mommysew

Baby Knits

I finally got some pictures of the things I knitted for our new little man! Nothing too exciting, but nice basics.



I made his blanket using a variety of Cotton Ease colors - some I had used in Ben and Ellie's blankets, and some 'new' colors. I based the blanket on the Tulip baby sweater. I did a seed stitch border, and then worked stockinette stitch for 11 rows, and knit row 12 to make the ridges. Then I changed colors. I did three repeats of the colors, and it could be a bit bigger, but it's fine. I ended with the seed stitch rows, and then picked up along the sides of the blanket and worked 8 rows of seed stitch there too.



I wanted a cute hat for his newborn photo shoot, and I returned to this old favorite. The pattern is from an old Debbie Bliss book - Kid's Knits for Heads, Hands and Toes. It is much cuter on him, but still too big, so no modeled pictures!



And a simple welted newborn hat out of some leftovers. This barely fit in the hospital, but it was cute and received lots of compliments!

Now to get all the sweaters I have planned for the kids finished!

More gifts

A few more gifts for your viewing pleasure.

Pattern: Generic - 20 stitches (i think) 

Yarn: Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande - 1 skein

Needles: Sz 15 Clover bamboo 

Dates: ?

Mods: n/a

Thoughts: soft and squishy. A gift for Hubby's best friend's wife - her first knitted gift!

Pattern: Teddy Bear Hood from Kid's Knits for Heads Hands and Toes by Debbie Bliss

Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly DK - almost 1 skein

Needles: Sz 4 and 6 

Dates: December

Mods: no inner lining for ears. 

Thoughts: cute! 

Pattern: Football Hat from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson

Yarn: Berroco Comfort and Sirdar Snuggly (football)

Needles: Sz 7 Clover bamboo

Dates: December

Mods: color change

Thoughts: Looks super cute on - will have to make this again. 

These two hats were made for our neighbor's boys and she told me today that the football hat has gotten several compliments - yay!

I also made three pairs of slippers (from Knit 2 together), but I don't have pictures of them - hopefully soon!

I finished seaming hubby's sweater last night - it needs a good blocking and a zipper. I'm off to seam Salina for me - the knitting has been finished since August - I had no motivation to seam it while I was still pregnant and no time after The Bug was born. It is sweater weather now, so I want to finish it!

Christmas Knits

Well, I didn't make it, of course. I did wrap up hubby's sweater (I had all the pieces done) and told him that some assembly was required for it. I'm almost done seaming it now - hopefully will finish tonight. I also wrapped his two single socks that were finished and I'm hoping to finish the second socks this week. 

I did finish The Bug's outfit - weeks before Christmas, thankfully.

Pattern: #32 from Katia Bebe No 10

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool

Needles: Sz 8 Clover Bamboo

Dates: ?

Mods: Added buttonhole on straps, eliminated bias tape at bottom and fake pockets

Thoughts: Very cute!

Pattern: #31 from Katia Bebe No 10

Yarn: Filtes King Colors Baby 2 skeins

Needles: 3 mm Addi Turbos

Dates: ?

Mods: none

Thoughts: Looks teeny, but fit her fine. Very soft yarn, quick and easy knit

Pattern: Reindeer Booties from Family Circle Easy Knitting Holiday 2004

Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly - .25 skeins

Needles: US 4 Susan Bates

Mods: no nostrils

Thoughts: Cute! Though I forgot to put them on her Christmas day. Gah.

 
Pattern: Snowman Hat from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson

Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK (white and orange), Lion Brand Microspun (black and red)

Needles: US 7 Clover Bamboo

Dates: ?

Mods: Duplicate stitched on the eyes

Thoughts: Cute! Little tight around the noggin due to the hem. 

There are more gift knits to share coming up soon!

Lots 'o knits

I'm sick of feeling like I have 10 tons of unblogged FOs to show you, and I miss blogging in "real time" so I'm going to play super catch up. Hold on....

Leftovers Hat

Pattern: Simple Baby Cap #2 from Itty Bitty Hats

Yarn: Sublime Organic Cotton

Needles US 7

Mods: Made it shorter (5") before crown decreases as all of bambino's hats are too tall and fall down in her eyes, which makes her scream.

Thoughts: Love it. Super soft, fits great, cute!
Pattern: Upside Down Daisy Hat from Itty Bitty Hats

Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton

Needles US 7

Mods: none

Thoughts: This is the largest size (for a shop sample) and I think the petals would look better if they were bigger. 

