Marvelous Miters

The timing of the winter games worked for me.  I used the event to help motivate me and as a general guide for a progress and completion timetable.  If you recall, I was knitting a baby blanket, and I finished it.  Final assembly and edging took place on Monday, and I was finally able to get photos yesterday.  Now I just have to write a note, wrap, package, and get it in the post.  

The pattern is Mitered Crosses, and it is a simple, lovely design.  I hardly had to pay attention to what I was doing.  Row after row of garter stitch kept my hands busy and productive whether my mind was empty and incapable of thought or full of all the things.  Knowing that this was just a baby blanket and that I only had to complete nine blocks allowed me to see the progress and keep going.  

Knitting this also reminded me of how nice project monogamy can be.  That isn't to say that I have changed and will only knit one project at a time from now on, but it can be the right way to go sometimes.    

Dispatch from the Patch

Just when it seemed we were out of the danger from the cold, a leftover piece of it jumped up and bit me.  Actually, it was a patch of ice I was not even thinking of watching out for because the danger of ice seemed like it should have been gone.  Yeah, I fell, but it could have been much worse.  I was carrying my nephew (he's 20 months) at the time, and I am just glad that he was unhurt.  I was carrying him on the left and I managed to fall to the right.  Now I have a somewhat sad elbow and shoulder, but it is not too bad.  I am doing the resting and icing and that is helping.  It has limited me from doing much beyond Netflixing, but there are worse ways to pass time.  Anyway, somehow I have found a comfortable position on the couch and gotten some real sleep in acceptable quantities for three nights in a row, even.  Yeah, I'm surprised, too, but quite pleased.  

So, you ask yourselves, and quite rightly, "Why is she bothering to blog if she's just lying about on the couch not doing anything?"  Well, you see, before the fall, my sister found a picture of something and gave a not-so-subtle hint that she would like me to make it for my niece.  Since it is unbearably cute, super easy, and takes almost no time, I made one.  I think I will make more.    

Modeled Shots Soon

Exciting times are here, and by that, I mean it is new niece time.   At 8lbs, 6ozs; 21", our Zelda Lambiekins (they are still working on the name) is a bundle of of lovey snuggliness.  The whole family is doing well and so happy.    

  

Hi, Funny Bunnies!

Well, it took a few tries, but I finally made some little bunny-blanket-lovey-bits.  I experimented some with the numbers and shaping, and like the results.  They are quick knits, but you wouldn't know it with my start-to-finish time on the first one.  For some reason, I had trouble with the portion of the pattern for working the ears.  I finally did something that seems to work, but I still find myself a bit puzzled that I could not make sense of those directions when so many other people have knit from this pattern.  Anyway, I think there are at least two more of these in my very near future, and I am fine with that.  Right now, the hardest thing about these is not giving them to the babies right now.  If I do that, I will need to make or buy something else for Christmas, and I really want to watch that I do not overload myself.  

Block After Block

Well, there is only one more Christmas gift to show you all, and it was a doozy.  It was one of those ideas that nearly did me in, and had its hooks in me before I knew what had happened.  Since my mom found the pattern, she earned a portion of the credit and the blame.  

When the idea first struck back in September, I thought I would make these for everyone I know who loves Legos.  I would make one for the newest nephew, (the original plan) one for my younger brother, and then for the other two nephews.  My mom (she knows how to crochet) was going to help make blocks, too.  This would be a family effort, and so special.  It was going to be my go-to baby blanket pattern.  I was going to make one for Kitten's Elizabeth, and then for each of her other boys.  I have friends with little ones who go crazy for Legos, and I was going to make them for all of those kids.  Oh, I wasn't going to do it all at once, but maybe one every couple of months.  It all seemed so reasonable.

