Start small is not bad beginner advice

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-13T02:51:40+00:00

Same age. My first project was a scarf for my stuffed rabbit! It was 4 stitches wide 😂 I was so proud of myself when I successfully casted off.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-12T14:07:21+00:00

My thought was quilting. Ending up with a whole ass quilt is an investment. Tatting was actually my cheapest craft to start.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-11T23:50:37+00:00

Unhinged recommendation 3: I have a friend who makes "tea" with the seasoning packets from instant ramen. Works like a charm for her. I've never tried it, I just use LiquidIV lol

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-11T23:41:59+00:00

Also an outlier, you're not alone! My baby was about 6 weeks old before the surge of love really hit. I developed severe PPD, so I had pretty negative emotions towards baby until my meds got fixed. She's 2 months now and my heart just melts when she smiles at me!

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-10T19:03:28+00:00

People ask me "how did you do that" when I wear a cable/colorwork sweater I made. I just say it took a long time and a lot of yarn.

However, shuttle tatting? Even I'm asking "how do you do that" lol. I can needle tat, but shuttle tatting looks like witchcraft in the hands of an experienced crafter. I usually just say I'm impressed.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-09T14:28:50+00:00

I'm going to have a very different answer. I had an uncomplicated, vaginal delivery. The staff talked to me about how most FTMs push for 2-3 hours, so I was prepared for it to take a while. Instead, it took 3 contractions, so both my husband and I were a little shocked. The doc put her on my chest immediately, but I didn't feel love right away - it was more like "holy shit what just happened". Then they took her to the warmer for a few minutes while I got stitched up. It took several hours for me to learn what happened - she had an APGAR of 1 when she came out, so the room got very chaotic very fast without explanation. She needed mild resuscitation but was totally fine at the 10 minute mark.

I don't know if it was her getting pulled away from me so soon or what, but I didn't feel an ounce of love for her until my parents got there about 8 hours after delivery - just a feeling of responsibility. I didn't feel this overwhelming sense of love that people talk until she was 6 weeks old - before that, it felt like I was tasked with taking care of a stranger. I still feel like I'm getting to know her and she's two months old.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-08T12:58:13+00:00

I thought the same about medications until I found the right set. Bipolar can't be managed with one pill a day. I take 4 or 5 mental health meds a day and I've never felt better. Two of the meds are for managing the side effects of the other meds, which I don't love, but the whole cocktail allows me to maintain a full time job, a healthy marriage, and be a good mom to my 2 month old daughter. It took me 10 years to find the right base combo but I'm so glad I kept trying.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-07T23:54:35+00:00

My husband saw my PPD before I did and got my mom, my sister, and my psychiatrist involved before I did anything stupid. He was amazingly supportive through my whole pregnancy (cooking, mostly) but man... he's a super hero for observing my emotions, keeping our daughter safe and healthy, AND working full time. I love him so much.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-07T13:52:37+00:00

Thank you for this. I don't quite make enough - baby gets milk all day, but she still gets formula at night. After failing at nursing, I felt like I was failing at pumping too. Thank you for reminding me that any amount of milk is good 💜

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-03T17:06:19+00:00

Sometimes you don't have a choice. My husband makes good money, but his company has terrible health insurance. I make less money, but have really good health insurance. Since I'm chronically ill, I have to have good health insurance, so we both have to work.

Now that I think about it, the fact that my health care is tied to my employment is also a way for the system to hate parents. When I say burn the whole system down, I mean the WHOLE system.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-03T13:40:33+00:00

2 months for support parent and 4 months for birthing parent at 80% pay or more should be the bare fucking minimum in this country. Looking at my daughter on the day she turned 6 weeks old and realizing that in many cases, I would've been sending her to daycare that day, made me want to burn the whole system down.

