Knitty bitty

I picked up the baby blanket again. Or rather the squares for the baby blanket. Either way I'm knitting again despite being ever so sleepy. I'm determined to finish it. That blanket and the one for my other pregnant friend. And the sweater for Isa...and the matching one for her brother, Connor.

Baby steps for baby gifts. No pressure, just no more excuses. Felt good to knit again. I finished a couple of squares and another half of one while making dinner. Despite the numerous interruptions at least I got something accomplished. Once the kids get back into school my goal is to knit as much as I can during the day.

Back on the sticks

Square #3 was started last night while babysitting the sweetest little toddler in the world. Megan, Hayley (the babysittee), and I all sat watching Barbie Princess & The Pauper while I picked up my Denise needles and cast on the obligatory 14 stitches. I worked about 13 rows before I had to start dinner, but at least it's a start. The brain fog wasn't nearly as bad, however I think I have an extra "push" as I really want to see what the end result is going to look like. Plus, since I have to sew this blanket then maybe that will help me overcome my fear of sewing the sweater. That or I'll just go down to Gossamer and see if they can help me. :o)

I found a really cool forum for knitting at Knitty. They have a wicked board there where people post about different online and retail stores having yarn sales. I can't tell you how happy that board makes me. Of course the pocketbook may hate me when it's all said and done, but in the meantime I am surfing it for bargains everyday.

Patiently waiting

My yarn and completed baby sweater are still patiently waiting for me to finish them. For the past few days my brain has been in a total fog. It's so bad that I can't remember if I took my medicine just 5 mins. prior--literally. Insanity I tell ya! So rather than frustrate myself worrying about what row I'm on (and if I counted properly), I'm rolling with it and waiting for the fog to lift. Tough, though, because I am really excited to see what this blanket will look like when it's done. I also want to finish the sweater for Isabelle and start up the other one for Connor, yet I know that the sweater is way more difficult than knitting up small squares, so that is definitely on the back-burner. I'd love to have the sweaters done BEFORE the babies come, however since they can't wear them until it gets cold (a.k.a. about 4-5 mos. after they're born) I'd rather take the time and make sure I do it right than hurry through and screw it up.

I have another gal whom I don't know really well but she's super sweet and cool and we've become "friends" to a degree, and she is expecting her first baby (a boy) around the same time as everyone else is. She's doing her nursery in a true nautical theme and thus I want to make her a patchwork blanket in blues, creams, and reds. Fun stuff!!! I love being the semi-surrogate auntie that can knit up presents left and right! Too bad most of the babies live far away though... I'd love to babysit and get my fill...then give them back to their parents! :o)

Two down, fifty-four to go

I got started on the baby blanket last night, but had to stop after making two squares. My brain has been so foggy lately that I was having a hard time keeping track of how many rows I had knit up. I literally was counting outloud as I knit...one, one, one...to keep track of which row I was knitting...and then when I'd hit like row 13 I'd double remind myself by saying, "The day my son was born, 13, the day my son was born." Pathetic I tell ya! I did take some pics though, so here they are:

This is the blanket I'm making. It's Debbie Bliss' Garter Stitch Blanket from her "Baby Knits for Beginners" book.

Close-up of the blanket. I love how the squares are turned!

The yarn palate I am using from Mission Falls
From Left to Right - Goldenrod, Moss, Chili, Ivory, Musk, and Lentil

Close-up of the yarn to show the texture in it

The two squares I've knitted up thus far

Hopefully my brain will be more cooperative today and allow me to finish up more of them. I'm excited to see how it's going to turn out!

Liars

Last night Megan and I headed to Michael's to pick up some of the Tangelo Patons Grace yarn, as well as any other colors that might match it. I had decided to make a baby blanket instead, one by Debbie Bliss, and was uber excited to be buying more yarn. From the pattern (Debbie Bliss Garter Stitch Blanket) it stated I would need six balls of yarn (turns out there is more yardage in the Patons than the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran), so I was all set.

