Finally

Last night I took advantage of the small turnout of goblins and witches Yankees and Scarecrows to finish up the hooded pullover for Toddler N. (YES, she is walking now, albeit not very enthusiastically. She's like a new skier, disbelieving her ability to stay upright.) The seams - and there were seemingly a bazillion of them - actually came out halfway decently (eventually - there were several do-overs). Maybe the trick to becoming adept at seaming is to stop avoiding it and to practice, practice, practice. Duh.

Pattern: Hooded Pullover by Debbie Bliss (in Design It, Knit It Babies)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto in colorway 23006 (oatmeal) and Debbie Bliss Rialto 4-Ply in colorway 22015 (lime-ish green)
Needles: US6 and US3
Modifications: None

There are a few errors in the pattern that are published and a few that become apparent as one goes along. The instructions become kind of vague toward the end, but I managed to muddle through. All in all, a success.

My daughter recently returned a bagful of handknits that Toddler N has outgrown. Now that she is a toddler, sweaters and hats will fit her for at least a season if not a year or two. My advice to new grandmas is to refrain from knitting up too many newborn and baby things, sweet as they are, but to save one's efforts for the later stages of growth.

One done

The seams are not the best but they were sewn and the buttons were added in time for Baby N's first birthday party.

Pattern:  A-Line Cardigan, from Debbie Bliss Design It, Knit It Babies
Yarn:  Baby Cashmerino in 340026 (a greenish-grayish color)
Needles:  US3
Modifications:  Several - after all, the book title says "design it"

One obvious modification was substituting ringwood stitch for the stockinette in the body.  This greatly reduced curling.  The sleeves I kept as stockinette, but on Chrisknits advice, added a little ringwood at the cuff.  And I dropped the collar, at my daughter's suggestion.

Using a different stitch than simple stockinette was a bit of a challenge in places, like under the arms, where I reverted to stockinette to reduce bulk.  But apparently I cannot count, because the back and fronts did not line up right.

Fortunately, two wrongs make a right, so while the stockinette is not a perfect match, the back and fronts were the same length.  Whew!

I still have the pinafore to seam up and the hooded pullover to finish.  My best excuse for not having these done is I was sick last week, with an intestinal virus, that laid me so low that I could not even knit.  Feeling much better now, though, so hopefully the rest will be finished anon.

My own "grandma set"

I knit these up a while ago, but per usual, it took me forever to get a button sewn on.  I make these for my agemates as they become grandmas, and decided I should make a set for myself.

Pattern:  Baby Bib O' Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn:  Elann Den-M-Nit Pure Indigo Cotton
Needles:  US6 (I think)
Modifications:  None

Pattern:  Baby Genius Burp Cloth, from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Elann Den-M-Nit Pure Indigo Cotton
Needles: US6 (I think)
Modifications: None

They have already been used.  The cotton is very absorbent.  And washable.  A must with babies.

Warm as wool

Parts becoming whole

Parts is parts

Kittyville - the small size

I decided Baby N needed a new winter hat.  Enter Kittyville.  The pattern was for an adult size hat, but using some arithmetic, I determined that knitting it in DK instead of worsted would yield a toddler-sized hat.  Since the width of the seed stitch border and the width of the sides below the crown were given in inches in the pattern, I guessed that a 1" border and 3" sides would be about right.  And they were.

Too bad the seed stitch is barely visible in this craptastic photo

Pattern:  Official Kittyville Hat from Stitch n Bitch (no link - thanks, Blogger)
Yarn:  Valley Farms Valley Superwash DK in 03 (black)
Needles:  US5 DPNs
Modifications:  DK instead of worsted, smaller band and sides

Too bad you can't see the ears in this otherwise adequate photo

Now, a slacker mom like me would view this hat as an opportunity to dress Baby N in a black leotard and tights, add some whiskers, and consider the costume complete for baby's first Halloween.  If anyone asks, she is Hello Kitty's evil twin.

Got yarn?

On our trip to New England, I hit two yarn stores, one scheduled, one not.  First up was Charlotte's Web in Exeter, NH.  As I have done elsewhere, I asked about local yarn and learned that the hand dyers in that area frequent farmers markets and such.  Unfortunately, we would not be around for one.  I did snatch up a couple of skeins of this:

It's from Seacoast Handpainted Yarns; content alpaca, silk, and merino; colorway "Shy as Acorn".  Yum!

I also purchased some Noro Kureyon for the Mitered Crosses blanket I've been itching to start.  Later, at Loom with a View in Newburyport, MA, I added some Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted.  And then when I got home, I could not wait to start.

Swatches

Block one of ten started

As if that were not enough, I also ordered from Webs some Debbie Bliss Rialto DK and 4-ply for a hooded pullover for Baby N (who I will start calling Toddler N once she starts walking).

