Knitterly Hoodie

I made my self imposed deadline. I actually had a day to spare. When we visited family last year in Petaluma I made a side trip to Knitterly. I bought the yarn for this hoodie. I worked on it until Christmas knitting took priority. Then this was laid aside while I knit some birthday afghans. I picked it up after it was decided that we would indeed be returning to Northern California this August. I had to finish this sweater before the 1 year anniversary. I had to wear this sweater in Petaluma. The 3 pieces were knit and I just had to seam, knit the hood, and knit the button band. I should mention here that the hood is 3 balls of yarn and the button band is 2. I finished! I wore the sweater to Knitterly! I forgot to take pictures! The only Petaluma photo I have is this one M took of me working on a Dare Hat and a relative looking through the Ella Rae book my mom bought me.

I did take some more photos the day before we drove home. I'm not super thrilled with the photos, but I do LOVE this cardi. It's warm. It would look better over a long sleeved T-shirt, but I didn't have any of those packed.

Heathered Hoodie. Knitscene Fall 2009.

GGH Aspen in Green. 16 balls

Doll Cardigans

I knit a Cardigan/Hat set for a 5yo's American Girl doll. The cardi is this pattern. I made the hat up to match. The yarn is from my Gram's stash.

I used the same pattern and some lion brand homespun to fit a build-a-bear.

Both of these sweaters were birthday gifts. So the model photos are on 4's dolls.

The Doll Quilts

I found some quilt blocks in 4's closet. (I keep my sewing machine in her room.) I haven't sewed in a long time...but I sewed way before I learned to knit. I made the bedding for 8's crib. And then I made a quilt for my nephew (4mo younger than 8). And then I stopped sewing. Something about having a 7mo...and morning sickness turned me off of sewing. And then with 2 babies...there was never really time. And just when things seemed to be leveling off...I was pregnant again...but this time I was a knitter. And so these quilt blocks were from shower gifts before I had my own kids. Time for them to finally be pieced together.

I only had to sew 6 seams to have a quilt top. And I had enough blocks for 2 doll sized quilts (plus enough to make another one for 4's birthday). My mom helped with the backing.

The backing becomes a border on the front with mitered corners as well.

Here they are. This is before I tied them. I didn't want to machine quilt or hand stitch these, so they are tied in 4 spots where they blocks meet. mbnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnswwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww3

Rex just climbed across the laptop. Guess he had something to say. Clearly he feels my lap should be for him and not the computer. Off to cuddle the kitty.

Yosemite Hat

So...when your hubby forgets the hat you knit for a week in the snow...he's quick to pull off the highway when you spot a LYS. Driving through Oakhurst, California we found A Bit Of Yarn.

I picked up 2 balls of this super soft 100% Merino. It's a DK weight.

And before we left, I'd finished the hat. I happened to have brought with size 2 DPN's and a 24" circular to work on a 4th fingerless mitt. They worked for this top down hat. It's the No Purl Beanie.

And, since I didn't finish the last 2 rows until AFTER the ball dropped, this is my first FO of 2010.

Escargo

M wanted a hat with texture. I needed not to be knitting cables (my current WIP vest has cables). I found this snail hat and thought it could work. Yes the pattern is in Japanese, but there is a standard knitting chart. Some notes are up on Ravelry in English. I did CO less stitches because M wouldn't want a slouchy hat. And he'll be wearing the hat folded up. Here it is just before i used a 3 needle BO to form the cylinder.

And a bunch of finished shots. Since I only had a partial ball of the Paton's Wool and I wasn't sure of the yardage needed, I mixed in some denim marl Paton's Wool every few stripes.

So which photo do you like best #1, #2, or #3?

BYOB!

This bag seemed to take FOREVER to make. All those rounds of seed stitch. I LOVE the FO though. It was totally worth it. I didn't take time to check gauge, and probably should have used smaller needles. So instead of a bag that I could take to the market, this should be more of a beach bag. It fits 4 towels easily.

I know this isn't the most flattering shot of the back of me and all the TV wires, but you should see how long this bag is.

And here it is stuffed with groceries. TJ's shoppers will know the sizes of these items. The bag holds a tub of alphabet cookies, a tub of mini meringues, a box of Kashi Mighty Bites, a bag of White Cheddar Puffs, a loaf of Cinnamon bread, and a bag of Honey-Wheat pretzel sticks.

I've finished a few market bags. Each from a different pattern. I was going to try to post them all together...sort of a comparison review. Now, I'm just hoping to get them all up on the blog. Do you have a favorite market bag pattern? What makes that one your favorite?

Swiffer!

On Mother's Day, M took the kids into the front yard to wash my car. And I got to rest on the chaise in the back yard with my knitting. I took the time to CO something new. This Swiffer Cover is such a quick knit. I just used one yarn...and I like the way the colors worked out.

And it actually matches my Swiffer a bit.

But...the real reason I LOVE this...look how well it picks up dirt. I'm feeling green and trying to do away with disposable cleaning products.

My next project is to replace my recycled Trader Joe's brown bags with some string and fabric shopping bags. I hope this goal doesn't kill me. I'm usually coming home from the grocery store with 20-30 plastic bags...and the thought of that in our landfills is just killing me. But, 20-30 cute shopping bags...that could take my entire summer. And I have lots of other knitting on my goals list.

Clapotis Fini!

Between church this morning, and our Co-Op Open House this afternoon, my FIL took some FO shots for me. I loved this project. Here's my Clapotis just hanging out on the rings in our backyard. After this shot, there were kids hanging from the rings while we continued with the photo shoot.
The finished length is just longer than my span. I did add a few extra repeats.

