A Rare Gift For A Baby

I rarely knit gifts for children. There are a few reasons why I don't: kids grow fast and soon outgrow whatever I've made, parents don't know how to wash hand-knitted items and they tend to shrink or felt over time, I don't always know the exact size the child is and fear that the item may not fit, and lastly, I fear that the gift really isn't appreciated to my expectations (purely selfish on my part but hey, I put a lot of effort into my knitting).

All that said, I knitted a pair of booties and a sweater for my boss's baby girl back in June.


These are Saartje's Booties and there are well over 3200 pairs out there. They used about half of a skein of Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe. Very cute!



And very quick!






Pattern: Child's Placket-Neck Pullover by Joelle Hoverson (Last-Minute Knitted Gifts)
Yarn: Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe 2.5 skeins
Needles: 4.5mm
Size: 6 - 12 months
Recipient: J. L. B.


So I got the reaction that I had hoped for from not only the parents but also everyone in attendance at the little girl's baby shower. Which may change my mind about knitting for children.

Tree Jacket

The next completed project I have to show is my very green Tree Jacket.



I loved working with the Malabrigo Merino Worsted. So soft!







Pattern: Tree Jacket by Zepher girls Sarah and Rachel
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Verdes
Needles: Addi Turbos in size 5mm
Size: xs 4.25 hanks used
Time to knit: February - April 2008

This is another favourite. Very comfortable to wear and warm. Of course the yarn pills a bit but I can live with that. These photos were taken before the sweater was blocked. After blocking the collar folded down and it now lays quite nicely. I think I increased the length in the body and in the sleeves. I tried not to take out the biasing in the body during the blocking -I kind of like it sideways.

I think I would knit this again... Malabrigo is great and I would use it again but I would also use Dream in Color Classy in maybe a blue.

Finished Fay

The next completed item that I will show you is my Fay. It took me a little over a year to finish but I found that in the beginning of it I found it really hard to keep focused on the pattern. Until I reached that "I've got to get this done already" point I really didn't get it. After a couple of pattern repeats it all made sense and I really didn't need that pattern to create the fabric... only the decreasing and increasing.









Pattern: FAY by Kim Hargreaves "New Beginnings"
Yarn: Rowan 4 Ply Soft in "Marine" 4.8 balls
Size: XS
Needles: 2.75mm and 3.25mm
Time: March 2007 - April 2008
You can find the pattern on www.kimhargreaves.com

I love this sweater. Really love it. I put a lot of hard work into it and it looks impressive. The impressive factor is important of course, sometimes that is the only thing that keeps the knitting happening.

It looks great with a collared shirt underneath, I haven't tried anything else with it yet. I wanted the yarn to be in the same colour the model is wearing on the website but it was discontinued and Kim didn't have any left so I opted for the navy (which I do love) and then I did find 10 balls in "Goblin" from another source so I got them too. I Love my greens! I'll probably use it to make another lacy sweater. I have lots anyways.

Still Here

So , I'm still here. I've been reading other people's blogs a lot lately... knitting blogs and more recently spinning blogs. And I don't know why but I have the need to start blogging myself again. Ravelry IS great but I'm finding that it really isn't satisfying the need of updating my thoughts on my projects and logging my thoughts on future projects. As well as commenting and linking to other's projects. When Ravelry happened I thought "Great, this will be easier and better and I won't have to spend that extra time writing a post, uploading pictures and replying to comments etc. etc.

There is a need for Ravelry and I do Love It but there really is no limit with blogging. I could post about quilting and show all the quilts I have in my home, or write about my obsession with hand-dyed roving and other's hand-spun yarns. Wow! I'm so inspired! And then seeing the hand-spun then hand-knit into beautiful socks, mitts, shawls, sweaters and cowls! It's all so wonderful!

So, here are some finished projects that have come about since my absence last year. Let's see if I can remember how to do this...

Central Park Hoodie








Pattern: Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky in Knitscene Fall 2006
Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed 6 skeins
Size: 32
Needle Sizes: 4mm, 5mm
Time: June 2007 - October 2007

I love this cardigan! LOVE IT! It fits just right, the yarn is hard-wearing so I don't feel like I have to treat it with too much care. I love the colour... even though I was going for the green like the pattern.

I am knitting another one for my mom and I will be adding buttons and a button band to hers. This is what hers looks like so far:



For hers I'm using Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran in a fabulous purple with fushia tweediness in it. I really love this one too but I know she'll like it more. Besides, I could always knit another.

So that's it for now, next I'll show you my finished Cherish cropped cardigan. To those who are still subscribed to After Eight, thank you and sorry for neglecting it. And to those who have popped in every now and then or have come here by means of surfing, glad you made it and I hope to keep things active if not interesting.

