A whole lot of pink

Another pair of the Stay-on Baby Booties from Knitting for Baby, again made using the Filatura Di Crosa Italian cotton. They are for my hair stylist, who is having a little girl in a few short weeks. Aren't they yummy? Every time I make a pair of these I bemoan the fact they they don't come in my size. But this time I actually did something about it.

Behold, my new MP superwash wool tights from Cambridge Clogs in Porter Square (formerly Vintage, etc.) I've been wanting some warm tights for winter skirt wearing but have never been able to wear wool next to my skin for more than, oh, ten minutes or so without serious consequences. These MP tights are lined with cotton and are not itchy at all (they even come in organic cotton for those of you who are so inclined). I might have to go back for the blue pair, one can never have too many pairs of striped tights, right?

Eco baby

Remember the baby waiting? Little Keldan finally arrived and I got to meet him when I was in Canada over Thanksgiving. He is just gorgeous and you can already tell that he has his mom's adorable Icelandic nose.

Even though I'd already sent gifts to welcome him, I knew I couldn't show up empty handed. How else was I going to distract the new parents so that I could hold the baby? I decided to make a pinwheel baby blanket using the Blue Sky Alpaca organic cotton. I'm not sure where the pattern originated, but instructions have been floating around the internet for quite some time. This was such a fun and simple project and I love that the pattern can be adapted to any yarn/gauge. For this blanket I used 5.5 mm needles and the blanket turned out to be so soft and cosy, just perfect for warming a winter baby. I used three skeins of the main color (bone) and just over one skein for the ruffle (nut). The finished blanket was about a meter in diameter, but truth be told I didn't actually measure it.

The ruffle was the source of a bit of angst but resulted in a couple of very cool random encounters. Once the blanket was about as big as I wanted it to be I changed colors, knit one round and then doubled the stitch count by knitting into the front and back of every stitch. It got big very quickly and I had to go out and buy two extra 29" circular needles to hold them all. 

After increasing, I knit in seed stitch for about 5 rounds and then bound off. It wasn't quite finished by the time I left on my trip so I took it on the plane with me. I happened to sit next to a woman who was a knitter and admired the blanket. I gave her my pattern print-out and in return she told me about Addi knitting needles which are my new addiction.

Two days before I was supposed to visit wee Keldan and his parents I realized that I wasn't going to have enough yarn to finish the ruffle. A few panicked phone calls later I ended up in Three Bags Full which was the only semi-local shop I could find that sold the Blue Sky Alpaca yarn. Holy, holy, what an amazing shop! I think I'd be in there every weekend if I lived in Vancouver. When I explained that I was visiting from Boston they told me about the It's a Purl, Man podcast and the Common Cod Fiber Guild, neither of which I was aware of. I can't believe I had to go all the way across the continent to find out what's happening in my own back yard. Of course, I left with a bag full of yummy new wool and an Addi Turbo circular needle (thanks for the early Christmas present, Mom). But the best thing about Three Bags Full is that they have a heavy duty ball winder and will convert all your purchases skeins into tidy balls of yarn at no added charge. Seriously, all yarn shops should offer this service; it's a huge time saver, not to mention quite entertaining to watch.

These booties were made for wriggling

Behold, installments #3 and #4 in the "after dinner knitting so that I can justify not painting the basement" series of baby booties using this pattern from Knitting for Baby. See here and here for earlier work. I was delighted that each pair required exactly one skein of this yummy Italian cotton. I never know what to do with those few yards of leftover yarn from a project other than save it to use instead of ribbon when wrapping gifts.

These are already warming the toes of a certain newborn. I experimented with a braided cord instead of the knitted i-cord and really like how it turned out. Just a little daintier, in my opinion.

These are on deck, waiting for the next new arrival. I've already selected yarn for my next two pair. It's an addiction, I tell you.

Baby waiting gifts

Yesterday I put a little package in the mail for a friend who is expecting her first baby in the next few weeks. She lives on the other side of the continent so I wasn't able to attend her green baby shower in person. Apparently everyone 40 and under understood that it was an eco-friendly themed event and brought gifts that were either used or made using sustainable resources but she did get a few green-colored items from the older generation - too funny.

My green contribution was a pair of locally printed organic cotton onsies that I picked up at Ferdinand in Portland and another pair of stay-on baby booties that I knit using washable wool. I had intended to use hand-spun wool in the appropriately named (for a late October baby) All Hallows Brew colorway from Hands and Notions, but the gauge was way off and I couldn't make them work. My friend is a dedicated journal keep, so I included this lovely Nikki McClure mother's journal. And, of course, the Boston version of the Good Night Our World series so the kid knows were I live.

