I am in a 7:30-9:30 a.m. summer class. When I’m not taking notes, or feverishly plotting my world domination with the therapeutic breakthroughs I will surely create through my dissertation, I am knitting on my Featherweight Cardigan. This is my second one. You can see the first one here.

The teacher does not seem to mind that I’m knitting in class, and even noted that his daughter is an avid knitter and when she was in high school she had a psychology teacher that encouraged it. It’s fantastic that there are teachers out there like that. I think it really helps me focus, and stay awake. Though I am a morning person (I know…gag, right?), my sleeping has been off and sometimes I feel hit by a truck in the mornings these days.

In a comment on another post I was asked about my dissertation topic. Maybe it’s a bit weird, but I’m not ready to reveal that since its still in its infancy, and there is a hair of paranoia on my part about someone wanting to do the same thing somewhere. I guess it’s sort of like holding off on revealing much about a knitting design in process. I will shout it from the rooftops at some point, but for now it’s going to stay undercover. I will say that it involves some knitting.

Since it is the second Featherweight, I feel no rush to finish. I haven’t decided if I will rib again for the collar and cuffs, or if I will do seed stitch or garter stitch instead. I also feel this complete lack of rush because it has consistently been 100 plus degrees Fahrenheit outside and there is no end in sight. Unlike other summers, I am no longer freezing while working in the library. I am hot, even with no sleeves. Ah, the joys of human incubation.

You might gather from the way I talk about pregnancy that I’m not exactly fond of it. You would be correct. I am not a glowing, overjoyed, zen sort of pregnant woman. I am hot. And larger than I want to be. And tired of getting out of bed and traveling downstairs to pee several times in the night when it’s difficult to get out of bed and I think the cats are purposely parking in my walking path. One of my greatest pleasures right now is swimming when I get a chance. If you are pregnant in the summer and you know ANYONE with a pool, try your best to get them to let you use that pool. Luckily, one of my very best friends, Missy, lives in an apartment with a pool. It’s never quite as cold as I’d prefer, but it is heaven to be able to float and hop around freely. I’m trying not to be full of complaints when it comes to pregnancy, but I also advocate not being fluffy and glossing over the bad stuff, because if you are pregnant it’s okay not to love it all the time and it’s okay to bitch about it too. I do really really love feeling little Princess Mozzarella move around, and I love it when Matt talks to her in the belly. That’s the kind of stuff I want to remember.

Stay cool. Jump in a body of water (pregnant or not) if you can and it’s weather appropriate for your climate.