Thanks,
jen

Finished Knitting Blogging

Hello, I've been away for quite a while. I have been knitting though... Here are some finished projects:

Central Park Hoodie
Tahki Donegal Tweed 5.5 Skeins

Alisha's Irish Hiking Scarf
Malabrigo Worsted 2 Skeins

Pictures will be coming soon. I'm having trouble uploading them right now. If you are on ravelry you can check out all my knits. I'm "jen8"

The race begins!

So, I've joined the Tour de France KAL. It will be fun... I got into watching the race thanks to Jason and like following the cyclists on the tour. I'm going to knit my sock pal's socks. Yes, I know I've already posted about my pal's sock. I decided against them as my pal's feet are longer than what I'm used to kniting for and I feared that there may not be enough yarn for a nice length on the leg. I bought some nice sock yarn with more than 400 yards in it.

This is my first attempt at trying out a pattern. Turned out too tight and I wasnt having fun with it. I think it looks great though. Just not a great knit for me.


Here is my second attempt. I worried again that it would be too tight and I guess I just wasn't keen on the striping going on.


So, I found a pattern that I think will work out alright. And I really hope she likes it cause this is my last and final attempt. That's not a bad attitude now is it?

Jarrett is done!

Pattern: Jarrett by Kim Hargreaves from "Vintage Style"
Yarn: Rowanspun DK in Mouse 6.5 skeins (I think) for size 38
Needles: Addi Turbos 3.75mm, 4mm and 3.25mm for patches
Mods: None.
Started: August 2006
Finished: June 2007




I'm so glad it's done. I blocked it before Jason tried it on and I stretched the sleeves a bit too much. I'll have to remember that when I wash it again.


The buttons are great! At first they looked like petrified wood but I think they are some kind of horn. You never really know what they will look like until they are on the garment. I was afraid that they would be too large but I think they are perfect.

Here are some others that inspired me:
Aren't they all just wonderful?

Jarrett is on his way...

I am still here. Just busy -and then not so busy -but without a camera so no posting (boring without the pictures). So I got promoted at work and am very pleased, very happy, and it's what I've wanted for a long time! Jason and a couple of my kids are in Ontario and have been for about a week so I've had a lot of time to knit and get some house things done and spend time with Sebastian. Tonight I finished seaming Jarrett! All the ends are even woven in! Too bad the camera isn't here. I'm going to wait to block it until Jason has had a chance to try it on and then if I need to block it to a certain length or width I can do that then. I'll take a picture and post it before I do the blocking though. I'm so GLAD to have that one done. I thing it has been one year exaclty since he picked out the yarn with me. Pretty sad.

Slowly but Surely

Look at my lovely Fay...



In this shot she's blocking nicely.... I've started on the sleeves and will probably want to get the seams of the front and back sewn up sooner than later.

Laura B got it right. They are the Madder Rib socks (Vintage Socks - Nancy Bush). And Pixie, they very well could be the Nova Scotia colour way. I would have knit my pal a pair of Monkeys but she already has a pair. Oops, a little hint!

My Pal's Socks

Well, along with the other one thousand plus knitters, I joined this years Sockapalooza 4. I'm very excited about it all and already have a good start on my pal's sock.



I already had this yarn and was planning on socks for myself... I figured that my Pal would enjoy this yarn too. It's Fleece Artist 100% Washable Merin Wool. I tried to find the colour name or number on the band but there's nothing.


It's a nice mossy green with a marine blue through it. Lots of depth.


Can anyone guess which pattern it is?

April UFO Resurrection

No photos today... You wouldn't see much of a difference. Except that I have COMPLETED (!) the back of Fay. I have started the front and have done the bottom lace detail, the waist decreases and am increasing from the waist shaping. I'm enjoying this pattern and Rowan 4-ply Soft is great to knit with. Unfortunatly, I still have more than half of the front and two entire full-length sleeves.

Jarrett is still on the side lines....

Baby Knits Planning

I'm happy to say that my little sister had her second baby at the beginning of this month. Her first boy and he is such a cutie! So I'm planning some baby knits for my little nephew Owen. I won't be out to see them until August at the earliest so I've got lots of time and he's got some growing to do too. Anything I'll make him will be for a size 12 months anyway so he will have room to grow. I have a feeling he'll fit a 12 month size before his first birthday.

I bought this Debbie Bliss Book when I first learned to knit in 1994. It has a lot of cute patterns and I'm SO glad I hung on to it after all this time.



This is the yarn I'm thinking of using. The Grey should be quite familliar to those who have visited my blog before. It's Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK in "Mouse". I'm quite confident that I'll have lots left over from Jason's cardigan. The other one is the same yarn in "Drizzle". Love it! I bought this yarn for myself and would like to make something fitted similar to Salina. I could totally do another Salina. So I may have enough of this left over to do a little something for Owen.



This is the pattern I've wanted to knit ever since I bought this book. In fact, this is the pattern that I bought the book for. The book really has a lot of neat patterns and covers a larger range of sizes... 1 yr to 10 yrs. You don't find a lot of patterns for 7 to 10 year olds.



