Knitting

Creamy Cotton Baby Sweater

I knitted this sweater while pregnant with Tum Tum.  It’s size 12 months, and runs true to size, but today he tried it on and it fits him well, since he’s a hulk of a baby!

The pattern is from this book.  It’s her knit-in-one-piece-type baby sweater, which is supposed to have a ribbon tie in the back,  but my boy is actually wearing it backwards as a v-neck.  I think it looks pretty cute that way, don’t you?  The things I’d change next time – make the sweater a few rows longer, since Tum Tum has a long torso, and I’d make the sleeves a bit shorter, since I had to cuff them twice.

The yarn is an organic unbleached cotton from France that I purchased at an estate sale.  It is soft, buttery, and wonderful to work with – more stretchy and forgiving than a lot of cottons I’ve used previously. I spent $1 and got enough yarn for maybe two baby sweaters plus booties.

I have two other FOs waiting to be posted – including the yellow project from last weekend.  I hope to get to them up soon – it’s just difficult to get a decent photo of a very squirmy 5-month old in his new gear!

WIP in Yellow

Yesterday, the girls and their daddy went to the zoo, and Tum Tum and I had a quiet afternoon.  He napped in the crook of my arm while we snuggled under my favorite, faded, raspberry-colored wool blanket.  I watched Miss Austen Regrets and I even got some work done on a new WIP.  The wool is my old standby - Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride - in “Lemon Drop” (although the shade is deeper than its name suggests – the top photo is pretty true to color).

So, what is it?  Just a quick, simple garment for the baby.  Can you guess? I hope to have pictures of him wearing the FO in a few days.

knitted bunny

Keeping with the toy-making theme of late, today I finished a knitted bunny for Tum Tum.  It’s a Debbie Bliss pattern made of leftover bits of Cascade 220 my sister-in-law gave me.  The pattern was very easy, and I liked the shaping, although if I make it again, I will alter the ears – they are stockinette and are therefore supposed to curl in, but I think they look a little crude compared to the careful shaping of the rest of the bunny.

Purple may not be every boy’s favorite color, but, it’s his Mama’s!  Firecracker has christened the bunny “Hippety Hop”, and I think she wishes he belonged to her instead of her little brother.   

So far, Tum Tum just likes sucking on the ears…

Simple knits for a little girl

Between planting tulips and hyacinths, going to see the ballet with homeschool group, and general busy-ness this week, I managed to knit up some little gifts for a dear college friend who is going to be having a baby girl in a few months. 

The tied booties are my own pattern, but the bear is from this book.  I used some of my early early spindle spun 100% merino (hence the lack on consistency in the width of the yarn, but I like the rustic effect in the FOs.)

other knitters who’ve made this little bear – Wool Windings, The Potential of Yarn, Anny Purls, A Caffeinated Yarn.

Hope your day is full of contentment and FOs!

And now for some actual knitting

Lamb's Pride Baby Sweater in progress
Lamb's Pride baby sweater in progress

A friend is having a baby boy this winter, and I’ve been busy working on a super easy, but super cute kimono-style sweater for her little one.  I’ve adapted an old pattern to use Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride in Mallard.  With three little ones to chase, a sweater that used to take me a weekend is now taking 3 weeks!   I find I don’t have the time or concentration to give to something more complicated right now, but I am still deriving an immense amount of satisfaction from finishing a project, even if it’s not such a challenge.

Getting it together

 

Mocha Chip Cake
Mocha Chip Cake

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