Pattern: Bessie from Pick Up Sticks

Yarn: Lamb's Pride (white), Paton's Classic Merino (black)

Needles: US 10.5

Mods: none

Thoughts: This is super cute, and knit up super fast, even with the intarsia and the seaming. I knit it in two nights watching the Olympics back in August. Love it. 

Pattern: Jive Turkey Baby Hat

Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly DK (brown), Berroco Comfort DK (white)

Needles: US 7

Mods: Knit with dk weight to size it down for bambino

Thoughts: Very Cute! Everyone loved it, so it was worth the knitting for something she barely wore. 

Pattern: Baby Kimono from Summer 2005 Interweave (the very first knitting magazine I ever bought!)

Yarn: Mirasol Yarns Samp'a 3.1 skeins

Needles: US 5

Mods: none

Thoughts: Love this. This is the knit bambino is wearing most these days. Goes with everything, fits great, love the sheepy ribbon. Apologies for the tiny picture again. Will be knitting this again for future babies. Garter stitch, yum.....

There are a few more FOs to catch up on, and then actual knitting content, that I'm knitting right now! Shocking!

The Trouble with Finishing

I sat and had a finishing marathon this weekend - and it was worth it, as you'll see, but it also has a downside - stay tuned.



Pattern: Pinwheel Baby Blanket
Yarn: Cotton Ease - old colors
Needles: Sz 8 Clover bamboo DPNs and Circulars
Dates: Late June-July 18
Mods: none
Thoughts: I really hate this pattern at the beginning (it's so fiddly having those few stitches on the big DPNs), but I really enjoy it by the end. I wish I had made this a bit bigger, but I needed to finish it, as it is a gift. I predict there will be more of these in the future.


Pattern: Duck Hood from Debbie Bliss' Kid's Knits for Heads, Hands and Toes
Yarn: Berocco Comfort DK
Needles: Sz 7 and 3
Dates: um, June something to July 20
Mods: no foam in the beak
Thoughts: So cute! This is part of the bean's Halloween costume, per her dad's request. I'm working on the booties to go with (the ones from 50 Baby Bootees to Knit), and then we have to find her a yellow "outfit" to wear with.



Pattern: Ladybird Hat from the same book as the duck hat
Yarn: Wool Gotto
Needles: Sz 7 and 3
Dates: June something to July 20
Mods: none
Thoughts: Much cuter on a baby than shown here - the antennae don't stand up as well as I would like, but they are still cute. I may tack down the tops of them to keep them standing up.


Pattern: Olive You hat from Itty-Bitty Hats
Yarn: Sublime Merino, Tahki Cotton Classic and scraps of Rowan Cotton Glace
Needles: Sz 7 Addi's
Dates: June/May to July 20
Mods: I duplicate stitched on the pimentos, and didn't add them to the back.
Thoughts: Very cute! This is a gift (to go with the blanket), and I think the mom will love it. I love it!

There are several other finished knits, but I need to stretch the blog fodder for as long as possible!

The bad thing about all this finishing? Everything else that needs to be finished isn't so close to being finished as to finish in a day or so. So it may be a while before I have any more finished knits. However, if I stretch out the ones that are already finished, y'all may never notice! :)

I don't understand why my computer insists on turning some of the pictures. When I try to manually turn them back, it turns them again, and when I undo my manual turning, it has them turned. Argh! And it seems to pick and choose the ones it wants to turn, as all of these were taken "right side up." Grrr.

Baby hats on Parade!

Baby hats are really almost like the dessert of knitting. They are quick, easy, cute, use little yarn, and provide instant gratification. No wonder I've got four down, one that needs finishing and another on the needles.



Pattern: Sweet Baby Cap
Yarn: Hill Country Yarns Sweet Feet
Needles: Sz US 3 Clover bamboo DPNs
Mods: I think I did more repeats of the chevron pattern than the pattern called for - it was hard to tell if they meant 8 more rows or 8 more repeats.
Thoughts: Very cute and easy, once I got into the rhythm of the chevron pattern. I also like how the striping changed as the hat got smaller.



