite and the one in progress right now. A very sweet little buttoned vest. I like how it has empire styling and just skims over the waist and hips. Very flattering. I found a nice acrylic/wool DK (Click DK by Sidar) that seems nice enough. Truth be told when I went into the LYS to buy the yarn, I was hoping for an old-world green. Something that said early 20th century. But, alas, I had a four year old who was running around grabbing yarn balls from who knows where and bringing them to me because they were so pretty and 'we should buy them' and I had a crying baby wrapped up on me who was not very happy that I had parked myself in front of a yarn section and was not bouncing her enough. Evey knows when she doesn't have my attention and she makes me pay. So, the green I thought I wanted was too blue... and I ended up buying blue? Does that make sense? I think it will look nice with blue jeans. I really hope so. I really do like the Briggs and Little stuff better, but that was a later trip when I'd done more research and had escaped the house sans kids. I'm hoping to buy more of their wool. I like that it's Canadian, that it's really well priced and that they process it the old-fashioned way. This stuff still has some straw in it (I'm told it washes out and the fabric gets nice and soft).

I've got the left front made and just cast on the back. 137 stitches per row. And, I'm a painfully slow knitter (even my Mum says so, and she loves me). Wish me luck. I knit at night after the baby has gone to sleep. A few rows here and there, but I love it!

Wearing the baby

One of the key pieces of baby gear I have for Evey is my Moby wrap. I wear her 5+ hours every single day, and she loves it. I must say that without the wrap I would not be able to function. Having two hands free, and mobility, while holding a baby snug is ideal. Plus, all the bouncing and moving around (she KNOWS when I'm sitting or standing still, the little monster) are doing a wonder on my leg muscles.

Here we are at 1 week of age, at a family reunion/double anniversary party. I'm wearing the Moby wrap, which is a soft and sturdy length of cotton jersey. Evey can't get enough of the Moby. I think that it is the swaddled, safe feeling that she finds comforting. She is a very attached baby, and takes all her naps while worn. Even when I nurse her down to sleep, she knows exactly when I move away and wakes a few minutes later -always highly put out that I had the nerve to leave. The horror!

And here I am with Evey in a ring sling that I made for Maddie when she was about 7 or 8 months old. The tail of the sling has a large zippered pocket for storing a cloth/diaper/keys/credit card when we are out and about. The slings are fine for quick moments in a store, but cannot come close to the comfort that a wrap can offer for extended periods. When Evey out grows the stretchy Moby, she will graduate to my Leo red Storch. We will have comfort for years t come!

Evelyn's birth

Evelyn Rose was born on May 8, 2009.


On the previous morning, Grant and I left Maddie at home with Mum, who was staying with us for the birth, and went to see Leslie, our midwife, for a stretch and sweep procedure that might help to start my labour contractions. I was 40 weeks, 3 days pregnant. Afterwards, when we left the clinic I was in great spirits and felt quite sure that it would work, as I had had the same thing done to get my labour started with Maddie, and that I would see my little girl soon. On the way home we stopped to do some grocery shopping (nesting) and I had several regular contractions and became quite crampy. It was so exciting!


We spent the rest of the day quietly and I had a call that evening from Leslie to find out how I was feeling. My contractions were still light, and the crampiness had increased a bit. I was feeling very calm and happy. I felt such wonderful peace, and I knew I was in early labour.

We went to bed early and fell asleep without a problem. At 3:30AM I woke up and heated up a barley sock to wrap around my lower abdomen to help ease the discomfort of my cramps. It felt lovely. I woke again at 5Am, feeling the first of my stronger contractions. I lay in bed for the next 45 minutes, timing the contractions and getting more and more exciteed. This was it! I woke Grant and let him know, then went downstairs to email Robin (in Nepal) and my online friends (Renegade Mothering) to let them all know that I was in labour. Then I called Leslie. She told me that she had woken around 3AM, thinking of me. I let her know that my contractions were about a minute in duration and between 5-8 minutes apart. We decided that she would come shortly, but not rush; it was just under an hour's drive from her home in Carleton Place to ours in Manotick. Then I went back upstairs to help Grant get the bedroom and bathroom ready for the birth. I had candles by the tub, and we began playing soft music. My contractions were strong and regular.


