Crafty Girly

Sweater almost done, now what?

I am almost done with the Baby Kimono I started.  It still looks a bit big for the baby, but that's ok.  I live in Miami and it doesn't get cold very often here, so I'm guessing that by the time he actually fits into it, the one day of cold we have will be here...hopefully.  I think after a good hour on it tonight I'll be done with the knitting portion of it, then I need to seam the sides of it, which also shouldn't take very long at all. 

What I need to do now is figure out what else I want to make for him.  I already have a few hats, the sweater and a few blankets.  I can't really knit too many cold weather items because we get maybe 3 days of cold down here and by the time he gets to use it, it may not fit him so what do I do to keep my hands busy?  Maybe I should knit a blanket for my brother, since my sister in law is also pregnant?  Booties?  Any ideas would be appreciated.

Finished Blanket, on to the next!

I finished my baby blanket over the weekend. It took some blood, sweat and tears - and a moment of panic when I ran out of yarn while working the border. But thanks to the amazing people over at Webs, I was able to get 2 more balls of yarn in the same colorway - even though I only needed one, but I didn't want to risk another moment of panic and I can always turn the spare yarn into baby booties or something.

Now that the blanket is done, I've started a baby kimono from the same Debbie Bliss Simply Family book. I already had to frog that one and start over because even though my gauge swatch was on the money for gauge, the sweater was coming out so huge it could fit a 5 year old...and I was also running out of yarn. So I ripped back and started again with US 6 needles instead of US 8 and am splicing the ends of yarn together instead of the usual drop and weave thing I normally do in hopes of conserving yarn.

I'll keep you all updated with the progress of the sweater!

Why is this taking so long?!

22" knit on this blanket and it seems like its taking forever! I'm supposed to knit until its 29", so technically I'm almost there but wow it just seems to go on - kind of like this pregnancy. I'm an impatient one. Anyone who knows me knows how horribly impatient I am and I'm sure in the grand scheme of things it's not taking all that long, but I want so badly to meet my baby already...and finish this blanket.

I'm 19 weeks pregnant now and my stomach has just finished popping. I swear it happened over night because I was normal last week and this week - POP! - there's a belly. Since I'm a little on the bigger side it was hard to see the pop, but its not hard to see anymore! I also felt movement for the first time Friday. It was only for a second, and I think I felt him again the following day, but nothing else since.

I think this has been the best journey I've been on. Every new experience with this baby has been amazing. Getting to see him on the monitor during ultrasounds, I can already see his little personality. I just can't wait for the next phase - to feel him kicking and swimming around in there, but like my blanket, it's taking so long for that to happen! I'm sure it'll be here before I know it but right now it just doesn't seem that way.

And so it Begins!

The baby knitting has begun in full force! I made my first order in I don't even know how long for yarn, and I have started knitting a few things. Of course, I live in South Florida, so really, how many warm sweaters is the baby going to need when it gets really cold maybe 3 times a year? But nonetheless, I am knitting him a sweater.

I started with a simple hat, that I think may be a little big for a newborn, but come whatever us South Floridians call winter, it should fit him fine. That was a quick little knit, so it's done and ready to be washed and blocked.

 

 

I'm also knitting the Lace Edged Shawl out of Debbie Bliss' Simply Family, and that one is going to take sometime, but will be so worth it. That little blanket I have always thought was the cutest, simplest thing ever. It may take me some time to complete, but I have plenty of time to get it done, so that's fine - just so long as it's done before he's born. I have made some progress on the blanket though.  The yarn came in on Thursday and I cast on and knit maybe 2 rows.  The picture below is where I am at as of yesterday.  Considering I work full time, and it's Saturday morning and I haven't touched it yet, that's some good progress.  

I also have plans to knit the Ribbon Tied jacket out of the same book, and I have some left over yarn from the baby hat that I may be able to turn into a pair of socks for him.  The hat and what will be the socks I used some amazing Koigu yarn, so it' is nice and warm and elastic.

I'm not sure what else I will knit for him.  I'm sure it'll come to me with time, but suggestions are always appreciated.  

Big BIG news!!!!

Things have happened the past few months that have made me start going back to my knitting.  I haven't been blogging simply because I haven't been knitting.  So what is this big BIG news?

