What a Life!

Every December, the Yarn Harlot has this long list of things she needs to knit for gifts. It’s a list that would make any knitter tremble, yet every year she is sure that she can get everything done. She has this friend who makes up a knitting schedule for her, after she provides her friend with the estimated time to knit each project and other holiday obligations which will be cutting into her knitting time. It’s the race to the finish every year. She inevitably gets behind, but she always finishes, even if she has to extend Christmas a few days by knitting according to when she is going to see people rather than when Christmas Day actually occurs.

Before we found out we were having a girl, I simply assumed we’d be having another boy. A boy would be straightforward – use the stuff we’ve got plus something new here and there. I really wanted a girl, but I didn’t want to make all these plans only to have them make the disappointment even more bitter. Now that we know a little girl is on the way, I’ve been in a frenzy making plans for all the things I want to make for my little girl.

I must confess, my list of things to knit was getting longer…and longer…and longer. I bought some pretty – very pretty! – yarn. And I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by it all. I needed a friend like the Yarn Harlot has. Or maybe not. There is more to life than knitting and sewing for a little girl. There are only 24 hours in a day, and she can only wear one outfit at a time.

On Ravelry, you can mark a pattern as a favorite or put in in your queue. If I love something, I mark it as a favorite. If I actually intend to make it, I add it to my queue. Today I sorted through my queue and put things in order according to the size I intend to make. I deleted some things, added a few others. But I think I now have a healthy list of things to make in each size, or for each season, that will be practical, fill a need in her little wardrobe, and give me the opportunity to make some of the things I just love, all while continuing to have a life. I still have seventeen things in my queue, but some of them won’t be worn until next fall (2010), so time is on my side.

The little sweater above is one of the girly things I made before the ultrasound. Occasionally I need a baby gift, so rather than knitting for a deadline, I just knit things I like when I see them and have the opportunity, placing them in my gift stash. That little sweater was one of those things, but now I will get to use it on my little girl. It’s so cute – the picture does not do it justice. I have it displayed on my dresser so I can enjoy looking at it for a while before I put it away with all of the other things I have stashed for my little girl to wear. But I will have fresh knits to show you soon, knit specifically for my little girl.