Do overs

Still here, still knitting.  Or trying to.  This past weekend was spent with friends, but my attempts to knit and chat did not work well:  I lost a sock needle and could not work on the last of the birthday socks, and I kept dropping stitches on the Danish shawl, so set that aside as well.

Last night I finished the socks, but they are too short in the foot, so I am redoing the toes.  And I still have not blocked Belinda because I think it needs a couple more rows of pink.

This is the time of year when the knitting goes nearly dormant.  Something has to give - there are only so many hours in the day.

Belinda but for the blocking

The knitting of Belinda is done, but I still have to block it.

I'm more than a little afraid what will happen when I saturate this thing.  The yarn is Kidsilk Haze.  Need I say more?

And then there is the actual blocking.  Oh, lord, give me strength.  And enough patience and pins.

Feather and Fan baby blanket

I like making blankets.  They tend to be simple patterns requiring little thought and not much counting or angst.  They are always appreciated and well-used.

Pattern:  Feather and Fan Baby Blanket, by Sara Baldwin
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy, in 'Wisteria'
Needles:  US8
Modifications:  none

I was planning to get a pic of this blanket with Baby N, but it has already left the premises.

That's... odd

Today I went to the Barnes &Noble site, to see if a particular book was available for the Nook, and was rather surprised to discover that BN.com is now selling craft supplies.  Like yarn.  I know booksellers are struggling, but does this really make sense?  Theoretically, one might want to buy yarn when buying a knitting book, but I can't think of a single time I have done this, even when buying a book in a yarn store.  Personally, I think B&N has more problems than just competition from online sellers.  I wish they would address those first.

Anyway, a feather and fan baby blanket is in the works...

and the final pair of birthday socks are on their way.

Baby cables!

More birthday socks

So far, I am liking my plan to knit birthday socks instead of xmas socks.  Three down and one to go for 2011.

Pattern:  Retro Rib Socks, by Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn:  Fortissima Socka Degradee Color in blues
Needles:  US1
Modifications:  none

I like these socks and the pattern, although I tired quickly of the K2TBL's.  Since the ribbing is stretchy, the tops are knit the same for both sizes, then the foot is a bit bigger for the large size.  These should fit my son, aka Big Foot, just fine.

Summer slumber sack

Sorry for the long silence.  Once I recovered from my cold, I went on a business trip, and while I could have blogged using my work computer, after being on it all day, I was not so inclined in the evenings.  Before I left on the trip, though, I finished this summer slumber sack for my granddaughter.

Pattern:  My own

Yarn:  Valley Yarns Valley Superwash DK, in four colors

Needles:  US6 (for main part of body) and US5 (for the bodice) circs

What makes this a summer slumber sack is the absence of hood and sleeves and the addition of open work in the chest area.  Hopefully, this will ward off AC chill but not be overly warm.  Another good feature is it is open at the bottom, facilitating diaper changing.  I put ribbing at the bottom and below and above the diaper area, but I'm not sure it will make much difference.  Also, I trimmed the neck and armholes with applied i-cord, to prevent them from getting overly stretched out.

When I first put this on Baby N to take the above photo, she fussed and protested, but once she saw the camera, the smiles came out.  What a diva!