Oh, and if you are having a baby soon and I know you, expect a pair of hand knit booties from me. They are the only good thing to come out of the endless TV coverage of the recent election shenanigans, in our house at least.

Knitting is my new superpower

I was inspired by this week's superhero photo challenge to take some fun shots of myself modelling my new hand warmers. Hand warmers that I knit from the pattern in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts using some ancient Briggs & Little wool that I found in my knitting basket (I rarely knit, yet it seems that I am hoarding yarn). After my last marathon knitting project I needed something quick and easy to get my confidence back. These were definitely the ticket: I completed the pair in three evenings. They were a hit with my husband too and I had to make a run to my local knitting shop to get some Sublime cashmere silk to make him a pair in his requested color of sage green. One is done and it is sooo soft and yummy that I might need a pair too.

Last week I also received Knitting for Baby and have already completed a pair of the stay-on baby booties that I saw on Soulemama. This is my first "practice" pair and I have to say that this pattern gets an A+ for clear instructions and ease. Looking through the book I think it's actually got a lot of cute patterns that look quick and easy and I'm definitely going to try others. Their how-to-knit instructions and diagrams are also very helpful, I can see a novice knitter picking up this book and learning to knit without much frustration. Definitely a winner.

Squam update coming. I'm still processing the experience of the day and photos.

The 24 hour sweater

Remember this? It's the placket neck sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts that I started last October, intending to give as a Christmas gift. I finally finished it a few weeks ago, after having put it aside for six months when I realized that (a) I didn't understand the directions for attaching the sleeves to the body, and (b) I wasn't going to have it finished in time for Christmas. It turns out I panicked on the directions thing, because when I finally sat down and followed them, it was embarrassingly easy. As in not difficult at all and I was only four hours away from finishing it last December and could totally have made the Christmas deadline. Ahem.

Also, the observant among you will note that the sweater is from the 4-6 hour section of the book. It took me 20-24 hours to knit this, and that's not counting weaving in all the loose ends and putting on the buttons. I know I am slow knitter, but could it really have taken me 6 times longer than the average person to complete this project? I have made several sweaters (adult and child), knitted toys and scarves and they all took me a really long time. And, although I enjoy the rhythm of it, I worry constantly about whether or not I'm on the right row and increasing or decreasing in the correct places, which requires my full attention. How does one become a faster knitter (in particular, a fast knitter who can talk or watch TV while knitting)?

On the bright side, I am really please with how it turned out (the right size! no visible mistakes!) and now I have a handmade gift ready for giving. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn which I loved working with; it's so soft and supple. Plus, it's washable, which is key for a child's garment in my opinion. I'm going to give the pattern another try and see if it goes faster the second time around. Oh, and I'm going to make it a size larger, just in case.

Sidelined

I have lots more to show you guys. More smocks, patchwork scarves, hair pins and some fabulous new-to-me vintage brooches. Unfortunately everything is "almost done" but not yet ready to photograph. And, I had minor surgery on my right shoulder this morning which has pretty much ruled out sewing or crafting of any kind that involves lifting my arm up for the next day or two. Frustrating, not being able to finish projects when I am so close. Fortunately there are many, many projects in my past that I can talk about in the meantime.

Take this sweater, for example. Adorable, isn't it? I gave it to my nephew for Christmas two years ago. However, I actually started making the sweater years before for another child. To be honest, I started it so long ago that I don't actually remember who the original recipient was supposed to be. My nephew wasn't even a glimmer in the eyes of my brother and sister-in-law when the yarn was purchased and the knitting began. It took me so long to knit, that by the time I had all the pieces finished the child it was intended for had to have been in kindergarten. So I didn't even put the sweater together; I just tucked the pieces away and forgot about it. The storage box survived seven moves in two countries (it now has a green card).

Then my nephew came along and I remembered this pattern and decided to dig it up so I could make him a "hands up" sweater for Christmas. Was I surprised to find a nearly completed sweater in the right size! An evening or two was spent sewing the seams and adding a rolled edge at the neck and waist. Good thing, too, as I didn't actually look for the pattern until early December. And you know what? There was another partially knit sweater in the box with this one, same pattern, different colors. I'm sure someone will come along in a year or two who needs a sweater. By golly, I'll be ready.

Weekend progress

• 5 buttons sewn onto clutches (9 done!)
• 3 smocks cut out and ready to sew
• new fabric was washed and ready for use
• patchwork scarf plans in progress
• vintage button supply replenished
  

Oh, and meet my new distraction.
We had a week of pea soup weather (cold & rainy) so I started a pea green project intended for a lovely little girl. I love casting on a new project. The promising sounds of the needles clicking as the rows of stitches build up and the shape of the garment emerges. There I sit with my pattern and a mound of skeins and all I have to think about is the next stitch. Peaceful.