tatt3r's knittingstuff

Baby Hat in Eyelet Mock Cable Rib

2009-09-25T07:43:00.004-04:00

Knit with #5 dpns and TLC Baby Sport, it should fit a newborn.
Cast on 70 sts (16-18-18-18)and work 2 1/2" in k1p1 rib.
Move sts to (15-20-15-20) this pattern is a multiple of 5.

Rnds1-2 *k3, p2*
Rnd3 *sl1, k2, psso, p2*
Rnd4 *k1, yo, k1, p2*

Knit in pattern until hat measures at least 5 1/2" from the beginning. Stop after round 3, decreases begin with the next round. Shift your stitches so each needle begins with 2 purl stitches.

Rnd1 *p2, k2*
Rnd2 *p1, k2tog, k1*
Rnd3 *k2tog, k1*
Rnd4 *k2tog, k2*
Rnd5 *k2tog*

Finish ends.

Alternate beginning: I began with 72 sts (16-20-16-20) and k2p2 rib for 2 1/2". On the first round of the pattern, I decreased 1 stitch on my 1st and 3rd needles and ended with (15-20-15-20). I worked 5 complete repeats of the pattern, and 3 rounds more, then started my decreases.

Baby Hat in Snowdrops Stitch

2009-09-04T18:14:00.003-04:00

Knit with #5 dpns and TLC Baby Sport, should fit a newborn.
Cast on 72 sts (16-20-16-20) and work 2 1/2" in k2p2 rib in the round.
This pattern is a multiple of 6, and now you need to shift your stitches to (18-18-18-18).

Rnds1-3 *p3, k3*
Rnd4 *p3, yo, (sl1, k2tog, psso) yo*

Knit in pattern until 5 1/2" from the beginning, begin decreasing after Rnd4.

Rnd1 *p2, k2tog, k2*
Rnd2 *p2, k1, k2tog*
Rnd3 *p2, k2*
Rnd4 *p1, k2tog, k1*
Rnd5 *k2tog k1*
Rnd6 *k2tog k2*
Rnd7 *k2tog*

Finish ends.

Baby Hat in Waving Rib

2009-08-31T08:16:00.003-04:00

Knit with #5 dpns and TLC Baby Sport, should fit a newborn.

Cast on 72 sts (16-20-16-20) and work 2 1/2" in k2p2 rib in the round.

This pattern is a multiple of 6, and now you need to shift your stitches to (18-18-18-18).

Rnd1-4 *k4, p2*

Rnd5-8 k1, *p2, k4* end k3

I repeated the pattern 3 times, 24 rounds. Your hat should measure between 5 and 5 1/2" from the cast on edge.

Shift 4 sts so each needle begins with 2 p sts (of rnd1), and begin decreasing.

Rnd1 *p2, k1, k2tog, k1*

Rnd2 *p2, k1, k2tog*

Rnd3 *p2, k2tog*

Rnd4 *p1, k2tog*

Rnd5 *k2tog*

Rnd6 *k1, k2tog, k1*

You have 9 sts left, finish off.

Baby Hat in Links of Lace

2009-08-25T10:54:00.004-04:00

This is not the best picture of the hat. My knit, stuffed ball is a bit too big, and the hat is stretched too far. I originally found Links of Lace in a sock pattern. While I didn't have to change it to knit in the round, I have had to devise my own decreases.

Knit with #5 dpns and TLC Baby Sport, should fit a newborn.

Cast on 72 sts (16-20-16-20) and work 2 1/2" in k2p2 rib in the round. This pattern is a multiple of 6, and now you need to shift your stitches to (18-18-18-18).

Rnd1 *k2, p1, yo, k2tbl, p1*
Rnd2 *k2, p1*
Rnd3 *k2, p1, k2tog, yo, p1*
Rnd4 *k2, p1*

Knit in pattern until it measures about 5 1/2". I knit 20 rounds, and began my decreases after Rnd4.

Rnd1 *k2, p1, k2tbl, p1*
Rnd2 *k2, p1, k1, p1*
Rnd3 *k2, k2tog, p1*
Rnd4 *k1, k2tog, p1*
Rnd5 *k2, p1* (shift sts so each needle begins w/a purl st.)
Rnd6 *k2tog, k1*
Rnd7 *k2tog*

When you have 9 sts, finish off.

Today I delivered another 2 dozen hats to a local hospital. I'm a bit late with these, my summer has been stressful to the point where knitting hasn't been much fun. Life is easing up now, and I'll have to hustle to get 3 dozen done by the end of the year. Hockey season starts soon, and I knit most of my hats watching the Red Wings on tv. I can knit 2 hats in 3 games, not too bad.

Last time I delivered hats, I learned that they are a bit short sometimes in the winter - they lose many retired knitters when they head south. It's getting time to start on Christmas knitting for my family, too. Tatt3r's knitting needles will be heating up soon!

Baby Hat in Little Basketweave

2009-08-22T13:48:00.003-04:00

Knit with #5 dpns and TLC Baby Sport, this hat fits a newborn.

Cast on 72 sts (16-20-16-20) and work 2 1/2" in k2p2 rib. This pattern is a multiple of 6, and now you need to shift your stitches to (18-18-18-18).

Rnd1&2 *k2, p4*
Rnd3&4 *k2, p1*

Repeat for 18 rounds, you should be about 5" from the beginning. Move your stitches so there are 4 purl sts at the beginning of each dpn.

Decreases:
Rnd1 *p1, p2tog, p1, k2*
Rnd2 *p1, p2tog, k2*
Rnd3 *p1, k2tog, k1*
Rnd4 *p1, k2*
Rnd5 *k2tog, k1*
Rnd6 *k2tog, k2*
Rnd7 *k2tog*

You should have 9 sts. You know what to do. You gonna make me write it out? Nah.

Baby Hat in Diagonal Eyelet Rib

2009-08-18T12:04:00.004-04:00

I used TLC Baby, a sport weight yarn, and #5 dpns.

Cast on 72 sts, (16-16-16-24)
k2p2 rib for 2 1/2 ".

Rnd1 *k1, yo, skp, k3, p2*
Rnd2 *k6, p2*
Rnd3 *k2, yo, skp, k2, p2*
Rnd4 *k6, p2*
Rnd5 *k3, yo, skp, k1, p2*
Rnd6 *k6, p2*
Rnd7 *k4, yo, skp, p2*
Rnd8 *k6, p2*

Repeat Rnds 1-8 2x, begin decreasing at Rnd7 of the 3rd repeat of the pattern.
Rnd1 *k1, k2tog, k1, yo, skp, p2*
Rnd2 *k1, k2tog, k2, p2*
Rnd3 *k1, k2tog, k1, p2*
Rnd4 *k1, k2tog, p2*
Rnd5 *p1, k2tog, k1*
Rnd6 *k2tog, k1*
Rnd7 *k2tog*

Knitter's notes: skp = slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over; use a stretchy cast on. Twisted German Cast on is my preference. Knit ribbing 2.5", knit body of hat for at least 2.5", begin decreases. Pattern is written in the round, use dpns or circular needle and magic loop. My gauge is about 5spi, 7rpi. This hat will fit a newborn, stretches to about 12".

In the Mail Monday

2009-08-09T15:07:00.004-04:00

I'm late with this baby gift. Katelyn was born in June, and I've had the sweater done for over a month! In my defense, she lives in California, and won't need it until winter. When we're knee deep in snow, she'll be snuggled in my little sweater.

Katelyn has an older brother, and he gets the bug-eyed hand puppet. It looks weird, but in my experience, little boys like strange, buggy critters the best.

I tucked in two bibs, a little on the small side, and the earflap hat is because I remember Katelyn's mom had earaches as a kid. I hear the booties are wonderful because the tall cuff helps them stay on forever.

I'm almost ready to make a delivery of baby hats, only 3 more to go!

Knitter's details: I started with the Seamless Baby Kimono and heavily modified it. I used the same earflap hat I made for Bean last winter, and the booties are EZ's and can be found in one of her books. I used an entire skein of Lion Brand Baby Soft, the color is called Candy Print, and it weighed 4 oz. I used #5 needles. The bibs are the Simple Baby Bib, and the hand puppet is my own creation!

Thanks for the Hats!

2009-06-05T12:08:00.004-04:00

I delivered baby hats about 6 weeks ago, and have not kept up the pace recently. I've been tatting, gardening and just living, and I set baby hats aside for a few evenings.

But I'm energized once again, because I got a Thank You in the mail today! It came at the right time, and I've been smiling all morning.

JoAnn had my favorite baby yarn on sale so Kaylee and I hopped in the truck and picked up some pink. (No blue, we'll have to go back next week and see if they've restocked).

When we returned, the mail had been delivered, and I had this wonderful note signed by all the nurses. Wow. I was overwhelmed to get some thanks from the nurses. I know, they probably sent the same thing out to everyone who knits hats, it's not just me. But I don't want to think of it that way. I want to believe they thinking of me and my hats when they signed the card.

Hat and Booties in Garter Stitch

2009-05-28T09:28:00.005-04:00

I finished a hat and booties for Diametrag's sitter who is expecting a girl in late August or September. Diametrag gave me the yarn before she had Bean, so it's properly aged. I found the partial skein of DK yarn (90 grams) and decided it was time to use it up. Besides, I like the synchronicity of using Diametrag's yarn to make a gift for her sitter.

I finished the hat and one pair of booties, and had about 30 grams left. Not enough for a sweater or a hat, but enough for a second pair of boots. I thought it was a good idea - I remember losing one of a pair of hand-knit booties in the laundry, and not finding it till the kid had outgrown them. (I think it crept inside J's sweatshirt and spent the summer in hiding.) This way she'll have a pair and at least one to spare.

The patterns are Elizabeth Zimmermann's Bonnet and Booties to go with the Baby Surprise Jacket. The booties are a quick knit; the bonnet is a little tedious, even with the simplicity of garter stitch. The bonnet has an interesting shape, and I think it will do a good job of covering ears and staying on.

I used #5 needles and DK or sport weight acrylic yarn of unknown brand. (The label was gone). I started with 90 grams, and have about 8 grams left.

I have another baby gift I want to knit - another little girl. I bought two skeins of Lion Brand Baby Soft, Candy Print. It's not as pretty as the previous yarn, but it's mint green, pink, and yellow, no blue in this one.

I'm trying to decide which sweater I want to knit. A kimono would be nice, no buttons down the front. Seamless is always my preference, so a top-down raglan would be best. So far, I'm leaning toward the Seamless Baby Kimono I made for my nephew's little boy, but then the garter stitch hat and booties wouldn't coordinate as well. I'd have to find a stockinette pattern, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Bernat has a garter stitch kimono, infant sizes and DK yarn, but it is knit in pieces and sewn up. Ugh. My seams are not good. I'll have to think on it. I have two lace projects I must finish, then I'll start this project. This baby is due any day, and my gift will be late. But I can make a six month size and Kaitlyn can wear it through the winter. Love that name.

Delivery Day

2009-04-24T08:59:00.003-04:00

Today I'm delivering 2 dozen baby hats to my local hospital. Here they are, all clean and ready to go.

Don't think that babies don't need hats because it's warming up for summer. Newborns don't have the ability to regulate their body temps right away, and hats help them stay warm.

I'm planning to make another delivery in July or August. I'm knitting a doily for the county fair right now, and when that's done, I'll be back at the hats.

I knit this duduza doll and intended to give it to Bean. When it was done, I liked it so much I decided to keep it for awhile.

I made another one which was modeled after a troll in one of Bean's books, Three Billy Goats Gruff. I got two shades of purple, and made a duduza doll which closely resembled the storybook troll. It was fun, and Bean carried him around for a few days. I like the shape of that doll - it has no arms or legs to sew up. Simpler is always better in my book.

Dragon or Dino?

2009-02-24T11:08:00.002-05:00

The pattern said Dragon, but I think it's a Dinosaur. It's for Bean, my grandson, and he won't care what it's called, he'll just make it growwwlllll.

The original was sport yarn, I used Red Heart Worsted. Knitting with #6 needles left a few gaps, you can see one by the eye. I should have either used #5s or a double strand of yarn, but by the time I realized that, I was not going to frog all that knitting.

The pattern has several mistakes and I had to grit my teeth and fudge some decreases. I finally relaxed about the whole thing when I told myself, "It's just a toy!" and so Bean will have a squishy toy from his grandma. The eyes are a bit creepy, but I like the crocheted shells up the spine. Pretty cool for a gal that can't crochet much.

Here's another project, a Duduza doll. I didn't want to knit a traditional teddy, with all those pieces, and all that sewing. I read about a charity that needed Duduza dolls and I thought I would try the pattern for Bean. Of course, I had to change the pattern just a bit. First, I decided to knit it in the round. I hate sewing seams, plus I'm not so good. Then I decided to get even fancier, and started off with a closed tube, double knitting. I added a few stitches to make the doll wider, then had to make it a bit longer to keep the proportions correct. I knit all evening, finally putting it away just before bedtime. All I need to do is find some brown variegated yarn for the hair and...Wait a minute.
As I drank my coffee this morning, I realized if I finish the hat/hair and decrease, I won't be able to stuff my doll! Wow, that was close! Knittin' Grandma had a senior moment last night, and only the gray dawn of morning saved her from a Serious Knittin' Goofup!
Now the plan is to stuff the doll, finish the head, stuff and then seam the arms/legs/neck/waist.
My Great-Nephew was born at the beginning of the month, and I'm getting his package ready to go. I have the Seamless Kimono, in sock yarn, a pair of booties from the leftovers, and a bright blue bib done in kitchen cotton.

Seamless Baby Kimono - Done!

2009-02-04T14:16:00.003-05:00

The kimono is done, and I have about 32 grams left from my 100 gram skein! I could make 2 pairs of matching baby socks, I don't think a hat would be used much. I made 2 ties at the corners but am wondering if I need 2 more ties inside. Or maybe a button and a loop. It's pretty lightweight, and the fronts might not stay put.

I notice the seed stitch borders tend to flip around, too. I'll see if I can't gently block it before I send it off.

