A Knit-Along

So I've spent a lot of time knitting baby things lately. But, in the midst of the cute knits obsession, I also bought one of my first knitting books: Sock Innovation. It's loaded with interesting and intricate patterns, many of which are far more lacy and charted than the socks I've done so far. I can't say that I was afraid to try them, just that I knew I wouldn't be taking them anywhere with me and would only be working on them at home where I could have the charts laid out and give them my undivided attention.

Then there's the matter of choosing which pattern to try first. So I was browsing around Ravelry and found a group devoted to a knit-along specifically for that book with a pattern selected for the current month. The chosen book pattern for August was Vilai, which really appealed to me and I decided to dive in. Of course, I was still wrapping up baby knits so I couldn't give the socks much attention, but I started anyway. And then there was suddenly only 2 days left in the month of August and I was just to the heel of the second sock. Fortunately for me, I had the 31st as a day off so I had plenty of knitting time to finish them up just before the deadline.

So these are my very fraternal Vilai socks in Jojoland Melody Superwash wool. I know they only look slightly related, but I've checked the labels on the two balls of yarn twice and they were the same colorway. I love them anyway. And I actually really like how the yarn worked with the pattern.. Something about the pattern reminded me of stained glass and I thought the gradual color changes in the yarn would work well with it. I'm amazed that no one else on Ravelry has used this yarn for this pattern yet, but maybe it's not that popular for socks.

So I'm back on the sock knitting bandwagon, which is probably good because there are more sock kits coming and I still have some Dorothy socks in progress. This knit-along thing might be a good motivator but it's also a dangerous distraction!

An end to baby knits... for now

And for the latest mystery project reveal, I give you: the Baby Boy Sleep Sack. I was keeping it secret because it's a surprise gift, but then I realized neither of the parents-to-be are likely to check here before I see them next to give it to them anyway.

This is my first official garment/sweater (I suppose socks might count as garments to someone somewhere) and I enjoyed watching the little sleeves form from the raglan increases, but man was there a lot of plain stockinette stitch in all one color for this. I knew that going in and I even made it longer than the pattern specified just for some extra kick room and the possibility that it might fit a baby for longer, but whew! I think if I hadn't been aiming to have it done before he was born I might not have even noticed it, but it felt like it took forever while I was worried that I wouldn't finish in time. Turns out I was finished with plenty of time to spare since he hasn't made his appearance yet.

I knit this with Plymouth Yarn Baby Bunny and it is lovely and soft, but I am a little worried about the Angora in it. It's machine washable and I ran it through a delicate cycle before adding the finishing touches and noticed that it did generate a bit of a halo and some fuzzballs, but hopefully those were mostly worked out in the first wash and the parents-to-be won't be concerned. (It's hard to find anything for a baby that someone somewhere isn't ranting against these days.) But it feels squishy and warm and made a lovely fabric, so I do like the yarn overall and it seems like it was a good fit for this project.

And this marks the end of my knitting for him for a bit. Unless his parents request something else. Or if I can't resist making a little matching hat from all of the leftover yarn. Well, this marks the end of my ambitious phase of knitting for the nephew anyway.

A Challenge

I have spontaneously decided to challenge myself and knit something rather large in time for Stitches Midwest. It will be magnificent, and I will not say what it is until then. Either it will be complete and I will be wearing it, or I will be working on it while we're there. Either way, the big unveiling to Ludistitcher and Sariebeth will be on the way to Stitched Midwest on Thursday, September 10th. Can't wait, ladies! Most shocking of all, my secret project IS NOT SOCKS!!!

Can you find the stuffed animal?

It might be tough. Here are your subjects:












Here is a hint. Two of these animals are trying to shed on our couch. (I don't care, because our new couch is microfiber! Boom, animals, in your face!) The other is our baby's first teddy.

Some finished baby knits

When I found out I was going to be an aunt for the first time I had only recently started knitting and browsing the giant collection of patterns on Ravelry. The floodgates opened and part of me wanted to make every adorable pattern I saw, but the more rational part of me reined the knitting in... somewhat. He's due nearly any day now and I've been steadily wrapping up the knitting for him so I thought I would parade some of the finished items here.

Booties That Rock, made from some gorgeous leftover Socks that Rock yarn from Xandermommy:

I did make them larger than newborn size and the yarn is so squishy that they might fit until he's a toddler (although having no kids of my own I'm a terrible judge of baby/kid sizes so who knows).

They were mostly finished already in April, but I didn't get my sister to help pick out the buttons until late July, so they were only completely finished recently.

The largest labor of love was this Curlicue Baby Blanket in DK weight pima cotton. I know I'm not a fast knitter, so I left myself a lot of time for this one and started it in March shortly after learning the little one was going to be a boy.