 

Meet my new adventure!  So naturally, since I have a little bean in my belly, I'm getting that knitting itch all over again.  I have things planned, and even made my first yarn purchase yesterday in I don't know how long!  There's a baby blanket and sweater on the way.  Booties and a hat are going to be knit up from some sock yarn that I have laying around, some gorgeous Koigu in a royal blue that would be perfect for the little boy I'm growing.  I'm thinking an argyle vest, some hand knit socks, what else?  Any ideas anyone?

In rememberance

Another one bites the dust

Just a quick hit to show off my freshly finished Fawkes socks.

...told you I was on a spree...

Socks!

I am on a socks bender. Last week I finished the cloning anemone socks. This week I finished the serendipity socks. And now I'm going to attempt to finish the Fawkes socks that I started some time ago. I've also already picked out my next sock project and brought out some yarn I've had stashed away for a few years now that may inevitably become another pair of socks. That's two future pairs of socks I already have lined up.

I'm not really sure what this new found sock obsession is, but it's turned me on to knitting again, so I'm thankful for it. I have been in a knitting slump for some time now and I think it's because my life the past few years has been turned upside down and right side up again. And you would think that when things are at their worst is when I want to knit the most, but the exact opposite is true. I actually get into a comatose-like depression where all I want to do is sleep and eat and that's it. The two most basic things necessary to support life is all I can manage when the going gets real tough, but since things are perking up again (thankfully!) then knitting is back too. Hopefully soon though you'll see more than just socks.

 

Serendipity?

Serendipity means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it.

This sock has so far been the furthest thing from happiness for me. It has actually given me a big headache, and let me see if I can get you to help me figure out this pattern.

I'm knitting the sock in the medium size and calls for a 64 stitch cast on for a ribbed cuff. Then, after the cuff, you increase it 2 stitches evenly for a total of 66 stitches, then knit the leg in pattern. So then you get to the short row heel where it says to

"center heel opposite 3 repeats of lace pattern by working first half back and forth over 39 stitches..."
The lace pattern is an 11 stitch repeat, totaling 66 stitches.

So if you center the heel across 3 lace repeats, you have 33 stitches, half the sock. It goes on:

"row1 (RS): k35, w&t."

That totals 36 stitches, not 39 or 33. So I'm confused. I figure the designer must know what she's doing so I tried continuing using the instructions given. Once I completed the short row heel, I got to the foot where it says:

"knit 36 stitches. PM to indicate start of lace section. Work 33 sts in lace pattern. PM to indicate end of lace section"

Again, that's a total of 69 stitches; 3 more than what I have! So let's say you continue on working the foot - which is knit straight with no decreases - and get to the toe. The toe says:

"*k9, k2tog, repeat from* to end of round, 60 sts"

So if my math is right here, the toe decrease is an 11 stitch repeat that decreases 6 times, which means it had to start life as 66 stitches, right? So is the pattern wrong or is there something I'm not getting?!

After a whole lot of complaining, screaming, and coming close to tears, my husband finally tells me, "you've made a million socks, why don't you just not follow the directions and go with what you know?" So that's what I did. I scrapped the instructions for the heel and the foot. I knit the heel using the 33 stitches on one side of my cable, which breaks the sock evenly in half, and that made it much easier to continue with the lace pattern once the heel was completed.

I tried finding errata for the pattern, even going to Blue Moon's site and found none.

Home Stretch

Cloning Anemone

The thing I hate the most about knitting socks is that you have to do it twice to be able to wear what you made. Once you finish celebrating the fact that you finished one, you realize there is still another one to make. It makes socks a bit grueling at times and that's why I usually end up with a few singles for a while. I've been working on these socks for a while. I don't really remember how long, but I do know it's been a while. It's finally coming to and end now. I'm finishing up the toe on the second sock and thats it.

I have been eyeing the Tappan Zee sweater pattern from Knitty for a while now, and I decided that I wanted to make it. I think it would be a perfect sweater pattern for work sweater. I could wear it with a gap top that I have or even a button down and it will look cute.

In the process of searching through my stash to see if I had any yarn for it, I found something I totally forgot about - handspun natural black alpaca. Enough to possibly make this sweater. I'm still not sure if that's what I'm going to make with it, but the fact that I have this amazing Handspun has me so excited I want to not only find something to make with it, but sit down and spin again. I miss spinning. I love it and it's really been way too long since I've sat down to a good spinning session. You may end up seeing some new yarn soon.

 

Handspun Alpaca