Everything is Growing
Everything is growing. I get kind of sad about it when each school year begins. I miss the intensity of mothering my children when they were small. Nothing highlights the changes in them like the school year starting. With one going back to college for a second year and the other entering high school, I feel a little out of sorts.
Then my husband texts me these old photos off of his work computer that made me even more sad. They used to be this little.
Now they just aren’t.
From this…
To this…
So, what can I do with all the wistful nostalgia I’m feeling about not being able to carry them on my hip anymore (at least not without attracting a lot of weird looks)? That’s right, I can bury myself in projects.
Below is my Featherweight Cardigan at the same pep rally pictured above. I’m making it for both the Summer Sweater KAL and the Classic Must Knits KAL. There’s always a lot of insecurity before separating the sleeve stitches and trying a sweater top on. It never looks like it’s going to fit, but it always does.
I got a couple of rows in before the first pep rally of the year began. I never went to one of those “Fired Up” pep rallys until I had children. My children are much less jaded about these things.
Watch the boy reluctantly play on film. He’s second in the first column of trombones.
And this is after I separated for sleeves. I did one extra raglan increase, just in case. Tight underarms make me want to do a Hulk move and angrily rip whatever is binding me. That wouldn’t be a good thing after knitting a million little lace stitches as fine as a cobweb.
Next up is my very finished Ease. I don’t know when I’ll get around to taking FO photos. Guys I’m sick of wearing sweaters in 90 degree heat in my backyard in front of the neighbors. Maybe I’ll wait ’til it’s almost dark and go somewhere else.
Since I’m knitting away my back-to-school melancholy, I seem to need two things going on the needles at all times. The Featherweight is all stockinette from here on out, so I thought I’d let Aidez be my complicated knit. It qualifies as a summer sweater (obviously) for the SSKAL and a Classic Must Knit, since it has a bazillion projects on Ravelry.
I didn’t relish the idea of knitting a sweater in pieces, but I also didn’t have the focus to re-chart the pattern. Thankfully, I noticed Tien’s (autumngeisha) Aidez was knit in one piece following The Sweatshop Of Love’s KAL instructions. Thank you Tien! I pulled out the ribbing I’d already started and cast on a body’s worth (see, below). I expect this bulky yarn will grow quickly too.
(ravelry, kollabora, instagram, flickr)
I’d just settled down for a long mopey knit on this when I got a call from my daughter. She was feeling sick and wanted to come home to recuperate, which means put a heating pad on her tummy, get some soup, and sleep while hogging the couch. I hate to say it almost made me happy. They’re not growing too fast.
It is really too bad you don't live closer because I am almost at my limit with back to school functions and could use a "sister wife" of sorts to share the load with. Isn't that always the case. When it rains it pours and then suddenly it is so hot and dry and desolate that you don't know what to do with yourself. At least we always have our yarn.
Your kids look JUST LIKE YOU! Especially your daughter. She's almost your twin! I love all of your sweaters, as usual. The Aidez bug never bit me. I'll be watching yours with interest to see if it finally will. 🙂
Incredible how much your kids resemble you! Beautiful photos. I am also starting to feel nostalgic around September – time….
And beautiful projects by the way. Featherweight was my first ever sweater….lovely and versatile. ad Aidez I have been eyeing for a while….looking forward to seeing it finished!
they grow so fast! ahhh ye old pep rally! I was in marching band, I was even the drum major for a while. And my hubs was one of the trombones players! I'm getting some FO pics this weekend when we are camping on a mountain (its cool there)…
I agree! I can't seem to get used to our new daily schedule. One of us is always forgetting one more thing we have to bring to school or go to. I've missed two parents meetings on accident. If I lived closer, we could commiserate and knit. We could form our own Stitch N Commiserate group 🙂
Thank you! That photo is several years old, but there's still a resemblance. Our voices sound so alike we used to leave answering machine messages where we'd say the same thing at the same time. It was a creepy.
I am getting to a point on Aidez where I'm more confident with the chart and don't have to focus quite so much. Hopefully, it will speed along, because I have a few more knits I want done before winter.
Oh, Monica! Your Featherweight is beautiful! I wanted to do stripes, but I'm wondering if I'd wear a semi-solid more, like yours. I can see making another one, cropped, one day as a sort of easy tv knit. I love that it doesn't require much lace weight yarn to have a sweater.
And thank you for the kind words about my kids! They resemble each other a lot, too. Sometimes when they're talking and laughing together they look like twins. I love catching them being silly together.
Band geeks! I should've stayed in band. I went the athletics route, then got really sick my freshman year and quit athletics afterward. I'd have enjoyed band, I think. Both of my kids have/had great fun with all of their weird and mystical traditions. I have to say that watching the brass section dance before a pep rally is very…er…surreal. 🙂
Oh my gosh, your Larch Cardigan is gorgeous! I'm going to go read your blog post on it now.
They may be growing up, but they'll never stop being your little ones. And they'll never stop needing you, even if it seems like it sometimes. 🙂
That's so true, Heather! I'll start to feel nostalgic and kind of sad and then I'll get a text that's saying, "What do I do?" or "I want to come home." or they'll just sit by me and put a head on my shoulder. That's a good feeling.