The kimono is a good size, bigger than the 6 month size I expected. The sleeves are 3/4 length, and that was intentional. I found a partial skein of Opal Petticoat in my stash that is delicate pink, yellow and white. I have enough to make another kimono for a girl that will arrive this summer. I'm going to stop at the dime store tomorrow and find some #4 circs for that sweater. I think I'd prefer a firmer knit for the next one. #5s are just too big.

Seamless Baby Kimono in Sock Yarn

2009-02-02T13:27:00.004-05:00

I'm expecting to be a great aunt this month, and I guess I'd better pick up this little sweater again. I have had this skein of Regia Cotton Surf for years - it's so old it weighs 100 grams instead of 50. I've tried to make a scarf or socks with it several times, and each time I frogged it. There's something about the colors I don't like, but it will be fine for a baby boy.
My nephew lives in Georgia, and the weather is hot in the summer. I thought a light weight kimono would be useful for a summer cover up anywhere the A/C is too cold. I find it hard to imagine too much A/C, but I don't live in the South.

I'm using the Seamless Baby Kimono from the Complete Fabrication blog. It's really just a top-down raglan sweater with surplice fronts. The original pattern is written for 8ply, so I've had to make some modifications for my little sweater. I'm using #5s with sock yarn, which is almost too big, but the resulting knit fabric is soft and light. I'm getting about 6 sts per inch, and I decided I wanted a 6 month size sweater, and 112 sts for the body.

I saw her kimono had 100 sts for the body, and so I multiplied everything by 112% to get my numbers. So far it looks pretty good, even a bit larger than I expected.

I also am keeping 3 stitches in garter for the front border, and it's nice and stretchy. I finished the yoke and put the sleeves on scrap yarn; my skein has 70 grams left. I should be able to finish the sweater, and maybe even a pair of little socks!

More Baby Hats

2009-01-17T12:54:00.003-05:00

Two dozen baby hats delivered to the local hospital yesterday. Here they are all clean and ready to be folded and bagged. Most of them were k2p2 rib this time. They look tiny and plain, but there's a lot of stretch there. It's cold in this part of the world, and all babies need hats. Come to think of it, even big babies need hats in this weather. I knit a new one for myself, and maybe J. will take a picture of me wearing it. I put a new pattern on tatt3r's geocities site, with 6 ribbed baby hats. The decreases have all been tweaked and tested so they make a pretty good looking hat, IMO. Here's the pattern

Socks for me, and a picture I forgot

2009-01-11T12:49:00.005-05:00

I forgot to upload the picture of my Christmas knitting. I was asked to knit a pair of slippers - 2 strands of worsted weight acrylic and #8 dpns. My wrists survived, and I tackled another pair. It seemed that my knitting mojo was on its way back, so I knit 2 pairs of wristers and 2 hats. Then I added 2 pairs of booties and 3 bibs, and it was all done in time for the holiday!
Now I've power-knit a pair of birthday socks, and am taking it easy on a pair of socks for me. My sock drawer needs some refreshing, a new pair of warm, toasty socks will cheer up my toes.

The Knit Picks tweed is very soft, and my k2p2 instep doesn't pull in the way it did for the Opal birthday socks. As I knit, I am thinking of stopping the rib after the heels, and working the cuffs in plain stockinette. I don't care if the cuffs are a little slouchy, but I like my sock to have a good fit inside my shoe. If the rib doesn't work in this yarn, why bother? It would look strange if I stopped in the middle of the foot, but I think I could live with a pair of socks that had plain cuffs and ribbed feet. We'll see.
Baby hats #22 and #23 are tucked in the side of the picture. I've got #24 OTN, should finish it today, wash the load on Monday and deliver the batch sometime this next week. I think of 24 warm babies and I smile. It's good to be knitting again.

Birthday Socks are gone, but I forgot a picture

2009-01-08T19:03:00.003-05:00

The Birthday socks are done, and two days early! DWE and A came by this afternoon, and she was happy to have them. She doesn't say much, but she knew her feet would be warm in these socks.

As I worked the cuff, I had a little knot in the skein and I cut it out and continued. When the color changed to the next stripe, I was amazed to see the progression had reversed! I cut the yarn again, unwound yarn from the outside of my skein till it matched, and then finished the sock. The cuffs now match, but instead of just two ends to finish off, that sock had six ends to weave in. I had heard stories about Opal yarn reversing direction but had never seen it in action. It was fixed easily enough, but still was a pain.

I'm working on baby hats again, and will make a delivery soon with 24 hats. I have just 4 more to go. With the cold weather predicted for this weekend and into the next, I will have lots of time for knitting. I have discovered I can knit baby hats while I walk on the treadmill, and get an inch or two done during my 30 minutes of torture. It's my own fault, after my broken wrist, I am extra cautious about walking on ice or snow on top of ice.

It's been a year since I knit any socks for myself, and these socks went so quickly, I decided to start another pair. I'm using Knit Picks Essential, Dune Twist, and #0s. Diametrag and DWE gifted me with a Knit Picks sampler of sock yarn for Christmas 07, and I'm stash diving with enthusiasm. Dune Twist is dark brown and caramel twisted together, and it's pretty and knitting up soft and smooth. A little splitting with the increases, but nothing terrible.

The plan is to balance baby hats with socks, and work in a little tatting, too. But that's another blog.

Birthday Socks - Update

2009-01-04T15:56:00.003-05:00

I finished the gussets, turned the heels and each sock has 20 rounds on the cuff. I have a few days before The Birthday, so I can relax a bit and pick up my baby hats again. I figure as long as I get 15 - 20 rounds done per sock, per day, they will be done in time.

I am not going to make extremely long socks, but they should be at least as long as the foot. They sure look skinny, don't they. It's the k2p2 ribs, plus her feet are narrower than long, not the usual square unit most feet are. I wasn't as accurate as I usually am with matching the stripes, but it's pretty good. As long as I can end in the same color stripe, I won't worry about it.

It's been about a year since I knitted real socks. I've knitted booties and baby socks, but nothing toe-up. I finished turning the first heel, and realized I had an extra stitch added in from somewhere. I looked but couldn't find my mistake, so I ripped it and reknit the heel turn. I was more careful when I turned the second heel, but when I started knitting the heel flap, I ended my first row with 1 stitch missing. This time I didn't rip, but tinked 2 rows, and started again. Whew. Now I'm on the home stretch, and don't expect any more problems. I had one tiny knot, which I cut out and now I'll have 2 extra ends to hide.

I plan to start another pair of socks right away when these are done. No rush, but the socks in my drawer are looking a bit tired. Time to increase the population, and extend the wearability of the old ones.

Birthday Socks

2009-01-01T07:05:00.004-05:00

I'm working on a pair of socks for a birthday on January 9. I probably won't give them to her on The Day, but I'd like to get them done pretty close.
Jake's gf has very cold feet, a birthday in January, and likes green. The yarn whispered her name as I looked through my sock yarn stash. I wasn't planning to knit a pair of socks, but now I am. Baby hats are on hold as I speed knit the socks. Fortunately she has skinny feet which aren't much longer than Diametrag's.
I started the socks Sunday night, but took a couple days off because I got a little cold. The socks are almost ready to start the gussets. The right sock, showing the instep, has 6 more rows to go, the left sock shows the sole, the stockinette side.
I'm making them in a plain k2p2 rib, Opal Chameleon. It was an impulse buy at my LYS, and I never liked it enough to start a pair for myself. Now I've gone through one color cycle, I like them a lot, and almost wish they were for me. I have sock yarn from last Christmas, thanks to Diametrag and Jake, and I think I will get started on pair for me when these are done. I can alternate between baby hats and socks, right?
Knitter's details: k2p2 rib, Opal Chameleon, #0 dpns, 68 sts, 50 rounds to the gussets. Toe up, 2 at a time on dpns, easy rectangle toe, heel flap and gussets. My gauge is 9 spi, 12 rpi.

Cabin Fever!

2008-12-21T11:39:00.002-05:00

As you can see, I'm not going anywhere today. Lake effect snow has edged further inland today, and I feel like I'm living in a snow globe.

Cabin Fever is a state of mind that knows no logic. If the roads were clear and dry, I would be content to stay at home, doing my normal Sunday stuff. But I can't go anywhere, and suddenly I have this intense urge to go somewhere or do anything. Anything away from the house.

I'm done with Christmas knitting. I kept my gift knitting to a minimum and managed to surprise myself with a nice variety of knitted warm stuff for my family. I took a picture, but won't post till after we have our Christmas get together. Sometime in February, when the roads clear up.

I've moved on to knitting for babies, and I aim to make a delivery to the hospital in mid-January. I have just over a dozen ready to go, and maybe I can make it 2 dozen.

They say that the hats for newborns should fit over a medium grapefruit, and preemies are closer to oranges. I happened to have some beautiful ruby red grapefruit from Texas (Thanks, Mom!) and so I thought I would check out the hats.

Yup. They fit alright. Don't worry, I'll wash the hats before they go to the hospital.

Bean and the 5 hour baby sweater

2008-12-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

The red 5 hour baby sweater fits Bean just perfectly. He's also wearing the red earflap hat that I made to match. It should fit through most of the winter. Don't you love those two little teeth and the big, gooey baby smile?

Another picture of Bean, just because I wish I were at Diametrag's house to give him a hug.

We got lake effect snow on Friday, and today a clipper system is dumping more snow. This vivid pink schlum finally opened yesterday, and it is a welcome spot of color this gray and snowy weekend.

Earflap Hat for Bean

2008-11-28T19:24:00.003-05:00

Here's another shot of the earflap hat in action. Yeah, the hat fits just fine, just a little room to spare. It will keep my little Travelin' Man warm in the car during the cold winter mornings.

He's almost 9 months old now, and a little suspicious of strangers. He warmed up quickly and shamelessly mugged for the camera. He's pulling himself to stand, sitting down (not falling down) when he's tired, and is an absolute speed demon when he wants to get somewhere in a hurry. He loves his Grandpa J, who reads him story after story. J has a history of scaring every little kid he meets, but Bean never flinches.

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner at Diametrag's house; good food, great family, lots of love to share.

Hat for Bean and Schlumbergera blooms

2008-11-24T14:59:00.003-05:00

I finished an earflap hat for Bean, it looks like a good fit to me. The booties are huge, but I'm taking them along anyway. We'll at least try them on and see how close they are. I used Woolease and #8s. The pair I made with #5s was almost too small. I should have dug a bit deeper and found my 7s, but I use them so rarely they are deep in a pile somewhere.

I used a pattern for an earflap hat I found on a blog. It's for dk weight, and I used the smallest size, Woolease and #8s. I feel confident the hat will fit, at least for the weekend.

Two more Thanksgiving Cactus opened this morning. I picked up the red one last year, and nursed it through the summer. It is a beautiful, true red, with a prominent white throat. This picture doesn't show the throat because I like the side view of these blossoms so much.

I picked up the yellow one this weekend, and the first blossom is now fully open. I was looking over the display of plants; pink, white, and orange. Then I saw this one, the only yellow one. I darted around a man who was holding a pink one and looked very undecided. I snatched the yellow from the table, "This one is coming home with me" I said. He put the pink one down and finally decided on an orange one. You snooze, you lose, especially when there's a yellow houseplant involved.

5 Hour Baby Sweater for Bean

2008-11-13T06:32:00.003-05:00

I finished the second sleeve yesterday, I need to pick up some buttons this morning. Bean is only 8 months old and this sweater looks huge to me. The chest is 22" and the sleeves and body are about 7". I'll see how it fits Thanksgiving Day. Maybe he'll be able to wear it to preschool.

I have another full skein and I plan to get matching hat and booties done before Thanksgiving. The weather has finally turned and Bean needs warm nose and toes!

White Schlumbergera

2008-11-12T12:39:00.003-05:00

My white Thanksgiving Cactus opened today. It's been in the cold spare bedroom and has a touch of delicate pink on the throat. The buds are creamy white, it's only when it opens you see the pink.
It may be White Christmas, but I lost the tag years ago. Back then I didn't appreciate that some plants were named. I bought it about the same time I got Christmas Fantasy and a yellow schlum. The yellow one died years ago, and I still have Christmas Fantasy, which is a wonderful peach-salmon color. That one is not doing so well, even though I repotted it this spring. I rooted 2 cuttings when I repotted, but no buds on that this year.

I'm not sure how old this plant is. It may be 20 years old; I think I remember moving it from Lansing to Grand Rapids. Last spring I lost the original plant; I rooted 6 or more cuttings so I have a backup again. I am better about backing up my plants than computer files.

I finished one sleeve on the 5HBS, about 1/2 on the second sleeve. I'll post a picture then.

5 hour baby sweater and more

2008-11-08T12:41:00.003-05:00

I finished the body of Bean's 5 hour baby sweater. The yoke looks small to me, but it may even out when I pick up the stitches for the sleeves. Bean may end up wearing this to preschool! I must admit I may have overestimated his length.
I figure I must have at least 6 or 8 hours into the sweater, but I'm not keeping close track. I can knit longer and longer before my fingers get numb, almost up to an hour at a time. I hope that next July I won't have any limitations.

Here's Bean! All dressed up and ready for his first Halloween.
He's almost walking and is determined to do it sooner rather than later. See the booboo on his forehead? Bean falls down, but it doesn't stop him for long.

Last I must show a picture of my newest Thanksgiving Cactus. I was at the grocery store where a small collection of schlums greeted me as I entered. They were all the same, a pretty rose-red with white streaks on each petal. I found a tag which gives the name Maruska. Remember the Addams family movie where Gomez dances the Marushka? The memory made me smile, so Maruska came home with me.

5 Hour Baby Sweater - for Bean

2008-10-28T15:01:00.003-04:00

I finished the yoke in Bean's 5 hour baby sweater. The sleeve stitches are on strands of scrap yarn, and I'm working slowly down the body of the sweater.

Now that I've seen Bean recently, I have my doubts that this will fit him for any length of time. It's only 21" around the chest, and the yoke is 6" at most.

