Into Socks Lately

Some finished objects to show you finally!!! I may be a master at starting projects, but I have to admit finishing is not a forte. Here is a pair of Trekking XXL socks (in slipped-stitch rib) that I was giddy about getting off the needles a couple weeks back. I've been wearing them around the house and just love the look and feel of them! But it ONLY took three years to finish them, having been on vacation with us twice! Here is the enthusiastic post about starting these socks three years ago.

However, I am working on completing more projects this year. I also finished R's Kool-Aid bed socks recently. I randomly dyed the yarn just for fun last year and didn't really have any project in mind until the idea came up for R's socks, as he likes wearing socks to bed. I'm happy to say these crazy, striped socks just took a couple of days from start to finish.

A New Technique

So, now that I'm back at work and off maternity leave, knitting has slowed down even more. I've really enjoyed my year off with baby K and the family, without the worry of prepping for and going to work. However, I've had to accept that there's no more camping out in front of the tv, knitting, while baby naps and the boys are off at school. Now, I just sneak in a few rows here and there and late at night when the kids have all gone to bed.

Just before work started, I decided to try my hand at entrelac by knitting a hat. I chose the Greentrelac Beret pattern from Ravelry to learn the technique and I must say that it's a lot easier than it looks. In fact, it's downright addictive, especially when you have a fun yarn with long colour repeats. I've used Nashua's Wooly Stripes, currently on sale at Dressew here in Vancouver until it all sells out.

This turned out to be a snug cap for me, instead of a beret, as I cast on less than what was asked for in the pattern, but that's okay. If I were to make this cap again, I’d make the ribbing 1 inch longer and increase the CO to 72 sts or more instead of the 66 sts that I used to try for a slouchy beret. I also modified the top of the hat by continuing the entrelac tiers until I decreased to picking up 2 sts for each diamond. Anyone who's thought of trying this technique and haven't should really just jump right in, because it really isn't that difficult at all. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how simple it really is!

To Another Knitterly Year!

A Happy New Year's to all! It's been a while since my last post, but reflecting upon the last twelve months, I'd have to say it's been an awesome knitting year! I've been able to finish a lot more projects this past year than I've ever been able to and get back into spinning. I joined sweetgeorgia's fibre club and made it to Gibsons' Fibrefest. I've enjoyed knitting for our new baby (cardis, socks, mary-janes, Pebble Vest) the boys (Kiddie Cadet hats and mitts), a niece and nephew (Boheme and Owl Vest), a sister (Give a Hoot Mittens), and friends (various mitts and hats--baby to adult). I still have quite a few unfinished projects around the house (mainly for me), but I'll slot them into my 2010 New Year's resolutions.

The last days of 2009 were spent making the comfort dolls above. They were inspired by a comfort doll that D received in the hospital when he was three after undergoing a tongue tie procedure. After I found the pattern and made one out of leftover worsted cotton (the one in the striped red shirt), I couldn't stop. These dolls are very addicting! If you have a stash as big as mine with a lot of partial skeins here and there, this is THE pattern for you to make some little person very happy! My boys even carry their doll off to bed with them.

Health and happiness to all and may 2010 be full of new adventure and opportunities!

Progress on the Fall Cardigan

Everyday, I hope to have a little time to work on my Peace Fleece Cardigan. But, sometimes, I'm hoping all day long....like Friday, when it travelled with me everywhere to the boys' school twice, Science World, and to my bedside, but I didn't knit one single stitch.

Progress may be slow, but it's still progress. Here's where I'm at.... I just need to finish a sleeve and a bit before adding a closure to the front.

My Favorite Month

The first day of fall was yesterday, but I've already been celebrating the coming of fall for the past month or so, obsessively working on my Peace Fleece Fall Sweater, anticipating the start of school for the boys and going for acorn hunts whenever and wherever we spot oak trees.

The past two months have been a blur, for K's already seven months old! She's now eating solids-- rice cereal, oatmeal, and fruit and veggie purees. She's soo... on the verge of crawling, having no trouble rolling over from her back to all fours, moving forwards and back, as if to propel herself forward like a canonball! Utterly fascinated by our cats, K doesn't think twice about grabbing a fistful of fur if the cats happen to brush past her. We really have to watch her carefully so that she doesn't proceed to stuff her hands into her mouth! She's a "taster", something new to us, as D and R did not do this at her age. We'll have to be more vigilant about picking the Lego pieces off the floor. Above is a pic of K at six months. Last month, we had gone daytripping to Gibsons to check out the Fibre Festival and the surrounding area for possible future (camping?) visits.

And another milestone has passed, as our sweet R entered Kindergarten about two weeks ago! R's K class is all day, so it's been quite an adjustment, but he seems to be enjoying his teachers, the class, the new routine, the hot-lunch program, and even his homework!

Finally, as for D, he's happy to be back socializing at school after a summer of drawing increasingly detailed pictures and of reading Captain Underpants and the Magic Treehouse series.