I'm surprised that I didn't faint with this wrapped around me in the 98 degree heat. With the drops, it's not too warm. But, when I draped this over my shoulders last Monday (we had a chilly morning) then it was just warm enough. I think I'll get use out of this. Even if it is just as a cuddly wrap while I read my Bible in the morning.

Pattern: Clapotis from Knitty
Yarn: 2 skeins of Dream in Color Smooshy in Cloud Jungle from Michelle
Needles: US#8 Bamboo straights.
Modifications: I did a few extra repeats in the straight section.

I knit the increases from one ball. Then started alternating 2 balls for the straight part. I have a lot of yarn left over. Not enough that I could have knit this with one ball. But, my plan to start the decreases when I finished the first ball of yarn didn't work out. One end is a bit different, but you have to really know to look for it. I so enjoyed working on this while watching movies with M that I just may knit another one some day.

Sweet!

M went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park on Saturday with his dad. When they got back to our place, my FIL took these FO shots for me. So much easier than taking pictures of your own feet!!! And, he knows what he's doing with aperture and such. I love these socks. And...I love Picasa. I'll have to figure out how to explain this better. But for now...I download photos...then can use Picasa to crop...with out opening Photoshop...then hit the Blogthis button. SWEET! Give it a try if you Google.

***ETA. Jaywalkers in Austermann Step
Started: January 1, 2008
Finished: April 19, 2008

Modifications: I did a Slip, K2tog, PSSO instead of the described dd.

Cloud Bolero

Cloud Bolero.

Here it is on a friend home for her Spring Break. She humored me with trying on my sweater. I can't get a shot of the back when I'm wearing it myself.

I didn't get close ups...so here it is on me this Thursday when I wore it.

This was fun. I might make another. I could see making it longer...and I saw one on Ravelry with sleeves.

A hat that needs a home...

I started this hat sometime last spring. I knit 2 in January last year in the Men's size, then started this one in a child's size. I found this when straightening up my yarn bins and just had to get it off the needles. It just needs a pom-pom on top.

Pattern: Asymmetrical Cable Hat from Leigh Radford's One Skien.
Yarn: Paton's Shetland Chunky
Needles: US #10 circ. from my Gram's collection

I'm not sure if I'll send this hat to my cousin who lives in Indiana...where it's actually cold. Her son is 3 1/2 and could use this...or if I'll save it for the charities that will pop up everywhere next November when I'm busy with Christmas knitting. Either way. This hat will make some head warm. And I loved knitting this pattern. It's fun with all the different size cables. I needed the chart the first time I knit this hat. Now, only a year later, I picked up the hat in progress and could knit from there. I'm amazed at how much I've learned.

Morestripes

Pattern: MoreStripes
Yarn: Tonalita by Trendsetter 3 balls each...the colors are on Ravelry.
Needles: US 7's throughout.
Begun: August 2007
Finished: January 2008

Notes: It really didn't take that long to knit. It took me that long to get my sewing machine out to work the steek. Someone on ravelry said she frogged the ribbing at the neck to make it lay flat. I was a bit worried after I read that, but I love the way it rolls. Especially at the back of the neck. I only knit 6 rows then bound off on the wrong side.

I wish it was a bit longer, but after I loose 10 pounds it will hang longer. I made it to match the size under my bust, like the pattern calls for, knowing that I still have a bit of roll around my belly from kid #3. That will go this year. It WILL! So, I give you these artsy front shots because the straight on front shot looked horrible with all the horizontal stripes. I'm pretty impressed with my self photography. These shots came out better then when I had M take some in the yard.

And the Viking Ship necklace...that belonged to my Gram...who taught me to knit.

My First FO of 2007

The Koolhaas! I finished it while watching the Rose Parade.

Koolhaas Hat by: Jared Flood

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran: 2 balls

I didn't make any changes to the pattern. M thinks the hat is a bit big. Maybe it would be smaller in a different yarn. But, I could have gotten away without the extra repeat for a Men's size. This hat isn't for him though...so I'll just pray it fits the recipient.

Now, M has requested a hat. He saw this hat on someone else last week, and today I found it on the internet...thank God for google. It's a NorthFaceBeanie. I found this one, and I think that it's doable. I have some Zoom yarn that would be nice. So, I looked in one of my Gram's old Stitch books, and found this...

So...I think I might need some help. How am I going to do the decreases at the top of the hat. After knitting the Koolhaas, and seeing Jared's genuis at work...I should totally email him. Ok, I just can't do that. But, it would be cool. I also found this... Scroll down and read The Rules. Maybe this will help me when I try to make the decreases work. I might just be crazy. M said..."Well, when you get the one color pattern down, then you can try the 2 color hat, because that's what I really want." If those hats are still available somewhere I'm sure it's worth the $25. Because, isn't that a brioche stitch at the ribbing, and then the same cable pattern but with a bobbin of color for every 3 stitches. I'm not sure I love him that much. Not that I don't love him...but why can't he like something simple. My brother wants the Sideways Shortrow Cap I've knit 2 of...that's easy. Anyways, is there anyone out there with crazy skills that would like to knit along with me...and we can work together to figure this out??? Ok...maybe that was to crazy to ask. I do have another question for sock knitters...but I'll save that for another post.

Huckleberry Ascot

IK Holiday Gifts 2007.

Huckleberry Ascot by Kat Coyle.

Nashua Creative Focus Worsted, Color: Carmin

220 yards, Plus enough to finish the BO

Needles: US 7

I knit this the week my dad was in the hospital. It was soothing to knit garter stitch, yet interesting enough because of the short rows. If you want to get practice with short rows, this is the way to do it. Even the bobbles were fun. Since my hair doesn't cover any of the back of my neck, I'll definitely need this for the winter. Even our mild California one is chilly when your neck is exposed like that.