I like the seed stitch that overlaps in the front; it will go over Bean's head and I won't have to mess with the knitted or crocheted button bands of a cardigan. I could have put a 4th reverse stockinette ridge, but I didn't know how many more rows I wanted to knit before dividing the stitches.

Bean's Green Booties

2008-10-24T13:08:00.004-04:00

Bean has outgrown the booties and socks I made when he was born. I decided to use the same EZ pattern for booties to match the BSJ, from "The Opinionated Knitter".

I enlarged the pattern by using Woolease and #5 needles, the originals were fingering weight and #4s. These boots measure 4.5" and Bean's foot is not quite 4". Maybe they will last till Christmas.

I crocheted ties with a double strand of yarn, attaching the tie at the center back as I made them. Each tie is about 11" long, enough to tie a firm bow.

The next project is a hat to match. I'm using the hat to match the BSJ, also from "The Opinionated Knitter". Green Woolease, #5 needles, very slow going at this point.

5 Hour Baby Sweater - revisited

2008-10-19T10:55:00.003-04:00

I'm knitting another 5 hour baby sweater, this time for my 6 month old grandson, Bean. I knit slower than I did when I made a 5HS in 6.5 hours. This one will take 8 or 9, I'm sure.

The picture shows my progress after Saturday night's hockey game, minus time for a sandwich, then popcorn. I guess it's about 1.5 hours and 119 stitches. I'm not knitting on these dpns. My #8 circ is small and the stitches were mushed together, so I slipped it onto the dpns for the progress picture.

As usual, I'm not following a single pattern, I'm combining ideas from 2 or 3 patterns to get what I want. I am writing it down in my notebook, so I can reproduce it if Diametrag wants another.

I started with Gail Bable's Baby Boy Style 5 Hour Sweater, and took another idea from a 5HBS knitted as a pullover. I liked the purl ridge on Gail's sweater, but expanded it so I have 3 rows of reverse stockinette stitch, separated by 5 rows of stockinette. This spacing allows me to do my increases on a knit row, and avoid increasing on a purl row.

I also widened the 3 stitch border to 5, and changed it from garter to seed stitch. A regular 5HBS starts with 33 sts, increasing to 139 sts over 30 rows. Since Bean is 6 mo. old, with an 19" chest, I started with 49 stitches and plan to increase to 143 stitches, but am keeping the same 30 rows. I may have to change that plan, but I will measure him next weekend and decide then.

I plan to knit the yoke in rows, and knit the body in the round for a little pullover. I will bind off one of the 5 stitch borders and sew it down, making a little placket. It will give enough room to slip over his head; I have plans to knit 3 buttonholes in the placket.

I'm using TLC Essentials, Barn Red and #8 needles. I'm getting about 4 sts/inch, which should make a sweater big enough to go through the winter.

I also got a hint from Diametrag that Bean needs a new hat, preferably one with earflaps. Seems my little Travelling Man needs warm duds for the early morning ride in the car. Knitting Gramma to the rescue! I'll start an earflap hat this afternoon, 5HBS can wait a week.

More Bibs for Bean

2008-10-04T18:11:00.003-04:00

I had a request from Diametrag for more bibs, and here they are. She said they fit well, and I made two more just the same.

I used Sugan 'n Cream kitchen cotton, #9 needles and 33 stitches. They ended up about 7" square. They might shrink when they are washed, and if she needs more, I'll cast on a few more stitches.

This size is pretty good, because I got 2 bibs from the green variegated skein of Sugar 'n Cream. The label says "New Super Size" and weighs 85 g (3 oz).

I have also finished 2 hats for the hospital. Both are plain k2p2 rib. I'm having a bit of trouble controlling my tension when I knit. I can't believe I'm knitting tighter than before, rather than looser. Who would think you'd need more strength to knit loose rather than tight? That's what my problem is, and so I'm sticking with plain k2p2 ribbing because that makes the stretchiest hat.

I got to see Bean over the last weekend. Oh, he is so sweet. He is almost 7 months old now, and starting to get mobile. He's crawling; getting faster every day. Now he's started pulling himself up on furniture and anything else he can grab.

Bibs for Bean

2008-09-21T08:33:00.003-04:00

I'm knitting again! It felt so wrong when I couldn't knit Continental that I didn't even finish a dishcloth. I saw the surgeon Sept 4th, and he said I could ditch the brace.

I've been knitting as usual since then, but slowly. My fingers get tired and I drop the left hand needle when it's empty, but that happens less and less. I knit 2 bibs for Bean; they are about 7" square. He's eating cereal and spitting out all the veggies Diametrag gives him. He cries when he sees something green on the spoon.

I'm also knitting for the babies again! I finished this hat, which I had cast on Before The Break. It's slow going; I'm not able to knit for hours as I did before. I persevere, and see slow improvement. Not knitting socks yet, and I would love to knit myself some slippers with double strands of worsted acrylic. We were camping and it would have been nice to take off my shoes and leave the sand outside.

The bibs are kitchen cotton, knit loosely on #9 needles. When Bean grows out of them, Diametrag can unravel the strap, bind off those 6 stitches, and have a sturdy washcloth to clean Bean's face, fingers and highchair when he's all done eating.

Knitting Again, and Guitar Guts

2008-08-10T15:44:00.003-04:00

When I first started, I could only knit 1 row before I had to set it down. Now it is 4 weeks since my surgery, and I can knit 2 or 3 rows without stopping.

I can't knit Continental, but manage to knit with the yarn through my right hand. It feels strange to me; I've been knitting Continental since elementary school. At the beginning of each row I automatically try to pick up the yarn with my left hand. It looks strange to J, too. He watched me struggling with my yarn and needles, and realized something was wrong.

J has made progress on Diametrag's guitar. He bent the wood trim, cut the slot on the edges and glued the 2 pieces of trim to the body. It was not easy, and involved lots of cursing before he was done. I've got to get him some new rubberbands, the ones he is using are old, and snap when they are stretched to their limit. While the glue dried on the trim, Kaylee and I endured 2 evenings of rubberbands snapping and shooting across the room like little missiles.

J used curly maple and ebony for the trim. There's curly maple on the head piece, too. Walnut back and sides; spruce top. He's sanding now, and stops to thump the top with his thumb. It has a beautiful, lively sound.

Bean goes swimming

2008-07-28T06:52:00.004-04:00

Bean and his parents went swimming Saturday, you can see he had a lot of fun. Diametrag said he was kicking like he wanted to swim in his little crab swim ring.
It was sunny and warm, and Diametrag put sun screen on his face and body, but didn't want to put it in his hair. Grandma tatt3r's orange sun hat protected his head and face from the sun while in the pool.

Once out of the pool, Diametrag got the hat wet and used it like a washcloth; rinsing his face to get rid of the chlorine.
Double duty! A knitted item that can be used two ways and survive! Hooray for kitchen cotton. Hooray for creative moms with tiny babies.

I started physical therapy last week. So far, it is only fingers and elbow. Although the surgery was on my wrist, my hand and fingers are trashed. I can't close my hand or make a fist. I can touch my index finger to my thumb, but don't have enough strength to hold a knitting needle. Even if I switched to English knitting, I don't think I could hold the needle properly because I can't bend my wrist.

I'm not whining, though, and have designed a little 4" coaster in Romanian Point Lace. I hope to be able to grip the fabric well enough with my left hand that I can begin couching the braid.

knitting hiatus

2008-07-14T12:08:00.003-04:00

check out http://tatt3r-lace.blogspot.com/

no more knitting for awhile. dr says i should have full use of my left hand, but i haven't heard how long before i can start knitting again.

Guitar Guts - Update Continued

2008-07-07T10:32:00.006-04:00

Yesterday J glued the top and bottom of the guitar together.
Here's a good look at all the clamps, bungee cords and rubber bands he used.

The neck isn't done, but he dry fit it to the body.

He will keep shaping the neck; periodically slipping it onto the guitar to check for fit and accuracy.

You can see the steel rod in the neck, and the inlay on the headpiece.

I couldn't get a good shot of the headpiece. J uses brass instead of mother of pearl, and it reflected too much light.

J wanted a picture that showed the walnut sides. You can see a bit of dust; he just finished a little bit of sanding.
This is not the best shot, I'll try again when the light is better.

Here's a close-up of the rosette. The flash bleached out a lot of the color, and I'll try to get a better shot next time.

Guitar Guts - Update

2008-07-06T11:41:00.004-04:00

J has been working on Diametrag's guitar, but there hasn't been much to show until now. Here is the inside top of the guitar. J wanted this picture to document how he placed the braces. The placement and thickness of the braces affect the quality of the sound. If it sounds good, he may want to duplicate this pattern without prying the first one apart.
The same principle holds with the inside back. Each guitar builder has his own idea as to what makes a guitar sound good, so each set of plans is a bit different. J isn't using the plans he used for his first guitar. Although I sometimes call him Mr. ChangeIsNotGood, he likes change for his wood working.
Here is the outside back of the guitar. You can see how he pieced the back because the wood wasn't wide enough. He took a long time to decide how to piece it, and I think it looks good. I also love the stripe down the middle.
After I took these pictures, J. glued the top and bottom, and now it's one piece. I got a good picture of all the clamps and rubberbands he used.
The rubberbands were old and kept breaking all evening. It was dangerous to sit too close to the guitar, as Kaylee soon found out. After the first 2 snapped and zinged past her head, she moved to a different corner of the room.
J gave the guitar a good thunk with his thumb after he removed it from the mold. It has a beautiful, lively sound. Now he will work on the neck. He gets antsy when he assembles the neck, Jake's bass was almost a disaster.

Hug Your Baby

2008-06-30T15:22:00.003-04:00

I know these hats aren't the most exciting thing to blog about. After all, how many variations of pink and blue baby hats can one knit?

I see 24 hats and think of 24 warm babies. I think of 24 moms who think their new baby is the cutest baby in the world.

I think all babies deserve to be loved and warm. All babies. Everywhere. Since I can't change the world, I will warm as many babies as I can. One at a time.

Hug your baby, okay?

Bean Gets a Sunhat

2008-06-26T10:15:00.004-04:00

Diametrag wanted a sunhat for Bean. He's a travelling man, now, and rides in the car daily. He also spends time outside, watching the big kids play, and needs some shade for his little head.

Knittin' Grandma to the rescue! My stash of kitchen cotton didn't have any "manly" colors, so I used what I had on hand. The orange reminds me of neon orange hunting hats. Bean will need an orange hat this fall when he goes walking in the woods with his Grandpa T.

Diametrag liked the sunhat pattern I found here. I made the yellow hat first, in the 6 month size and with the closed version of the brim. I thought it was a bit too lacey, and made my own version for the orange hat. I cast on the same # of sts, but decreased 12 stitches every other round until I had the number of stitches needed for the main body of the hat. There is still a little ripple, but it's not quite as girly to my eye. I couldn't find my small #8 circ, so I used my #8 dpns. I knew I would get ladders with the cotton; so I did k4p1 rib on the crown. It puts a purl stitch at the end of my dpns, and adds a little ventilation.

Bean looked pretty good; the hats fit and will keep the sun off his face. The kitchen cotton will fade, but he'll outgrow them before they get washed too many times.

I brought my Thanksgiving Cacti to the back porch for a little summer sun. Diametrag, See how well the Christmas Cactus has rooted!

She gave me 3 cuttings in March, and they all have new growth. I'll have to look for a hanging pot, the Christmas Cactus is more pendulous than my Thanksgiving Cacti. I also rooted cuttings from my white Thanksgiving cactus, and divided them into 2 pots. I know a lady at the lace group that would love a white cactus, but not sure where the second one will go.

Small Knitted Doily

2008-06-02T15:23:00.003-04:00

I've had this done for some time now, and just got around to blocking it. It's Flacon , a small doily found on Yarnover.net. It was a simple knit, about 3 hours. I can't remember if I used 0s or 1s, it's stretched quite tightly to get it out to 7".

Baby Hats and Easter Cactus in bud

2008-05-01T11:08:00.003-04:00

I haven't been blogging much, but I have been knitting baby hats. I have finished another dozen hats, just starting my 4th and 5th skeins of Bernat Softee Baby. I think I'll aim for 2 dozen for my next trip to the hospital.
Earlier I repotted my old Easter Cactus because I thought it would not bloom this year. I was wrong! When I watered it I saw it has buds on 2 stems. I think this one was orange-red, I'm happy to see I didn't kill it. It is in a 4" pot; I'll pot up again next year.

Baby Hats and Easter Cactus in Bloom

2008-04-07T11:11:00.003-04:00

Here's my latest baby hats. Diametrag put in a special request for a preemie hat, and that's the tiny one, plus I'll tuck in the little tube socks. They look tight, but with the Twisted German Cast on, plus the k2p2 rib, they stretch out pretty good. The hats are the usual suspects, Little Basket Weave, Uneven Rib, Harris Tweed Rib, and Waffle Stitch. Harris Tweed is new, and looks good. Take a good look at Little Basket Weave, because that's the last one on this blog. I can't get the decreases to look good, so I'm ditching all the patterns with a multiple of 6.
My Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) finally bloomed! Technically it's two weeks late, but I think it is gorgeous. The pink is beautiful, and there are hints of a lighter pink stripe. Now that I realize I should treat an Easter Cactus differently from my Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti, maybe I'll have blooms next year. I knew Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti depended on shorter daylight hours to set blooms. Easter Cacti need cool temperatures to set their buds. I have a nice cool spare bedroom that should do the trick.

Hats to the Hospital

2008-04-02T10:15:00.003-04:00

I took a dozen baby hats to the local hospital today. I lined them up for a mug shot before I gave them away.

I got 5 7/8 hats from my pink skein; I had to use a new skein for the last 3 decreasing rounds. I got 6 hats from the blue skein, and knit about 2" ribbing of another hat.

I use a Twisted German Cast-on, and all the cuffs are very stretchy. Right now I prefer a k2p2 rib on the cuff, k1p1 looks flat to me. I make a generous 3" rib, which gives you a lot of room for adjustment. My knitting basket feels empty right now, I'm going to start on another batch.