The little blocks that make up the blankets are so quick and easy to make that I had finished (even had the ends woven in) the first twenty in no time at all.  Then by the time I had thirty done, I was losing the will to live.  At this point, it was also apparent that Mom's crocheting, well, we will just say she would not be able to help with this.  Somewhere between blocks thirty and fifty-five, time stands still, with the exception of that brief moment at forty--the halfway point.  Amazingly enough, once I hit sixty I was back on a roll again, and soon after that, I had finished all eighty bricks.  I set them aside for about a week until I had the uninterrupted time at home to assemble it, and then I was done.  I was amazingly pleased with it, and I think I could make this again, but I just do not know when I will be ready to tackle the challenge.  

Anyway, the blanket was a big hit, and my younger brother was visibly jealous.  The baby chewed on it, but I did not get a good picture of him with his new blanket.  He was a very blurry boy that day, but I hope he loves his blanket for years to come.    

More Than a Little, Less Than a Lot

You probably guessed that I did not make all of the things for Christmas that I planned to make. Some plans changed, and when I re-assessed others, I saw that I was going overboard, so I crossed them off the list, too.  Overall, I did well with completion and went into the New Year with only one incomplete.  Yeah, it was the one I mentioned in the last post, but that was enough to motivate me to finish it.  

The last of the Christmas presents completed is a scarf I wove.  It is an easy-peasy plain weave with Knit Picks Imagination in the colorway Looking Glass.  The scarf is so soft and pretty and I think it is just right for my ever-cold sister-in-law.  I hope she likes it.  

You may recognize this yarn from my Color Affliction.  I do have a complaint about this yarn--it sheds like mad.  As in, wearing something made from it makes it look like you have too many pets.  Multiple cycles of tumble dry, no heat, yield full lint traps.  It is really rather ridiculous, but at least I knew what I was in for after the Color Affliction adventure, and I pretty much used up all of the yarn.   

Something else to tell you about the weaving of this scarf--I was able to use new tools!  I bought the boat shuttle at SAFF, then I bought this cheap little drink mixer, and now I have a bobbin winder.  It works so well, I love using the boat shuttle, and I feel super-smart because real bobbin winders are expensive.

Next up, we have the garter-stitch-scarf-of-never-ending-ness.  Of course, all garter stitch scarves feel that way to me, but I really like this and enjoyed knitting with my handspun.  The sister-in-law liked it, too, and her husband liked his new socks.  I knew he had been wearing the pair I gave him in October, so I felt confident in this gift choice.

Then one of them pulled a stunt that makes me feel like I might never knit for either of them ever again, but it happened during a time of stress, so I am just trying to let it go and not think about it.  If I do find myself thinking about it, I am trying to reframe it and put a more positive spin on it all, but time might be the best treatment.  Feeling like I might never knit for someone again sometimes just means that I have not finished processing an event, and that is the best way I can think of to deal with the negative feelings.  It is really a much better option than telling someone whatever pops into my head.  This makes it all sound much bigger and serious than it is, and I have gotten way off-topic, but that is nothing new around here.        

Maybe we can bring this post back in order a bit with something cute.  I knit this sweet hat for my niece.  The pattern is Ruffled Cloche from 60 Quick Baby Knits, and if you knit this pattern, I will note that you can work this in the round from the start.  It was hard to get a picture of her wearing the hat, but it was a hit with everyone.  Her mom hopes it will still fit at Easter.  If it does not, I am probably willing to knit another, but I am not making any promises today.  

Finally, we have the gift that tried to kill me, but that will have to wait for another post.      

Caps, Gowns, and More Caps

May has been a very busy month.  A major event was the daughter's graduation from college.  We are so proud of her.  Her hard work and accomplishments made it easy to look past the challenges involved in organizing her graduation party.  We survived the mixed-nuts-controversy, the panic over parking, and invitation indignation, all with our sense of humor intact.  None of it was actually anything to worry about, and as long as at least two people could keep that in mind at all times, it kept a relative calm over those who prefer to panic.  I stayed so busy keeping things flowing that I hardly had any time to socialize, and I kind of liked it that way.  

