A week of baby stitching

Dorothea and I got a lot done this week (baby-wearing rocks!).  Mostly, I spent the last 5 days cutting out projects.  There are still a lot of projects left, but I've completed an epic baby seal bunting from Ottobre Magazine's Winter 2010 issue.

I've also grown tired of my Moby wrap--it's too much trouble to fold and unfold and get into and out of.  So, I made a Hood to Headrest Mei Tai.  Eventually, I'll put together the matching diaper bag I cut out.

And one last necessary item, a swaddle blanket that the baby couldn't wriggle her arms free of, was on my agenda.  Unfortunately, the baby seems to have decided, between cutting out and stitching, that swaddling is a great affront to her dignity.  Nevertheless, it's finished, and quite fashionable.

Knitting in the NICU

I had hoped I'd be able to squeeze in a little morning or afternoon sewing for the baby while she was in the hospital, but it turns out I'm too anxious to see her each morning and have too many other more necessary things to attend to while dinner cooks to get much done in the way of crafting.  And, while quiet for a sewing machine, the Viking is a little too hefty to cart back and forth from the hospital each day.

It's good that my carpal tunnel did go away after the birth like they assured me it would.  This means that I can knit while I sit and stare at my beautiful baby.  Of course, now that she's eating and she's not inside the incubator doing phototherapy, there's less time spent just staring.  Nevertheless, I am able to get a few baby preparations done while I'm here.  I've been knitting wool soakers, mostly because I don't want to pay $30+ for them.

The Little Seedling Soaker in newborn size turned out pretty nicely, despite some pretty unclear pattern writing, and looks like it'll fit my ever-plumper preemie when we spring her from the NICU:

I'm working on the WHW Plain Wrap now.  I think I like the look of the former a bit better, but this one is stitching up much more quickly.  I may play fast and loose with the Seedling pattern next time to make it a bit more user friendly.





I've also made a couple of hats.  The pink one she outgrew within 48 hours, and the green one, my attempt to accomodate her growing noggin, ended up being about 6 inches too big.  She'll grow into it.