Pattern: Bunny Tails from Itty Bitty Hats
Yarn: Sublime Cashmerino (I think that's what it's called)
Needles: Sz US 7 Clover Bamboo circulars and DPNs
Mods: I didn't gather the bottom of the ear as the pattern calls for - I like it this way.
Thoughts: Thanks to a very lovely raveler, I was able to finish these. I was trying to eek this hat out with the leftovers from another hat that needs finishing, but I was short just below the ears. She graciously sent me almost 1/2 ball of her leftovers, so the ears were saved. :)


Pattern: Cherry-O! from Itty Bitty Hats
Yarn: Leftovers Knitpicks Merino Style in Petal and something else
Needles: sz US 7 Clover Bamboo Circulars and DPNs
Mods: No cherries - I like just the stripes, so I'm leaving it this way for now.
Thoughts: Cute!



Pattern: Inca Baby Hat from Kid's Knits for Heads, Hands, and Toes by Debbie Bliss (now out of print)
Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK in 7 colors (leftovers from the petal hat and two more colors)
Needles: sz US 6 Addi Turbo circulars and Clover bamboo DPNs
Mods: My row gauge was off, so I added some stripes after the people and before the top shaping. I also changed up a few of the colors to use what I already had.
Thoughts: I wish the bottom didn't still flip up (even after a crochet edging), but perhaps steam will help.

Next up - baby sweaters!

I can still finish things!

Proof that I don't only start projects, and that I am still knitting, contrary to what the contents of the recent blog entries would have you believe - finished knits!!

Some of these have been finished for a bit, but they were gifts, so they had to wait to have their turn in the spotlight.


Pattern: Reverse-Bloom Washcloth from Weekend Knitting
Yarn: Baby Bee Pitter Patter (Hobby Lobby brand) - barely a skotch of it
Needles: Sz 6 Circular and DPNs
Dates: Um, early May until early May?
For: Mom
Mods: none
Thoughts - goes surprisingly quickly, especially after you get into the rhythm of the petals. That said, I chose not to make another for my MIL for her gift. But I do need to use up the TONS of this yarn I have (OK, I think I only have five skeins, but since this project didn't even put a dent in one skein, I'll be knitting lots of washcloths).



Pattern: Feather and Fan Bonnet from Larissa at stitch marker
Yarn: Cantina cotton, 1/2 ball
Needles: Sz 6 Circular
Dates: sometime in April -May
For: two summer babies
Mods: none
Thoughts: I like this so much I made it twice! We have two friends having baby girls this summer, and I didn't want to suffocate them with wool gifts. I remembered I had this odd-ball of yarn in the stash (purchased a few years ago to get me up to Little Knits $25 minimum purchase). Cotton is good for those summer babies, and I thought the colors would look summery as well. Delightfully, I had enough yarn to make 2 bonnets, and bust a ball of the stash! Woo Hoo!



Pattern: Cherry-O! from Itty Bitty Hats
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton
Needles: Sz 7 Addi Turbo
Dates: April-May
For: Shop sample
Mods: none
Thoughts: When I make this again (and I probably will, as the baby will need one), I'll go down a needle size for the cheeries, as you can see the stuffing coming through. I also really didn't like the cotton/addi combination - it hurt my hands and this took longer than it should have as a result.


I've got one TWO! more FO(s) up my sleeve, but they deserve their own posts. I'm hoping to get a lot of knitting done on our extra day off Monday. 10 more days of school! Now if my principal would just make up her mind about whether I'm teaching summer school or not (kind of crunch time here!) and what grade I'm teaching next year, that'd be great.

FO Retrospective

OK, I suppose only one of these is really a retrospective, since I finished the other two this week, but at any rate, there is proof that I've been finishing things - and best of all, these were all gifts!



Pattern: Shrug This from One Skein Wonders
Yarn: Elann Highland Wool Chunky - about 3 skeins
Needles: Sz US 10 Clover Bamboo Circular
Dates: February 2008-March 1, 2008
Mods: Did more increases than the pattern called for, thus adding width and length. From Ravelry I learned that it ran quite a bit small, so I measured as I went and tried to make it fit my SIL's approximate measurements.
Thoughts: Quick, easy, but frustrating that the pattern really doesn't turn out a wearable size unless you modify it. I hope it fit my SIL - it was her birthday gift, but I haven't heard yet if it was a success.



