knitting pretty

Ok, so I’m a little behind in blogging, both here and my main blog, but I am not giving up!

In an effort to get caught up at least on this one, here is my latest FO: a market bag from all of my remaining Peaches & Creme cotton, for my Mom’s birthday a couple of weeks ago. It ended up being only a day late, and she loves the color combo! The Sea Mist I used for the bulk of the body striped in a cool way too.

I still want to make one or two more of these for myself (I only have the one, and I use it constantly)—one of these days!

Fantasy Naturale Market Bag
Peaches & Creme Ombres - Sea Mist #201 and small amounts of
Peaches & Creme Solids - Lemon #123, Baby Blue #23, and Mauve #48 (bottom)

The color’s truer in the first two (natural light),

but I’m partial to the ones that include my new baby…

More knitting underway…

Ok, so…I have not been blogging much lately, but that doesn’t mean I have not been productive. Look at these two new FOs!

Jonah Abraham Lester was born April 20, 2009 at 3:14 pm—7 lbs. 7 oz. and 21 in. long.

His Moderne Baby Blanket was finished two days ago. I was working on the border at the hospital! Somehow I ended up with extra balls of colors A, B, and D, even though I used the yarn and the size needles called for in the pattern. This picture isn’t the greatest, as once again I took it at night—I will post another if/when I manage to get one.

I see lots of nursing and knitting in my future. Two more baby gifts to do in the next couple of months. Yay!

Moderne Baby Blanket
Rowan Calmer - Sour #483, Kiwi #485, Tinkerbell #475 and Slosh #479

I’d been wanting to try this kippah pattern for a long time, and a new baby boy who arrived a little early this month gave me just the opportunity.

This was my first attempt at a baby-sized kippa. Using worsted yarn when the pattern called for DK or fingering, and estimating a baby size from the adult size at the same time meant that it turned out a little big. But my four-year-old was happy to accept it—so happy in fact, in the first picture he’s wearing it—pre-blocking—out to lunch that very day.

Basic Knit Kippah (Yarmulka) In Reverse Stocking Stitch
Red Heart Eco-Cotton - Denim and (a small amount of) Knit Picks Shine Sport - Green Apple

My second attempt turned out actual baby size. (And this is a little guy, so he should be able to wear it for a while.) I also figured out the mosaic charts and how to knit one of the patterns around the brim.

All in all, I was pretty happy with how these turned out, and I plan to make a couple more for my husband and boy on the way. Why not? They’re so quick and easy, and I need projects like that right now!

Basic Knit Kippah (Yarmulka) In Reverse Stocking Stitch
Red Heart Eco-Cotton - Denim and (a small amount of) Peaches & Creme Solids - Lemon

I whipped up a third pair of bell bottoms for our new niece, Alice. I attempted to make these in a 9 month size, but who really knows? They look kinda big to me.

I think I will now take a break from making bell bottoms until I hear back from one of the recipients (well, one of their Moms) about the fit…I’ve made three different sizes, and two of them were extrapolations in between the sizes in the pattern, so I hesitate to keep making them until I know they are wearable!

I am now working on a small bunch of kippahs—could I be procrastinating little brother’s blanket? He’s due in five weeks. I wonder what the blanket’s due date will be?

Baby Bell Bottoms
Knit Picks Shine Sport - Violet #6566, Green Apple #23617 and Hydrangea #23813

To illustrate that I have not completely stalled out on my baby blanket, here is a picture I took a little while ago. All of the other baby gifts have sort of pushed this one aside, but I’ve gotten a few blocks done (I’m actually halfway done with the light blue block to the top of what you see in this pic).

I feel like I’ve made some progress, and sometimes I even allow myself to fantasize about the possibility of getting this done before baby comes in 5-6 weeks, however, whenever I measure to see where I am percentage-wise, I am brought down a peg when I realize there’s A LOT more to do on this.

So, we’ll see how it goes.

I am at the tail end of a third pair of baby bell bottoms, and then I have one more baby gift I’d like to knit before I’ll actually be caught up, so after that I’ll be able to focus all of my knitting energy on the blanket before it’s too late.

Wish me luck!