The weather jerks kept telling me about the heat, and I was starting to take it personally.  As this attitude was neither positive nor helpful, I decided that I needed to do something.  As I cannot control the weather, (not that it would be a good thing if I could) I figured that a sunhat was what I needed to put myself in a better frame of mind.   

In the past, I have looked at knitted summer hat patterns, never really found the right one, and I often freeze up when I begin to think about the millinery wire and starch.  Anyway, awhile back I thought about sewing a sunhat.  I looked at various patterns, and immediately discarded those sized for "average ladies' heads."  If that worked for me, I would have already bought one from the store.  Then there were the directions for those with more sewing experience wherein the designer throws out some guidelines, and you work out the pattern for yourself.  As my experience and skills are not there yet, my search continued.  Finally, I found a pattern that I liked, and filed it away for future reference.  Fast forward to this week, and I was ready to try.  

The pattern comes from Lorenna Buck, and I love it.  It fits, protects me from the sun, is comfortable, and I want to make more.  Even with my sub-par-sewing-skills and mistakes, it still looks pretty good.  I learned as I sewed, and think my next hat should be even better.  

With the need for air conditioning comes the need for a new hat for Harrison.  I love the pattern and the sizing options mean I could make these for everyone I know.  I seriously doubt that I will do that, but I will probably knit more of them for babies.     



            

Even Auntlier

My auntliness increased by 7lbs, 10ozs and is 20" longer, too!  Harrison Christopher was born Wednesday afternoon.  While his birthday debut started one way, he was not enjoying it, so it was completed via c-section.  My sister is OK, but having a few problems, so she was in the ICU until Friday afternoon.  This was not our favorite thing, but we have done our best to navigate our way through this unexpected and different path.  We were finally able to hold Harrison Thursday, and it was wonderful.  Now I just keep knitting little hats for his precious little head, wait my turn to snuggle him, and take as many photos as possible.    

Hoppin' Good

Well, we made it through the full-moon weekend, and it was something else.  Very little went as planned, and it was both too wild and too quiet.  A perfect companion for both the crazy and the nothingness, was making things.  Of course, scattered throughout the weekend were tiny baby bunnies.  They are quick, easy, and fun.  Then I decided to work on a little frog hat that my mom asked me to make for my soon-to-be-here nephew.  None of the patterns I found was really doing it for me, and that is part of why I hadn't made it before now.  In the end, I decided to use the owl hat pattern as a guide, and I think I have something that works.  




Speaking of Rufus, we got good news about him; he turned.  Not only that, but my sister's blood pressure is back where it should be.  We are so very thrilled.  Now that he is headed in the right direction, his birthday is planned for the 18th, or sooner if he gets impatient.  

I'm an Owl Exterminator!

It is all owls, all the time here. I have been hooking almost nonstop for about the last week-and-a-half. I do not remember just how it all started, but once I began, I never found a stopping point, and now that season two of Downton Abbey is over, I do not know when I will stop. The bright colors and acrylic yarns are not my usual style, but they work for these hats. I did get a look from a knitter in a waiting room the other day, but when I asked how she liked the Signature Needle Arts circs she was using, my Real KnitterTM credit appeared to be restored, or not--I really do not care.

The finished hats were piling up for a while, and then I gave four away. Three went as birthday gifts, and one went to a niece because she wanted one. The kids love the hats, and so do their parents. Another niece asked me to teach her mom how to knit (and then she asked me to teach her mom how to crochet once I told her the hats are crocheted) so that she could have one. I have already taught this particular niece to knit, I have a feeling she does not want to learn to crochet any more than I want to teach her, I know her mother does not want to learn, and I have already given an owl hat to her sister, so I think making one for her is the best option.