Pattern: Simple Baby Cap #2 from Itty Bitty Hats
Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK (yellow) and worsted (purple)
Needles: Sz 7 Addi Turbo 16" Circular and Clover bamboo DPNs
Dates: Monday April 7-Thursday April 10.
Mods: I added the yellow brim as this is a gift for an LSU lovin' family.
Thoughts: Simple, easy baby hat. Made a lot of progress at knitting Thursday night. Maybe I should knit a baby hat every Thursday night!


Pattern: Flore from Knitwhits
Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK in green, lt. blue, lt. purple, pink and yellow - tiny bits of each
Needles: Sz 6 Addi Turbos and Sz 6 Boye 16" Circulars (clover bamboo DPNs for the top)
Dates: March 2008-April 6, 2008
Mods: none, other than changing the colors from the pattern suggestions
Thoughts: I was really nervous that this would be so fiddly that I wouldn't want to work on it. However, it went fairly quickly, and even the tacking down of each individual petal didn't take too long. It is super cute, and I would make it again.

I have been working on some other projects and maybe starting some new ones. More on them later this week (I hope). Oh, and the tree? Still hanging on the power line. C'mon power company!

Ketchup

I really have been knitting! Need proof?


Pattern: My generic 72 st sock with heel flap and gusset.
Needles: Chiagoo sz 2.25 mm DPNs
Yarn: Scout's Swag in Zuluknitty.
Dates: Um, September 2007-February 1, 2008.
Mods: none
Thoughts: I love these socks. I love the colors. I love how they sort-of stripe. I LOVE the base yarn. I've worn them twice and it'd be more if I did more laundry. Love. Go get some yarn people. Run! Now I really want to knit up my other two skeins of Scouty-goodness. Yum.



Pattern: Improvised hat - basic hat pattern with garter border.
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Superwash wool in the new tricolor.
Needles: Sz 7 or 8 Clover bamboo DPNs
Dates: January 2008-February 1, 2008.
Mods: Hubby really wanted an earflap hat, so that was the original intent. However, after I'd finished the hat part, and was going to go back and add the flaps, he decided he liked it the way it was. Voila!
Thoughts: Love this yarn too - so squishy!



Pattern: Fingerless gloves from Weekend Knitting - Ann Budd
Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Mist - about 1.5 skeins
Needles: Sz 7 or 8 Clover bamboo circulars
Dates: January 2008-February 1, 2008
Mods: None!
Thoughts: He seems to really like them and has worn them on the few cold days we've had.


Pattern: 1x1 ribbed scarf, inspired by all the other ones in the world.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, and I can't remember the two colors.
Needles: Sz 8 Clover Bamboo
Dates: October 2007-February 25, 2008
Mods: None
Thoughts: Don't know why it took me so long to finish, but I love it. My only complaint was with one ball of Silk Garden that kept pulling apart, leaving me with way too many extra ends. Wore it today and got tons of compliments. It really is pretty.


OK! Now that I'm all caught up with FOs, I wanted to share some fun with you. My LYS is having a retreat this weekend. All knitting, all the time. I'm really hoping to come home with some more finished objects. But a little wager has arisen. Apparently there is a pool to see how many projects I will bring. Funny, right?

In keeping with all fairness, I think y'all should get a shot at a prize too. So, you are invited to take your own guess, and the winner will receive a little goodie from the stash. To keep it fair, let me tell you that I currently have 40 WIPs. I hope to finish up two of those before we leave, but no promises. However, there is always the possibility that I will start new projects (at least I can admit this, right?).

TO PLAY:
EMAIL your guess to knitnlit AT gmail DOT com, with the subject line CONTEST. I will not open those emails until I get home on Sunday night. The contest will close at 4 pm CDT Sunday afternoon. Please do not leave guesses in the comments - I will see those, and I don't want to be swayed! :) And, if you know me IRL, you are welcome to play along too.

I think this post is long enough, perhaps I'll be back tomorrow to show you some of the new projects I've started recently, but it'll more likely be next week. Until then, happy guessing!

Sometime this has to stop, right?

I managed to finish up another project this weekend! Put some butter on me baby, 'cause I'm on a ROLL!

Pattern: Seaman's Cap from Brenda Zuk at Needle Beetle
Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Mist - about 1.75 skeins
Needles: Sz 7 Addi Turbos and Clover bamboo DPNs
Dates: Tuesday January 8 - Sunday January 13
Mods: I added length before beginning the crown shaping
Thoughts: Great length, according to hubby. Very soft and warm. Love this pattern.

I promise this won't turn into a FO blog, but I can't stop the train!