Oh, and my sister returned from her travels in Asia, and she brought me some wild yarn from Burma. No ideas what on earth to do with it (or how much yardage I actually have), but I’ll post it to stash on Ravelry if anyone wants to take a peek. Jasper loves it, of course, so maybe I’ll have to make something wild for him…

I was so pleased with the results of my first pair of bell bottoms, that it didn’t take long for me to find an excuse to make another pair (If you are reading this, I hope Cayleigh likes them Abbey!).

This time, a went for stripes of light purple and light green, and also used the yarn called for in the pattern: KnitPicks Shine Sport. The pants are so soft and have a nice drape, and I think the colors are pretty cute!

My son has requested a pair in the same exact colors (very little chance of my knitting a pair of these in a size 5-6, so I am hoping to distract him with something else until he forgets about them. I still do owe the poor kid a pair of new socks).

I apologize for continuing to star my laptop in many of these pictures, but for some reason I get the best color results when I photograph my FOs on the silver background. While I may not be motivated quite enough to build myself a light box (yet), I am enough of a perfectionist to choose the picture with the truest color, uncouth laptop background or no.

Baby Bell Bottoms
Knit Picks Shine Sport - Green Apple #23617 and Hydrangea #23813

This cute kimono is for a baby boy due to arrive in the next week or two. It was a fun, quick knit that would have been done in a few days were it not for the seaming and sewing involved. That always sets me back some, but it’s done! I hope he can wear it a few times before it’s too small!

In the past couple of months, a couple more friends have announced their pregnancies. It’s great that I am in good company, but it’s hard to decide who to knit for and what to knit…I did order yarn the other day to work on two more pairs of bell bottoms, but that’s as far as I can see ahead right now (assuming I also want to get my son’s blanket done in some sort of timely fashion—we shall see! At least that one is a mindless knit, so I can work on it after he arrives when my brain is operating at limited capacity.)

One-Piece Baby Kimono
Peaches & Creme Solids - Baby Blue #23

It’s been ages since I posted, I know. I have been working on this blanket for my boy due in April, so I thought I would check in with an update. I’m a bit further along than in the picture below—I have added the light green block to the left of these first four, and I am working on the light green block above them.

I am also hopeful that I might squeeze in the time to make a few more baby gifts in the coming months, but if they keep giving me work to do at my contract job (the nerve!), it will be tough to fit in as much knitting as I would like. We’ll see!

Anyway, just wanted to let folks know that I am alive and knitting. See you around blogland and Ravelry!

I made two more of my favorite bookmarks to give to Jasper’s preschool teachers for Hanukkah. He (unknowingly appropriately) choose this pretty blue color from my stash for them.

I haven’t even blocked the last several that I’ve made, because it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference with this silk yarn. Of course, using the gauge yarn called for in the pattern (fingering) might help with a bit more definition, but I think these look pretty good! (I even saved the last one I made for myself.)

Flourish Bookmark
Tilli Tomas Plie - Skydrop #4635

True to my Sheldon-making style, I completed my second Sheldon the day before my cousin’s baby shower on Saturday. I was flying to Cincinnati for the shower, so I didn’t really want to leave any of the finishing for the plane!

She only received one other hand knit gift, so he was a big hit and curiousity at the shower. I don’t think I will knit him on such a deadline again, however, as it was a bit stressful on that last day trying to get all of his limbs stuffed and attached while my son, who was off school that day kept asking: “Are you done with your turtle yet Mommy?”

Sheldon
Knit Picks Shine Sport - Green Apple #23617 and Grass #23618

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Thank you!

Hello! I am still here, and getting back into the knitting—thank goodness! I am feeling better, and newly rejuvenated not only for that reason, but also because we found out on Friday that we are having another boy! So I have a feeling a blanket will be in the works for him very soon.

In the meantime, there are still lots of other Mommies having babies before me, the most immediate of which is coming this week, so I just finished up this outfit yesterday. (It is currently drying downstairs, so, sorry, no better shot of the hat for the time being.)

The bell bottoms turned out to be the perfect project for this skein of green woolarina I was holding for almost a year. I was worried that it wouldn’t be enough, so toward the end I went out and picked up a skein of Claudia Hand Painted that matched the lightest lime green perfectly. As it turned out, I only had to use it for the inside of the waistband (held doubled), so I had enough left over to make a hat to go with. (It’s hard to tell in these pictures, but the colors do match!)