The two sleepy owls are meant for the future new nephew and niece, and when another sister-in-law saw them, she asked if I would make two for her twin infant nieces. I am not sure what will happen with the rest. People keep telling me that I could sell them, (yes, the designer does allow this) and the same thoughts go through my head each time I hear it. Usually I think, "If people will pay, please give me money, or point me in the direction of those who will." Then I just have a chuckle to myself about being a hooker who never gets paid.

Too Little, Too Late

I meant for this sweater to be for a baby born last year, and I do not really remember what happened, but fast-forward to now, and I have this sweater, and I am pretty certain that it is too small for the little girl. Asking the mommy about her baby's wingspan to see if this would still fit seems wrong, so I am holding onto the sweater for some future baby. I just now got around taking pictures of it, and I fall in love with the little kitty buttons every time I look at it.

Speaking of little, I also never showed you the cute little prizes resting on the sweater. They are HiyaHiya Puppy Snips that I received from a friend. It has been a long time since I felt the need to own one of something in every color, but I think these adorable little scissors may have brought me nearly to that point. They are fabulously handy little snips, and I feel compelled to show them to everyone whenever I use them.

Now, I somewhat show you something that is neither little nor late. It is a gift for a friend, (those of you who have seen and know what this is--shhh, please) but not exactly for a particular occasion, and, therefore, not late. I will show it after it arrives where it belongs, but we all know my postal procrastination, so no holding of breath, please.

Babies, Babies, Everywhere

Well, not so much, but I know of one that just made her grand entrance one week ago, and another that still has several months to go. Anyway, like birthdays and holidays, I do not usually do much planning for the babies until shortly before they are here. That is why I was casting on for a little something earlier this month.

I chose the Bella Baby Sweater from The Knitter's Book of Wool. Then, to make it extra-special, I chose discontinued yarn, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Sportweight, in purple. This brings me to my mini-complaint about Lion Brand keeping Wool-Ease Chunky and Thick & Quick along with the regular worsted weight version, but dumping their Sportweight. Ah, but that is not the topic of the day, so we now return to the regularly scheduled sweater discussion.

This was a fun, quick knit. The beautiful, bright color was a joy for the eyes. After I finished the individual sweater pieces, I pinned them out, blasted with steam (this pic has the right color), and got out another book. I like The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques, and was glad to receive this reference last year. It seems that at the very least, I need to have the book open to start the seaming process, as it has usually been more than a little while since my previous seaming adventure.

Anyway, while I knit the sweater, I kept thinking about cute ways to embellish it. I considered little bugs, flowers, hearts, stars or butterflies. I thought about careful embroidery, or bold, i-cord additions. However, when the time came, I found two perfect buttons, and could see that the sweater was finished.

Since I did not knit the smallest size, it will be a little while before I can beg for modeled shots, so the fabulous living room floor photography has to suffice for now.

The Possibilities

The scale is unable to reflect the weight I have shed, but I feel the difference. Yes, I have been exercising and monitoring my food intake with FitDay, but this has nothing to do with that. So, what has me feeling as though I am light enough to float away? I finished the baby blanket! The bind-off took a few hours, but the method I chose really gave it a nice finish. We only have to look at it one more time.I know you must be thinking, "Sarah, it is yellow around the edges and looks larger than the 31"x31" as listed in the pattern." Why, yes, observant readers, it does have yellow around the edges and 42"x42" are its finished dimensions. I ran out of the lilac yarn, and the lady who asked me to knit this chose yellow as the best option for finishing. Personally, I cannot decide anything about it other than the fact that I knit it well. Not listing the gauge in sts/in(cm) but rather in finished dimensions of wonky square-ish pieces that are difficult to get proper measurement before finishing the blanket, or in finished depth of the edging, which, again, cannot be determined before finishing the blanket, makes this outcome a bit more understandable. That is the last thing I have to say about that pattern, other than the fact that I do not think I will knit it again for less than $1000.

