now with buttons
2009 @ 4:45 pm
I sewed the buttons on the 5 hr, impossible to photograph well, baby sweater. I love it!
Buttons were purchased at The Brooklyn General Store, at which you may now shop ONLINE. This has been a long time coming and I’ll be posting more about it soon!
Raveled here, previously posted here.
A Tale of Two Sweaters
2009 @ 8:45 am
Bottoms up and tops down… I finished two sweaters recently:
one for my dear friend’s baby
Pattern: 5 Hour Baby Sweater. No link because I can’t find the exact one I used! The yoke has slipped stitches where other version have garter ridges.
Size: newborn-6 mos
Needles: Size 4 addi
Yarn: Maplecreek Superwash Fingering in Taylor’s Orange. Very difficult colorway to photograph!
Ravelry: greatwhitewong project page
This is knit from the top down, which I much prefer. I didn’t make any modifications, except to knit the largest size on fingering weight yarn, which was recommended in the pattern. Oh wait, I also skipped the patterning on the cuff and bottom and opted for garter stitch.
and the other for Miss Maia.
Pattern: Eyelot Yoke Cardigan by Sarah Hoadley. (rav link)
Size: modified 3 year old
Needles: size 7 addi turbo
Yarn: Sheldridge Farm Worsted Merino (colorway: W4-0902-031)
Ravelry: greatwhitewong project page
There were mods made to this since my gauge was 5 st/in and the pattern gauge calls for 4.25 st/in. I also wanted make the sweater more fitted around the body and under the pits. Since the yoke pattern is pretty simple, I didn’t worry so much about getting stitch counts that exactly matched the pattern. For my tall, skinny three year old I knit approximately the size 2 width and size three length (size 3 sleeves). I also knit this in the round from the bottom up. I did an extra repeat of the yoke pattern to compensate for my smaller row gauge and then finished as written.
In case you are curious about converting the gauge, I multiplied the number of st it would take to equal the circumference of the sweater on the schematic (i.e, 5 st * 24”= 120). Then I added one so it made an odd number. Each front side is about half the number of back stitches. So, each front is 30 stitches and the back is 61 stitches. I held six stitches live for armpit grafting.
Both still need buttons (and blocking!) and I’ll repost when they are on bodies…
A Tea Party!
2009 @ 7:38 pm
Our knitting group is lucky enough to have several fun parties every year. Some are annual events and others are special occasions–like someone having a baby, for example. A few months ago we welcomed the newest Spider mite to our midst–Miles! I was the hostess for his baby warming and thought a tea party would be a lovely way to spend an afternoon with the ladies. I pulled out all my tea bags (MANY) and fancy stuff 
With the help of Katy and Lisa (formerly in abundance), we had four kinds of fussy tea sandwiches in the shapes of hedgehogs, squirrels, and snails (IKEA cookie cutters).
I made some Chinese tea eggs…
And Miles was well warmed with handknits, including the group-effort log-cabin blanket…
And since that last photo is not as flattering to Miles as it is to the blanket, here is double cuteness…
sweater credit yarnmonster
How do you say Sassy in Norwegian?
2009 @ 7:00 am
I’ve been translated! My silly little baby mitts pattern has been translated–how exciting!
First Fair Isle
2009 @ 7:34 am
You may remember that I attempted fair isle mittens a while back… Herringbone Mitts with the help of Jess and (now blogless) Lisa. I didn’t get very far, although I was intrigued. I let it lie though, in favor of easier (for me) projects. Then, in the dead of winter, I put a fair isle yoke sweater on Cassie. Wow, that kid looked ADORABLE. Now, this was a sweater I tried to put on Maia as a baby. She looks ridiculous. It just wasn’t her style. But Cassie, what a cutie! So, I set to work on a fair isle yoke sweater for her to wear in Winter ‘09-’10. Yea, pretty realistic with my time lines.
The yarn is all Rowanspun 4-ply (discontinued), with the exception of the pink, which is Elsabeth Lavold’s Silky Wool. I used size 6 needles throughout. The pattern? It’s an Elizabeth Zimmerman EPS (easy percentage system) sweater. My qualms with this are few, really only that the neck is too small. I’ll be ripping it back next fall and putting some sort of button at the back. The fair Isle pattern is the basic example from Knitting Workshop. It was easy enough, but I messed up one row. Please see my Ravelry for details!
Working fair isle on this larger project was a bit less frustrating for me than attempting in on dpns for mittens. I just am not a dpn gal. I am still working on how to hold the yarn properly. I used both of my hands for this project, but would like to get down to just one.
A Niece-PHEW!
2009 @ 5:01 pm
I’ve been joking about my niecephew for about 9 months now. Winslow was finally born yesterday! I girlied up my latest (and last for a while) Boheme with some red/pink vintage buttons from Brooklyn General yesterday.
