Strawberry Baby Hat

This cute little hat is a very quick knit.  There's no intended baby recipient but it is always nice to have a baby gift waiting in my stash of handknits when the occasion arises.

I purchased this yarn at A.C. Moore and it is a joy to work with.  This particular pattern has several "fruit" hats from grapes to pumpkins and Paton's has an excellent choice of colorways for any of these hats. 



The floats are a little long but because it is a hat and there will be no little fingers or toes to get caught in the floats, long is ok.

This coming week is the last class I will be teaching in the latest series of classes.  The money from the classes has been earmarked towards some "fun" things that I am not divulging until I get over a case of "the guilts" so stay tuned.

The wrist has been acting up so there has not been as much knitting as I'd like.  I find that I also tend to knit more when I blog regularly but this darn computer has been extremely tempermental lately.

Happy Knitting!

Baby Surprise Jacket

Pattern:  Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ)

Yarn:  TLC Supersoft (but not sure as I lost the ball band

Needles:  Size 6

Skill Level:  Advanced Beginner

Ravelry BSJ Info that is invaluable

(Scroll down for more informative links.)

I have missed you, my loyal blogging friends.  You fed my knitting ego with your comments and I really appreciated it.  However, I needed a break for awhile and I am now back by popular demand to stay with my goal of at least one post per week.

I just finished teaching the BSJ class.  The BSJ, by Elizabeth Zimmermann a/k/a knitting guru, is a piece of knitted origami.  It can be a little confusing for a new knitter as the knitter is not aware if they are knitting a sleeve, a front or a back, etc. 

I've been teaching knitting for several years and this was probably the most challenging class I've taught for a variety of reasons.  It sold out so "the pie" was divided in many more sections.  The knitted piece looks like this just before folding so you can understand a student's apprehension.

Some of the skills learned in this class were different methods of increasing and decreasing and the finished appearance of each,    M1 (make one) versus K1FB (knit one in front and back) which creates increased and K2 tog (knit 2 together) versus sl1kpsso (slip 1, knit 1 and passover the slip stitch).

We planned on how to have the "applied I-cord bind-off" to start and end at the center back neck when the remaining live stitches begin at the top right, down and around the sweater and up the left side.  We didn't want the seam to be in the front, top-most corner which was likely going to happen without some modifications. 

Notice the special finish.  It's like graduating from grade school to high school (i.e. bind off to I-cord bind off).  A little more time-consuming, it is definitely worth the effort.

This YouTube link demonstrates beautifully how to turn the corner with a knitted I-cord bind-off.

Here is the link to the  "BSJ Spreadsheet" that I found extremely helpful and complimented the actual pattern very well.  Thank you to the creator.

 I added my personalized label to the lower inside front of the sweater so that it would not "scratch or itch" baby's neck. 

 (Note to self:  trim those threads...don't you hate it when you notice these things after you've taken the picture.)

Pattern can be found in the above and below-pictured books.  

Sweater is now folded and tucked away for a future, special baby!

I'm excited that I've been invited to teach at a weekend yoga/knitting retreat this September.  It is still in the planning stages so I'll provide you with more information in the near future.  However, I'll tease you with the fact that at this Vermont location there are beautiful small log cabins with 1-2 bedrooms, fireplaces, fantastic views and more.  A maximum of 20 registrants will be accepted.

Happy Knitting!

Baby "J" Multi-Directional Cardigan #420

Pattern:  Baby "J" Multi-Directional Cardigan #420
Needles:  Size 6
Yarn:  Plymouth Dream Baby DK

This little baby sweater, in a beautiful raspberry colorway, was on display at my LYS.  Looking at the pattern, I never would have purchased it because it just did not do this sweater justice.  Very poor photography. 

It is also known as the "Compass" sweater as you eventually knit in every direction.  The neck band is knitted first, then the fronts (south). The back is knitted north on the imaginary compass, the right front is knitted to the west and the left is knitted to the east.

I love garter stitch and this multi-directional knitting keeps the interest alive.

 

The Back!

The cuff!

I love the cuff as baby's mom won't have to struggle to get those little, delicious fingers through the sleeve.  It also allows for baby's growth!

The sweater is aqua with flecks of blue and yellow.  The vote by my co-workers was that it was "girly" so I purchased girly buttons.  I really wanted the sweater to be unisex and would have purchased different buttons.

I still need to knit the hat and booties but that is not on my schedule till after the 1st of the year.

The "Dark and Stormy" sweater is almost finished.  Fronts, back and sleeves look great with the front band and collar awaiting me.  It has become to heavy to lug to work to knit on my lunch hour or carry in the car.

