Yarn Along - Scrappy Striped Toddler Socks

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along again this week.  Lots of great knitting and reading ideas over there.

I've been knitting a pair of socks for Lil One out of some sock yarn left over from a pair I made for me and a pair for the husband.  The red-purple-blue stripes on the legs actually made a pair of socks for me and a simple hat for Lil One before I used up the last of it here.  Since I knew I would run out of that, I'm knitting these two-at-a-time so the socks will match.  I don't have a long circular needle in the right size, and I prefer double pointed needles for socks, so I'm using this technique from an old Knitty article to make one sock inside the other on dpns.  The blue-brown-black yarn is the leftover from the husband's favorite pair of socks.  Those were actually the first socks I made two-at-a-time on double points. I think it'll just be enough to finish these socks.  I'm hoping to finish them today and turn them in for Detention points in the HPKCHC.  Gryffindors try to "WIP the First" and turn in a Detention project on the first of every month.

The husband and I have been listening to the final book in Robert Jordan's (help from Brandon Sanderson) Wheel of Time mega-series.  I love these books, and love the audio versions.  We laugh all the way through the Matrim sections.  I may just have to start the series over when we finish this book.

Yarn Along - March Washcloth & Starting Them Young

Ginny's Yarn Along is a great place to see lots of knitting and reading ideas.  I'm joining again this week.  Thank goodness for the Yarn Along; it seems to be the only time I blog recently.

I found the March washcloth.  Niece K had stuffed all the knitted things from the coffee table into the toy purse they were playing with when she visited.  Makes perfect sense, but it took me a while to discover.  This washcloth is knit out of a cranberry color of Nashua Creative Focus Cotton (CFCT033), and the pattern is Box Stitch (March 7th on my perpetual calendar).

I've been reading Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf by Alana Dakos (of Never Not Knitting fame) a lot recently.  It's a sweet little book about a little girl learning to knit.  Lil One got the deluxe version of this book for Christmas (includes paper dolls and a jigsaw puzzle), and in the past week or so has completely fallen in love with it.  We read it several times a day and Lil One has started knitting her own blue scarf -- well, she's sat through two rows of 15 stitches with her hands on the needles, which I find impressive for a 2-and-a-half year old.  She's also incorporating phrases from the book into her speech.  She'll look at me and proclaim, "Mommy, you're a knitter!" or grab and hug the nearest random knitted thing and declare, "I love your knitting SO MUCH."  While I know this won't last, I'm pretty thrilled.

Frog-Turtle or Finally a Toy for Lil One

I just finished yet another project from itty-bitty toys.  One chapter of this book has five reversible toys.  I knit the one that is both a frog:

 and a turtle:

Knit with my go-to toy yarn of Plymouth Encore Worsted in Greenhouse and Light Greenhouse.  I made this for Lil One for her birthday next week.  Finally, a toy for my own kiddo!  Sometimes she'll pick up one of her toys, hug it, look at me and say, "It not for [name of another kid I've made a toy]."  So it's about time for her to get a knitted toy.  She loves both turtles and frogs, so this seems like the perfect toy for her.

The base of these toys is basically two infant-sized hats with decorations sewn on, then the bases are sewn together.  Here's a better look at the applique turtle shell.

 And here you can see the turtle inside the frog.

I am still loving this book.  I really appreciate how it includes the piecing together and "finishing" steps as you go, so I'm not left with a bunch of pieces and the prospect of a lot of seams and stuffing all at the end.  I may end up knitting every single pattern in this book before I'm done.  I borrowed itty-bitty hats from the library yesterday, and I look forward to going through that one, too.  I know at least ten people who are pregnant right now, so I'll be needing more than a few quick baby knits next January through April.

Olympic Report

My Lil One loves owls; her first favorite clothes were all ones with owls on them.  I love Kate Davies' Owl Sweater pattern - what a great idea to make a cable pattern into characters on a sweater!  Whimsical yet understated.  So I decided back in the spring that I should make the Owlet version of the sweater for Lil One.  Still being somewhat new at this parenting gig I said so in her hearing.  For the next two months every time she came to Knit Night with me, she'd point at the wall of Liberty Wool yarn, look at me, and say "Owl sweater."  So to be certain it would happen, I made the Owlet sweater my Olympic Project.

(It's the project I knit while watching the Olympics, so I'm calling it my Olympic Project.  Valid use of the language.)

