Thursday 2 January 2014

The First Yarn Along of the Year!

Yarning along with Ginny, who encourages us all to share our reading and knitting each week.


This week, despite not actually having finished my Christmas gift knitting, I had an overwhelming urge to knit for the baby. I figure that when you're nine months pregnant it really is the time you can give in to those feckless urges, so I cast on a Little Seedling Soaker in the newborn size. I like the look of this soaker, because it looks more like a nappy wrap. I'd rather do the soaker up than pull the whole thing on and off over legs. I've met breastfed babies before! The first one is knitted but awaiting buttons and weaving in, and I have started a second in the hope of managing two out of one ball of yarn. They are pretty tiny! The newborn size takes around a day, even with the help of a three-year-old.


I've definitely made the ribbing too tight on the first one, but I might go back and redo it when I'm finished. They are pretty adjustable. I'm tempted to use a ribbon tie for flexibility, but Husband is pushing for buttons.


This week's reading is Douglas Adams' The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul, from his Dirk Gently series. This was a Christmas present from Husband. He knows me so well! It's that rare find, a charity shop bargain that has never been read. A new book for 90p, combining surrealist fiction with our frugal policies! After so much earnest reading about pregnancy, birth a parenting recently I was due a bit of light relief.


Speaking of my recent reading, I haven't given a review of the New Active Birth book. There are some great bits of this book, discussing prenatal exercises, labour and birth positions, but a lot of the book is very dated, and talks a lot about a system of maternity care that no longer applies. I think the author must be delighted with the direction in which mainstream maternity care has moved in this country though, and considering the book is about as old as me, the dated nature is perfectly reasonable! Husband is valiantly reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth, and has grown a beard in order to fulfill the role of birth partner (see my facetious recent post), but he'll probably shave it off before he goes back to work on Monday, so come on baby!

What are you reading and crafting this week? Have you broken into books and materials received for Christmas? Are you starting the year as you mean to go on?

E

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