(closest picture to the true colors)

Then I proceeded to clobber my left index finger and wasn't able to handle the weight of the blanket to knit on it for a month or so, so it was especially fortunate that I left myself extra time. (I still have a lump on that finger almost 4 months later and don't use it to hold my needles yet. It's getting steadily better, but it's taking an unexpectedly long time to heal completely.)


This is also the first project that I've officially "blocked", although I didn't do it as formally as you would for a shawl or some other intricate lace project. All it means for the blanket is that I took it out of the washer while it was still damp and spread it out on towels on a spare bed to dry. I did pull and stretch it a bit to get it as neatly rectangular as possible and to make the pattern a little flatter and more visible.


The blanket was a really enjoyable but very consuming project, so I've started a couple new sock patterns since. It is nice to have at least one smaller project around again that doesn't require reading a chart every other row. My ovaries are still being rather pushy, though, and the rational brain can't control them completely. Sorry, kid, but your aunt is going to be foisting some knit items on you now and then for at least the near future while you can't protest too much!

Are you my ball winder?

I'm working on this:



and I'm finished with the first skein. I go up to the yarn closet to grab my ball winder, and...hmmmmmmm. Where is my ball winder? Do I have pregnancy brain? I could swear that I just saw the thing. My hubby was nice enough to go all Little House on the Prarie style and hold his hands out while I wound a ball with my hands. But STILL. Where in the world is my ball winder?

While this little...ahem...misplacement...can be seen as a glitch to this project, I cannot be deterred. Our little baby needs a teddy. I realize that there is not any reason to have this teddy ready before the baby gets here, but I must be nesting.

Hubby had a tradition in his family that kids got their teddy at their first Christmas. I think that is adorable. It is quite possible that I have jumped the gun on this project.

Happiness Is...

I picked up another kit from Woolgirl, this time a Peanuts-themed kit that is sold separately and not part of a club subscription. This one was based on the famous phrase "Happiness Is..." and although I didn't know what to expect, it's always fun to try out the special yarn included in the kits.

************ Spoilers from this point on! ************

So here it is with all of its little extras:

(click spoiler image for photo)

2 different skeins of yarn with 2 separate patterns -- that was totally unexpected! I have to point out a couple of things about the yarn:

1. There is just no way to do justice to the true color of the Curious Creek Wasonga yarn in photos. It's such an amazing, electric purple in person that almost looks like a glowing neon light. It's just beautiful.
2. The included cotton Kollage Hope yarn specified Hand Wash Cold & Dry Flat, so it's a bit puzzling to me that the included pattern for it is a washcloth? Am I the only one that assumes washcloths usually get somewhat dirty and are used in comfortably warm/hot water? So I haven't decided whether to use that yarn for the included pattern or not.
   

This kit also included 2 stitch markers and I absolutely love them! The Snoopy stitch marker is smiling and holding out a red heart and the other is a lovely ice cream cone with a painted scoop of ice cream and a metal cone.

And there's always some variation in the Woolgirl kits from person to person, so I was tickled when I saw that others received the little knitted sweater keychain in different colors, but my sweater came in perfect Charlie Brown yellow and brown.

Of course, I've been busy finishing baby knits and working outside on our ongoing-but-nearly-complete deck project, so I haven't actually had the time to start either of my July kits in earnest yet. I'm afraid the lovely electric yarn will be on hold for quite some time since I have other socks on the needles already, but it's squishably soft and will probably get squeezed now and then in the meantime.

Woolgirl Oz Sock Club - Dorothy

The second kit in my Woolgirl Oz sock club has arrived, this time based on Dorothy herself. I convinced the reluctant postal worker to check for a held package for me even though I hadn't been home yet to get the official slip of paper saying I had one. I was just sure that it should be there by yesterday and that was the only opportunity to get my hands on it before the Post Office closed. Fortunately the kit was there and waiting for me so that I didn't get any more annoyed looks from said postal worker - whew!

************ Spoilers from this point on! ************

So here it is with all of its little extras:

The brown and red corduroy fabric is a reversible project bag with handles from Sheila D - sort of like a sewn version of a paper lunch bag with handles. Although it doesn't have any snaps or drawstrings to close it, the fabric is definitely more my taste than the bag from the Over the Rainbow kit. There are lots of stickers and magnets, a nice pen with the phrase "There's no place like home...", and a very tiny and adorable Dorothy stitch marker.

I'm looking forward to working with this soft and squishy yarn, Sport weight Superwash Merino from Dashing Dachs:

But, I stuck to working on the baby blanket last night, so the kit will have to wait for at least a little bit. I love the look of the included kit pattern, though - neat little cables down the sides with the basket weave pattern - should be pretty simple but fun.

This kit came with coupons for both Sheila D and Woolgirl, too, so we'll see how well I can control my knitting spending with that extra temptation!