The pattern calls for aran yarn, but I got gauge on the first try in the worsted weight Liberty Wool on size 8 needles.  I knit the 24-month size, the largest of the "baby" sizes, and although Lil One turns two in a few weeks, I believe this will fit her all through this coming winter and spring.

I must have been in the zone during the Opening Ceremonies party at my LYS, because I managed to knit more than one whole ball and got nearly to the underarms.  I knit the sleeves at the same time on one long circular needle (which wasn't quite long enough for comfort), then the adorable and easy owl pattern, decreases, ribbing, and Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off.

I think I like the matte buttons with shanks better than the shiny buttons with holes, but my local giant-craft-store didn't have enough of them, so I just used them for the center(ish) owls on the front and back.  Finished sewing on the buttons on Wednesday, August 8, comfortably ahead of schedule.  I submitted the sweater to the Ravellenic Games, earning three medals -- Baby Dressage, Cable Steeplechase, and Sweater Triathlon.  Also submitted to Quiddich in the Harry Potter Knit & Crochet House Cup, but not for real points as I'm still a Not-Quite-First-Year.  I did complete my sorting form this month, so I hope to have a House and start playing "for real" in September.

Overall I'm very happy with this project, and am really looking forward to giving it to the Lil One for her birthday.

Finish all the things and start a game

I finished Dad's vest in time to give it to him on his birthday! and it fits! and he likes it!

My apologies for using so many exclamation points, but this project has been weighing on me for almost three years and now it's done and all is well!  I have to find a new project to promote into the drawer it has been occupying.  Probably this year's Christmas stocking knitting.

Finishing this project, and having been monogamous to it for about three weeks, seems to have inspired me to finish up several other things.

2012 Washcloths May edition:

 Ribbed chevron pattern, April 27 from my pattern-a-day calendar.  This was a hard pattern to "read" - I had to keep the pattern on hand for a long time instead of just being able to follow the knitting.  It used my regular dishcloth yarn of Sugar 'n Cream.
Purse socks:

 Universal toe-up formula with 2x2 ribbed legs.  I started these sometime last fall, which may mean that my purse sock speed is increasing.  My brother gave me the yarn for Christmas a few years ago.  I've already cast on the next pair of purse socks.  These will be top-down and for the husband.  A nice dark green yarn that seems to be a single ply.

Baby socks for the Lil One:

The pattern for these was Toddler Socks from the blog Creating a Family Home.  I used the yarn left over from the pair of socks I knit several years ago to learn the two-at-a-time technique (on dpns).

 I have recently discovered the Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup group on Ravelry.  I had heard about it in passing before, but this past month I listened to a description of it on an older episode of The Well-Knitted Life podcast, and checked it out.  It's a game where knitters join in, are sorted into houses as in Hogwarts, and earn points for their houses by knitting or crocheting.  Each term is three months long, and each month there are eight classes offered; each class gives a homework assignment, usually with several options.  You have to knit (or crochet) something within that month and make an argument that it meets the homework requirements.  The idea is that each student turns in at least one class assignment per month to qualify to get sorted and keep playing next term.  There are also Quidditch teams, challenges, WIPs can be turned in to detention, and so on and so on.  After getting sucked in and wandering around all the discussion threads and links for quite some time, I joined the group.  Because I joined after term started, I didn't get sorted into a house and my status is "Not Quite a First-Year" -- points I earn don't count toward any house's total, but they could help me earn priority for sorting next term.

It's all very complex, but also a lot of fun.  If you like the Harry Potter stories and might like to use that world as a framework for some knitting challenges, I encourage you to check out the group.  They do a much better job of explaining things than my little outline, and everyone is happy to answer questions and help newbies get started.

So anyhow, I joined and I'm really enjoying it.  I turned in the squishies for the assignment in Care of Magical Creatures.  May's prompt was about studying thestrals and abraxan (two kinds of flying horses), so one of the options was to knit something using a worsted weight "workhorse" yarn.  The squishes were knit out of worsted weight, and I knit them entirely within the month of May, so they qualified.  The toddler socks met the Mini-sock Challenge for Quidditch -- no more than four inches tall and long, and knit between May 18-28 -- so I turned those in as well.

Hopefully this trend of knitting efficiently and finishing things will continue!