I have exciting news to share with you as soon as I finalize things.  It's been one of my goals for some time and I am very pleased.  Just a little "teaser"!!!

This time change kills me.  My body does not like the adjustments that are needed.  I have been staying out as late as I can after work to enjoy the natural daylight.  Already, I miss knitting by the lake so it will be a long winter till I can do that again perhaps come May.

Happy Knitting!

Identical or Fraternal Socks

Most of my socks are identical to each other rather than fraternal.  It's a matter of preference, I suppose.  I'm delighted when there are two and am not suffering from SSS (single sock syndrome)  What are your thoughts?


I completed these socks several weeks ago.  I used a standard "vanilla" sock pattern and I can't remember who the yarn manufacturer is....sorry!  Anyway, they will match a sweater that is about 90% completed with the goal of wearing it at the next Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival.


So, if you were straining to see what those knitting books are............well,....these are just a few of the many that I own.  I especially like "Sock Innovation" and the "Joy of Sox" speaking of which as I was thumbing through the book I food the pictures to be quite provocative and then remembered that it is a "spoof" on that other book.  You know the one I'm talking about....the one on your nightstand, perhaps!!!! 

I just completed a shawlette with pictures coming in a few days after I have blocked it.  I've also been knitting this baby sweater and am about 50% on the road to completion.  This is very cheap yarn that I fell in love with.  There is no mention as to the fiber content, how many grams/yards/weight, etc.  The colorways are gorgeous and at $1/skein, I just couldn't resist.  It feels very soft as I am knitting the sweater so I am delighted at this win/win project.  This colorway, not really pink but can't think of what it reminds me of except the first sweater I knitted my own baby many years ago. 


Now, to find a baby girl to gift this sweater to.

Happy Knitting!

Petal Bib

Originally posted on my Yahoo 360 blog on February 24, 2008.

This was another one of those projects that I thought would be “mindless” but it really wasn’t. I was going to make another “six pack” but decided it was too much work with all the loose ends as each petal is started individually and then knitted together. The “tie” portion is an I-cord with a 3-needle bind off. Perhaps I’ll make more in the future, but for now I am content with just one to add to my “gift stash”.

I love this book, “One Skein”. I purchased it by mistake with my 50% off coupon thinking it was another book that I liked with a similar name. However, it is a “keeper”. Don’t you just love those coupons!

I started and completed another project but I can’t tell you what it is just yet as it is a gift. Once the recipient receives it, then I can post pics. I hope to mail it out within the next two weeks once I find the right packaging and extras.

Yesterday, I went to my LYS. I was so bad that I can’t tell you how much I purchased till I get over the “guilts”. I did purchased Debbie Bliss alpaca/silk DK which normally sells for $8.95 /50 gr. ball. I purchased the yarn for $3 a ball. I arrived at exactly 10:02 a.m. as the doors were opening at 10:00. I had difficulty finding parking and it was a madhouse. I should have known better. The shop has an old dog that you trip over as you enter. He barks because most customers bring him a dog bone and he expects you to have one. This poor black lab was nearly trampled in the rush of customers.

I’ve almost completed the bunnie sweater and hope to start assembly tomorrow night. My goal is to bring it with me to R.I. this weekend when I visit the grandkids. Pics coming real soon, hopefully!

Happy Knitting!

Not Your Ordinary Six Pack

Originally posted on my Yahoo 360 on February 28, 2008.

Not your usual six pack, this is a six pack of newborn bibs.

My family in Maine is expecting a new addition in May. The due date is May 20th and we know it will be a baby girl. First name has not yet been decided but the middle name will be Noella after the paternal grandmother’s middle name. The grandmother passed away December 2006 at the age of 49. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, the parents are Jeff and Jodi.

Remember the wedding shawl I knitted for Jodi?

Here’s the little “punkin” sucking her thumb. Ultrasound taken early January. As I needed “mindless knitting” on my bus trips back and forth to work, I started knitting a baby bib from “Mason-Dixon”.

Here is a link to a free pattern that is identical to the one in Mason-Dixon. baby bib (<—click). Once I knitted one, I had to knit another and so on. They are addictive in their own way when you are tired of knitting intricate patterns. The bibs will go to the grandfather to keep on hand when the baby visits. Just a little something to put a smile on his face every time he looks at them.

The thought of a 4-day holiday weekend and being isolated because of bad weather is enough to push me over the edge. The highlight of my weekend at this point will probably be a trip to the grocery store to stock up on healthy food and perhaps a good bottle of wine and munchies. Yes, I have knitting lined up and will probably finish the “bunny” sweater.

