The Knitting Pirate

I spoke to Pirate-Husband, and he said that his cousin is unlikely to want a sweater that’s hand-wash-only, not to mention that I shouldn’t feel obligated to knit for her in the first place. As much as she would love and appreciate the sweater, she’d also throw it in the wash.

So I’m nixing the idea of the Baby Surprise Jacket. I’m okay with this decision; I’ve got two more gift knits at the top of my queue – one a quick six-hour project of a Swiffer mop cover, the other a much more complicated colorwork bag – but after that, it’s purely knitting for me, me, me! I hate to sound selfish, but most of my knitting lately has been for other people, and it’s been starting to drag on me. I don’t like working to deadlines and I don’t like feeling as if other people are anxiously awaiting my work.

Tonight I’m putting the thumb onto the first of Mom’s gloves and if there’s time, I’ll cast on for the second. I’ve made a lot of plans to go places and do things in the next few weeks, and so my schedule for these has been pushed up. I need to hurry.

In administrativia, I’ve made a change to the blog feed, by request – now the whole entry should be showing to anyone who reads via RSS. I hope this is a positive change for everyone!

At Thanksgiving, we found out that Pirate-Husband’s cousin Ro is pregnant. Today we found out that she’s expecting a baby boy in May, and now I’m torn! Do I knit another Baby Surprise Jacket, or not?

On the yes side:
1. I already have the yarn in a good boy-color.
2. I made Ro a blanket for her first baby and she loved it. She understood how much time and effort it took. And back when Ro got married, I worked up this Marriage Poem in the best calligraphy I could do at the time, matted and framed it, and gave it to her and her husband as a wedding gift. She absolutely loves it, and it hangs by the front door of her house.
4. Therefore, I know that the work put into a baby sweater would also be appreciated (except maybe if it’s hand-wash-only, see #2 below).
5. Also, it would be a relatively fast project.
6. Not to mention, the timing is right; the sweater will knit up to a 6-9 month size with that yarn, so it will fit the baby just in time for winter.
7. This is yarn purchased specifically for a sweater that must fit a baby boy born in the spring.
8. I had no other babies in mind for it.

On the no side:
1. I don’t feel obligated to knit her anything.
2. I don’t know if she would appreciate a hand-wash-only baby sweater.
3. There are other things I want to knit.
4. Ummmm…

Well, I guess I’m going to knit another Baby Surprise Jacket, then!