(top row, left to right) Uneven Rib, Waving Rib, k3p1 rib.

(bottom row, left to right) Waffle Stitch, Little Basket Weave Stitch, Fancy Slip Stitch Rib.

Four more baby hats

2008-03-27T10:22:00.004-04:00

Four little baby hats sitting in a row,
Ten are done,
Two more to go!

That reminds me of jumping rope for some reason. I've been a bit under the weather, and spending my time drinking green tea, napping, knitting baby hats, and re-reading the Dresden Files. I'm only on book two, Fool Moon. Dresden helps me nap when I'm tired of knitting.

I will get six hats from each 140 gr skein of Bernat Softee Baby, with about 10 grams left over. I think I can locate a partial skein of white Softee Baby somewhere deep in my stash. If I do, I'll try to knit a seventh hat; a cuff in color and white for the body. I'll weigh my leftovers and see if there's enough.

Starting at the left the patterns are: Uneven Rib, Waffle Stitch, Wavy Rib and Little Basketweave. I think I improved my decreases for Wavy Rib and Little Basketweave. Wavy Rib might need one more adjustment, but it's going in the right direction. All are 72 stitches; rib 3", pattern 3", decrease about 9 rounds to 8 or 9 stiches, finish off.

I am planning an excursion to the hospital next week to drop off the hats. If I'm lucky I'll have 14 hats.

And Here's Bean!

2008-03-21T08:45:00.004-04:00

As promised, I have pictures of Bean.

He's wearing the sweaters I knit, and he's warm and toasty. This little sweater knit as quickly as the infamous 5-hour Baby Sweater. It's a raglan cardigan, called Going Home Outfit I left off the buttons, and Bean doesn't care. The newborn size really fits a newborn. How cool!

Yeah, that's me, the one with bad hair. Just look at the baby, he's the cutie.

Diametrag gave me a skein of Bernat Denim, and while I was at her house I made it up into a nice blue sweater. It's bulkier yarn than what I like to use for babies, but neither Diametrag nor Bean seems to care. When he's warm, he sleeps longer and she gets to rest a bit. The sleeves are a bit short, I had a 100 gram skein of yarn, and almost ran out. I skimped a bit on the sleeves, and managed to get it done.

Three more hats ready for the hospital, that's six in the bag and 1 on the needles.
From left to right, the patterns are, Fancy Slip Stitch Rib, Little Basket Weave, and Uneven Rib.

The Fancy Slip Stitch Rib is a multiple of 5, and I cast on 70 sts. Next time I'll cast on 75 because the slip stitch tightens it up a bit. The Little Basket Weave stitch is very pretty, but I'm not happy with my decreases at the top. Next time I'll try to continue the rib a bit while I decrease.
Uneven Rib is my favorite so far. It's stretchy and will fit many sizes.

Too busy to knit? Never!

2008-03-20T10:48:00.005-04:00

I'm back! I've been helping Diametrag adjust to motherhood, and came home yesterday evening. I had a great time; Bean is the best baby and Diametrag is a wonderful mother! Well, of course I had to say that, I'm such a stereotypical proud grandma.

Once I knew Bean's size, I grabbed a skein of yarn and knit a little jacket. It fit him well, and he wore it all day. He also liked the little red sleep sack I knit. His first night must have been like a scene from Goldilocks. This sleep sack was too big, that one was too warm, and the red knit one was just right. He was so happy, and slept so hard he peed all over it. hahahaha.

I also got to see my baby socks in action. Rather non-action, because those socks stayed on while he kicked and wiggled all day. Pretty cool. I hadn't ever seen my socks on a baby, and I was pleased to see how well they fit and stayed on his feet.

I've got lots of laundry here, the dog needs a good brushing, and I plan to spend some time resting and cast on another baby hat. Diametrag took some nice pictures of Bean wearing my sweater, and I'll post them later.

I will show you my latest plant. I found an Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) at a local garden center. It is loaded with buds, and I am eager to see these flowers open. I have an Easter Cactus from my grandmother, and it has bloomed only once in 20 years or more. That one is orange-red, and this new plant is pink. I did not expect to find an Easter cactus in the store, they are not as easy to bloom as a Thanksgiving Cactus.

Life seems pretty good right now. The sun is shining, birds are singing, most of the snow is gone, and my loved ones are healthy and happy. I am blessed.

Baby Hats and Hoya Multiflora in Bloom!

2008-03-14T08:55:00.003-04:00

It's been an exciting week for our family. My grandson was born, a healthy 6 lbs 15 oz, 22" long. He's nursing well, and growing like a weed, Diametrag and her husband are doing a great job.
When we visited in the hospital I was appalled at the baby hat they gave him. Knit from worsted weight acrylic; it was scratchy, unwashed, and it even had a seam! No wonder Bean wouldn't wear it. I'd complain, too.
I went home; I was a grandma with a mission. I dug through my stash and found a skein of Cherub dk left from my 2006 baby hats. When we visited yesterday, I brought a casserole for dinner and a new hat for Bean. I had never actually seen my hats on a newborn, and I was pleased to see it fit perfectly! The k2p2 rib is stretchy, the hat stays on his head and he can't push it off. The rib is a generous 3", and there's lots of room for adjustment.
I'd like to celebrate Bean's healthy birth into the world by knitting more baby hats for my local hospital. I prefer to knit newborn hats, all babies need to wear a cap to regulate their body temperature. In a wonderful coincidence, the Jo@nn shop had Bernat Baby Softee on sale at 30% off. I bought enough yarn for roughly 40 hats, which should keep me knitting until their next sale rolls around.
While this news isn't as important as Bean's arrival, I am delighted to see my Hoya Multiflora finally opened its first blooms! I used to have a pink Hoya, and the flowers were all fuzzy. These flowers are smooth and look almost artificial, they are so perfect.

Knitter's details: Bernat Baby Softee, Cast on 72 sts with #4 needles. Rib 3", change to #5 needles. Knit in rib pattern of your choice another 3". Decrease to 9 stitches, end off.

The Bean Is Here!

2008-03-08T07:54:00.002-05:00

Bean made his arrival Friday, March 7, 2008. Diametrag and son are feeling fine, but J and I are making a trip to the hospital today just to check things out. Bean is 6 lbs and change, and has a pretty good set of lungs, I heard him hollering when his Daddy gave me a call.

Slippers and Guitar Guts

2008-02-28T11:47:00.003-05:00

I finished slippers for my mom and dad. I used 2 strands Red Heart Worsted Weight yarn, and my wrists complained every time I picked up the needles. They seemed to take forever, because I could knit for little more than an hour in the evening. My dad's slippers are 40 sts, my mom's are 32 sts. I used a standard cuff down sock pattern, k2p2 rib continues down the instep to the toe.
J is impatient for the weekend to begin, he wants to work on Diametrag's guitar. After he bent the sides, he clamped them to a piece of plywood with an outline of the desired shape. Our son gives J clamps for Christmas, and it seems like a strange present. You can see J uses lots of clamps, but not all. He has more tucked away in the basement.
Here's another angle of the guitar sides. You get a good look at the walnut. Enjoy!

Bean's Green Kimono is Done!

2008-02-25T11:45:00.004-05:00

Finally! I procrastinated until yesterday, then sat down and knitted the i-cords, sewed in all the ends, and declared the bog kimono finished!

I think this will be big enough to be used as a sleep sack. With an 18" chest, and 13" from neck to hem, I think this will serve as an extra warm layer for quite awhile.

I made progress on the Tomten Jacket, but it is slow going. I took a picture, but the orange is so bright, I'll try again tomorrow. I finished picking up and knitting the stitches on the holder, and am now knitting the sleeves in the round.

I don't mind knitting garter stitch in the round, the purl row slips through my hands as quickly as knit these days. I tried to knit the sleeves on dpns, but the ladders offend me. I switched to a circular needle, and used the Magic Loop method. Oh, how I dislike that ML. I try to convince myself that I'll become more comfortable with it the longer I use it. In the evening I put my knitting away sooner than I normally would, it breaks my rhythmn when I have to shift the loop.

Anyway, the Tomten is creeping toward the finish line. The BSJ still needs buttons. I was going to treat myself to a trip to the JoAnn Shop today, but when I saw the ice, I decided to bake bran muffins and wash dishes instead.

Bending Guitar Sides

2008-02-23T14:58:00.002-05:00

Tatt3r's knitting is stepping aside so Diametrag can see J's progress on her acoustic guitar. This afternoon J is bending the sides. He soaks the wood in water, so it is pliable and not flammable. Then he bends the walnut around a tube that is heated by a bunsen burner.
The burner is lit, so the wood, the vise and the metal tube are all pretty hot. J has calluses on his hands, so it doesn't seem to bother him much. I don't smell burning flesh or smoldering walnut, so I assume everything is okay.
J is working on the second bend now.
He carefully checks his bends for accuracy, he has a template nearby for comparison. See the bandage on his left thumb? That's the one he put a chisel through. This is not the thumb that was surgically repaired when he built his first guitar, this is the other thumb. The only thumb that has any feeling, the only thumb that doesn't ache in the cold....you get the idea. I told him he'll have to take lessons from the dog, Life Without Opposable Thumbs.

Tomten Jacket Ready for the Sleeves

2008-02-22T12:05:00.002-05:00

I knit the right front, the back and left front, sliding the sleeve stitches onto a circular needle. (moved to dpns for the picture) I put the live stitches from the fronts and back onto one needle and knit up 7 ridges. The collar stitches are on a strand of yarn, waiting until I finish the sleeves. I should have enough yarn to make a pair of booties, but to be on the safe side, I will knit both sleeves before I knit the hood.

The armholes look strange, but I will knit 14 ridges before I reach the underarm seam.

I will put the underarm stitches on a strand of yarn, that will be more flexible than a dpn. Pick up stitches from the back and front edges and start knitting rows in garter stitch. At the end of the row, knit the last stitch together with a stitch from the waste yarn, turn and knit across. Since I have 28 stitches at the underarm, I will 28 rows to use up those stitches, or 14 ridges. I plan to use orange, so far I am using equal amounts of each color.

When those stitches are used up, I will be at the edge of the armhole, starting the underarm seam. I plan to switch to dpns and knit garter stitch in the round. (k 1 round, p 1 round) EZ says to decrease 2 stitches each side of center every other RIDGE (not round) until there are 28 stitches left. I worked it out, and I plan to knit 14 ridges of blue, yellow and end with orange.

Progress on Baby Tomten Jacket

2008-02-20T13:56:00.002-05:00

I took the Tomten with me to the doctor's appointment. I had a long wait, and got to the division for fronts, back and armholes. When I got home, I slid everything onto dpns for a progress picture.
As you can see, I'm knitting the fronts in blue, the back section is yellow. I plan to use orange to pick up the stitches for the sleeves.
I used about 12 grams for the first color block, that means I have probably used up 36 grams of sock yarn to this point. The instructions have you knit the fronts and back together for 7 ridges, then begin shaping for the hood. I'm pretty sure I'll have enough yarn, but just in case I'm wrong, I have a plan. I'll knit the 7 ridges for the collar and put it on waste yarn while I knit both sleeves. When the sleeves are done, I'll be able to weigh the leftovers and see if there's enough for a hood.
My hoya multiflora hasn't opened yet, but the buds are filling out nicely. I am delighted to see this little one bloom so quickly. When we first moved here, I had a hoya that never bloomed. After 6 or 7 years, it finally started to bloom; beautiful pink, furry stars. It's gone now, but I always loved those flowers.

Started a Tomten, More Guitar Guts

2008-02-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

I started a Tomten sweater with Opal Sock yarn left over from Diametrag's Pinwheel Blanket. By making this one with the three colors shown, I should use up most of the sock yarn. I may eke out a pair of garter booties, too. I want to finish with the sock yarn and newborn sized sweaters. It takes a lot of stitches to make a sweater from sock yarn. When Bean needs sweaters in the next larger size, I'll be able to knit from dk or even worsted weight yarn, and the sweaters will be done much quicker.
Here is a shot of the rosette for Diametrag's guitar. J had no trouble with the rosette on his guitar, or the acoustic bass he built after that. This one wasn't easy; he cut it out twice, before deciding this one was 'good enough'. My opinion doesn't count, but I think it's beautiful!
J was home with a bad back Thursday and Friday. By Saturday he was starting to mend, and started working on the guitar again. We had a near-disaster, however. After all his fitting, sanding, and fitting again, he glued the large center brace to the body UPSIDE DOWN. Aaugh! He caught it just in time, another half hour and the glue would have been set. It was tricky enough, and he ran a chisel through his thumb. Fortunately his thumbnail caught the brunt of the force, and his thumb is still attached to his hand. No trip to the emergency room this time, no dna markers on the inside of this guitar. yet.
I took this one just because I liked the shadows, shapes and colors of the wood. I think I may put this one on our desktop for awhile. Yum. If I can't eat candy, I may as well look at it.

Garter Booties for Bean

2008-02-16T16:52:00.003-05:00

I sewed the seams for the Baby Surprise Jacket twice, finally calling it good enough. Seams are not my strong suit, probably why I prefer knitting socks and hats. You can see the blue booties don't perfectly match the blue in the BSJ. Sure hope Bean isn't concerned about fashion when he finally makes his arrival.

These little booties are from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Opinionated Knitter, designed to go with the BSJ and the little bonnet. They do look a bit small, but they have a nice cuff and look as though they will stay on little feet.

Now that I have made this pair, I can see how I can adjust my stitch counts to get a larger pair. I could get a bigger size by using bigger yarn and needles, but sometimes I like to be a little more accurate. I also don't like bulky yarn for tiny babies.

I need to find buttons for the BSJ, knit a little blue bonnet to match the booties, and then maybe I'll finish the little Tomten sweater I found in a drawer this morning. It's in worsted weight Red Heart acrylic. While that's not as nice as wool, it does mean that it will be durable and warm for little Bean. All I have to do is finish the sleeves, finish the front edges and find buttons to fit. It's pretty big, probably Bean will wear it next winter.

Green Bonnet for Bean

2008-02-14T12:15:00.004-05:00

Not the best picture, but you get the idea. It is the garter stitch bonnet from The Opinionated Knitter. It was designed to accompany the Baby Surprise Jacket, but it looks good with the Bog Kimono I made for Bean.

I wanted to make some green garter stitch booties, but I'm not sure I'll have enough yarn. This green is left over from the Pinwheel Blanket. I should have enough to make I-cord ties and maybe some little cuffs to extend the sleeve length.

I have blue, yellow and orange, which will become a hat and bootie set to coordinate with the blue BSJ. That sweater still needs sleeve seams, and I feel the time is ripe for me to get everything finished. Who know how long these sweaters will fit Bean, it would be a shame to have them languish in the knitting bag while he is growing out of this size.

This last little bit comes under the topic of Music to a Mother's Ears. D stopped by, did some laundry and we chatted a bit. As he was leaving, he said, "Oh, I almost forgot to say thanks. My car got stuck in John's driveway, and Josh was helping me dig out. He kept saying how cold he was, but I wasn't cold at all. I had the hat, scarf and wristers you made for me, and I was just fine." I love it when someone I love is warm and dry simply because I know how to knit.

Guitar Guts

2008-02-11T09:27:00.000-05:00

I am working on a pair of slippers for my mother. I make sock-shaped slippers with two strands of worsted weight acrylic and #8 dpns. Mom's feet are smaller than mine, so I'm almost done with the second slipper. I'm ready to begin decreases for the toe, and then I can start on slippers for my dad.
My parents are snow birds, wintering in Texas and on the road for most of the summer. They feel a bit of a chill when they come north in the spring, and they say my slippers are well used and appreciated all year long. I'm making them each a second pair to keep in the RV.
Mom's slippers are red, and the picture didn't turn out well, so I decided to post pictures of J's latest acoustic guitar. He finally got a rosette that was good enough, and is now working on bracing the inside. He asked me to take some pictures to document what he did, so here they are. I thought Diametrag might like to see his progress.

Mr. Bean's Green Kimono - Almost Done

2008-02-09T15:02:00.001-05:00

This kimono is a modified Baby Bog Jacket (Zimmermann), and its assembly is unusual. I made sure the camera was by my chair, and I took pictures this morning as I folded and grafted Bean's latest kimono.
First, I unravelled the stitches on waste yarn, slipping them onto 2 needles. The big challenge for me is to make sure the stitches aren't twisted. The waste yarn grows as you remove it from the knitted row; I snipped the yarn when it got too long.

Here's an overall view of the kimono. I've finished grafting the right side. The left side has all the stitches on dpns, ready to be folded and grafted.

Now the sleeve and front is folded into place - sleeve to sleeve, front yoke to front yoke.
Grafting is done, don't look too closely! If I make any more Bog Jackets, I will have to practice on some swatches. I tinked my first seam, then decided I would apply the Galloping Horse Principle.
I need to weave in the ends and make some ties. A matching/contrasting hat and sockies would be good, too. I used most of 150 grams for this kimono. My kitchen scale says I have 28 grams, enough for a pair of sockies, and not much else. I may add dark green ties and extend the sleeves with garter cuffs. For now, I'm tired of green and fingering weight yarn. I need to "cleanse my palate" with some worsted weight slippers.

Mr. Bean's Green Kimono - Update

2008-02-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

This is looking pretty strange, but it's hard to fold because I didn't bind off for the sleeves. I'll undo the orange waste yarn and graft the top stitches for the sleeve, and the bottom stitches will graft to the yoke stitches which are not created yet.

I've knitted to the underarms, put stitches for the sleeve underarm on waste yarn, and continued with another 28 ridges. You can see I've bound off the center stitches for the neck, and continued on with one front. I've knit 14 ridges, and just started to increase at the front edge. By the time I've knitted 28 ridges to correspond with the sleeve back, I'll have added enough stitches to the front so it will match the front.
I was concerned this might be extremely large, so I put the folded BSJ on top for comparison. The green kimono is almost identical to the BSJ for sleeve length and width.
The body of the kimono is at least an inch longer. I imagine you could use it for a sleep sack, or another layer when Bean is travelling. It looks very wide, but the fronts overlap, same as the Sachiko Kimono.
Here's another shot that shows the varying lengths of the three sweaters. I'm not saying one sweater will be nicer than the others; I think this demonstrates that each style of kimono will serve a different purpose. The Bog Kimono will keep Bean's legs warmest, hopefully the wrap front will allow him to wear it this winter when he is still tiny. The Sachiko Kimono will be very nice this summer when he just needs a little cover up and a blanket is enough for his legs. The BSJ will be nice this fall, he'll be sitting up by then and his sleeper will cover his legs.

Mr. Bean's Green Kimono

2008-02-06T08:54:00.000-05:00

I've made progress on Bean's latest kimono, the diagonals are almost to the armholes. I have 5 or 6 more ridges before I do the thumb trick for the arms, but I decided to take a picture before settling in to knit later today. They promise a snowstorm this afternoon, and it sounds like a perfect excuse to settle in with a mug of hot tea and get some knitting done.
It looks huge, but maybe it can be a sleep sack, or perhaps sub for a little snowsuit or jacket. It looks as though it will be long enough to cover his legs. Diametrag, I have yarn left from the pinwheel blanket I knitted, and maybe you would like a hat and/or sockies to go with this little coat. The green is a bit darker, but a little contrast is good, yes?

Knitter's Details: fingering weight yarn, #4 needles, about 6 sts per inch. Calculated X (desired chest inches X 6 spi) Cast on 1 1/2 times X (fronts overlap)Knit 1/4X ridges and put in a row of eyelets. Knitting to 1/2X ridges to division for arms.

Rob's Boolaroo, semi-mini trailer. The original plant was gasping its last breath, and I took a leaf as a last resort. I basically ignored the leaf, it sprouted and grew into a nicely shaped trailer. It has never bloomed with a lot of fantasy till now; it's the prettiest this plant has ever been.

Hoya Multiflora and Easter Cactus

2008-02-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

I knit a swatch from the cotton I had left from the kimonos. I washed it yesterday, measuring before and after. There's good news and bad news. The colors did not bleed, however the sample shrank lengthwise, from 6" to 5". This is not good because I think those kimonos are a little on the short side anyway. This will probably limit them to summer use, and maybe that will work out okay. On the plus side, the cotton softened up nicely.
I admit I should have swatched before I knit the kimonos, but I wouldn't have had enough yarn for two if I had. I will wash the swatch several more times, checking for fading and more shrinkage.

If I'm talking about swatches, why are you looking at tatt3r's houseplants? I put the swatch on my kitchen table and the flash bleached out all the color and definition. I decided to show pictures of my hoya multiflora. I am so excited to see it getting ready to bloom. It's also called 'shooting star hoya', and will have white and yellow flowers. I bought it in October '07 and it's doing very well.
I'm not sure where I got the Easter cactus. If it's from my paternal grandmother, who died in 1975, it's been around a long time. I can't remember when I got it, it's been sitting quietly in the corner for years. When it bloomed last year I was astonished to see it wasn't a Christmas cactus. I looked around on the internet and recognized the bloom of an Easter cactus.
It needs to be repotted, I think. When I watered it, I noticed that it took almost 30 seconds for the water to soak into the roots. It is very potbound, and I'm afraid I will overwater it and loose it. I took a cutting last month and saw new growth on it this morning. Diametrag says she needs to repot her Christmas cactus, so I think I will find a bag of dirt and do both plants. I need to do more research because all I have is African Violet soil and perlite. I think I should use orchid mix or maybe peat moss. I'm not sure. Help me out if you know what kind of mix I need for Christmas Cacti.

Kimono for the Bean

2008-02-03T09:54:00.000-05:00

I had a brainstorm while I was looking through patterns for Bean's next sweater. I considered EZ's Surplice Sweater, but decided I didn't like the sleeves. They are done like the BSJ sleeves and grafted on the top. I've done a BSJ, and wanted to do something different.

I considered a Tomten, but it looks more like a jacket than a sweater. I'll probably make one with worsted wool and a hood for this fall, and I wanted to use the fingering weight yarn.

Then I found the pattern for EZ's Bog Sweater. I haven't made one yet, so I studied it carefully. You knit it flat, then fold and graft the yoke and sleeves. I had to draw a diagram for it to make sense. (top)

Then I thought about transforming it into a kimono. (bottom) I decided to add 2 rows of eyelets for I-cord ties. I could have added a third row at the very bottom for decoration, but it's too late for this sweater. I've just started the decreases, and finished my first 50 gram skein.

I estimate I will use all 3 skeins, and won't have enough for matching sox and hat. I could have started my decreases sooner, but I think will fit Bean this winter. It will probably come to his knees or below, and that will keep him nice and warm. When he gets a bit longer, the weather will be warmer, and he won't need it so long.

The third sweater on the far right is a diagram of the Sachiko Kimono for comparison. You can see how short it is. They will be fine for summer, but I think the longer one will be nice for a newborn.

If this works well, I may find some nice dk and make a full set of hat, socks and kimono. I realized that Bean will be a Traveling Man, going to daycare while Diametrag works. He'll need a few more warm sweaters. Never fear, Bean! Grandma Tatt3r is knitting for you!

What Comes Next?

2008-02-01T11:19:00.001-05:00

I am thinking about what my next knitting project will be. I rashly stated that there would be no more kimonos for Bean, but perhaps I lied.

I was making the Two Needle Baby Sweater from the Knitter's Almanac, but I think I will frog it. The round yoke is cute, but too girly for Bean. You understand, I haven't met Bean yet, but I am positive, unshakeably certain that he would object to that sweater. Even if I could find a different stitch pattern for the body, I can imagine Bean getting all red in the face when wearing that sweater.

In order to keep peace in Diametrag's family, and shut down my over-active imagination, I am looking for another baby sweater for Bean. I briefly considered the Surplice Baby Jacket in Vogue Knitting (Spring/Summer 2007). I'm not crazy about the applied I-cord, or the grafted seam on top of the sleeves. I have yet to finish the sleeves on a BSJ, and will need to find some directions for grafting garter stitch in order to do it properly.

I also have the little bits of cotton left from the 2 Sachiko Kimonos. I plan to knit a square, then wash and dry in the machine. Yeah, I should have done that before knitting two kimonos. I need to see if the colors bleed, and how badly it shrinks when they get tossed in the machine.

None of this is as much fun as simply grabbing the needles, casting on and knitting like a fool while the Red Wings win another game. I'm still undecided, and I may tat a bit while I think about kimonos for Bean.

Sachiko Kimono - Yellow and Blue

2008-01-29T08:51:00.000-05:00

The second Sachiko Kimono is done! I like the crisp contrast of the yellow and blue. I changed the diagonal decreases from garter stitch to stockinette stitch, and omitted the yo and the corresponding k2tog. The diagonals are still a bit short, but not as bad as the first one.

This is the last kimono until Bean makes his arrival. Then Diametrag can decide if a kimono is a good idea, and we'll finally know what size he needs for a summer outfit.

These little kimonos are the new 5 hour baby sweater. They take small amounts of worsted weight yarn, no fancy finishing, no buttons or buttonholes, and they are quick to knit! I spent more time weaving in ends than knitting sleeves. Perhaps if I had a proper sized tapestry needle, it wouldn't have taken so long. I need to go to the 5&10 and pick up one of those pink plastic needles, big eye and blunt ends.

I have another little green sweater I started, but it's not appealing to me right now. I'm not sure what I'm going to knit next. I may turn out the 2 pairs of slippers I promised my mom and dad. The 5&10 has Red Heart, hmmmm. It's a thought.

Sachiko Kimono - Done!

2008-01-26T08:57:00.000-05:00

I ran out of Lentil earlier than I had hoped, but the sleeves don't look too odd. Bean won't care, and Diametrag is too sensible to be a fashion diva. If the sweater fits, Bean will wear it, I'm sure.

The diagonal on the fronts is done in garter stitch, and is very tight. This skews the whole thing, and I had to put the ties lower than expected. They should be placed where the sweater starts to decrease, but it is so tight, it's at least an inch away from the sweater edge. I hope it's a minor glitch in the over all picture. I have a plan that should correct that problem in the next little Kimono I'm knitting.

I have 3 more skeins of 1824 cotton, and it seems a shame to let them languish in my stash. I have two skeins of Maize and one skein of Sky. Oops. Maize and Blue is not a favorite color combination in Diametrag's house. (Go Spartans!) Well, the Maize is more of a creamy yellow and not a dark gold, so perhaps it would be best if I just don't mention the actual color name. Maybe Diametrag will regift it to someone who doesn't mind the colors.

Knitter's Details: Sachiko Kimono, 6 mos size, 3 skeins Mission Falls 1824 cotton, #6 needles.

Finished Tofutsies, Started Sachiko Kimono

2008-01-23T10:08:00.000-05:00

I finished another Pair of Socks For Me! This is my first pair of Tofutsies socks, and I'll need to see how they wash and wear. My first impression is I loved the way the yarn felt as it ran through my fingers, and the finished socks feel soft and squishy.
I love the subtle colors, and I must admit I've been window shopping here. Some of the colors are too bright for me, but their range is wide enough to please my oddball color sense. Even the bright ones look good to me today. Can't you just see #799 in a baby kimono? #802 would be even better! With 100 gram balls, I might eke out a matching hat and sockies! Honestly, I'm planning a trip to my LYS when the roads clear. I'd love to see those colors and squish that yarn in person!
The Socks for Me Project is on the back burner while I make a last minute push for a few sweaters for Bean. He's due in about 4 weeks, and that means his window of opportunity is approaching quickly!
This is the Sachiko Kimono by Erika Flory. I found it here while surfing for baby patterns before Christmas. I was searching on Ravelry, and many knitters are making the Baby Yoda Sweater, but I like the look of this one, plus it is sized for 6, 12 and 18 months.
I haven't used Mission Falls 1824 cotton before, and I'm not happy with the way my eyelets are so big on the diagonal fronts. I may knit extra I-cord and thread it through those holes just to cover them up. Next time I will remember to snug up the stitch after the eyelet.
I bought this yarn on sale, intending to make a Baby Surprise Jacket, and changed my mind. I had 2 balls of Lentil, and trimmed it with the Olive Green. I have only 20 grams of Lentil left, and I know that's not enough for the sleeves. I plan to divide the leftover yarn, pick up the stitches and knit till I have just enough left to sew the seam. I'll finish in green, and if I'm lucky, it will look like it was a Plan! There will be enough green to make I-cords and then I'm done!
In my opinion, this kimono rivals the 5 hour baby sweater for knitting simplicity, and I like the way it looks! I have three more balls of 1824 cotton, and will probably make another kimono just so I don't have the yarn hanging around. I'm not fond of knitting worsted weight sweaters for babies, but I'm reserving judgement till I actually see the sweater on Bean. I also don't know how this stuff washes and dries. Diametrag is going to be busy enough, she shouldn't have to worry about special washing instructions.

Progress on Tofutsies Socks

2008-01-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

I turned the heels and have a few rounds done in the cuff. When I looked at the picture, I thought the socks looked a little short, even for me, so I measured them. The rectangle toe folds under so they are actually a bit longer than the photo, but still measure barely 8" from toe to heel. I was concerned this might be too small, and slipped one on this morning. Aaaah, it is a snug fit in a beautiful soft yarn.

Now you can see the colors are gray-toned rather than all brown. In natural light I can see spots of pale aqua in the mix. Diametrag, this is excellent yarn and I love the color! (#807)

I must admit, Tofutsies will split if my attention strays. When I was working the heel flap, I didn't like the way the end stitches stretched. I knit through the back of those loose stitches, and avoided gaps where my heel flap joins the gusset. The heel flap shows very little definition with the k1, sl1 heel stitch. If I make another pair of Tofutsies, I will try giving the knit stitch a twist by knitting in the back.

I like Tofutsies, but wouldn't recommend it for a beginner because it splits easily. I am used to knitting with a thin sock yarn like Opal, and I think Tofutsies is comparable in size. If you are used to knitting with a dk yarn, you may have to make some adjustments to get the correct size in your sock. I'll be very interested to see how it wears and washes. All my handknit socks go through the washer and dryer, I'm not knitting heirlooms, I'm knitting for warm feet.

It's a Blooming Jungle Out There

2008-01-18T09:11:00.001-05:00

Diametrag and I went to Frederik Meijer Gardens two winters ago, we wandered through their orchids and orchid sale. I bought one in bloom; everyone said if I could grow African Violets, I could easily grow an orchid. It's been awhile, but it finally bloomed again. I don't remember the name, but they said it was easy to grow. This picture has a lot of clutter in the background, but the colors are close to real life.
Here's another shot, the flash made the background all black, and it looks a bit odd to me, floating in the darkness like some sort of wierd UFO.
This is a hoya I got in October, and it looks to me as though it's going to bloom! It is Hoya Multiflora, (scroll down for text) and has yellow flowers that look like shooting stars. It doesn't vine, it branches, and could get to be shrubby.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2008-01-15T09:29:00.000-05:00

I started another pair of Socks for Me, this time in Tofutsies, color #807. It is actually a very nice heathery gray, but the light is quirky this morning, and the color is way off. I am knitting with #0s and my usual 64 sts, toe up, two at the same time. I read reviews that reported Tofutsie yarn was splitty, and they were right. It's not annoying yet, so I will keep an eye on my stitches when I'm working this pair.
As I knitted, I thought about Diametrag's baby shower, and all the wonderful gifts she got for Bean. He has enough bibs, t-shirts, onesies, socks, receiving blankets, sweaters....Oops! Sweaters? Tatt3r's first grandson, the one to be born in February, has No Sweaters? GASP! I will certainly flunk Grandmother's Knitting 101, be banished to the inner circle of Knitting H3ll, and never have access to yarn or needles again!
So begins my downfall, I started a project without finishing one. But I had to, right? It's for Diametrag's Bean!
Here is the yarn for Bean's sweater, after the dog got through with it. Last fall, Diametrag and I bought yarn on sale at ThreadBear in Lansing. I also bought this wonderful pale green yarn, not on sale. I put it all in a bag, in the spare bedroom, behind a closed door, and yet Kaylee somehow gained access to the yarn. I can't fault her taste. She turned up her nose at the $1/skein cheapo yarns, and went directly for the $6.99/skein yarn. You can see she demolished one skein, slobbered on a second and left the third one untouched.
I started the Baby Sweater on Two Needles from "Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac". (page 28) I am using Lanett and #4 needles. EZ uses Gull Stitch for the body of the sweater, a pretty little lace stitch. I decided Bean didn't need lace, and I am alternating bands of seed stitch and garter stitch. I was concerned there might not be enough contrast between garter st and seed st, but I think it will be good enough.
I try to finish one project before beginning another, but now I have quite a juggling act going on.

Finished Socks For Me

2008-01-13T08:07:00.001-05:00

The first pair of Socks for Me is done! They are warming my feet as I type; they feel soft and fit just like I like them!

I added 10 rounds to the length I normally knit my cuff, and didn't die from the exertion. They are tall enough to fit in my new boots. After my k1p1 cuff, I bind off with the Kitchener Stitch, rather than a knitted bind off. It takes some time, but I finally learned it well enough I don't need my cheat sheets any more.

I'm trying to decide which yarn to use for my next pair of socks. Ah, the luxury of having 6 more skeins to choose from. Diametrag and Jake are superior offspring; they know how to make this old mom happy! I will skip the black and dark brown, and leave that for summer knitting when the daylight is reliably bright. Diametrag slipped a skein of Tofutsies into the mix, and I may try that next. It's a tweedy gray and white, and the stitches will be easy to see in the gloomy days we have this time of year.

Knitter's details: Knit Picks Felici, Pebble, (superwash merino), #0 dpns, 64 stitches, toe up, heel flap and gusset, stockinette stitch

Knitting up the leg

2008-01-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

I finished the gussets, turned my heels, and knitted the heel flaps on both socks. Now I'm on the home stretch, knitting up the legs.

This is where I typically run out of gas, and end the sock early. I want to add about an inch to my standard length cuffs in order to fit comfortably in my new boots. I have at least one pair that slides down, and I give a good tug to keep it comfortable. I hope a snug heel and a longer cuff will take care of that.

I have been knitting socks for myself since about 2003, and have enough pairs to make it through a laundry cycle. Lately I noticed that the first socks I reach for were the ones with the plain foot, and I realized they were more comfortable. The Opal socks are nice, but a bit thinner. This Knit Picks Felici is a tiny bit thicker, not a dk, rather a fat sock yarn. I will see if my feet can tell the difference.

I don't pamper my socks, they get washed and dried in the machine with all my regular laundry. Recently I spotted the first signs of wear. Other than one pair that I snagged on the furnace floor vent in the kitchen, I have had no holes in my socks. Now I see tiny wear spots in my toes. Not the heels, not the heel flaps, but the toe! I have a toenail that sticks straight up, and that must be the culprit. I'll have to keep them trimmed closer, I guess.

Knit Mandala - Mindful Knit

2008-01-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

I've been on Ravelry since November and have been reading lots of posts, but not contributing at all. I found an interesting group, Into The Labyrknit, and have started to knit-along with their first Mindful Knit, a knit mandala.

I've just finished Round 25, and should have 182 sts. I am knitting with #30 Cebelia on #1 needles, and just managed to switch over to my 16" circular needle. It's a bit tight, and I hope it will ease up enough to let me slide my stitches without interruption.

This is my third start, and I think I will keep this one. I started with #2s and it was too sloppy, plus the color wasn't right. My next attempt was on 1s, and went much better, but I had trouble with the yo, ssk combination and kept losing stitches. This attempt I used yo, sl1, k1, psso, and my stitch counts are good.

I'm not sure if there is a visual difference between skpsso and ssk, I can't see it on this project. I can see a size difference in my yos, and I'm not sure that will block out. This last increase round I gave a little tug to my knit stitch before I psso, and perhaps that will even things up a bit.

Oh, and by the way, the little blue belly-button is how I start my knitting in the round. I cast on 4 stitches, knit about an inch of I-cord. After I double my stitches to 8, I change thread and start knitting the pattern. I'll cut it off and unravel it later, and use the long tail I left at the beginning to secure the first 8 stitches.

Progress on Socks for Me!

2008-01-03T16:44:00.000-05:00

I haven't been knitting a lot since Christmas; I took a little break. Last night I picked up my Christmas socks, and made good progress. One sock is almost done with the gusset increases, the second sock is waiting its turn. I like to knit my socks in tandem, on dpns. I work on one pair, then the other, so I have only suffered from the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome (SSS) once. It was such a horrible experience I vowed to never let SSS happen again, and have since knitted my socks together.
The yarn is Felici, from Knit Picks and it feels smooth as it runs through my fingers. I want to finish these socks soon, I can't wait to see how warm they are. The skeins didn't start in the same spot in the colorway, and I just started knitting, rather than trying to find a corresponding starting point. I think of them as fraternal socks, rather than identical. The colors please my eye so much, I don't care that they are different.
My feet are small, these socks are only 64 sts on #0 dpns, and I only knit 4.5" before starting my gussets. I've been teased that I have an unfair advantage because I don't have to knit big socks. Now Alwen can laugh again. I got boots for my birthday, and I'll have to knit longer cuffs for my socks. I have been knitting socks that are a bit short, and I find they are barely long enough to protect my leg from the cuffs on the new boots. My Christmas yarn came at just the right time, I need longer socks so I can walk in the snow and stay warm.

Christmas Knitting Loot!

2007-12-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

Knitting loot! I know I've raised my children right when they indulge me with gifts of yarn! Sock yarn at that!
The kids' gift to me is a sock yarn sampler from Knit Picks, Neutral Colors. I am in love with all the yarn, and will locate my #0 needles later today so I can start a pair this evening.
The sampler has yarn for 6 pairs of socks, plus a skein of Tofutsies that Diametrag added to the package.
I am torn between the self-striping Felici Pebble, and Essential Flint Tweed. I like the little flecks of colors in the blue/gray, but the brown self striping is so pretty!
J ordered two books for me, Vogue's Ultimate Sock Book and A Gathering of Lace. I've looked over GOL in the bookstore, but never bought it. I love this book, the pictures are luscious! I especially like Frost Flowers & Leaves. That is now on my Maybe-Someday List.
Thanks, Family, for indulging my knitting addiction! When I'm done cleaning, nothing will stop me from casting on socks for ME, ME, ME!

Newborn Hat, Knitted Catnip Mousies

2007-12-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

I finished 2 mice and a little hat for a baby boy. My Christmas knitting was almost done until I decided I needed to knit for some little ones.

The mice are from left-over sock yarn, and I will give them to the cats that own my children. I'm not happy with these mice, the nose isn't right. I couldn't find the pattern I've used before, and used Esther's pattern for a catnip mouse here. Several years ago, I knit a very nice mouse that ended with knitting the bottom together with the top after you turned the nose. This pattern sews a seam, and I don't like the nose at all.

I am pleased with the hat, however. I used Opal Sock yarn, #2s and #3s. Cast on 96 stitches, (24 sts each needle) and k2p2 rib for 2" with #2s, then 4" k2p2 rib for 4". (total 6"). I used to have a problem when decreasing on a k2p2 rib hat; recently I found a method that works well. The trick is to k2tog with one knit st and one purl stitch. The purl stitch disappears, leaving you with a smooth transition to stockinette. To begin decreases, move your stitches so each needle begins with 2 purl sts.

Rnd 1: *p1, k2tog, k1* Rnd 2 &3: *p1, k2* Rnd 4: *k2tog, k1* Rnd 5: *k* Rnd 6: *k4, k2tog* Rnd 7: *k3, k2tog* Rnd 8: *k2, k2tog* Rnd 9: *k1, k2tog* Rnd 10 *k2tog* 8 sts left, finish as usual.

The hat used about 24 grams of yarn, so I should be able to get 2 hats and 4 baby sockies from a 100 gram skein. Bean and his cousin will be warm this winter!

The hoyas all have new growth, nice shiny leaves. I had a hard time deciding which to keep and which to give. If they were bigger, I'd take cuttings.

More Slippers for Christmas

2007-12-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

Last night I finished the second pair and started a third pair of slippers. Now both my sons will have warm feet, and I have plans to knit more.
My mom and dad liked the slippers I made several years ago. When they came north for the summer, my dad forgot his. By the end of September he wished he had them.
Mom put in a special request for more slippers, and I'm happy to oblige. They will probably leave one pair in the house and one pair in the motor home. It would be wonderful if I could finish them before Christmas, but I'm not sure if I can do it.
I found my notes from the previous years, and have good sizes for everyone's feet. Hands and heads are next. At our Christmas celebration, I plan to trace everyone's hand so I can knit gloves or mittens next year.

Slipper Sox for Jake

2007-11-25T17:14:00.000-05:00

"Jake" asked for slipper sox this year, and I found the notes from his first pair. I knitted those in 2004 and I guess they have lasted this long because they have been lost most of that time. "Jake" is not very organized. I found this red yarn at the Suburban Five and Dime, and decided to make him a bright pair of slippers. Maybe if they glow in the dark he'll be able to find them when they are under his bed or in a closet. You can also see the little hoya plants I'm growing for Christmas. I'm a bit disgruntled right now, and "Jake" probably won't get a plant from me.
Knitter's details: 2 strands worsted weight acrylic yarn, size 8 dpns, 40 stitches. Cuff down, 12 rounds k2p2 rib, 20 sts and 20 rows for heel flap. Turn heel, pick up 11 sts for gussets. 20 rounds to the toe shaping, continue k2p2 rib down the instep.

Baby Socks - Again!

2007-11-18T13:28:00.000-05:00

I didn't expect to do more baby socks so soon, but another baby popped up, and I just had to knit a pair. I was saving this beautiful skein of Opal Petticoat for a potential granddaughter. Now that we know the Bean is a boy, there's no need to save this skein. I was amazed at how beautiful these sockies turned out. For some reason I grabbed 2s instead of 1s, and I will not make that mistake next time. Now I have the urge to go to a yarn shop and see if there is any Opal Petticoat in shades of blues and greens, just for Diametrag's little Bean.

Socks for Me

2007-11-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my pair of socks. It seems like it took longer than usual, and now my Christmas knitting is far behind. I have started in September in the past, but was not so motivated this year.

I loved the brown shades when it was in the skein, but didn't like the stripes in the foot at all. I needed a stockinette foot, since ribs down the instep were hurting my feet on long walks. I know, it makes me think of The Princess and the Pea, and I'm not so delicate, honest.

I knit the leg in Harris Tweed, and all those knits and purls blurred the stripes very nicely. I have found I like to keep the leg about as long as my foot. It just happened that my yarn changed to white when I was thinking about switching to ribs. I didn't notice the matching white toes, heels and cuffs until I took the picture. Now I like them even more. Hooray for serendipity!

I have done my socks with 68 sts and rib on the instep. About half way up the foot I wondered if I needed fewer sts with a stockinette foot. I am pleased to say the socks fit fine, and I'll probably make my next pair with a stockinette foot, too.

Baby Surprise Jacket - Day 5

2007-10-31T10:26:00.000-04:00

It's not really Day 5, you know I'm not *that* fast. According to my notes, I started the BSJ on October 14th. I've worked on some other projects in between, and one day I even cleaned house instead of knitting!

At one point I thought I would have enough left from a 100 gram skein of sock yarn to make a matching hat or booties. I even dreamed about making this a cool hooded sweater. I ended with less than 10 grams, just enough to sew some seams and put on the buttons. I might eke out a collar, if Diametrag says it's necessary.

I did almost meet my estimated size. I wanted to make an 18" chest, and it is actually 18.5". My swatches are never big enough to get an accurate measurement, but Bean won't care.
Here it is, all folded and ready to seam up. The buttonholes are tiny, I'll have to look carefully to get the right size buttons. I will probably leave the seams till later. I thought we could use the sweater as a game at Diametrag's baby shower. First, see who can guess what this knitted item is, and then see who can fold it into a sweater. The BSJ is a classic in the knitting world, but not so well known elsewhere.

Baby Hat and Socks

2007-10-29T12:39:00.000-04:00

I was talking baby stuff with Diametrag, discussing the differences between knitted baby socks and booties. I offered to let two of Diametrag's friends with infants test drive my baby socks. I thought it would be one way her Bean could get an improved version of baby foot-wear.
J. heard me talking about baby socks, and told me that a co-worker's wife was due to have a baby any day. Could I spare a pair of booties for him? I went stash diving and found my last skein of Cherub DK yarn. I got a nice newborn hat and sockies ready in no time, J. took them to work this morning. I took the picture Sunday afternoon, taking advantage of the late afternoon sun. That's why there's only one sock in the picture, I finished the 2nd one while watching the Red Wings play.

The baby surprise should have been featured today; I had 6 rows to go, and I expected to have it done. I sat down with a cup of tea and started knitting, I noticed I was on the last little bit of the skein, there would be just enough to finish the sweater, but no hat or socks. On the fourth row, I noticed the buttonholes looked odd on the right hand front of the sweater. I had spaced them so carefully on the left hand side, but forgot to reverse the spacing on the right hand side. I started to tink the stitches, the dog started to shake toys at my lap, and the remaining bit of skein became hopelessly tangled. Time to put the sweater away, I'll finish it tonight.

Knitter's details: Cascade Cherub DK, Color Kaleidoscope 1323. #4 and #5 dpns, 72 sts, 3" k1p1 rib and 3" lacy rib pattern. Baby socks with #5 dpns, 24 sts, 15 rounds to the heel, 11 rows stockinette heel flap, turn heel, pick up 6 sts each side of heel flap. Gusset decreases every round to original 24 sts, the 12 rounds for instep. Decrease every round for toe, down to 8 sts. I started with 6 rounds stockinette for the rolled top, and k2p2 rib through the rest of the sock, hoping for a snug fit.

Baby Surprise Jacket - Day 4

2007-10-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

After I shaped the neck, I continued increasing for another 6 ridges until I had 104 sts in my center section. Next I knit 10 ridges (20 rows) only on the center section. My center section had 104+2+2 = 108 sts. (two from each side of the increase sts.)

I found some helpful notes on a Wiki. Here is how it suggested you handle this next section. When you are ready to knit on the center section, work one more row, the wrong side row, all the way to the end. Break the yarn and and rejoin on the right side at the first marked stitch. I used a circular needle, and slipped those sts pwise, rejoined the yarn, and knit 10 ridges on the center section, ending on a wrong side row.

Tonight I will break the yarn, rejoin to the very beginning of the row, and when I get to the gap, I'll pick up 10 stitches along the center panel, knit the center sts, pick up another 10 sts and then work the final sts.

This makes your picked up stitches look the same. The other way you pick up stitches on the wrong side, then the right side, and the ridges just don't look right. This is much better.

Finally, here is a picture of the sweater all folded. After I pick up my stitches, I will only have 3 ridges, buttonholes, 3 ridges.

I'm getting low on yarn, I may have enough for little socks. If I try to make a hat, I will probably have to knit a contrasting brim in a solid color.

Baby Surprise Jacket - Day Three

2007-10-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

I reached the halfway point when my center stitches were equal to the desired chest measurement. (18" x 6 sts per inch = 108). Another way to think of it, is you have the center back plus the underarm lengths. Since EZ makes her baby garments square, and garter stitch is square, I have 9 + 4.5 +4.5 which is the same 18".

At this point, EZ knits 3 ROWS and continues with increases at the same underarm points. Don't confuse rows and ridges, EZ refers to both, and they are not the same animals.

I positioned the sweater so it roughly corresponds to the diagram in the pattern. Take a peek at the little graphic in the lower right hand corner. EZ uses a M1 increase, not the same as knit in the front and back of the stitch to increase. The M1s are directional, too, and slant away from the middle stitch. It's almost a moot point when done in garter stitch, but I am doing it her way, and hoping it will show a neat diagonal line when it's done.

After 8 ridges, I blindly added 10 sts for fullness across the back. Perhaps I should have added 11 or 12, to keep in with the proportions. I calculated once, then forgot when it came to the actual knitting. No matter, I didn't realize it until I was 2" past that point, and decided Bean will wear it anyway. One stitch, phooey. I continued on, increasing for another 9 ridges, then bound off for the neck shaping.

Here I've folded the sweater so you can see what the BSJ will look like when it's done. Check out the right sleeve vs. the left sleeve. Pretty odd, isn't it? The self striping yarn just does its own thing, and it is consistently changing on the same sides. Well, it will be unique, anyway. Bean won't care, and it will keep him warm.

Baby Surprise Jacket - Part Two

2007-10-17T09:13:00.001-04:00

Last night I reached the 'center' of the sweater, where EZ says to stop decreasing, knit 3 rows even and then start to increase at the same points. On her pattern, this is 90 sts and 22 ridges. Since mine is bigger, I have 108 sts and 27 ridges.

At this point, I am at the underarms of the sweater, and will begin increasing for the body and fronts.

Here I've folded the sweater as it will be sewn. This is the front, the live sts will form the fronts and back of the sweater. The cast on stitches will be grafted to form seams, which are on the top of the sleeves. As I increase, the decorative increase will come diagonally down the front of the sweater. The side fronts will march to the center and eventually meet with a band of buttonholes. I've included the ruler so you can see the BSJ will have an 18" chest, as planned. I'm not sure if 18" is 1 year size or not. Maybe I'll have to knit another with a 16" chest. I will wait and see if Bean has lots of little newborn sweaters, and fill in the gaps.

Here's the back with the diagonal line formed by the increases.

The stripes are formed by the self-striping yarn. I can't control where the colors change, so some colors change on the wrong side. If I were making my own stripes with multiple balls of yarn, the stripes would all be neat and even, like the sleeve on the right.

I weighed my skein of yarn, and have almost 68 grams left. Looks like I'll be able to get a hat, hood or sox out of the leftovers. Diametrag, do you want Bean to have little sox for his feet? Remember when I knitted about 45 pairs of these?

Baby Surprise Jacket - The Beginning

2007-10-16T10:35:00.000-04:00

Now that we know the Bean is a Boy Bean, I started a Baby Surprise Jacket with some handsome Opal Sock yarn (Dream Catcher 1231). If you check out the picture, here , you will see the colors have nice, wide repeats.

I thought this might be good for a BSJ, and I'm pleased with the way it looks so far. The colors have long enough repeats so there is a pleasing stripey pattern, not a jumble of colors.

I was afraid that a sock yarn BSJ would be very small, and my gauge with #4s confirmed that. Without any changes in EZ's pattern, the BSJ would be 14 or 15" in the chest. It would fit a newborn and only for a short time. I studied the pattern, and made some calculations. I think I figured it out, and have cast on 194 sts, which should be an 18" chest. I hope it will fit in the fall, at about 6 mos old, and be a warm, lightweight sweater through next winter. The only problem with making a larger BSJ is I have only 1 skein of this color, and I may not be able to make a matching hat or socks. We'll see.

I have knitted 11 ridges, at 26 ridges I will be at the center of the sweater, and begin increasing for the body sides and back. Just for reference, the cuff of the sweater is from the beginning of a row to the decreasing diagonal line. The back neck and sleeve lengths (wingspan) is from one diagonal point to the other diagonal point. The only seam in the whole sweater is on the top of the sleeves.

Toe-Up Socks for Me

2007-10-15T16:17:00.000-04:00

We went camping last week, just a two-day outing to get away and relax. I took my latest socks in progress. When we left, I had one sock done up to the gussets, and the second sock had only the toe done. I finished both gussets, turned the heels, heel flaps and now I'm working on the cuffs. Lots of time for knitting.

I made the feet plain stockinette, and had a little trouble when it came time for the gussets. I didn't realize how much I used a patterned instep for reference. I made it through, but got very tired of the stripes. I'm a big fan of brown, but these colors are just a bit off to me. (Opal, Rainforest Owl) I decided to break up the stripes with Harris Tweed on the cuffs, and it really does the job.

I am a fanatic when it comes to keeping my socks the same, right down to the number of rounds in the cuffs. Now that I'm doing Harris Tweed I don't have to track my rounds as I would have with k2p2 rib. Not familiar with Harris Tweed? It's k2p2 rib broken up by rounds of knit or purl. It's not very effective in worsted, but in sock yarn it makes nice little squares, almost like a waffle stitch.

Rounds 1&2: *k2, p2*. Rounds 3&4: *k*. Rounds 5&6: *k2, p2*. Rounds 7&8: *p*.

Mosaic Knitted Squares

2007-10-02T13:51:00.000-04:00

It's been a year and a half since I started this sample of mosaic knitting. I was looking for something else, and found this project abandoned in a bag. I found the book, located the pattern, and finished knitting the second square, a grand total of 45 minutes of knitting. I certainly can't understand why I put it aside, because I was so close to the finish line.

I used kitchen cotton, size #8 needles and mosaic pattern #46 (left) and #42 (right) from Barbara Walker's Mosaic Knitting. Now I will sew them together and have a hotpad or a pot holder.
I think I remember why I stopped working on this project. The #8 needles are too big, and the pattern in the second square isn't very clear. I am interested in another mosaic project with kitchen cotton, but will go down to 6s or 5s to get a nice, firm fabric.

Baby Bibs and Sleep Sack

2007-08-21T09:49:00.001-04:00

We visited Diametrag this weekend, and I finished the sleep sack and made 2 bibs from worsted weight kitchen cotton.

The square bib is Simple Baby Bib, a pattern from the Knitlist. Of course, I couldn't do the same thing twice, so I made another bib with a double decrease in the center. It makes an attractive v-shape that also makes a neckline at the top. It looks a bit narrow and I would cast on more stitches next time.

I used 2 50 gr. skeins of cotton sock yarn for the sleep sack, and it's barely big enough for a newborn. If I were to do it again, I would buy 3 balls and make it longer. I have enough knitting, sewing and lace projects lined up, so I won't start another sleep sack.

Here's the details on the bib I knitted: Kitchen Cotton, worsted weight, #6 needles.
Cast on 31 sts. Knit 4 rows.
Row 1. K 2, inc (k front and back next st), k 11, slip 1, k 2 tog, psso, k 11, inc (k front and back of the next st), k 2.
Row 2. k3, *p* k3.
Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until desired length (5 - 6" for 3 mos.)
Knit 2 rows plain, bind off all but 5 stiches, follow the directions for the strap with buttonholes in the Simple Baby Bib.

Progress on my Faroese Shawl

2007-08-12T08:42:00.000-04:00

I woke early to lightning and thunder, and when I drifted off again, I had a dream that was almost a nightmare, but not quite. I know when that happens I'm done sleeping, so I turned on the light and started knitting on my top-down Faroese-style shawl.
I finished the first ball of yarn, and have knitted a few inches from the second. My needle is crowded, and I decided to spread the shawl out and check my progress. I put half my stitches on a 2nd circular needle, and was ready to spread it on the floor to take a picture when I realized the brown carpet would offer very little contrast with my brown shawl. hmmmm.

The ground was wet from rain, and I was in my pjs, there would be no outdoor picture this morning. I realized I had my blue shawl wrapped around me, and I wanted to compare the sizes anyway. I was able to take these pictures with no interference, the dog and husband are still asleep.
The blue shawl is Woolease, and 31" down the center back. My brown shawl is only 19" long, I'll have to work hard to finish it before the weather turns cooler. I have 138+138+6+6+33=321 sts, takes me awhile to get across a row.

The EZasPi Yahoo Group is starting a PiR2 KAL, and I wish I were knitting with them. I can't remember why I started the Faroese Shawl instead of a PiR2, but I've gone too far to frog this, and I certainly won't set it aside to start yet *another* shawl. I'll knit along with the group, but on my Faroese shawl, and hope I am inspired to finish.