So what do you think? Mouse or Drizzle? Liz? How about Mouse?

Old to Me, New to You!

Here's a sock that I made last year. I can't remember when I started it... probably in the summer. I finished it in September I think. This sock does have a mate I just haven't taken a picture of the pair.



The yarn is Lorna's Laces "Mixed Berries" and I love it. Reminds me of the Super Man colours.



They are a bit roomy for my liking but they are very comfortable and warm... I usually put them on after a long day at work after comming off City Transit and walking home. I need to warm my feet up.

Update on Jarrett....
The first sleeve is too baggy. The second sleeve I fear may be too tight but I believe in my heart that it can be blocked out. My verdict is to rip out both and knit them cuff up and flat as the pattern told me to. But they are going to have to wait while I digest this change of mind. Jason is happy that the sleeves will match and that they will both fit so he is giving me my time away from this project without mentioning Jarrett... for a while.

UFOs -March Update

Well here it is the end of March. It's been quiet around here this month huh? Well that's okay... I've been a bit busier than usual. I do have some progress pictures on Jarrett though.



Sleeve number one is done. I had to rework the decreases because the original pattern is for cuff-up, knit-flat. But the length is perfect.

I even managed to start sleeve number two. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jarrett is comming along nicely!

The Green Month

It supposed to be Green right? St. Patrick's Day is a couple weeks off. I have always loved the colour green... when I was 6 and 7 years old I remember that green was my colour. I had an outfit that was green -green pants, white blouse with green flowers, the best part of it all, a green vest to match the pants. I loved the outfit so much I'm sure I wore it a couple times a week. Probably even two days in a row (I was a kid and didn't care... and really, I still don't)! Of course then my "favourite" colours turned to pink and mauve and then to baby blue. In highschool it was navy. Now I'm lovin the green again. And when given a choice between the yellow, blue, green and pink cup, Sebastian chooses the green one too.





The sweater fits him perfectly... which means that next year it will be too small. But hey, you know what I thought? Since it's knit from the top down including sleeves, I can always add a couple inches to the length when needed. Probelm solved. Not that there was a problem. I still am going to add that hood so you'll see a FO soon. Just in time for St. Patty's.


Shy Sebastian... So cute!

UFOs -February Update

I can't believe that today is the last day of February. And I don't mind a bit. Winter is starting to get to me. I need warmer weather. So here is what I have done to turn my UFOs into FOs.



I guess I would say that I doubled the size of Fay this month. I knit enough on it to not have to constantly be looking over at the pattern for every row so it's getting faster. I'm still loving it but just don't get to spend a lot of time with it.

And here is Jarrett. Still looking like he did last month... but I knit 1 row on the sleeve last night. I had Jason try it on just to make sure that we chose the right size to knit and make sure there is enough room in the arm holes. Everything seems fine so I feel I can continue on.



That's what the hold up was with it. I just wanted it to fit well. I wasn't sure about it for a while so I didn't want to go any further just to end up having to rip it all out --or never be worn.

So we'll see how busy March is and that will determine how much progress will be made on these two beauties.

Camo Cast On

Since I have been making some excellent progress on Fay, I allowed myself to start a pull-over for Sebastian.
The pattern is the Child's Tunic from Knitting Pure and Simple and I am making the size 2-4. This is my first top down sweater and I am very impressed. I see more of these in my future!



Love this yarn! It's Artyarns Supermerino in "Green Multi" 131. I'm not sure if I'll have enough yarn for the hood... I'm planning on going to the Knit Night tonight at my LYS and could pick up another skein along with the new Interweave Knits Magazine.

UFOs

Before January ends I should update what I have done for my UFO Resurrection 2007. Here is lovely Jarrett...



The last time you saw Jarrett he was only a back. between that time and December he had grown front panels and then the growing had stopped. Mostly because I wasn't sure how I wanted to tackle the sleaves. I had an uneasy time with inserting Salina's sleaves and wanted Jarrett's to be better. I ended up short-rowwing them in and so far am happy with the results. Now I just have to figure out the decreases.

I have also been slowly working on Archernar



It's a great pattern and I was able to take it along to the Tuesday Knit Night at Make1 and not have to rip anything out.

Finally, I have made slight progress on Fay.



I love this sweater but I need dedicated and uninterupted knit time with it. I finished about 10 rows the other night... but honestly it's just been sitting there since I don't know when. Actually, I do... ever since Jarrett was cast on for. Hopefully soon I can finish up Jarrett and get moving on Fay.

Freshen for 2007

Nevermind my sad attempt at a title for this post.

These are some of the boxing week bargans I came home with last week. I need a fresh new colour to knit with in between working on hubby's Jarrett. I LOVE this blue! Love it! Especially after all that red and green we all dealt with. A nice fresh New Year Blue.


It's turning into a scarf... not that it's needed at the moment with this warmer than usual winter. It's going to be nice and soft. Thanks to Yvonne at cogknition for the pattern for Achernar!