those baby bloomers!

I don't know why it is that I love these utterly impractical things so much, but I finally finished the ruffled baby bloomers last night. While sitting in my soon-to-be-new-mothers breastfeeding class. Which of course caused all sorts of interuptions as I sewed up the side seams and people started to realize what they were looking at...
I used the Baby Abby Ruffled Bloomers pattern from the Lion Brand website, but with modifications (of course). Since my own baby will wear cloth diapers, I figured she need more room underneath so I eliminated the drastic waist shaping and made it more straight up and down from the waistband to the leg openings. I also added a few short rows after the ruffles on the backside, to accomodate said cloth diapers. I am still debating on whether or not to add ribbing or ruffles to the leg openings (the pattern has directions for either option) but overall a quick cute knit. I used Online Solo color 12 for the ruffles, and Vickie Howell Sheep(ish) Yarn in color Grey(ish) for the body.

p.s. for Jenn: I purposely avoided including the dolls' face in these pictures, I didn't want to upset you as we head into the weekend! :-)

AMAZING Ryanne hat!

This is Ryanne,the hat I designed for a friend by the same name.
I looked for cable knit hat patterns, tried out a few of them, and then realized that I needed to make one up that had enough stockinette stitch to show off the yarn, but a little something to break up the monotony of stockinette.

Materials:
1 skein Lion Brand Amazing (53% Wool, 47% Acrylic; 147 yards/50grams) #201 Ruby
1 16" circular needle, size US 8 (5.0 mm) AND 5 Double Point needles, size US 8 (5.0 mm)
Cable needle or stitch holder (or just use one of the 5 dpns)
Tapestry Needle
Stitch Markers (at least 8)

Gauge: 20 sts to 4 ins in Stockinette

Finished Size: 19 inch circumference-to fit head circumference up to 24 ins.

Pattern Stitch: adapted for knitting in the round from Lace Diamond and Cable Waves (The Stitch Collection, Book 4, Cables)

The Pattern: (panel of 12)
Round 1 and all odd numbered rounds: Knit.
Round 2: {k2tog, yo}3 times, K6.
Round 4: K1, {k2tog, yo}twice, K1,CB3, K3.
Round 6: K2, k2tog,yo,K1,CB3, K4.
Round 8: K4, CB3, K1,yo,ssk,K2.
Round 10: K3, CB3, K1, {yo,ssk} twice, K1
Round 12: K6, {yo, ssk}3 times
Round 14: K3, CF3, K1, {yo, ssk} twice, K1
Round 16: K4, CF3, k1, yo, ssk, K2
Round 18: K2, k2tog, yo, K1, CF3, K4
Round 20: K1, {k2tog,yo}twice, K1, CF3, K3

CB3: slip 1 st to cable needle, hold to the back, Knit 2 sts, then K1 from cable needle
CF3: slip 2 sts to cable needle, hold to front, Knit 1 st, then K2 from cable needle

Main Hat:
With circular needle, CO 96 sts. PM. Join in the round, being careful not to twist stitches. *K2, P2; repeat around for 10 rounds (approx 1.5 inches)
Next round: *K12, PM: repeat around (8 sections)
Now begin the pattern, alternating one section of stockinette with one section of pattern stitches (this is why you needed so many stitch markers!)
Work Rounds 1-20 once, then Rounds 1-11 once
Crown Shaping:
Continuing the pattern (for Rounds 12-17) as indicated, begin decreasing stockinette stitches on even numbered rounds by beginning and ending those sections with K2tog.
At Round 18, the pattern sections adjust as follows:
Round 18 Pattern Sections: K2tog twice, yo, k1, CF3, K2, K2tog
Stockinette section: K2tog,K4,K2tog
Round 19: Knit
Round 20 Pattern Sections: {K2tog, yo}twice,k1, CF3, K2tog
Stockinette section: K2tog,K2,K2tog
Round 1: Knit
Round 2 Pattern Sections: {K2tog,yo}twice, CB3, K2tog
Stockinette section: {K2tog}twice

Round 3: K2tog around
Round 4: {K1, K2tog}3 times, K1
Break yarn, leaving a 12 inch tail. Thread tail through remaining 7 stitches, close up top of hat by weaving in tail. Sew in all heads, and gift to someone who needs to keep their head warm!

re-knitting the Sula Infinity

okay, so after blocking and then looking at the infinity scarf for awhile, I decided I didn't like it enough to give it away. So, I unknit it, and then created a new one...the infinity zigzag!

As soon as I find the paper I wrote the pattern on, I can share it with you. It was very simple, a little less than two balls of the Red Heart Boutique Midnight yarn, and the chevron pattern is easy to remember. Give me a few days, I'll make it happen!

The Sureya Stack, thus far

A sweet sweater, some matching sweats, diaper cover/soaker, and the leggings. Two months to go!

hot off the needles

I know, it has been awhile since I showed you any pictures of things I am making. After my last post, I needed some time to answer the dozens of holy-snap-what-the-eff-I-didnt-know comments that my far flung friends and family members were asking...so maybe I shouldn't have waited until 7 months to let everyone know! Not that I was trying to, but after the fourth month and nobody (except those already in the know)mentioning anything, I figured it was sort of like a new game for me, how long can I hide A BABY under my clothing before someone braves up and mentions that I look a little more rotund than usual! Then I started to get worried, because in September my darling best friend wants to start arranging a baby shower, but how awkward would that be for my Aunts to get an invite to a shower for a baby they didn't know I was having? Well, now everyone knows. I have to still call a few people that were caught off guard by the online announcement, but I AM A BUSY LADY. Working, creatively putting away money for maternity leave and knitting as much as humanly possible between naps takes up a lot of my days.
One of my coworkers requested a knit Infinity scarf for her daughter, which I gladly made because I had seen this yarn at Michaels and wanted to try it out-I must say that Red Heart has come along way since I first inherited that garbage bag of lime,pumpkin,saffron,and brown acrylic from my grandma. This chain yarn has a bit of sparkle and some soft fuzziness, but no knots, weird color blotches, or cheesy texture to give away it's humble brand name.

I also finally sewed up the legs and waistband of the bloomers I knit following Stefanie Japel's pattern, and also knit a semi coordinating pair of baby leggings to go with them-really just tubes with varying amounts of ribbing on the ends...

By the way...
I will love my child no matter who she looks like
but I really REALLY REALLY hope she looks nothing like this doll!




(my bff loaned the doll to me so I could knit baby size clothing without patterns, but she kind of creeps me out)