Briley suppose to visit this weekend but that has been canceled as well as the weatherman is forecasting snow late Sunday with snow/sleet and freezing rain on Monday and more snow again on Tuesday. We’ve had snow everyday this month but one.

Every month I try to do something I’ve never done before. I’ve milked goats, made cheese, tried kayaking, went to see Clinton, Obama and Edwards in New Hampshire, etc. This month is difficult because of the weather but I do have something in mind. I just need someone to take a picture as otherwise it will be meaningless. I’ll surprise you later but new ideas are welcomed.

Who knows, your ideas may be better than mine :>)

Happy Knitting!!

Girly Baby Afghan

I started this baby afghan about a month ago and only knit on it when I don't feel like knitting something a little more complicated. The pattern is from a very old book and is a take-off on the feather and fan. It seems like it is taking forever. This item will go into my gift storage cedar chest. I know no one expecting a baby girl. It matches the Helena baby sweater I posted a short time ago.

I have too many knitting projects I want to start. Oh, wouldn't this be nice for my youngest grandchild next winter. Or, wouldn't my two older grandsons look handsome in this!!!

Lizzie encouraged me to join, as her support buddy, the weight management program called "Live Strong". I have the desire to lose weight but not the discipline. Now, you are looking at the girl who when she drives up to order at Dunking Donuts, they recognize my voice and call me "Hun" and comment if I deviate from my usual order. Wish me luck.

Helena

Pattern: Helena (Free on Knitty.com)
Yarn: Bernat Baby Sport
Needles: Size 2 & 6 Just a sneak peak at what I have been working on. I started this sweater last Saturday evening, worked on it during Superbowl and a couple more hours since. It's a quick knit and difficult to put down. It has not yet been blocked.

What's nice about this pattern is that it is knit from the neck down on circulars and the sleeves are on dps so there are no seams to weave. The bottom edge is picot, hard to see in the photo as the hem hasn't been turned yet.

Stitches need to be picked up along the front edges and neck which is not my favorite thing to do.

I have no clue who this sweater is going to be gifted to. I wish I could show you a pic of a baby, newly born with the scent of heaven still in the air, wearing the sweater. Can't you just feel the softness of the baby nuzzled in your arms!!!

Here's a closer look at the pattern.

I purchased a barrel of yarn (350 gr.) at JoAnn's and with my 50% off coupon it cost me $4. There's enough yarn to knit quite a few baby sweaters. The yarn is not splitting, is not pilling and in general I am quite happy with it.

Instead of working on this sweater, I should have been working on the mitten for my class this Thursday, but I do work well under pressure.

I also have another sweater for Jakob that still needs 1/2 sleeve and assembly and then that's done. I'm 3/4 done on a cowl for a co-worker but have become bored with it.

Happy Knitting!

Garter Stitch Matinee Jacket

Pattern: Garter Stitch Matinee Jacket By Debbie Bliss
Shown: Size 3 mos.
Yarn: Bernat Satin Sport
Needles: Size 4

The pattern in the book shows this cute little baby wearing this sweater. Most of us usually like a garter knit project as it usually is mindless knitting. Trust me when I say this was the project from hell. Had I not told the recipient I was going to knit this sweater, I would have abandoned it. Perhaps if the baby were here already to try on the sweater, I might warm up this little sweater. After all, who doesn't like to nuzzle up to a newborn baby who still has the scent from heaven.

It was difficult to find the correct weight yarn in the color that I wanted in washable yarn. Originally, I wanted it to be a cream color as we don't know the sex of the baby that my co-worker is expecting in late March/early April.

The Bernat Satin Sport looked lovely as a skein. However, it snagged and split very easily, pilled, etc. The join on the cables of my knitting needles compounded the problem. I ended up purchasing more needles but the store did not have the correct length and the cable coil kept getting in the way (sigh).

I was going to knit a matching hat and booties, but gave up that idea. I'm not into torturing myself.

I'm almost embarrassed to give this sweater as a gift. It definitely is not my best work. There are different methods I would use for joining in the future were I to knit this again.

I knitted an I-cord instead of thread a ribbon as a tie because I felt it would look more unisex.

It's an absolutely gorgeous day in Vermont with a fresh snowfall of about six inches with the sun glistening on the accumulation. I plan on going out later to take pictures.

Happy Knitting!

Girly Socks

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette - Blush
Needles: Size 2
I added a little special touch to these little pink socks that I started one evening when my daughter called with difficulty with a pattern she was attempting. It turns out the pattern was really all screwed up and I ended improvising on my own. I thought the socks were a little "blah looking" so this past weekend I just added a little crochet trim and the rosette.
Now, I don't know what I am going to do with these socks because they are not machine washable and what new mother has time to hand wash.