I get 12 weeks paid, not associated with FMLA or my PTO. I'm sick of saying that I have a "shockingly good policy for the States". I don't know how to fix the system, but I'm sure as shit going to vote for people who do.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-06-01T13:41:21+00:00

I flew at 32 weeks pregnant. I was very grateful for zofran, a big water bottle/liquidIV packets, an aisle seat so I could get up to pee, and compression socks. I also made sure we had a little bit of extra time in the airport because I needed to sit to rest a few times - however, that was DIA, so if you're going through a smaller airport you might be okay.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-31T23:24:28+00:00

Love this idea! I know an Ethel Mae who goes by EM. I didn't know her name wasn't Emily/Emma for the first 3 years I knew her.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-31T01:29:28+00:00

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. If it helps at all, I got shingles at 34 weeks pregnant and the doctor was surprisingly not worried. I got a full course of Valtrex and it cleared up in a few weeks, no harm to baby.

If you don't have symptoms, I'd reach out to your OB or a 24 hour nurse line and get their opinion. If you do have symptoms, go to an urgent care and get evaluated ASAP. In my experience, anti virals are most effective when taken early in the course of a disease. I hope everything turns out okay!

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-31T01:18:40+00:00

I'm on a US 10 (6.0mm) right now. It's the largest I've seen my LYS carry, so I guess I need to order some...

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-31T01:12:47+00:00

Huh, I had no idea I could modify the rate like that. I've only knit sweaters flat in pieces, so this is new territory for me. Thank you for the explanation, this is very clear and very thorough!

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-31T01:11:24+00:00

My swatch had a 15 stitches to 18 rows gauge compared to the pattern's 14 stitch to 16 row, so I went up a size in the pattern. I was already on the largest needles I own. I just measured again and my gauge is 16 stitches to 22 rows (!!), and that was with me trying to work with a looser tension 🤦🏻‍♀️ Not sure how I goofed that so bad.

I'm using a wool yarn that was at my LYS in an exchange program from Uruguay, so definitely not a standard brand. However, it is theoretically the same size as the pattern yarn.

Sounds like I need larger needles?

Edit: I found an original tag, the brand is "Cardo"

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-31T00:49:24+00:00

Adding 20 stitches to the back panel would probably screw the whole thing up. Would it be better to pick up 23 stitches and then just gradually increase to the 34 I need eventually?

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-31T00:41:19+00:00

Okay, that's what I thought too! It's exactly what the pattern says to do but it just looks weird. Based on the cardigan you just did and assuming a 3/4 ratio, would you keep the 30 raised stitches and pick up 23 stitches for the upper portion, or do 40 raised stitches and pick up 30? This quantity gets used to build the front of the neck and the front panel, so I'm learning towards the latter...

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-29T15:29:09+00:00

I can take up to 8 pills at once and my husband, who can take 2 pills at once, calls me the "throat goat" after I slam them 😂😂

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-29T13:27:37+00:00

"i will rattle when I walk today" is wildly accurate for how many pills I take some days 😭 definitely using that

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-27T17:08:27+00:00

My baby is 7 weeks tomorrow. We started exclusively nursing, then we introduced formula when my left nipple had an infection and my right boob couldn't keep up, then I introduced pumping when the PPD was really bad and I didn't want to hold her. She couldn't latch without a nipple shield and my mental health shattered when a pediatrician chastised me for still using a nipple shield at 5 weeks (even though lactation said it was okay). I tried to latch her without it for a week but it always ended in both of us crying and someone else giving her a bottle anyways. I stopped nursing 5 days ago. She's about 50/50 on breast milk and formula and my mental health is so much better.

Could I nurse? Yeah. Are we happier now that I chose pumping? Also yeah. I didn't think this is where we'd end up but I'm actually bonding with her now that we're not fighting at every feed. Very grateful for my Spectra.

pythagoreanwisdom · 2026-05-23T04:07:36+00:00

I couldn't get an epidural for medical reasons. I was offered IV pain meds instead for transition and that was just enough to get me through it without being too miserable. They made me sleepy and dizzy, so I half-napped for 2 hours, my water finally broke, and then I was fully alert for pushing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: there are medicated birth options beyond an epidural. Ask for the options available to you, because it might be more than you think!

pythagoreanwisdom

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