January 21, 2005
Old Age Swings By For a Quick Visit
Wow—major senior moment! I’ve been working so intently with Cuzzin Tom on the Mongolia project that I forgot I was supposed to blog today! There may have been a subconscious element at work here, too, since I have literally nothing, zip, zero, bupkus, nada, to write about. In fact, here in the Great Northwest, the most interesting development of late has been the shocking variation in the temperature. Last week: Low twenties, mid thirties, ice, snow (remember the bear with the raisin belly-button?). This week: Record-breaking temperatures in the mid-sixties and equally record-breaking rain (and the bear is but a fond memory, although this spring, if we’re hungry, you’ll find us poking around in the grass for the remaining raisins). My hair doesn’t know whether to be flat and lifeless or wildly frizzy. In fact, over the course of an hour, it can freakishly metamorphose from one to the other and back again, like a really bad animated feature.
I do, however, have a picture to share:
These socks are for a friend and business client of The Mysterious K’s who just adopted a baby boy in one of those arrangements where the too-young teenage mother literally gave birth and immediately handed the baby over to the adoptive mom. Never having been this close to the adoption process before, I'm only just starting to understand how wrenching this must be for the birth mother, especially at such a young age (although, in this particular case, the birth mother had already had two other children so she really had little choice), but the adoptive mother is caring and attentive and will make a great mother.
(By the way, if you ever need a laugh, come watch TMK and me in the baby clothes department. Oh, the shamelessly high-pitched squeals of delight (yes, even from TMK)! We may not be big on babies but baby clothes leave us weak at the knees.)
Vital stats Cuff: Navy blue Baby Ull. Foot: Dunno, something all wool and variegated, the same stuff I used to make this gecko swatch. Pattern: The basic pattern from “Knit a Dozen Baby Socks.” Modification: I used size 5 needles for the cuff so it would be ribbed and firm but still wide-ish since baby ankles are so darn roly-poly!
Little kids shoes have that effect on me, which is why Emily has 3 pairs of clogs, 2 pairs of sneakers, 2 pairs of hiking boots, one pair of snow boots.... Now that I make socks for her, I find it a source of neverending puzzlement that her foot is a size 8 1/2 toddler, but her socks are only 8-10 stitches less in circumference than mine.
What I dread as a mom is the first time Emily comprehends that her mother, or someone else close to her mother, brought her to a doctor's office when she was three weeks old and left her.
Posted by: CarolineF on January 21, 2005 11:43 AMOk, the idea of your hair as an animated feature sent me into those gawd awful snorty laughs that make your eyes tear up and people around you think you're having a seizure. I needed that.
The sock is way too cute.I love how baby socks are shaped like triangles. Makes me want to do those "Fat Auntie pinching baby cheeks" noises. My 12 year old nephew hates when I do that to him. hehe
Hope everyone has a great day!
Posted by: Stalker Angie on January 21, 2005 12:24 PMI can definitely relate; I'm an embarrassment in the baby department.
Oh yes--I finally have a support group! I generally don't care for small children either, but I've been having great fun buying clothes and toys (educational, of course) for my sister's kids! (It probably helps that they are 4 states away.) It's nice to know I'm not the only wacko out there.
LOVE the gecko! Love it! love it! Love it!
Happy weekend!
Posted by: Kristen on January 21, 2005 01:33 PMI can never go shopping for baby clothes with you and TMK, Ryan. The squeals of delight would likely knock out passersby.
Posted by: Nathania on January 21, 2005 02:38 PMThe shoes do it for me too. Like to find the teeniest ones....they crack me up. Course, Emily is always wondering what they would look like on the dog.....
Posted by: Lisa in Oregon on January 21, 2005 03:59 PMLisa: Do you think the thought of putting baby shoes on Frankie hasn't crossed our twisted little minds? ;-)
TMK
Posted by: The Mysterious K on January 21, 2005 04:03 PMI do believe one or two handknit baby socks have made it onto her front paws...for a blindingly short amount of time.
Posted by: Ryan on January 21, 2005 04:34 PMOoooh! I LOVE shopping for baby clothes! One of those fabulous things. I never wanted to be a mum because I don't want to be my mum, but the more I think about it, the more I know that I wouldn't be my mum, and maybe a kiddie wouldn't be too far to expect ....
Wow. That was random ...
Posted by: Sara* on January 21, 2005 07:40 PMDid you ever read "The Kid" by Dan Savage (yes that Dan Savage). About their adoption process - they keep in contact with the birth mother. I wish he'd write a sequel so we can find out how it went. The book is much less harsh than his column in the Stranger, which is mostly too mean-spirited for me.
The ankles on baby socks are always a problem. Both my kids had fat ankles, and it was always a choice between socks loose enough but falling off, or cutting off the circulation to their feet, which eventually will make the feet themselves fall off. I remember my mother telling me something horrible once about rubber bands and a kitten's tail . . .
Posted by: Patti on January 21, 2005 08:01 PMAdd me to the melt at the sight of baby footwear horde. The other thing that makes me coo is toddler overalls!
I keep thinking of the Mongolian project as "Cuzzin Tom's Flying Monkey Project." Looking forward to it!
Posted by: Janine on January 21, 2005 09:30 PMLOL, Janine! Alternatives floated to CTFMP have been The Mongolian Hoard and Gaiter Aid. But just wait. I think we've nailed it.
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on January 22, 2005 09:00 AMlove the babysock. and the gecko is pretty darn cute too.
Marti
Posted by: marti on January 22, 2005 11:32 AMAnd what's pitiful is how prideful you have made me, Cuzzin Tom! Honest now, 2hen you were growing up, did you ever imagine that you'd be setting up such a program with a group of crazed knitters while preparing to go to Mongolia? Just goes to show that life is unpredictable I guess. Me? I thought I'd be a librarian....
Posted by: Janine on January 22, 2005 07:44 PMOh, Janine. You've no idea. First ambition was paleontologist, then veterinarian, then a lurching shift to drunken writer a la Charles Bukowski. And yes, now I'm a Buddhist monk up to my hips in marmots (inside Mongolia joke that Ryan will let you in on soon, I'm sure -- we've been privately wheezing with laughter for a couple of weeks now). Is there a word that's, like, a thousand times more powerful than "unpredictable"?
Hey -- are we the only two in front of our computers on a Saturday night?
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on January 22, 2005 09:21 PMYes, what is it about baby clothes? I don't want little ones of my own (my animals are enough) but can I please just play in the baby clothes department anyway? Oohs and aaahhhs like you've never heard...
Posted by: Amie on January 24, 2005 10:51 AM