During most of 2012 when I was immersed in Newbery reading, I had very little time for knitting. It rather drove me insane. Most of what I got done was gifts: a couple of baby sweaters, gloves for my mom, etc. I didn’t entirely quit knitting, but I was down to just an hour or two a week, mostly during Sunday dinners.

Just before Mom’s birthday in November, I made her a pair of podster gloves, gloves with the fingers and flip mitten tops for use with iPhones and smart phones.

Mom has crazy long fingers and I was really worried about making the gloves right. She was excited to tell me that they are the first pair of gloves she has ever had that fit right. She also rather amusingly referred to them as having “turtlenecks” for her fingers. That’s apparently a good thing. Yay! I’m calling that a win!

Yarn is Socks That Rock lightweight, color Schwarzwald which was a Rockin Sock Club colorway from July 2011. This was my second time making this pattern. The first had been Christmas 2011 gloves for David.

I finished up some socks that have been on the needle for over a year. They began as a sample to teach a knitting class. Knit the first one for the bulletin board and started the second one during the class. I finally finished them up this last week.

Yarn is JoAnn’s Sensations Bamboo and Ewe patterened.

Pattern is a basic toe up sock pattern that I came up with mostly on my own, with help from Wendy’s generic toe up sock pattern.

The rush of babies continued, you saw some of them and their sweaters in the Happy New Year post. This weekend was a baby shower for Mallory and John’s new baby. I made their little boy a baby sweater vest.

It’s a bamboo/wool yarn blend and the pattern is Julian vest with an extra repeat of the “v” pattern. The size is 9 to 12 months-ish. I never worry too much about the gauge with baby garments. It will fit the kid at some stage of development. And in Alaska there is never a season where a sweater is not appropriate wear. So I made the 12 month size, but the gauge is a bit tight. Label it 9 to 12 months. It all works out.

I had more trouble with the edging. By now you would think I would be capable of picking up stitches and knitting a simple rib, but it took me more tries then I would like to admit. However the end result is adorable. Plus it has these cute little buttons on the sleeves to make it easier to go over baby’s head. So much fun!

This last week as I have slowed down on the Newbery re-readings, I’ve been ramping up the knitting. I rather have this thought that if I finished up everything (or most everything) on the needles, than after I get back from Newbery discussion (at the ALA Midwinter conference in Seattle) then I can knit whatever I want. Anything. Everything. And I’ll be free of “should be reading” guilt and “this project has been on the needles for 7 months” guilt.

The first priority will be my wedding shawl and David’s wedding socks. But I am allowed (we voted on it as a committee) to knit during Newbery discussions and there are two plane trips plus three extra days in Seattle with my sister and parents. I don’t want to cast on wedding shawl/socks until after I get back. Of course I’ll also be taking David’s scarf that is 2/3rds done. But it is 2/3rds of a full sized scarf, not the most portable/purse friendly sock.

So I think this calls for a new project. I already wound the yarn. You prep for Midwinter conferences your way and I’ll prep my way (read: wind yarn).

This Newbery adventure has been amazing, but I will be glad to be back to my regularly scheduled life. I am thinking that it will be a decade or so before I want to take on this again.