When we got there I was so disappointed. The way the sample looks on the Patons website shows the Tangelo as an apricot-pink-orange-cream color. In reality it is ORANGE. Really orange. Not a bad color, mind you, just not what I thought it looked like. I scanned the aisle and although I found two colors that would look nice with the Tangelo, I wasn't "feeling" it. Megan offered up the idea of using the Patons Lavender, which I pondered over, but I ultimately chose the Tangelo, with Natural, and Taupe (which again, in person looks much different than the web swatches).

Imagine how lucky I felt when I talked to Phil last night and found out that the nursery had been done in taupe/natural colors! A little bit of orange will add a burst of color while the Natural and Taupe (chocolate) colors blend in with the rest of the set. Sweet!

So I sat down, cast on, cast off, cast on again, ripped it out--I don't know why but I always have the damnedest time casting on. It's like I forget how. I do it, then when I start to knit I realize the tail is in the wrong place and it won't knit up right. I need to practice this more. Anyways, so I'm knitting and I'm thinking, "Boy, these squares are going to be TINY!" The pattern calls for you to make 56 squares, then you piece them all together, and stitch 'em up. I re-read the pattern and the finished size caught my eye..."19 1/2 in. x 22 in." Oh you gotta be kidding me! That's like a napkin, for crying out loud! I don't know why I missed that but in scanning the internet last night to read about this pattern, I found out that I am not alone. The picture in the book even makes the blanket look much bigger, thus many people are fooled by it and skim past the finished dimensions.

Needless to say I'm deciding on if I want to make this blanket or another one. I really like the way the finished blanket looks. You turn the opposite squares 90 degrees and it gives a nice dimensional look to it. Of course I think the Patons Grace might be the wrong choice for this blanket simply because it's not as thick as the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I'm going to hit a LYS today and see if they have the Cashmerino in the colors I want and start from scratch. Then I'll take the Grace back to Michael's. :o(

Liars. All of 'em.

I feel so deceived.

It stares at me

Last night I finished the other sleeve and now it sits...staring at me...willing me to sew it together. I am hesitant because I fear I will screw it up royally now. However I know I'll dig in and put the thing together. In the meantime, here are some (crappy) pics of the almost finished sweater. You'll have to forgive the lighting. I took these last night around 9'ish or so and w/out flash.

Close-up again of the bottom detail

Close-up of the sleeve edging before sewing

Here is the not quite finished project. The neckline isn't my fav thus far, despite it being very easy, yet we'll see what it looks like knitted up.

One sleeve down, one on sticks

Finished the first sleeve yesterday and started the other one today. I should have the second one done tonight if I actually stop interrupting myself. I think I'm a tad hesitant simply because I'm scared to sew the thing together. Totally afraid I'm going to ruin it.

I made the one sleeve too long (about 3/4") but am not worried. I prefer a longer sleeve anyways and she (my friend) can roll them up for the baby. To me it always seemed that the sleeves were the first thing that got too short on my kiddos, so I'm fine that I went too far. Admittedly it was not done on purpose (I just kept knitting not even paying attention to how long the sleeve was getting), however it did work out to what the next size up would be.

With this sleeve I dropped a stitch on the edge so there is a very tiny hole that isn't noticeable except to me. I'm assuming that when I sew up the seam it will disappear as that's where the hole is. Of course DH keeps joking that because of this itty bitty screw up the baby will get pneumonia. He's soooo helpful. ;o)

I'll post pics before I sew it together. I'm just too lazy today or else I'd take some and post them now.

Baby sweaters

With one very good friend and two friends that I'm still getting to know all set to have babies soon, I figured now would be a good time to dive into the wonderful world of sweaters. I checked high and low online for a pattern that was easy to read and easy to knit, yet didn't have much luck. Once again I made a trip over to Gossamer and with the help of a great saleslady, I picked out "Baby Knits for Beginners" by Debbie Bliss (I heart her), along with some sweet cotton yarn. The pattern I chose is a boat neck sweater, which is as easy as it comes. It called for the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino however they didn't have enough of it, nor the colors I wanted. Instead I went for Blue Sky's Cotton in Shell and Honeydew. These sweaters will be for my friend who is having twins (a boy and a girl). So far I am finished with the front and back and have started working on one of the sleeves. Pictures coming soon!

For the other two mommies-to-be I can't decide if I'll make another sweater or a blanket. hmmm....