Quick Gift Knit

After blocking and seaming the diamonds sweater vest this week, I turned my attention to a quick gift knit.  Our friends' kiddo turned one this week and to prepare for the party I pulled out my copy of Susan B. Anderson's itty-bitty toys (ravelry link).  I've owned and admired this book for a while now, but hadn't knit anything out of it.  It's one of these hardcover-but-spiral-bound books that will lay all the way open and has beautiful photography by Liz Banfield.  It starts with a thorough Technique Notebook that includes some toy-knitting tips.  Two of these tips are to knit in the round and stitch together as you go to minimize the finishing work.  I couldn't agree more!  The first chapter of projects is called "Quick and Easy" which is where I found the perfect gift for a one-year-old and also the perfect project for me this week:

 "Squishies"  I made one in each size given, using my workhorse toy yarn Plymouth's Encore Worsted in a bright Christmasy green whose ball-band is long gone and Encore Colorspun (the self-striping worsted) in color 7514.  It was a clear and simple pattern, and would be easy to size up or down a bit for even more sizes.  I've already picked my next project from this book to knit for another friend, and I need to go inventory my Encore stash to help me decide which other project to knit for a niece's birthday.  But I believe I'll also need to make more squishies.  Not only were they fun, fast, and satisfying to knit, but this happened while I was trying to take pictures:

Lil One exclaimed "Yarns!" grabbed them up, and ran around hugging them.  More knitted toys for this kiddo!

Yarn Along - Overalls

Shortly after the Christmas knitting was done I cast on some overalls for the Lil One. I've had these in my mental queue for a long time now. The pattern is from Dale of Norway - part of set #1 in Dale booklet #135 (as far as I can figure out Dale's naming system). I made the wrap pullover from this set for my cousin's baby as my Olympic Knitting Project during the Vancouver Olympics, so I guess these overalls have been in my mental queue for almost two years now.

The yarn is the discontinued Reynolds Wash Day Wool. I stockpiled it when my LYS had it on closeout sale, but didn't get nearly enough. This has been my go-to yarn for small gauge baby items and I will be very sad when I run out. But before I do, I'm going to use it in something for my Lil One. I have plenty for the overalls, but they will likely get some extra stripes as I run out of some of the colors.

This project has taken a backseat to the current baby blanket project, but I've finished one leg and am over halfway up the second one.

The book is one I just received from my dad: Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman (my apologies for not knowing how to put the accents in bebe). Recently I'd both heard an interview with the author and read an excerpt of the book and was intending to find the book when my dad presented me with a copy. Hooray for parents knowing me so well! So far the book is quite good.

I'm joining Ginny's Yarn Along again this week, and I hope you'll check out more of the projects and books linked up over there!

Yarn Along - Doll Sweater

Sometime in mid-January, Lil One was suddenly all about the doll. Doll needed kisses, Doll needed to eat, don't forget the bib, Doll needed a bath, etc. Lil One had me put her coats on Doll so many times that I decided Doll needed her own coat. The doll to which Lil One has become attached is one of my old dolls and not a standard-size. Most of the patterns I could find on Ravelry seem to be for the 18-inch size dolls, but I finally found a cardigan I thought would work, and it came out perfectly.

I used Sweater for Ysolda Teague's Otto Bear by Snowden Becker (ravelry links). I am unfamiliar with Otto Bear, but the sweater looked to be the right size and shape for Lil One's Doll, so I cast on. I didn't make a gauge swatch or anything, just took off using some worsted weight Encore from the stash and size 6 dpns. I was afraid that if I took too long this phase would be over before the sweater was done. Lil One was excited to see me starting this project:

I stopped the sleeves four rows short because Doll has very short arms, and I haven't put any buttons on it yet, although I probably will sometime in the future. I really like this pattern, and I may have to make an Otto Bear to go with it sometime. The sweater does get use, and Lil One still requests Doll's coat from time to time. But mostly she likes to pull it off of Doll.

Doll and her Otto Sweater are pictured with Ten Apples Up on Top a great Dr. Suess/Theo LeSieg book. Lil One loves apples and loves this book. She hasn't tried to balance any apples on her head yet. Check out Ginny's Small Things blog for more Yarn Along projects and books!

Christmas Dress

I didn't let myself think of this as a Christmas dress until it happened to get done almost on time (before Jan. 6th counts as nearly on time, I should think).

Here it when I had finished the knitting still with ends to weave in, a ribbon to weave through the eyelets around the chest, and a button to be found and sewn on the top of the back. Those things have all since been done, although not photographed.

