knitting in progress

It is only the first week of May, and already eight brand new babies have arrived, born to friends and family. Eight! That means a whole lot of baby caps and sweaters. And busy knitting needles.

As of now, I have three wee projects in the works. The first one is the pattern Puerperium Cardigan by Kelly Brooker at knit.so.quaint, a simple sweater designed for new parents to easily dress their newborns in the weeks after birth. Done in stripes of green and white cotton, this little sweater will be a fresh layer for cool spring mornings.

I have been hem-hawing around in my stash, looking for some luscious yarn that would make a few  unique newborn hats. Requirements? Something ultra soft, sturdy, rich, and surprising. Modern. And textured. Move aside, rosy pink and powder blue! Make way for something more rowdy. Maybe that is not exactly the right word. But take a look at what I came up with:

Oh, I love the colors! Next? A pattern hunt! I narrowed it down, and decided to go with Jared Flood's Turn a Square. The pattern has been on my to-do list for ages, and with a few simple alterations to the pattern, will make a lovely little newborn hat.

Using a nice grey in Bamboo Ewe, I cast on 56 stitches to size 7 US needles. Here are my notes:

Knit 2x2 rib for six rows.
Continue in stockinette stitch, knitting until hat measures 4" from cast on edge.
Place stitch markers every 14 stitches.
Work decrease rows and continue pattern as written.

The first hat turned out perfectly. With the next one, I might consider knitting 3 3/4" before beginning the decreases, just to make a slightly smaller, more fitted hat.

Only two more wee gifts to go. For now!

sweet baby things

Knitting projects! It seems like I have a dozen going all at once. And sometimes I am very bad and do not take pictures of those that are finished. This weekend turned into a catch up of sorts -- time spent finishing the last few rows on this project, sewing in ends to that, attaching notions on yet another, and photographing the latest of many baby gifts. 

I wanted a little something sweet and sassy in my gift giving this time around, so this little sweater made it on to my needles. For a baby girl, I chose hot pink and hot orange in my color choice. The pattern is Kids Seamless Sweater by Soulful Hues. I used Lily Sugar'n Cream -- a solid cotton that will be great for springtime wear. The pattern was a breeze, though I made a few alterations in order for the sweater to fit a wee one (see my notes at the bottom of this post).

The sweater came together smoothly and quickly. I paired the sweater with a lovely ruffly skirt in the same hot pink. What a lucky find for this little baby girl! And now, we will shower her sweet mama in love and gifts as we wait none so patiently for this little baby girl to join us.

***

I altered the Kids Seamless Sweater by Soulful Hues in order to fit an infant and it worked out perfectly, ending up at a 3-6 month size. My notes for a striped sweater, using a main color (MC) and a contrasting color (CC), are as follows:

CO 52 stitches on in MC using size US 7 needles.
Work 10 rows of K1P1 ribbing in MC.
Change to CC. K one round, complete one round of increases as described in pattern (K2 M1). K three rounds, complete second increase round (K2 M1) [approx 116 stitches]. K three more rounds.
Change to MC, K three rounds.
Next round:  K14, put 29 sts on waste yarn, K29, put 29 sts on waste yarn, K15. K six rounds in MC.
Change to CC, K 10 rounds.
Change back to MC and finish bottom of sweater as per pattern instructions, with K1P1 rib for 10 rounds.
Arms:  Place 29 stitches back on needles. With MC, K2tog right under the arm (where you will have to sew up the tiny hole later) then complete seven rows of K1P1 rib in MC. Do the same for the second arm.

Turkey Awareness Dye

It's that time again--holiday craft season has begun! I started my annual elving about a month ago, but I have only finished one project so far. It only took a day plus a few hours to finish, most of which was drying time, which took up Thanksgiving Day. Most people cook a turkey, but me? I cook yarn.

Using nine envelopes of Kool-Aid powder and 200 yards of wool, I made a very colorful skein of hand-dyed yarn for a friend's Christmas gift. My inspiration for this yarn came from the following image, which is a photograph taken during the Leonids:

 I took the better part of a skein of natural colored Cascade 220 and soaked it in a vinegar-water solution then laid it out in a casserole dish. I separately prepared the three blends of Kool-Aid in three individual jars.