I have already delivered the blanket, and it is out of my life. I was already considering the next cast-on as I worked the bind-off for the blanket. There are so many possibilities, and now I can take the time to enjoy whichever will be next.

Lots and Lots of Hard-Yovers, or Mary Maxim Lies

I did a little math, and have a better understanding of why I am not done with the baby blanket. On every other round of the border, two yarn-over increases are worked in each of the four corners. The total stitch count as written in the pattern reflects this increase in eight stitches. What it fails to take into account are the two yarn-overs for each of the 64 leaves. That would be 136 stitches increased on each of six rounds. That put the stitch count at 1460 stitches per round, but not for long. While the corner increases are still happening, on those same rounds, I get to decrease two stitches from each of the 64 leaves. Well, that's quite enough pattern chatter about a blanket no one else is likely to knit. It will be a lovely gift, and I will finish it soon.

We kept my niece overnight on Saturday. While she was in the bathtub, she spent some time inspecting the washcloth. She knew that I had knit it, and was pointing to various parts and asking how I made them. Since it is a garter-stitch piece, there was not much to explain. Then she asked how I made the holes around the edge of the cloth.

Me: Those are yarn-overs
KOH: Harn-yovers?
Me: Almost. They are Yarn-Overs
(mischievous grin) KOH: They're Hard-Yovers, lots and lots of Hard-Yovers.

She was so pleased at her bit of teasing that she could hardly stop laughing, and I was soon laughing with her. I was also laughing about what her new knitting term brought to my mind. I immediately thought of the knitters who take one look at lace and declare that it is something they could never do because it is too hard. Even when a helpful knitter tries to explain that it is just a combination of decreases and yarn-overs, they will not hear of it. They have already convinced themselves that knitting lace requires Hard-Yovers. I get that various types of knitting require different levels of concentration, and that certain techniques and styles come more naturally to some and not so much to others. I just do not understand those declarations that one cannot do it at all. It may not be easy, it may require a quieter environment and greater concentration, and after trying, you might decide not to do it again, but if you want to, you can do it.

Blaming the Knits

Sometimes it is just easier that way, even when I know it is not the truth. I can see that I will finish this baby blanket, but possibly, not by week's end the way I hoped. I was so pleased to have completed and sewed together the four center squares, but then there was the picking up and knitting. That process bothered my hands and wrists, but I finally had 484 stitches and was on my way with the edging. I only have about 55 more rounds to go, and right now, it is only 556 stitches around, but at the end, a round will consist of 756 stitches. Perhaps I should not look any further at these numbers. Instead, I will look again at the completed, sewn-together center.

If go for a small project, surely that will help me make it through, right? A hat would be a logical choice. Yes, that might have been a good idea, if it were not for the horrible, tangled mess that exploded from the ball of yarn. If knitting is going to take the credit for good feelings, good times, coping with life, and everything else, I suppose it will have to receive a bit of blame occasionally.

Herding Cows the Size of Schnauzers*

That's right, there has been an abundance of Aunt Sarah time lately. I like being an aunt, and I love the kids. I just do not always hold up so well to so much of it back-to-back. For a period of about 2 1/2 weeks, I think I had two days without youngsters. That certainly has knocked my productivity down a notch. Add to this the fact that I operate best (and that is relative, to be sure) on a different schedule than the one that kids do, and it is no wonder that I am behind in many areas.

I did give the first knitting lesson to the youngest niece. She has been asking to yarn, and I told her I would teach her. She did not quite take to it. I do not know that I am much of a teacher, or perhaps at 4 1/2, she is not ready to learn. As it turns out, she had given a good deal of thought to this yarn adventure. When she saw that the yarn and needles we were using were sitting on the table while I was knitting something else, she was perplexed. She wondered why I was not knitting her scarf. I explained that I was knitting a baby blanket. Still hopeful that I was knitting for her, she asked if it was for a real baby or a baby doll. She was not brightened at all when I suggested that a scarf could be a nice present for her birthday or for Christmas. Ah, she'll learn.

