Seamless Baby Kimono - Done!

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

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!

Birthday Socks are gone, but I forgot a picture

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Mr. Bean's Green Kimono - Almost Done

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

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.

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.

Finished Socks For Me

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

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.

Progress on Socks for Me!

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!

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

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.

Socks for Me

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 Three

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.