Enticed by the Vision of a New Fall Sweater

Last month the spinning mojo was going strong, but this month, the spinning's taken a back seat to some obsessive knitting. Of course, all it takes is a bit of Ravelry time and the next thing you know, I'm going through my stash to see if I can cast on.... I'm so happy to be finally knitting with my Peace Fleece in the most gorgeous green shade, aptly named "Hemlock".

Gifted On Time

This little set, completed in May, was delivered just two days before a friend's baby boy was born last week. Whew, just in the nick of time! Quite a hip and handsome set, I think, consisting of the Baby Sophisticate and Kiddie Cadet, both found on Ravelry for more ideas. Hopefully, I will be able to see it on baby.

Owl Mitts

I know it's nearly summer and I just gifted mittens to my sister who came home for a visit to meet her new niece. She's currently living in Edmonton where it has snowed as recently as mid-May apparently . Anyhow, she loves her mitts, even though the eyes that I embroidered on them look a tad bit evil. Button eyes just don't seem to work for me on my knit owls.

This ultra cute pattern, Give a Hoot, designed by Jocelyn Tunney, was probably found one late night while on Ravelry in late February. I'm sure I started this little number the same week K was born. It was a great quick knit resulting in excellent fitting mittens. I used Paton's Classic Merino Wool in dark grey and just followed the pattern without any mods. Easy pattern, really, one not too stressful for the sleep-deprived, "baby" brain..... one that may be also put to use for many Christmas gifts in the future.

Sushi Picnic

A sushi picnic at Kits Beach last night was in order for K's three-month-old birthday. The sun was shining and the playground way too distracting for the boys to eat their kappa rolls and tempura, but we all enjoyed our sushi and did our best to eat as much as we could without spilling too much soy sauce on our blankets and mats.

K is 3 months old!

This past month, K's been cooing, smiling, and trying to "talk" to us, manipulating her lips and tongue to produce as many different sounds as possible. She continues to enjoy imitating conversation. She, surprisingly, doesn't seem to be a big fan of taking baths though, crying at the top of her lungs through most of the bath as though we were torturing her. Could it be our technique, the feel of the water? She is our third child, after all. Whatever it is that bothers her about bath time, we just hope that it eventually changes. One good thing that's developed in the last little while is that she's been sleeping for longer stretches through the night. She falls asleep before 11:00pm or midnight, and I manage to get some uninterrupted sleep between 1am and 5:30am sometimes!!! Yaay, some peaceful knitting time before bedtime!

Above, K's finally modeling the cozy handspun, handknit EZ Best Baby Sweater that I knit before her birth. I super love this pattern and sweater, which I substituted stocking stitch for the gull lace pattern in the original pattern design, just in case K turned out to be a boy. See this post for details.

Out and About

As the weather gets warmer and the days become sunnier, we've been trying to get out more-- to nearby parks, playgrounds, and even just our own backyard. In recent days, we've had the bikes out in the park and in the alley behind our house. The bubble wands and various bubble blowers have all been pretty popular on the back deck too. I'd really like to get out into the garden to attack the weeds, but these days, knitting always seems to win out as the more comforting activity after nursing baby.

And I finally took the time to start something for me -- a Liesl! I know, I said I wouldn't start any more new projects, but I've been meaning to try one of Ysolda's designs for some time now, as many of her designs are in my faves on Ravelry. Besides, I am using up stash yarn as justification. As many others have mentioned on Ravelry, this pattern is really very well written and easy to follow. I'm enjoying it so far and can't wait for it to be done and possibly modelled for you (if I'm up to it). If only I had more hours and stamina in the day...

Boheme Complete

I'm on a roll.... here's another FO-- Boheme for my niece. It is a slightly modified Boheme though, as I substituted the gull lace pattern (from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Best Baby Sweater) for the tulip lace pattern in the original pattern. I think I've mentioned before how much I adore this gull lace pattern, which is quite bold and full of personality. Again, I've knit in Cotton-Ease for its easy care.

One Finished, Many to Go...

So, I've made a conscious decision to finish more projects before starting any new ones today. I don't dare tell you how many UFOs I have around the house, but let's just show you one I finished today for my one and only nephew who just turned one.

This is the ever so popular Owl Baby Vest designed by Jodi Haraldson, which can be found on Ravelry. This was such a good knit that I couldn't put it down once I started it in the middle of April, and I was working on an equally fun knit (for the twin niece) at the time. Knit out of machine-washable Cotton-Ease, I lengthened the vest by about an inch and embroidered the owls' eyes instead of sewing on buttons to account for the nephew's age. Wouldn't this vest look dapper for a summer outing to the beach or park with just a plain white t-shirt underneath?

I'm still waiting to hear from the insurance people, so please excuse the less than stellar photography. It took forever just to capture this photo showing the color at its truest (to my eye, anyways). I had to dig out the seven-year-old point-and-shoot camera, so my posts wouldn't be photoless.