Baby Bell Bottoms
Woolarina Handpainted Sport Weight - HP411/2P Peapod Green and
Claudia Hand Painted Yarns Fingering - 8080 Limeade

Handle
Claudia Hand Painted Yarns Fingering - 8080 Limeade

Made these umbilical cord hats for a friend who is having twins in the next several weeks (with one extra for good measure). These hats are fun and quick, making them the perfect project for someone who has trouble staying awake past 9 pm these days!

I really, really, really want to start on a project for MY baby-on-the-way, but we won’t find out the sex until the end of the month, so I guess that’s good news for all of the other babies coming sooner (as far as hand-knitted gifts are concerned)!

Among my next baby gifts will be another Sheldon, for my cousin’s shower next month. My first one was a big hit when presented to another cousin back in January (and there were other hand knits at that shower too—it’s hard to compete with life-long knitters and crocheters, but I try!).

Umbilical Cord Hats
Lion Brand Cotton-Ease Cactus #132 and Almond #099

Well, I can’t say I’m back up to speed on the knitting, but thanks to a Crafternoon with Ann and Melissa yesterday, I did complete this bookmark. And it only took me two weeks (but the majority of it was done yesterday)!

The baby incubating project is still taking a lot out of me, so much potential knitting (and cleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking) time has been devoted to resting (isn’t the “morning” sickness supposed to be over by 14 weeks? Can someone please tell my uterus?), but I am slowly starting to knit again. I could still use a little shot of knitting mojo if anyone has any to spare…

Flourish Bookmark
Tilli Tomas Plie - Olive #160

[A couple of slight alterations to the pattern, as I did with the first couple of bookmarks I made: I shortened the I-cord length to 8" and the tassel length to 3.5".]

Some of you may have been wondering what on earth I have been up to. Other than a few isolated complaints about my lost mojo, I have been MIA on here and on Ravelry for the last couple of months.

Well, the truth is, I have been having to focus all of my time and energy on a top-secret project that involves no knitting at all (yet)!

I have just been feeling too ill to do anything other than what I absolutely have to around the house and taking care of Jasper, and I have not been knitting, reading, or really doing anything other than sleeping and trying to keep food down for the last six weeks!

I’m not out of the woods yet, but I am hopeful that with November not only will come more school days for Jasper (all of those darned early fall Jewish holidays have really been a drag this year!), but also some of that wonderful second-trimester energy that might, just might, result in some FOs. We’ll see!

I finished the first of what I am hoping will be many baby gifts in the coming months (I am hoping to have time to knit several, I’m not going to kid myself and say I’m going to knit something for each of the 11 babies due between now and April!).

I wanted something simple and quick because one of the babies already arrived! These two bibs took me the better part of two weeks because, well, my child has not started school yet. (His first day is Monday—can I hear a yippee!?)

The bibs are really cute, and from what I’ve read the cotton should wash pretty well, so perhaps even a practical baby gift? I haven’t decided yet what the next baby gift will be, but I do have more cotton…

Baby Bib O’ Love
Peaches & Creme Solids - Lemon #123 and Mauve #48

These market bags are so quick and handy, I made another as a thank you for a friend.

The colors were a bit of a surprise…I purchased the yellow and started with it without giving much thought to the fact that the one ball would not be enough (duh), so I mixed in the violet I had left over from my bolero. It certainly makes it more interesting! (And I’m sure that these are someone’s school colors, although I’m not sure whose.)

I made the same small changes to the pattern I made while knitting the first one.

Fantasy Naturale Market Bag
Peaches & Creme Solids - Yellow #10 and
Lion Brand Cotton-Ease - Violet #191

I realize this is not much to show for how long I’ve been away, but between everything that’s been going on lately there has not been too much knitting going on.

I did complete this hand towel while we were in the Outer Banks last week, and I also got a little bit done on my cardigan—I am now onto the second sleeve, so the end is in sight!

However, I recently counted no fewer than eight people I know who are pregnant, so I am starting to feel the urge to whip out some baby things soon. I’ll have to keep them small though, with so many to knock out, so we’ll see.

In shawl news (or lack thereof), I am sorry to say that Slow Bee has not made any progress lately. Would you believe that I brought it to NC and did 1/2 a row (that’s still more than 200 stitches, but come on, that’s weak)? Maybe with the start of school and some cooler weather I will have both the time and the inclination to pick it up again.

Basket Rib Hand Towel
Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy - Meadow #518