I am having a little knitting guilt.
I have knit one sweater and a hat for my baby boy who is due in just *gulp* 6 weeks. One sweater and one hat. That is it.
And of course, the sweater doesn't have buttons... *sigh* I don't have 5 or 6 buttons in the right size & color. Of course.
Haven't even washed & blocked them. So if he were to arrive tomorrow, he couldn't wear them.
With DD I knit a lot before she arrived. I spent about 7 months knitting only for her. Sweaters, blankets, hats, a dress, a baby surprise jacket out of handspun yarn, mary jane shoes. Loads of stuff.
Here's the List:
EZ February Baby Sweater
February Baby Bonnet
Baby's First Blanket
Wave Jumper 3rd Attempt
Going Home Mary Janes
Baby Surprise Jacket in Handspun
Black Mary Janes
First Coat for Kiddle
Kimono Jacket
Heart Hat
Loving Memories Lacy Bunting (started while pregnant, finished in Nov. - in time for her christening)
Lucille Sweater in Fresh From the Cauldron Vamp Yarn (started while pregnant, finished Jan.)
Quite the list.
So why is the boy getting jipped?
Let's go back to the list of DD's items.
EZ February Baby Sweater
Worn a lot. She really did live in that sweater from the time she could wear it until a while afterwards. Got tons of compliments on it too. Loved it.
February Baby Bonnet
Got a fair bit of wear too. Liked it a lot and looked adorable on her. A chin strap is your friend with a new baby!
Baby's First Blanket
Had it on her for the trip home from the hospital and beyond. Had hoped this would be her blankie. But so far, she prefers a fuzzy one that was a present from DH's SIL & her mom. Still, she did get snuggled in it a good deal.
Wave Jumper 3rd Attempt
Never worn. Nope. Not once. I tried this pattern three times before I was happy with the yarn/pattern combo. And she never wore the *@#* thing. *sigh* Also it was fingering and took eons to knit.
Going Home Mary Janes
Wore oodles. Same yarn as EZ February Baby Sweater & hat.
Baby Surprise Jacket in Handspun
Worn once! Handspun yarn took hours to do. Just didn't fit her til June/July! And who needs a jacket in June/July?? The only reason she even got one wearing was because we went to the Adirondacks and it was raining and chilly one day. That's it!
Black Mary Janes
Wore oodles.
First Coat for Kiddle
Wore about a half dozen times. It was too big at first. And by the time it did fit her, it was getting warmer. So she never got a lot of wear out of it.
Kimono Jacket
Attempted to have her wear it three times. I swear twice that the minute it went on her, she would cry and fuss to the point where I would take it off her. It is frustrating as it is beautiful yarn and even the right size at the right time. But I think sock yarn with silver threads made her itch so she got cranky. Mind you, it wasn't like I was putting it against bare skin. But she didn't like it. *sigh*
Heart Hat
Worn a lot. Fit well and was wool so it was warm. Worn nearly every time she left the house during the winter. It also stretched nicely. So that meant she could wear it longer.
Loving Memories Lacy Bunting (started while pregnant, finished in Nov. - in time for her christening)
Worn once for her christening which was the point. Glad I did that one as the venue where we had the party was chilly. So it was good we had another layer for her. But kinda a lot of knitting for a few hours of wear. And I don't see reusing it for a boy.
Lucille Sweater in Fresh From the Cauldron Vamp Yarn (started while pregnant, finished Jan.)
A half dozen to a dozen times. Made in a larger size. But again, it was size & season not matching. She was able to wear it some during the spring. But she outgrew it pretty quickly.
So all these items. Some got a fair bit of use, like the February Sweater & heart hat. But some never even got worn. All the hours that went into knitting them to never have them used. I really wish there was some donation place for these sorts of knit items! I don't know what to do with them now. They are beautiful pieces, but I don't know anyone who can use them.
I had hoped there was a Ravelry group for these sorts of items. But I don't see anything. There are tons of baby related groups. But nada that is for sending items off to other people who will use them. *sigh* I mean I will keep the items I actually used a lot for her in the future. But the ones she never wore? Why?
I know some knitters would say rip it and reuse the yarn. I am just not good at that. I feel like there is time and effort in the knitting and would prefer someone actually use the finished object. But who?
So back to the original point. The poor boy is getting jipped. Mind you, I have a whole lot less knitting time now that DD is here. But that isn't to say I have none. I have finished projects in the time since she was born that weren't for her. Though I only started knitting items not for her in about the last 6 months or so. Before that I was still knitting other items for her.
I realized with the items I knit for her, I need to know what is practical and what will be worn. There is no point in making something if it will never be worn. And kids don't grow uniformly. I swear she skipped over the 9-12 month sized stuff. She sprung up in size so that size was barely used. And bigger isn't always better. I made items figuring she could always wear them even if they were too big. That really isn't the case.
So the boy is getting jipped. *sigh* I have some guilt about it. But only a little. I do want to make him a baby blanket. But I never got out and found yarn for it. And I don't see that happening in the next 6 weeks. Just not enough time. (No, I don't have anything in my stash that is soft enough for a newborn and with enough yardage for a blanket.)
On the other hand, I suspect the boy won't care in the least! While I loved the handknit items for DD, I don't think she felt any additional love pouring out of the items that were handknit! *laugh* And in some cases, she got downright cranky that I kept putting her into outfits. So I am guessing the boy will be just fine.
Or heaven knows, in 20 years he will be sitting on a therapist's couch talking about how his mom loved his sister more because she got all the cool handknit stuff. *laugh*
