On pins and knitting needles.

'Tis the season for cool weather knitting. And for learning to speak up for myself.
I've picked the Cozy Cardigan pattern by Patons, but instead of a Patons yarn, I grabbed some of the Fibranatura Baby Merino in my stash and started swatching. The colorway is "Johnny", an electric-blue/olive/tan mix. I'd post a pic of my swatch so far, but the camera and my computer aren't friends today. Phooey. Perhaps I'll get it sorted before I finally cast on.
Update: my swatch is below- still on the needles.





I'd bought the Baby Merino on clearance weeks before Zak was born, not knowing whether I had a boy or girl kicking me. It's a beautiful colorway, and I'd dreamed of whipping up a sweater-dress if I had a girl, or a hat-sweater bootie combo for a boy. It's a beautiful yarn, doesn't pool in garter stitch on size five needles- at least at my personal tension. I plan to swatch in stockinette, as well- but this garter stitch looks so right, I may skip it and do the pattern in garter stitch as indicated. And it's soft enough to be worn close to the skin. I keep touching it as I knit and type this entry.

There will, however, be one alteration to the pattern: the sleeves. I plan to make them a bit longer and wider than indicated, for a full sleeved cardigan that's slightly loose- that will lengthen the wear time, be easier to pull on, and provide an inch of extra warmth. I'm hoping to find wooden buttons- that will set off the colors perfectly.

I'm just glad that I didn't have my needles with me when someone decided to tear into me for not conforming to their ideas of what a young mother ought to be and do. To them, I just couldn't be a proper parent unless I was doing exactly what she did while raising her daughter, regardless of the fact that some of the things she did are illegal now.

I didn't have my knitting with me when I read her the riot act, but my statement to her and the sweater I'm working on share one thing: the importance of working with what you have, and valuing it. I don't have a house I can sell for ready cash or the yarn the pattern calls for. I don't have a husband that can help watch Zak, and the yarn I have may or may not be a proper match for the project. What I can do is what I can do, be it working from home or whipping out a yarn from my stash. I'm grateful that I can be at home with Zak, and glad I've a beautiful yarn to work with. Whatever comes of either Zak or the sweater is partly beyond my control- but I can choose to do my best with what I have, or whine about what someone else has.

So far, I have a glowingly healthy son and half a beautiful swatch. I think I'll just knit on.