In order to get the colors of the dye to replicate those I observed in the meteor shower, I experimented with flavor combinations. I used three packets for each third of the yarn dyed to get good color saturation. For the green, I used Lemon-Lime exclusively, and for the darker blue, I used Berry Blue. For the blue-green in the center, I combined two envelopes of berry blue and one envelope of lemon-lime.

Once the dyes were mixed in their jars, I poured them individually over the yarn, the green on the top third, the blue-green over the middle third, and the blue over the bottom third of the casserole dish.

 I put the casserole dish, yarn and all, in the oven and baked it for over an hour at 250 degrees. When I rinsed the yarn, some color bled out still, which makes me think it could have baked longer, though there is still a natural color definition between much of the color changes. Finally, I hung it to dry, and made a lovely skein.

$5 in Paris

I cast on for this sweater in February. By March, I had most of the body done. I set it aside for two months in order to knit up some baby things, but picked it up again at the beginning of June, when I finished the bottom ribbing and picking up the sleeves.

The pattern, $5 in Paris by Anna Peck, called for alternating stripes throughout the body and sleeves, but I kept with one single color in order to highlight the subtle color changes throughout the Malabrigo yarn in Tuareg. I also did short sleeves so that I could wear it on cool summer evenings. I love this sweater. I love it's easiness and comfort. And I love Malabrigo yarn. It is the softest wool I have  worked with yet.

Notes on my sweater: CO 152 for small on US 6 for a smaller neck (could have gone down another needles size or two). Switched to US 8 after ribbing. Worked pattern as written, for the most part. Tried it on two or three times to make sure fit was right. Did no side shaping. Sleeves: Had 43 saved stitches, picked up additional nine for 52 stitches. Knit seven rounds before doing nine rounds of ribbing, then BO.

fresh off the needles

 I finally finished knitting another scarf, just in time for another round of cold weather! I used Rowan Cocoon on US 10 1/2 needles, and followed Whitney Van Nes's Mistake Stitch as a basis for this project, though I made some simple alterations to the pattern to make a long, skinny, striped scarf. Here are my notes:

Using main color, CO 23.
Follow mistake rib for four rows.
Alternate colors every other row, following mistake rib. End with four rows of main color.
Bind off.

My scarf ended up being about six feet long and four inches wide after light blocking and lengthening. The pattern looks relatively complex when it was very simple. The yarn, a merino-mohair blend, is quite possibly one of the softest and squishiest I have ever had the pleasure of working with. It sheds an unbelievable amount, though. I should have just enough yarn left over to make a matching Calorimetry.

malabrigo swap winter 2011 - spoilage for my victim

This latest round of the Malabrigo swap has a great theme: The Simple Life.
Things are simplified, as we are only permitted to send a total of FOUR items to our partner. 

• 2-3 skeins of Malabrigo (they can be sent as is or knitted/crocheted into something for your partner)
• Something edible or drinkable
• Something to read or listen to (book/pattern(s)/CD/audiobook)
• Something your partner can’t live without (something THEY say they can’t live without

It was rough. And I cheated a little with the edible/drinkable, sending a few little things as one. Included in my package to my partner were two skeins of Malabrigo Silky in Ravelry Red; chocolate, tea, and a gorgeous mug [something edible/drinkable], The Hunger Games on audio CD [something to listen to], and Burt's Bees Lip Balm [something she cannot live without]. I would have loved to receive this package, and it was a real challenge to come up with only four things.

another baby gift

One of my beloved friends from college just had her baby yesterday (congratulations, Beth!). Last month, her sister threw her a baby shower. I unfortunately could not make it to the shower, but I made it in spirit. I knit up a little something for her baby girl and sent it to get there in time for the party. She loved it! Take a look!

I searched through my library and found a pattern for Small Things Bonnet by Carina Spencer and decided that the pixie hood would be perfect for a little girl. I raided my stash for some soft yarn and came up with a skein of Vermont Organic Fiber Company's O-Wool Balance, a lovely cotton blend. The pattern worked up quickly without a hitch, but I did braided ties instead because I was afraid I would not finish in time otherwise. The hat is the second largest size, so it should fit next winter and hopefully beyond!