I cannot decide what I should do about the GVC. I would like to send it to time-out, but if I do, I think I may never finish it. I want this sweater, but it may not be meant to be. The seaming on the sleeves was gorgeous, and I hated to rip. I really ought to be able to figure this out, but I feel stumped sometimes. For now, I just take it out of the bag and work on it for a while. It is a good deal of knitting and ripping, but at least I know that the yarn holds up well. The other positive--it makes knitting on the deadline baby blanket less unappealing.

I do not recall whose turn it is, but I am going to pick up the needles and make some progress. It is about survival. I do not dislike my knitting, but I am not quite feeling the love, either. That is hiding, but possibly in the stash. When we find each other, it will be good.

*why I like that commercial or the other like it is beyond me, but I do

Pushover? Perhaps.

When I came home the other day, there were two messages on the answering machine for me. The tone sounded urgent, and the second even more so than the first. My husband thought that it must mean dire news. Since the message was addressed solely to me, I doubted it would be serious. It was a request for me to knit a baby blanket. I can handle knitting a baby blanket. I have seen several patterns I would like to knit. However, she had already purchased a kit. The finished dimensions are listed at thirty-one inches square, so it should not take too long. The pattern directs you to knit four squares, sew them together, then pick up and knit stitches to work the border in the round.

Yep, that is what I am telling myself as I knit this. I am not overly fond of deadline knitting, and I feel a bit of anxiety when people ask me to knit for them. That being said, this is for a very kind woman. She has another grandchild due later this year. I knit a blanket for one of her great-granddaughters a couple of years ago. I figure that if she asks me to do this every few years, I can continue to say yes. Besides, I like to be nice, and this is purple. Also, I have almost finished the first of the four squares for the center. I would show you my progress, but I cannot locate my camera cable.

Sweet!

Here is a bit of sweetness to brighten your Monday. The pattern is the Cupcake Hat, and it is quick and easy to make.

I am pleased to have something accomplished today. For some reason, I am a bit stalled out, but I am steaming forward and trying to keep moving. I may even try to make it out to knit with everyone tonight.

Little Pathway

I have been itching to dig into New Pathways for Sock Knitters book and decided that the baby knitting was a perfect excuse to try something from it. I grabbed the leftover yarn from the BSJ, and began with the Little Sky Sock. I made my way through it, and promptly frogged. No, it was not because there was a problem with the pattern or my knitting, but because I made my way through almost all of the leftover purple yarn. This was fine. I really just wanted to try out the first learning sock. Over the years, socknitting has become almost second nature for me. It was weird to closely follow all the instructions and illustrations. It seems forever ago when I was doing that with my first socks. It was fascinating, fun, and a nice return to the magic of first socks.

Anyway, after I re-wound the purple yarn, I moved on with pink yarn and the Little Coriolis pattern. When I saw that this pattern was toe-up, I was even more excited to begin. Before I knew it, I had finished the first, and was working up the foot of the second sock. I loved the arch expansion spiraling its way up the foot in the opposite direction. It was bedtime when I was ready to turn the heel. I wanted to press on and finish, but I also wanted to keep the fun of the pair for the next day. This was such a quick little pair, and as soon as I had finished them, I was looking through the book for my next socks.

The book has so much great information. I am glad that I added it to my library. Now maybe I can work towards writing a pattern for SM3.

Baby Suprise!

The Baby Surprise Jacket is such a neat pattern. I finally knit my first, and believe that I will knit more of them. It reminded me of knitting socks for the first time. I did not quite understand what was happening the whole time, but it was magic when it clicked.

It was fun passing the blob of fabric around and seeing who could fold it into a sweater. Then it was just a few ends to weave in, the sewing, and the buttons. Perhaps the most amazing feat was finishing it before the baby arrived. Bonnie Ester made her way into the world last Thursday afternoon. Now I just need to get this in the mail.