The Milky Way

Did you know according to Greek mythology the Milky Way arose from breast milk. The divine hero Heracles was born to Zeus and Alcmene. Alcmene was a mortal human so Zeus gave Heracles to his other wife Hera to feed him with goddess milk to make him immortal. But baby Heracles bit Hera into her nipple so she let go and her milk poured down the sky and formed the Milky Way.

The picture is painted by Peter Paul Ruben.

The Blessingway Quilt

I wasn't actually sure baby and me would make it to our own blessingway on Saturday but somehow we did, and she still seems to feel comfortable enough  to stick around for another few days. Which is great because it gives me time to finish the very last bits and pieces. 

Since I read about a blessingway for the first time, I think it was over at Soulemamas, I so strongly wanted to give one myself, but as it happend I was the next one to get pregnant. So I was very, very happy to find out my girlfriends liked the idea too and made me have one, just the way we felt it suited us (not too much of the esotericism please). We got most of our inspiration from this wonderful book.

Attending my own blessingway was such a treat; I am still feeling so warm and loved just thinking about it. I didn't take any pictures of it though, it just didn't feel right, so words will have to do:

We met Saturday night, me and six of my closest girlfriends. After getting comfortable with tea, music, candles and oil (Every woman had brought one of those items) my friends started by introducing themselfs with the story of how they met me. And even though most of them knew eachother before some had not heared those stories yet and it was more then sweet to revisit those moments again and value friendship in such a way. We contiuned with sharing our own story of birth, of what our mums told us about it and those of us who had given birth already shared those stories too. Of course we didn't always focus 100% on the schedule so at one point we ended up talking about cars... but it just felt good anyway.

We talked about my fears and hopes for this birth, for Aarons sister, about family and friendship matters and just felt it all grow stronger. We each wrote a short letter to the unborn baby to give to her when it is time, maybe when she will turn 18? 

To make me feel supoorted and strong during the birth I recieved a bead for a bracelet from everyone which I will wear from now on and I also gave a small bracelet to each of my girlfriends to wear until they have seen the baby for the first time (or longer of course). It is so fascinating to see how such small   things can become so full of meaning and value if you give it the right moment, love and attention.

I also got pampered with a lovely foot massage and during that treat, one of the girls read a meditativ story she had written exclusively for this night.
In the end all my friends put their hands on my belly and spoke blessings, prayers and sweet words. 

While we talked on and off I continued to sew the last stitches on my baby quilt binding (that I started last summer right after I found out I was pregnant) and what better time could there have been to finally finish it? I can't stop myself from staring at it, I am so in love with it. Of course I will always call it the Blessingway Quilt.

It is time to give birth now...

Wundertüte

When Aaron was a newborn baby someone gave me a cotton kicking bag for him which was open at the feet. I really liked it. Aaron could enjoy his naked feet, feel snuggled up and diaper changes were a quick thing.

For his sister I wanted to knit something simular, but with a hood, for the very first weeks and so I came up with my own first knittig pattern I called Wundertüte. A Wundertüte in Germany is like a surprise bag, filled with candy and small toys.

I want to share the notes with you but I am not sure I wrote them very correctly yet. If you tried the pattern and have any questions or suggestions, please help me to improve the pattern so it will help others too.

Since the baby is only due in March I asked Charly, Aarons doll, to help me out as a model. He is doing a fine job don't you think?

Pattern notes: 

Use any yarn you like that is fine for needle size 5mm/ US 8. I used some handspun goodness my sister gave me, because it was quite thin I knitted it double stranded.

Cast on 82sts, join in round, k1, p1 for 6 rounds, circumference of cuff appr. 22".

In the next round increase sts to 98 sts by kfb every 5 sts (increase 16 sts in total)

Continue in rounds until piece messures 14". 

For collar and hood start working in stockinett rows back and forth (knit one row, purl one row) for another 3".

Decrease row 1: k2, k2tg, continue til end of row, purl row

Decrease row 2: k3, *k2tg, k1, continue from * till las 3 sts, k3. You should have 47 sts in total now.

Continue Stockinett for another 4,5".

Use stitchmarker to mark next purl round: p5, pm, p22, pm, p22, pm, p5.

Next knit row decrease like this: k5, ssk, k until 2sts before marker, k2tg, k3, ssk, knit until 2 sts before marker, k2tg, k5. Purl next row.

Repeat the last two rows until the 22 sts between each marker have decreased to 3 sts. Decrease these 3 sts to one sts by slipping two sts together as if knitting, k1, lift last two slipped sts over that knitted sts. 15 sts remaining in total. Pull yarn through last 15 sts and close top tightly.

Pick up 74 sts around the hood starting and ending at the collar opening. Do not join them in round. K1P1 back and forth for 4 rounds, Cast off loosely.

Pick up two sts for i-cord each side of the collar, Knit i-cord depending on how long you want it to be. I didn't want to use a button so it is really safe for the baby and nothing can be swallowed.

Ravelry link here.

This is a copywritten pattern, please do not sell this pattern, you may sell items knitted from this pattern providing that I, Gesche Ahlers@Kirschenzeit  am credited and linked as the designer.