For the wrapping, I purchased a cutesy wet bag from BABYbydanish on Etsy.

I wrapped the hat in pink tissue paper and set it right inside the wet bag, which doubled its purpose, making it a green alternative to gift wrap! Plus, there's no denying, it's extra cute. I also included two natural infant prefold diapers, which can be used as diapers if they choose to cloth diaper, which they have been contemplating, or as absorbent burp cloths.

I love the yarn, and I have a couple more skeins in a more natural color. Cotton blends tend to have a nice, clean sheen when knit up. It is a major bummer that the yarn has been discontinued. If I come across any in the future, I have to remember to pick it up for future baby projects.

malabrigo swap winter 2011 - received

I just got an AMAZING package from Bethany, aka psammeadred, for the Winter 2011 Malabrigo Swap on Ravelry!

Funny thing that I must share before I get to the goodies: I was stalking the delivery confirmation numbers for the swap this morning, and noticed that Bethany’s parcel was out for delivery in my city. Well, my daughters always get in the swapping mode when they know a package might be coming, and they were on the look-out for the mail truck all morning, hiding under bushes and behind tree trunks, waiting to ambush the postal delivery man! LOVE!! The entire family was home to help me dig in--and everything was unwrapped and being discovered in record time.

The theme for this swap was The Simple Life:

• 2-3 skeins of Malabrigo (they can be sent as is or knitted/crocheted into something for your partner)
• Something edible or drinkable
• Something to read or listen to (book/pattern(s)/CD/audiobook)
• Something your partner can’t live without (something THEY say they can’t live without)

Mother Nature favors me today, what with the sunshine and warmth, so I took photos outside! Here’s the loot:

For the yarn category, Bethany graced me with three cakes of Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Tuareg! The color is fandamntastic! As soon as I saw it, I knew that I already had big plans for it!

Something Drinkable includes three types of tea from a local teahouse! There’s Sweet Almond, Raspberry Vanilla Green (OMG!), and Lavender Earl Gray (my favorite EVER!). They are individually packaged in little heart tins with clear tops so you can see the beautiful colors of the herbs. So pretty!

For Something to read or listen to, Bethany picked Douglas Adams’s The Salmon of Doubt and a set of bright and spunky ear buds with interchangeable colors. I haven’t read this one yet, but I heart Douglas Adams so friggin’ much!

Finally, and with great suspense, the Cannot Live Without, which is nature and things that grow! -- A lovely gardening apron with yellow and blue butterflies, the books Colorful Hanging Baskets by Evelegh and Patterson and The Window Box Book by Fausch, and organic seeds for a kaleidoscope mix of carrots, a carnival mix of peppers, moon & stars watermelon, and mammoth melting peas! PERFECT, especially since we will be starting our seeds in less than a month!

 

A huge "Thank You!" goes out to Bethany for the time and thoughtfulness she put into this wonderful package! Everything coordinates beautifully! I cannot put into words how much I love everything! She really nailed this stalking thing!

my yarn stash

I have quite a stash of yarn. Right now, my stash consists of three large plastic tubs of acrylic blends in one tub, natural fiber blends in a second tub, and pure wool in the third tub, as well as one large tote bag full of cotton yarn. A lot of the yarn I have is either hand-dyed or hand-spun or one-of-a-kind in some way. And beautiful. Take a look at a few of the unique yarns I have collected:

Merino Sock Yarn from damselflyyarns

75% Superwash Merino wool, 25% nylon

200 yds, fingering weight, violets & purples

Geneva Cashmere Blend Sock Yarn from TraciKnits

80% Merino Wool/10% Cashmere/10% Nylon

435 yds, fingering weight, green & turquoise

Mulberry Merino from Plymouth Yarn

52% Mulberry Silk, 48% Merino

5 skeins, 495 yds, worsted weight, black

Silky from Malabrigo Yarn
50% Silk, 50% Baby Merino wool
3 skeins, 450 yards, DK weight, Archangel

Hand Dyed Chunky Alpaca from SoupToKnits
100% Alpaca
2 skeins, 212 yards, chunky