Great Finds

On an outing to Daiso today, I was surprised to find some bamboo circulars and stitch holders in the craft section. As some of you may know, Daiso is primarily known as a department store sized Japanese "twoonie" or $2 store, even though there are items that are now above the $2 price point. Nevertheless, it's still a bargain to find bamboo circulars at $2 each when I just bought a circular needle at Dressew for $6. I have to warn you, however, that Daiso only had the 4.5mm and 6.0mm circs offered in 40cm and 60cm lengths at present. It seems that the needle section is never the same when I visit Daiso, so just pop in when you can, and you may be pleasantly surprised. They just might have a bigger selection of needle sizes tomorrow?! Be sure to also check the section that sells the containers to organize your meds. Daiso has these containers in all shapes and sizes, which make them fantastic organizers for stitch markers and other knitting notions.

I Really Want to Knit This

So I was checking out one of my favorite sites, Whip Up, yesterday and came across this cool site that offered a pattern for a more sophisticated knit version of the bean bag chair. Now, is that cool and kid-friendly or what? I'm actually finding myself thinking about this pattern way too much, so much so that I'm thinking about how to fit in time in my schedule to purchase the 15mm needles and yarn substitute required to execute this project! I can really visualize this in a cozy reading corner somewhere in the house...

Boheme

So, now that BSJ is off the needles and awaiting finishing, I've had to get something right back on the needles to capitalize on the knitting mojo-- nothing that takes up too much concentration, but nothing that's straight stocking stitch either, so here's the start of Boheme with some of my own mods.

A Newborn BSJ

On the needles right now is the start of another Baby Surprise Jacket in fingering weight, possibly for a friend's baby due in the summer. I'm just lovin' the Addi-turbos while knitting up another ingenious Zimmermann design. The needles are so quiet when I'm able to knit after baby sleeps. I keep expecting to hear the click-clacking of the needles, but just don't.

Thanks To Cherry and Grape Kool-Aid!

So, I eventually took a break from knitting baby socks after knitting up this last pair at the end of 2008, a pair I'm highlighting, because I knit it from yarn that I finally love after dyeing it twice!

The yarn started as Spunky Eclectic's undyed superwash wool sock yarn. Back in 2007, I experimented with acid dyes and handpainted a skein along with some fibre. Unfortunately, I didn't like how the colors came out on the skein, so I let it get buried in my stash and didn't do anything with it until this past November when I got this crazy urge to do some dyeing. So, I dug out the offensive sock yarn and the Kool-Aid packets and found my recycled containers to do some simple overdyeing. I wish I had a "before" picture of this skein, but lazy me didn't take one. Anyhow, on one end of the skein, I dip-dyed the skein (prepped and pre-soaked with cold water and a glug of vinegar) with two packages of cherry mixed with about a cup of water, and on the other end, with a package of cherry and a package of grape mixed with a cup of water. After dip dyeing and placing the colours on either end of the skein, I just pushed the entire skein into the dye jar to absorb every last bit of dye before heat setting in the microwave.


It's amazing how the vinegar helps the wool to just suck up every last bit of dye from the Kool-Aid liquid. (How anyone can ingest this "drink", after using this as a dye, is beyond me.)

After the skein came out of the microwave and air dried, the skein completely transformed from a loud, ugly mix of teal blue, navy blue, white, canary yellow, and grass green to a glorious mix of warm, autumn colors that blend well together. I don't think I'll ever be able to reproduce this skein again, but that's ok, I really love the serendipity of the dyeing process! I'll have to carefully choose the rest of my projects for this single yummy skein, but I'm thinking Jaywalkers or a baby sweater at this point... For now, I can enjoy the baby socks on K, which almost fit perfectly on her curling, tiny feet!

A Pair of Red Booties

A pair of red Mary Janes is definitely in order with all K's hand knit socks not fitting just yet. This pair knit up in no time and is most adorable, like its recipient. I knit the 0-3M size using Elann's Sock It To Me 4-ply yarn and 2.25mm DPNs (not the 3.25mm needles suggested in the pattern), which produced a perfect fitting newborn bootie for our smaller K. K's been settling into a nice little morning routine lately where she sleeps from the time D leaves for school until about lunch time, so I have some "catch-up" time with R or housework or all my knitting projects! Hopefully, this isn't a short-lived sleeping routine. If interested, the sweet, vintage-inspired pattern for the Mary Jane Booties is here, courtesy of Hadley Fierlinger.

Kanoko Pants

Here's another FO out of the queue.... Kanoko Pants, a very cute free pattern by Yumiko Sakurai found on Ravelry. I can't wait to see it on the baby! I knit these pants with Cotton-Ease, as called for in the pattern, and just love the versatile colour and practicality of the adjustable waistband. I think this pair of pants would pair really well with the Yoda cardi, in the same yarn, that I knit for my nephew, Zac. See this post. I may just have to start another Yoda, along with finishing up more projects and gift knitting! I know so many babies that are going to be born in the Year of the Ox!