This picture was taken just a few moments after the first one, when Lil One leaned the word "dress" and insisted on wearing it right away. She seems to really like it, and it should be a good fit from now through summer, I think.

Only one more Christmas-catch-up post to go.

Yarn Along

This week, a finished hat and a new book.

I finished the leftover sock yarn hat for Lil One. It actually stays on her head! She sometimes even puts it on herself. Major win. It's a simple roll-brim stockinette hat. After decreasing down to four stitches around I did a few inches of i-cord and tied it in a knot. I might still have enough of this yarn left for Lil One socks.

On the husband's recommendation, I have started a new book, Insomnia by Stephen King. He claims it won't make me afraid of any more previously innocuous objects (like mirrors at night, thanks Lisey's Story). So far so good.

For more Yarn Alongs check out Ginny's blog and all the great links there.

Yarn Along

Climbing back on Ginny's Yarn Along wagon this week with a picture of two things I work on in little bits.

The knitting is a hat for the Lil One. If you think you recognize the yarn from an earlier post, you're right. I'm using the yarn left over from the pair of socks I just made for myself. At first I thought I'd make some little toddler socks, but then I realized that we have many more socks than cute warm hats, and there was a lot of yarn left over. I'm using the Yarn Harlot's steps for a basic hat.

This is my diaper bag project. It lives in its own little pocket in the diaper bag and I work on it whenever we're out and about and my hands are free for a few moments.

The book is a collection put together by Harold Bloom called Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages, which seemed like something I should read in preparation for picking out books for the Lil One. It's divided into seasons, and I'm currently in Autumn. Spring seemed much darker somehow.

This is the book I read while brushing my teeth. I don't know how much I've learned in the first year of being a parent, but I have learned this: If I don't work books into distinct little corners of down time in my life, I won't get anything read. So I read a little snippet of this book every time I brush my teeth. Just like diaper bag or purse knitting projects, little snippets add up.

Yarn Along

Last Monday at Knit Night I started a dress for my Lil One. I've knit this pattern three times before for nieces, but that was two years ago. It's the Cotton Candy Dress (Ravelry link) designed by Celeste Pinheiro, and is in the book Knitting for Babies and Kids, edited by Jeanne Stauffer. This is still one of my favorite books for knits-for-kids. This time I'm making the 18-month size and once again using Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Cotton (100% Mercerized Cotton). I think the bright blue will go well with the Lil One's eyes. Last time I couldn't make the sleeves work, and I haven't decided yet if I will try them again. If I do, I think I'll just pick up around the the armhole and work them top-down in the round.

The book I'm reading right now is Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer. It's all about his year training to compete in memory championships and all the things he learned along the way about how our memories and minds work. This is one of those books I heard about on the radio and had to go borrow from the library right away. It's a very interesting book. In fact, while I've been writing this post, my husband has started reading it; I'm not sure I'm going to get it back to read tonight.

I'm playing along with Ginny's Yarn Along again this week.

One year already

I didn't join in the yarn along yesterday, because there's something else I wanted to blog about.

Yesterday was my baby's first birthday. I haven't done tons of knitting for my Lil One yet; most of my knitting still finds its way to other people's homes. I already blogged the blanket that I finished last fall, and there were the leg warmers made from blanket left-overs. However, this spring I did make a sweater for the babycakes.

(The pieces took a bath in the sink, rather like their owner)

It's a Baby Bolero by Debbie Bliss, made out of Reynolds Wash Day Wool in periwinkle. I made the 9-12 month size, thinking it could be used as a spring and fall sweater, which is working out so far.

I absolutely love the Reynolds Wash Day Wool, and am so sad that it is going away. This has been my go-to yarn for baby projects for a while now. I stocked up on it at my LYS at their recent clearance sale.

The pattern is in a book too, but I got it from the magazine you can see in this picture. There's another cute toddler sweater that I'm planning to make, too. It's a well-written pattern, and I like the construction and the shape of it.

Here's the Lil One trying it on after the shawl collar was done, but before the sleeves were attached.

As you can see in previous pictures, I blocked the pieces before putting it together, but have yet to give it a good blocking after adding the edging/collar. I really like it, but it has a strong tendency to curl and could benefit from serious blocking.

It got cool enough on Labor Day that she got to wear it for her birthday party, too.

So that's the knitting-related baby news. Next in the queue for her is a cotton candy dress like the ones I made for her cousins two years ago. But there will be a few other things before we get to that.