First hat

I found a pattern online (forgive me as I don't have it right now or else I'd post it), picked up some gorgeous chunky, sage green, wooly warm yarn from Gossamer, and cast on my stitches. The hat was a simple pattern. Knitting and purling, then decreasing. I went through it fairly quickly and in no time at all I had my first hat. I will admit that sewing the seams together was by far the hardest part for me. I'm still not thrilled with it and have promised to one day rip it out and re-sew it correctly. When I have extra time. A.K.A. Never gonna happen. Since it's considered a "skull cap" it sits somewhat high on my head but fits my daughter perfectly, so she has proclaimed it as hers but lets me "share it" with her. What a sweet kid! I was happy with the way it turned out given this was my first real project. I skipped the whole "first scarf" thing and jumped feet first into something more difficult. While it's not perfect it works. Here are some pics of my daughter modeling it. I'll have to take some more of it just laying there. You can see the seam is a tad pointy on top. Annoying. It's also sitting on her head a tad crooked, but she's just too cute for words, isn't she?!

I heart yarn

I do. I heart yarn like nobody's business. I can't go into places like Gossamer or Juniper Fiberworks without leaving empty handed. It's just not possible. All the colors, textures, types, and styles boggle my little creative mind. I start thinking of how a certain yarn will look knitted up and I want to buy out the whole store. Because my budget will not allow me to clean both stores out I behave myself and only go in whenever I truly NEED something.

Need is such a subjective word.

So anyways, I started knitting again last year after not having any sort of craft needles in my hands for oh...20+ yrs. My grandma (whom I adored and miss like all get out) started teaching me to knit and crochet (mainly the latter) when I was but a wee lass. I loved it then but since I didn't get to spend a ton of time with Mee-Maw I didn't get a lot of teaching in. Thus, I stopped. I had always wanted to pick it back up again yet knew no one that knit...or crocheted (is that even a word?!) until one of my best friends said she was knitting. That peeked my curiosity, which made me delve into the internet world of knitting, and dragging my daughter out to places like Joanne's, buying crappy yarn, a book written when Einstein was a child, and some aluminum needles. I sat down, read the book, and started knitting. Things were going great...until I messed up.

I called Patty. I whined to her. But she knits on a loom and won't dare try sticks. Crazy girl. I researched and found Gossamer...and classes! Oh! Classes! Loves me some classes. The hubby and I had to go to Portland in a week or so for some medical tests and I really wanted something to keep me occupied both on the trip up and back and while at the hospital. Thankfully Jasper at Gossamer was able to squeeze me in. She was quite impressed that in just a day or two of knitting I had re-learned how to cast on, knit, and make something that resembled a small scarf-to-be. She showed me how to not only fix the mistake I made (which is something I'm still getting down pat) but she also showed me how to purl, and seed stitch, and bind off, and make pom-poms, and cables, and...and...all kinds of stuff. My head was so full that it threw up the moment I walked out. Sigh. I did retain quite a bit though and knitted like mad on our trip.

My first project I'll post in a bit. It was a hat. Something simple and knit in a yarn that is one of my favorites. My daughter "steals" it from me when it's cold out. Looks good on her given it's a skull cap so it's not as long as I usually like my hats. I then moved on to another hat with yarn I had picked up at Joanne's. This yarn is so soft but it drives me insane. I had to take an 8 wks. hiatus as I broke my right arm. Of course right before that happened I had purchased more beautiful wool fibers and they were calling to me. They sat so pretty in my cute little knitting box that I bought, just waiting, wondering why I had abandoned them. Yes, I tried to knit with my splint on. Didn't work out so well.

That hat is still on sticks. I have moved on! Patty is expecting not one but TWO babies (one of each) and I have decided to make her two sweaters that the little cutie patooties can wear this winter. Last night I finished the front of the baby girls' sweater and will be starting on the back...or maybe a sleeve...tonight. It is knitting up very fast and so far I love it. The pattern is from Debbie Bliss (adore her) and is a boat neck style sweater. Something easy for a gal like me who is not great at reading patterns and doesn't have a lot of experience yet.

I want to do socks and purchased some great sock wool yarn for that however I am intimidated as hell on socks--so I shall wait until I've done a few more things first. For now I must finish the sweaters!