Leslie and Grace, who was a student midwife and ex-Doula, arrived around 7:30AM and began to set their things up. They listened for the baby's heartbeat, which remained in the 140s throughout the whole birth, and timed my contractions. For the most part they left me to labour peacefully and from time to time I could hear them quietly talking on the other side of the room. Anne-Marie, our secondary midwife,arrived around 9:30AM. I remember being so pleased that Anne-Marie would be present, as she had been with us at Maddie's birth, too, and I liked her very much. The exact time of her arrival is a bit of a blur to me now, my contractions had strengthened by that point and there was not much time between them. I do remember smiling and joking with Leslie and Grace, though.

Things became very serious for me just prior to and during transition. It was becoming increasingly hard to remain relaxed and hum through the contractions and there was no longer a rest between them. After a while, Leslie asked me if i wanted her to break my waters to help things move along faster. I agreed, and we moved up onto the bed. My amniotic fluid was clear and as she broke it I immediately began vomitting - luckily Grant was ready with our pail! Ah, things escalated to pain beyond pain. It took all my strength to make it to the end of my labour. I was awash with beads of sweat, concentrating on my breathing, trying to let my body remain relaxed as I swayed on my knees holding on to the side of my bed for support. It felt, as it always does during transition, that it would never stop. I never did move into the tub to labour, it just felt easier kneeling on the big soft quilt that Grant had laid out by the bed. Finally, I began to feel some small urges to push, and in pushing lightly I found some relief in the pain.


We moved to the birthing stool and Grant sat up on the side of the bed with his arms around me from behind, supporting me both emotionally and physically. I pushed, lightly at first and then with more strength as the girls and Grant encouraged me. I remember reaching down to feel Evelyn's head crowning. It is always a frightening experience for me, likely heightened by the rushes of adrenaline that my body was producing. I pushed so hard, and I found it nearly impossible to get her to move through my birth canal, each push took so much effort and produced such little effect. She crowned for a very long time, then her head moved partially out and I felt incredible disbelief that I could not get her to be born, as both of my other babies came quickly once the head began to emerge. Leslie then asked me to slip backwards onto the bed, onto my back to help get her out. Anne-Marie slid me across and they eased my legs up and asked me to push hard as Leslie pressed on my abdomen to aid Evelyn's shoulders through the canal. I remember roaring with my final pushes, like a lion! Later Leslie would explain to me that she used the McRobert's manouevre, as Evelyn's shoulder's were a bit 'sticky', but not in true dystocia. Finally Evelyn slid out, warm and wet. Leslie cut her cord immediately to transfer her to the resusciatation station they had set up, but Evelyn began crying heartily after just a few seconds and they brought her onto my tummy. What a beautiful moment, hearing her cries. It was so perfect. Bliss, holding my little darling, nursing her for the first time just a few moments after the birth. I remember having blankets placed over me to stop my shivering. We were bundled up together, our skins wet and warm. Evelyn was born at 12:00PM. Welcome Evelyn!

After William's birth and passing, having a home birth meant so much to me, and yet it was the relaxed atmosphere and ease that mattered most in the end. It all just seemed so laid-back and calm, and it was everything I had hoped for. My Mum looked after Maddie downstairs, while the excitement all happened up in our bedroom. It was planned that Mum would cut Evelyn's cord, but in the end, Leslie had to cut it swiftly. Having Maddie so close, and having my mother present were gifts during the birth. It was perfect. My whole team rocked Evelyn's birth, and made it possible.

Brand new:

First family photograph:

Weighing Evelyn, 7 lb. 15 oz.: