Hat and Booties in Garter Stitch

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.

More Baby Hats

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

5 Hour Baby Sweater for Bean

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!

More Bibs for Bean

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

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.

Bean Gets a Sunhat

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

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".

Slippers and Guitar Guts

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!

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.

Tomten Jacket Ready for the Sleeves

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

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

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

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

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.

Kimono for the Bean

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?

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

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.

Finished Tofutsies, Started Sachiko Kimono

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

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.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

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.