BABY GIRL'S FIRST FO!!

Momma's so proud; her Thing 1 done good.

How many years has Thing 1 feigned interest in knitting? How many times have I cast on for her? Excitedly purchased far-too-expensive yarn for her because she said it felt nice and she wanted to make [random project] with it? (Tell me, what 11 yo needs Merino?) Cried bitter tears when finding aforementioned far-too-expensive yarn wadded up in a corner of her bedroom? I'd swear never again, but then she'd look at me with those baby blues . . .

Here is Thing 1 doing her thang at the 2004 Knit Out in Union Square Park in NYC. (Bunny ears courtesy of Thing 2.) They conned me out of fresh, new needles and premier yarn from Knit NY that day. The thing she's knitting above? I found it, sans needles, barely any longer than in the picture, during my stash inventory of 2 weeks ago.

And there were so many others. Why just this past fall, we took an "adventure day" in Washington Square Park, when Thing 1 exclaimed, "I feel like knitting. Is there a yarn store near here?" Why, yes there is, my darling, let us away to Gotta Knit . . .

As you can imagine, I was but guardedly optimistic when Thing 1 declared that she wanted to make a Knitted Babe of sorts for her friend's birthday. I finally got around to knitting the Babes I promised some months (years?) back (I'll post photos eventually). Thing 1 devised a smaller babe, and I adjusted the pattern for her. VOILA! She doesn't know how to purl, and her stitches are twisted, but I'm just about bawling here. Ain't she a beaut? Momma is soooooo proud. And baby knows she can con me out of freaking qiviut* about now.
________________________
* Qiviut is spun from the downy-soft underwool from the Arctic musk ox. For ~$80 you can buy enough qiviut to knit a small hat. That may sound excessive, but you try combing the underwool of an Arctic musk ox. . . Didn't think so.