Oatmeal and lime anyone?

And I could not wait to start that project, either.

Cuffs

In case you are wondering about the other projects for Baby N, they are not being totally neglected.  For one thing, weaving in the ends took forever.  For another, I decided to block before assembling.

A-line Cardigan

The ringwood stitch for the cardigan did resist curling except on the edges, which will be seamed together, so no worries.  The button bands lay flat, much to my relief.

Pinafore Dress back

Pinafore Dress front

The only part of the Pinafore Dress I was worried about was the hem, which suffered from some serious curling.  Dressing wires to the rescue!

Pinafore Dress hem detail

My goal is to have the Baby N projects completed by her birthday later this month.  Then, on to xmas knitting!

Hats off to watch caps

Sorry for the absence.  My SO and I took a week's vacation (more about that later), and I brought home some New England cooties that have laid me low this past week.  I have been knitting, but between the cold symptoms and the OTC meds, my brain has not been very functional.

My son told me he "can't find" (is that a euphemism for "lost"?) the hat I knit him.  So I decided to knit up a couple of watch caps; he can have his pick.  These are both quick and easy.

Pattern:  Watch Cap by Judith Durant
Yarn:  Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in colorway 194 (gray)
Needles:  US7
Modifications:  none

One size fits all

All 1x1 ribbing all the way, and very stretchy.  In fact, both these hats are very stretchy.  And they are long enough to cover the ears.

Pattern:  Classic WWII Watch Cap by Helen Waittes
Yarn:  Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in colorway 999 (maroon)
Needles:  US7
Modifications:  None

Large size

This one starts out with a 2x2 ribbing, then switches to 2x6.  I did not do anything fancy but you can substitute a 6-stitch cable or other stitch pattern for the top part.

Like I said, quick and easy.  Also, each takes less than a 100g skein of yarn.  Good for brainless knitting.  Like when one has a cold and can't stitch two thoughts together.

K1, P1, ouch, ouch, ouch

After all that seed stitch, I decided give my hands and wrists a break and knit a quick hat.  But while seed stitch and 1x1 ribbing may look different, to one's hands, they are the same.

Almost finished watch cap

So then I decided to work on something in stockinette and started this A-line cardigan.  But the stockinette started to curl (and I threatened to start crying because I have been here before).  After a test swatch, I decided to replace the stockinette with ringwood stitch.

Curl up like a snake or lay flat - choice is obvious

Which is two-thirds stockinette and one-third K1 P1.  Maybe I'll make the sleeves stockinette?

Now for the hard part

The knitting is done.  Now it is time for not only the seaming (I think I can handle two side seams) but the HEMMING.

From the back

If I were to knit this over again, I would use a picot cast on instead of something that requires HEMMING.

Over halfway there

The pinafore for Baby N is over half completed.  Last weekend I draped the front half over her, to see what it looked like:

I'm so sleepy!

I'm suffering from startitis, but so far, have managed to fight off the virus.  Must. Finish. The. Pinafore. First.  Babies grow, you know.

Just what I need

My SO and I spent a long weekend in Milwaukee (details here), and while not much knitting occurred, some yarn purchasing did.  First, we visited Fiberwood Studio, where I glommed onto enough gray and pink Cascade 220 to knit myself a sweater.

I was hoping to find a significant amount of local yarn, but all there was was a handful of skeins from Honeypot Yarns, now sadly out of business.  I did purchase a token skein, which I think I will combine with a ribbon yarn for a scribble scarf.

The other LYS we visited (and which is open on Sundays, a rare thing for a LYS) was the Loop Yarn Shop.  None of the yarn there spoke to me, although I was tempted by the Spud and Chloe and some Burly Spun Lamb's Pride.  Instead, I purchased a pattern for a Mohair Bias Loop, to help me use up some Kidsilk Haze.

Once home, I decompressed by making up for the lack of road trip knitting.  The front of the pinafore for Baby N is almost complete.  I like Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and I like the Debbie Bliss patterns, and I achieve gauge for both stitches and rows, BUT somehow I always need more yarn than the patterns recommend.  Glad I have extra for this project.

It must be the weather. And approaching football season.

My knitting mojo seems to have returned - all I want to do is knit, knit, knit. I started a pinafore for Baby N

I love seed stitch!

and have about three sweaters queued up for her.  And I want to knit a Mitered Crosses blanket.  And a Lanesplitter skirt.  And my son needs a new hat.  And there is Kauni yarn for brioche scarves.  And this year's xmas knitting is to be felted slippers.  I even feel like knitting entrelac!  And dishcloths!  And yes, even socks!