My co-worker tried on the neck warmer I posted yesterday and it really does look very nice once worn. I had shown her a couple of other projects I knitted such as the wrist warmers, etc. and she'd say, "Oh, that's nice!" However, I didn't get a sense that she would really like it as a present. So, when she saw the neck warmer, she said, "Oh, that is absolutely gorgeous!" You have to see it in person to get the full colorway effect and the nice sheen the yarn has. I am knitting her one as a birthday present. However, I told her she had to select a different colorway as I would quickly get bored knitting the same pattern with the same yarn.

Happy Knitting!

Pink Rosebud Baby Socks

Pattern: Combination of a couple
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette-Blush
Needles: Size 3 dp's

I certainly didn't need to start knitting another pair of socks! I have several single socks already waiting for mates. Actually, so many that I have stopped posting these projects on Ravelry as I have to own up to the fact that the project is not yet completed.

However.....my daughter started a pair of baby socks for a co-worker who is currently in Russia to adopt a baby. She ran into difficulties with the pattern and called the "Mom Knitting Help Line" (that's me!!) So being a mother who wants to keep her daughter interested in knitting and not get discouraged, I started the sock myself so I could help her.

There is a serious error in the pattern that I was not able to figure out so I frogged back to just before the heel flap and used one of my standard baby sock patterns. I will incorporate some of the features from the other pattern into this one before I am finished. It will have a ruffled edge on the cuff.

I've started the second sock so that I don't have one more lonely sock to look at.

I've started a new scarf and shawl that has really been "growing" on me. I'll blog about it tomorrow or on the weekend once I've had the opportunity to take pictures.

Update: I just received an e-mail from my daughter. Boy, (or girl) did she ever get her wires crossed (or is that knitting needles)!!! The opening line to her e-mail said, "No need to hurry on the baby booties". The child that is being adopted is not a baby but a teenager. Quite the transition that will be but fortunate to be able to be adopted later in life.

Happy Knitting!

Remember the sweater I blogged about shown below? Click this link for more info. Scroll and keep reading for a much nicer picture.

Someone asked to see a picture of the baby wearing the sweater. Well, here she is...Gracie Mae. She is my daughter, Amy's, godchild. She was born Easter Sunday.

Here's another pic of her in her Christening dress that her grandma made for her. The event was early July.
This picture is just too precious not to include in my post.

I have returned from Rhode Island. Amy's carpal tunnel surgery was successful and I had a grand time celebrating my birthday. Much more on that in the next post. I'm waiting for pictures from my daughter.

I've been very busy knitting and have lots to show you in the next few days. It's feast of famine with my knitting and blogging.

Happy Knitting!

Rosette Baby Sweater

Pattern: Valley Yarns #200 April to December
Yarn: Southwick Valley Yarns - 52% Pima Cotton - 48% Bamboo (DK weight)
(5 skeins)

I’m delighted with this sweater. It was an easy knit and the yarn was yummy. This project brought me much joy and I felt a touch of melancholy seeing it come to an end. That is probably the reason (at least one of them) as to why it was so very near completion, yet sat in my knitting basket with an occasional loving glance from me while I was cheating and knitting my next project. The sweater is smaller and daintier than how it appears in the pictures. It is a size 3 months.

The cost of the sweater set was a little $$$ but it was worth it. With a 25% discount on the yarn, buttons and rosettes, the final tally was $30. Non-knitters, when receiving such a gift, are not aware of the cost of quality yarn, never mind the labor.

I have a thing for buttons. I will search high and low for just the right ones. When working on crafts we sometimes revert back to childlike habits. My mother had this long, rectangular, beige-colored button box. As a little girl I spent hours stringing like buttons together so that she would know quickly what she had in case the need arose. I enjoyed the rustling sound of the buttons in the box as I searched as if I were putting a puzzle together. Of course, I never ever saw my mother even thread a needle though she had a sewing machine, etc.

For the baby sweater, I wanted the simplest of buttons so as to not detract from the beauty of the sweater and rosettes, themselves.

I added my label for a special touch!

And, of course, you remember the bonnet from a previous post.

A little close up for you!

On another note, I have finished Kim’s socks, and though I gave her a sneak preview of the two pairs I knitted in exchange for the beautiful quilted wall hanging she made me, she has not yet seen the completed brown pair. They were shipped today and once she has received them, I will post pictures. I'm a couple of projects behind in my posting.

Happy Knitting!