Pattern: Boheme“>Boheme by Allergra Wermuth
Yarn: Blue Moon Socks that Rock Heavyweight, no idea on color, but I deemed it a gender neutral-enough blue.
Needles: Size 6 circs
See my Ravelry notebook.
To accompany, I knit THAT baby scarf. I first saw this on a friends baby three years ago. I have been obsessing ever since and at long last, someone was able to identify the pattern. It’s a Drops Design that is presented along with hat and mittens. I love this scarf for it’s clever keyhole design.
Pattern: Hat Scarf and Mittens in Alpaca, Drops
yarn and needles: same as above. The gauge called for in the pattern is smaller so I didn’t increase to the number called for.
See my Ravelry notebook.
As for my post title, it’s not that I wouldn’t be stoked to have a nephew–it’s just that now I have somewhere to send all my baby girl clothes Oh, and girls rule.
Have a happy hand-knit holiday…
2008 @ 9:53 am
All our best at the end of 2008. Our hand-knits are all being put to good use and I hope yours are too.
If I look tired to you it’s because I AM. My New Year’s resolution is to get my eyebrows waxed.
Another Boheme
2008 @ 11:30 am
I am totally running wild with this sweater. I’ve just completed my fourth. Isn’t that obscene? And this isn’t even it… this is only the third! Photos to come of the fourth.
See Ravelry for complete details. I made the newborn size with sock yarn on size three needles. Yarn is Colinette Jitterbug. It’s extremely saturated colorway that I believe is called Jewel, although I am not positive. I chose to use it because this particular baby’s mama once told me that until she met her husband (my longtime friend) she wore only black. She was wearing a tangerine sun dress and aqua eyeshadow as she told me the tale. I figured it was a-ok to stray from the traditional pastels for their daughter, Ava (ah-va).
I also made a Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap to match, but can’t find the photo. It was quick, easy and oh-so-cute!
Now on the needles: another Brooklyn General Hood to match Boheme #4!
Some progress, albeit slow
2008 @ 10:30 am
I completed the second Boheme for Maia about a week ago.
Pattern: Boheme by Allegra Wermuth
Yarn: Lamb’s Pride Worsted in Raspberry (2)
Needles: size 7… i think.
Mods: I increased the largest size by 4 stitches and went on my merry way, skipping the lace pattern cuz I am not in good head space for lace these days.
Results?: Great! A little big, which is perfect. I think it will last for a couple of years. Maia LOVES it. I am so so lucky to have a kid who truly appreciates the things I make for her. She even pretends to knit me hats in the car. Because mine always seem to blow away. Oh yea, I got the cute triangle turquoise buttons while visiting the Gleek out in Bay Ridge. The shop had a HUGE selection of buttons, ribbons and other notions. Not to mention fabric and patterns.
I also knit some socks for Cassie–that was a bust.
Pattern: socks with short-row heel (my first, with help). I cast on 36 stitches and did a 3×1 rib.
Yarn: Koigu KPM in a purpley colorway (p324)
Needles: sz 1 magic loop
Results?: note to self–no need to rib the whole thing for a baby. The socks look great, but they are too tight. They’ll be gifted to a skinnier baby sometime this week.
Bonus photos
blog moments? oh there have been many…
2008 @ 10:25 am
I just haven’t been able to get them down on paper–never mind the blog. I’m just now grabbing the last gasp of summer off of the camera. I’ll just share what I find since there’s bound to be something fiber related…
oh yes… Maia woke up this morning and declared, “You forgot about my red sweater!!!” To someone with no sense of time, I’m sure it seemed like I had.
I’m working on a third Boheme for Maia. I think I added 6 stitches to the pattern to increase it to a two year old size. I think it’s a little too big! Oh well. Kids grow. I’m using Raspberry Lamb’s Pride. Since I only had one skein, I perused Ravelry to locate another. I got lucky and found one for 5 bucks. I always bypass lamb’s pride these days, but it really is a solid choice for a warm kid’s sweater. I’m glad this has short sleeves though… it would be way hot.
Maia got her first haircut this summer. With playschool starting this month I though it was time. not too mention that she would NOT let me brush it or put it up. The end of the day was always a sticky, sweaty mess. Now, because she has a haircut, she allows me to brush it. Yay!
Toward the end of summer we were able to partake in Brooklyn General’s knitting breakfast on a few regular Fridays. Maia and her buddy Miss P had fun moving the ENORMOUS amount of new stock all around the store and Cassie got to spend some quality time with her built-in bf. Miss P’s sister arrived just a few months behind Cass.
Oh yea, those home improvements? The hallway and my “office” area are complete, but I haven’t taken photos yet. Guess I’ll work on that next.