Finally, an FO

Usually, when I knit socks, I pick a ribbed pattern for the fit.  "Inlay" is not ribbed, which may explain why the pattern includes instructions for four sizes.  I made the largest ones, but they feel a bit loose, even for my big feet.  However, they have not yet been through the dryer, so that may change.

Pattern: Inlay by Hunter Hammersen, found on knitty

Yarn:  A Piece of Vermont Superwash merino, bamboo, and nylon, colorway 8006, purchased on the Vermont Yarn Crawl

Needles:  US1 DPNs

Modifications:  The pattern is not quite correct as written (see my previous posts) plus I adjusted the gusset so that the decreases were not right next to the instep (personal preference)

The crosshatch pattern looks better in these photos than it does in real life, but they still look purty.  And they are dense.  Should be very wam this winter.  If you plan to knit them, check out the KAL on Ravelry for input.  All my notes on this pattern may be found on Ravelry, too.

And now I am going to take a break from socks.

Slow going

Still working on 'Inlay' but it is three steps forward, two steps back.  I started the heel flap, with its own chart.  The legend said that the slipped stitches should be slipped with the yarn in back.  That did not seem right, so I checked Ravelry for errata.  Nada, so I forged ahead.  After about 6 rows, not only did the slipped stitches not feel right, they did not look right, either.  Back to Ravelry, but this time I checked the KAL for this pattern.  Another knitter asked the designer about these stitches, but described them much better than I would have, as being "wrapped".  It turns out the designer actually meant to hold the yarn to the "private" side of the fabric, or in back on the right side, in front on the wrong side.  I tinked back and restarted the heel flap and now it looks right.

What did we ever do before the Internet?!?

She who hesitates

It is not unusual for me to hit a snag with a project.  Sometimes it's the seams, sometimes it's the pattern, sometimes it's the realization that I am not going to like the result.  A time out doesn't hurt, unless one is knitting for a growing baby.  Then those projects set aside for a moment become hopelessly behind.

Such is the fate of some items I knit for Baby N: the seams on a pair of pants did me in, the curling of the stockinette on a kimono looked unfixable, and the embroidery for Blu was not a pretty sight.  Fortunately yarn allows for do-overs.  I foresee that the chocolate and lavender Debbie Bliss yarn is going to become something like an EZ Tomten, and the Den-M-nit will become something.

I'm still working on Inlay.  I don't consider myself a tight knitter, but I have had to deliberately loosen up when knitting the twisted stitches in the motif.  Once I learned to do that, these socks started not exactly sailing along but at least progressing nicely.

Otherwise, knitting is giving way to gardening and murder mysteries (my favorite summer reading), although I am currently working through Stanley Park.  The main character is a chef in Vancouver, so there is lots of foodie talk, but the characters are complex and the story engrossing.  Worth the effort.

No mojo

The "Inlay" socks are kicking my butt.  In fact, all my knitting is kicking my butt right now.  Most frustrating is that, when I try to knit during a meeting, invariably I drop stitches.  Grrr!  So if you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I'm spending some quality time with my yard and my summer reading.

And done

These were supposed to be for me, and given the number of stitches cast on, I assumed they would fit.  But these were my first cable socks and I did not realize the cables would eat up so much of the real estate.  I don't think my daughter will turn them down, though.

Pattern:  3x3 Cable with Moss Stitch, by Charlene Schurch (in Sensational Knitted Socks)
Yarn:  A Piece of Vermont (superwash merino/bamboo/nylon) in 8007
Needles:  US1 dpns
Modifications:  None

I did not set out to knit a pair of socks a month, although that is how it has gone so far this year.  Socks are my most portable project, so there is always a pair in progress.  In fact, I have already cast on the next pair:  "Inlay" from knitty.

Still alive

Summertime - what can I say?  I'm out of L&O:SVU episodes to stream, the garden (or rather, the weed population) constantly calls my name, and then there is that cutie pie, aka my granddaughter, who requires weekly doses of spoiling.  SOME knitting is getting done, not much, but always socks.

When I purchased this Piece of Vermont yarn, I thought of the color as brown.  When I wound it into a ball, the rose emerged.  And now that I am knitting it, I've discovered yellow as well.  Fun stuff!

More cables and bamboo, more socks

I decided to knit socks with bigger cables, and this yarn from a Piece of Vermont just happens to include bamboo.  Do I detect a theme?

Last birthday socks

The final pair of birthday socks are done.  I am glad I made them longer in the foot - much better.

Pattern:  Four-Stitch Ribbing Patterns - baby cable rib - from Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn:  Schoeller+Stalh Fortissima Socka Degradee Color, colorway 103
Needles:  US1 dpns
Modifications:  None

I'm loving the baby cables.  I'm loving this sock yarn as well - it's mit bamboo.

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!