Still Knitting on Baby's Sleep Sack

2007-08-07T13:31:00.000-04:00

Here's more progress on the baby's sleep sack. I finished the red, saving a small bit for an i-cord, and switched to the variegated. I was increasing at the edges through the red, but have stopped for now, and am knitting even with the variegated yarn. You can see the whole sack is about 18" long. That isn't too bad, I think another 3" might be enough. I plan to put in a hem and make an i-cord for a drawstring. I cropped my little ball of yarn out of the picture, but the kitchen scales say I have 20 grams left.

Progress on Baby's Sleep Sack

2007-08-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

I have knitted almost all of the 50 gram ball of red sock yarn, and plan to finish with a hem using the rest of the variegated yarn. I sewed the side seams of the bodice, just to see how it will fit together. Something is askew with my decreases and the garter st. edge, but I think it will be okay for work. I don't plan to rip it, but may try another one to see if I can fix it.

My sleep sack may be a little short. I found a size chart here.

I was interested in learning more about sleep sacks, and found an informative site here.

I think the infant size is definitely knittable, but will opt to sew sleep sacks for the larger sizes.

Baby's Sleep Sack

2007-07-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

Here's my latest project. I am working on a baby sleep sack. I've been told babies shouldn't have blankets in the crib, in order to prevent SIDS. A sleep sack (or is it sacque?) takes place of a blanket now. The baby can't get tangled or kick off the blanket. Comfy baby = sleeping baby = happy new mom.

I know there's a pattern on Knitty.com, but I had cotton sock yarn that I needed to use. Yes, it's brighter than my usual knitting, but the cotton feels good as it runs through my fingers. I'm using #4 needles, and getting a loose knit, about 5 or 6 sts/inch.

I made it a lap-front diagonal wrap, it might make it a bit easier to slide the baby in the sack. The chest is 18", so it isn't exactly a newborn size.

From what I read, baby sacks don't have sleeves, they are open for air circulation. The sack isn't intended to replace pajamas, only the blanket.
I don't know how long this will be, I have 2 50 gram balls of sock yarn. I plan to sew any larger sleep sacks, this skirt will be a lot of knitting. Mindless, though, and relaxing.
Details to follow in another post, I have potato salad to make.

More Progress on the Quilt Stand

2007-07-08T18:09:00.001-04:00

J is done with the sanding filler and is now putting on the stain. It's hot and windy outside, I'm amazed he's not having problems.

He's found that the back porch is just the right height for him. I can't complain, I don't have the noise and dust in the house. The stain is very smelly, and it's good to have that outside, too.

J is itching to start work on some new guitars, and he knows he should finish the quilt stand first. He bought some beautiful walnut for the back and sides of Diametrag's guitar. J is also thinking about building another acoustic bass guitar.

Quilt Stand for Diametrag

2007-07-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

Our lovely daughter, Diametrag, has the patience of a saint. Sometimes. She asked her father for a quilt stand 2 years ago. Maybe 3 years ago. Anyway, here are two pictures of progress! J has sanded once, and put on a coat of sanding sealer.

I'm not sure what comes next, but I think it endless repetitions of sanding, coat of goo, dry time, repeat endlessly.

My Socks are Done!

2007-06-28T08:07:00.000-04:00

I have too many projects on the needles. Before I started more projects, I finished the socks I started after Christmas, and two dishcloths.

The socks are Opal yarn, it's been so long I don't remember the color name. I used a new-to-me toe up sock from Sensational Knitted Socks by C. Schurch. I thought the seam along the ankle bone might be uncomfortable, but when I tried them on last night, they were great! I'll wear them in shoes today and see how they feel.

I don't usually blog my dishcloths, they aren't very creative or exciting. When we go camping, I take several balls of kitchen cotton, and knit while we travel. I use my dishcloths every day and I need to replace them after a year. The cotton never wears out, they just look dirty even after washing. I usually use Sugar and Cream by Lilly because I like the ombre colors. Since they fade so quickly, I decided to try ecru kitchen cotton by Lion Brand. I plan to use and wash each cloth once/week and see which one turns yucky first. The cloths are similar but different, and I should be able to tell them apart even after the colors fade from the Sugar and Cream cloth. Just for reference, I cast on 32 sts with #6 needles. 16 rows for each of 3 sections. I used double moss stitch and box stitch.

Top Down Faroese Style Shawl

2007-05-29T11:17:00.001-04:00

I started another Faroese-style shawl May 13th. I meant to take a picture but I procrastinated so long, I had to put it on a second circular needle so you could see all of it.

I made a blue Faroese-style shawl more than 3 years ago, and I've worn it so much, it's getting a bit shabby.

In a roundabout way, I can thank Kaylee for this project. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock yarn, color Java. I got one skein 2 years ago, and it has stayed in my stash waiting for the right project. I won't go into the embarrassing details, but there was an incident involving a puppy, a skein of yarn, and lots of running and swearing. Ahem. It was my fault, I admit that.

I had a skein of sock yarn to untangle, and I wasn't worried. I'm a tatter, after all, and I've untangled lots of snarls in my life. Well, this was different. I've never had to work so hard to get tangles undone. J. helped when I got discouraged. At one point he said, "Why don't you chuck it and get a new ball?" I told him it was old, probably couldn't find it anymore.

As I worked on the yarn, I realized I loved the colors. The brown shades are my favorite, and I hated the thought of throwing away the yarn. I searched the internet, and found that I could still get the same color in Cherry Tree Hill yarn. Gee, J. had told me it was okay to replace the ball, so I got two. How's that for logic? The new yarn arrived before I finished untangling the last of the mess. Now I have 3 balls of beautiful brown sock yarn, and I'm going to have a warm shawl for the fall and winter.

I call this a Faroese-style shawl because I start at the top and knit down. A traditional Faroese shawl starts at the bottom and decreases to the top. I prefer top-down so I can end when I'm out of yarn. I'm using #7 circs, about 4.5 stitches per inch. I'm knitting in garter stitch, and increasing every other row, at the ends and on either side of the gusset. The gusset has been widening gradually, about every 10 rows, and is now out to 27 stitches. I may go to 31 or 33 stitches before I stop. I did several samples, and unfortunately, this yarn does not show a lace pattern well. I might put in a row or three of yo, k2tog at the hem, but I have time to think about it. My increases are all knit in the front and back of the stitch, I didn't want the lacy look of a YO increase.

Currently the shawl is about 12" down the gusset, and the side measures about 24". I have over 100 stitches in each side, 29 stitches in the gusset, and 6 stitches for each border. I am not yet finished with my first ball of sock yarn. I should be able to get a good sized shawl out of this.

I Won! I Won!

2007-04-26T09:32:00.000-04:00

Look what I won from The Knitting Hutch! I signed up for Jackie's email newsletter, and I am the amazed winner of the Spring 2007 Drawing. This wonderful skein of Sea Silk yarn arrived at my house yesterday.

Those who know me are probably astonished that I chose this color. I almost opted for the Straw, but since my Pi Shawl is tan, I decided to go for something darker.

I think I can get a rectangular lace scarf/shawl out of the 437 yards in this skein. I plan to use larger needles and keep it narrow, about 10 - 12 inches wide. I've been looking through "Victorian Lace Today", and like the scarf on p. 90, but that is not my final decision. I have 2 books with shawl patterns coming from the library; this is only time I enjoy 'window shopping'.

Generations Purse from Knit Picks

2007-04-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

I received a catalog from Knit Picks last week, but didn't settle in to read it until this weekend. I knew there was a lot of information about lace knitting, and I enjoyed looking at the shawls.

Then I found the pattern for the Generations Purse, and I couldn't help myself, I had to knit it! I used #10 crochet cotton and #1 dpns; my bag is 4 1/2"W x 6"L. I think this will be perfect for a ball of thread and tatting shuttle. I haven't blocked my bag, I put a colored card inside to give it a bit of shape and show off the pattern.

Of course I had to tweak the pattern just a bit. I am seriously challenged when it comes to sewing seams, so I was determined to make this project seamless. I cast on 76 stitches and did 2 rounds of double knitting to create an open tube, as described on Alwen's blog. It was a bit tricky to switch to dpns and establish the lace pattern. At first I kept the 38 sts in the lace pattern on 1 dpn, and used 2 additional dpns with 19 sts each. After I got tired of struggling with 4 dpns, I determined where to divide the lace panel so I could knit with 5 dpns. (sts 10 - 28 on one dpn, 19 sts on the others)

I'm not sure if my eyelets at the top line up as the pattern intended. I would have had to make some adjustments for knitting in the round, but I was watching tv and finished the first eyelet round before I realized there was a problem. It was late, I was cranky, and who cares about eyelets, anyway!

My only problem was with row 9 of the chart. Row 9 has a double decrease symbol, but the legend to the right says this: "slip 2 knitwise, k2, pass 2 slipped stitches over." I went to the Knit Picks site and downloaded the pattern here. This version has written directions along with the chart, and Row 9 says "slip 2 sts knitwise, k1, psso". However, the legend on the chart is also incorrect. I did neither, I slipped 1 stitch, k2tog, psso. I freely admit mine doesn't look as nice as theirs, and if I ever do it again, I'll slip 2, k1, psso.

I think I'd like to knit this one again, eventually. I'd like to conquer that annoying decrease in Row 9, and align the eyelets properly. But most of all, I'd like to knit it in a darker color. Ecru isn't real practical for a bag that is intended to carry a tatting project. I would like to find a dark rose, or perhaps a sky blue to make this really practical. I wonder if I could use 2 strands of #30 Cebelia? hmmmm. Maybe I'll try that later.

Turkey in the Driveway?

2007-04-08T10:31:00.000-04:00

When J was walking the dog this morning, he saw these tracks in our driveway. We looked in our bird book and think they are turkey tracks. Okay, Alwen, you are my resident nature expert. What's your opinion?

Too bad we missed seeing him, we could have had a fresh turkey for dinner. Not. I'm not a vegetarian, but I would give up meat if I had to kill and clean it myself.

I threw my 6" ruler on the ground for perspective. I think it's pretty neat to get a bird of this size in the city.

Knitting content has been pretty lean these days. The dog still grabs my yarn when I try to knit, but will ignore the bobbin lace pillow and stand. I've been sewing some totes and cases for my bobbin lace projects, and am working on a pincushion today.

I do have a knitting project on the needles, but won't show any pictures just yet. Top secret, ya know.

Opal Socks for Me

2007-02-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

My DS gave me Opal sock yarn for Christmas, my DH gave me "Sensational Knitted Socks". I decided to try the toe up sock with the new to me heel flap/turn/gusset method. I knit the socks up to the point where I would normally start my gussets. (This is my only complaint about the book so far. CS doesn't help you decide where to start your heel flap on a toe up sock.) Then I knit a flap on the sole stitches, only in stockinette instead of the sl1,k1 heel stitch used in a top down sock. I wondered how it would fit, until I remembered that stockinette stitch would make a heel flap that was a rectangle rather than the square you get with the heel stitch. I had 36 sts and did 37 rows of stockinette and ended with a rectangle that was at the right spot for turning the heel.

After the heel turn, I picked up gusset sts and started knitting in the round again, decreasing just as for a top-down sock. It was a bit tricky to remember that my heel stitch needed to alternate plain knit rounds with sl1,k1. I finally got things synchronized by remembering that my sl1,k1 round was the same round to decrease gusset stitches.

My heels are done and I'm back to 72 stitches. Next is to knit up the cuff, in plain k2p2 rib, That fits me very well, and doesn't interrupt the wonderful patterns in the self-striping yarn.

I love this yarn, thanks Jake! (you know who you are)

SamplerM is done!

2007-02-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

February has been a pretty good month for knitting. I have two finished projects now. SamplerM is done - 28 lace patterns! I haven't bound off because I am considering sampling more lace, garter patterns this time. I am using #10 crochet cotton, so it might not be a true reflection of what I would get in a lace-weight shawl. If I need my needles, I'll bind off then. For now, I'm content to let it sit awhile.
I'm always surprised when people ask me 'What will you do with the Sampler?' I will probably put the patterns and sampler in a drawer or a box. I knitted the sampler to expand my knitting skills, not to create a tangible knitted object. I will probably refer to it for inspiration when I am trying to select a knitted lace pattern for a shawl or other lacy project.

Blocking the KISS Pi Shawl

2007-02-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

I blocked my KISS Pi Shawl this morning. I pinned it out on our bed, I was afraid of leaving pins in the carpet. I decided the easiest way to block it was to fold it in half. I stretched it out to 31" from center to point. I don't need it any bigger, even in my teens I never was 5 foot tall.

The blocking went okay, but it isn't as even as I'd like. It's not a lot of work, I can always try to improve the shape if it's obviously lopsided.

The second picture is fairly accurate for color, and I like to see the patterns all together. It's not an elaborate shawl, but darn it, it's DONE! The yarn is not sitting in my stash, waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect pattern, the perfect time.

I'm sure you have noticed the green gingham fabric. My SIL made curtains for her first nursery, and passed them on when I had my children. I didn't hang them for long, but have used them twice now for blocking shawls. It was especially handy to block my daughter's wedding stole. When I blocked Diametrag's shawl, I considered sewing the curtains together to fit her rectangular stole. I decided against it, and now I was able to use the gingham for my shawl.

Details for the knitters: KnitPicks Shadow, lace weight yarn, color Oregon Coast, 4 skeins, not much left, size 5 needles, Elizabeth Zimmermann's Pi Shawl with lacy patterns selected with simplicity in mind, blocked to 31" radius.

Would I knit another? You bet! In fact, I am seriously considering knitting a similar one for my Mom in Texas. I would give her this one, but I know she would dislike the brown. A lot. I am also thinking of another shawl for me, maybe not a Pi, but a shawl based on garter lace, so there is not the problem of right side/wrong side. I would like it lacier and a vibrant dark color. I feel some pattern hunting and swatching coming over me. Must clean house, must wash dishes......augh!