Wednesday, September 30, 2009

To Their Homes

The time comes with each and every baby project I knit when it’s time to give them away. All those sweaters and hats are meant to adorn babies, not my knitting basket.

I have a confession for you: I get nervous every time, without fail. What if they don’t like the color? What if the pattern doesn’t suit their tastes? What if all the woven-in ends work their way to the front? What if the buttons fall off?

That last panicked thought is always the one which brings me back to reality and calms me down. It would be a legitimate fear if I had sewn on the buttons… which is why my mom does it for me. When she sews on buttons, they generally stay put. When I sew on buttons, they generally fall right off as soon as I pick the garment up.

Yesterday I had the rare privilege of sending two projects to their new homes on the same day.

This navy blue sweater was actually completed on time, but the baby shower happened while I was on vacation. Then the baby himself arrived in all his glory, and still he was sweater-less! For shame, I know. I hang my head.

Well, we solved that yesterday, when baby James brought his mom to the baby shower for another expectant mother in the office.

Mom

I’m pretty sure that if young sir gets regular feeding he’ll grow into this sweater. Just now it serves quite well as a blanket.

BabyJames

It was strictly coincidental that the guest of honor at yesterday’s baby shower was getting a sweater from the same design. Different color, cable and button, same amount of love.

PurpleSweater-01

Look, it fits!

PurpleSweater-02

So, that’s two items sent to their new homes. There’s still another item to give away soon… and did I mention the two recent happy announcements in the office?

Time to find more cute things to knit!

Monday, September 21, 2009

The Next Next Big Thing

One of my co-workers came to me on Friday with a question of earth-shaking proportions.

“Where does one go to learn how to knit?”

After I got finished with my delighted hand clapping, I pointed him towards the videos at Knitting Help. I also told him about the two LYS in town, and also mentioned my Monday night group, assuring him that any or all of us would love to teach him.

Unable to let it rest at that, I swung by my favorite LYS on my lunch break. I picked him up a ball of Plymouth Encore and a pair of US 8 needles. I dropped the bag off at his desk, saying “First taste is on the house. Enjoy it.”

He stopped by this morning to show off.

Photobucket

There are about 7 rows of garter stitch there.

His stitches were tight, which is par for the course with new knitters. He was also wrapping his yarn the wrong way, but we got that figured out right quick.

A new knitter, I’m so proud I could just burst!

Monday, September 14, 2009

The Right Buttons

They just totally make the project, dontcha think?

PembrokeButtons

Project Details:
Pattern:
Pembroke by Kristen Kapur
Published In:
Petite Purls, Summer 2009
Size: 6 Months
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, Colorway Beach Fog. Used less than one skein.
Needles: Knitpicks Options Size US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 7 (4.5 mm)
Pattern Mods: Changed the cables to be symmetrical rather than twisting in the same direction

RaglanButton

Project Details:
Pattern: Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater (Ravelry Link) by Rebecca L Daniles (Ravelry Link)
Published in:
Free download from Knitting Daily
Size: 6-12 Months
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino Colorway 008. Used just over two balls
Needles: Knitpicks Options, Size US 3 (3.25 mm)
Pattern Mods: Again with changing the cables. This time I switched them to weave back and forth instead of over and over

Grateful, even groveling, thanks to my mother. She found the perfect buttons in her stash for both of these projects, and she even sewed them on. Those socks are nearly done, mom, I swear!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

It Looks About The Same

Here’s the thing about triangular shawls.

I knit and knit and knit. I check my charts; I count carefully (or even obsessively). I learn to read my knitting and catch mistakes before they throw the whole pattern off.

The shawl grows steadily, and I fall more in love with the yarn with each passing moment. I’ve moved from a 24” cable to a 32” cable, because things were getting too scrunched up.

But it looks about the same as it did last time I took pictures.

Last week, with 90 rows knit:
WG-01

This week, with 121 rows knit:
WG-03

See what I mean? It looks like some odd pink sea creature, but I assure you that progress is being made.

This motif just knocks me out.
WG-04

It’s twenty stitches wide by twenty rows tall, and it’s going to block out just beautifully. I keep telling myself that, even though it resembles nothing quite so much as a lap full of pink ramen noodles on steroids.

It’s going to block out beautifully.

For those of you who have been drooling on your keyboards while I’ve been knitting these patterns, sign-ups for Year of Lace 2010 are opening tomorrow. Check it out, it’s sure to be fabulous!

In other news, my dear friend Anna, who is a marvelous writer and a gifted crafter, is having a contest on her blog to celebrate her 300th post. Contest rules and entry are here. The prize options are marvelous, and I’d encourage you all to enter the contest.

Now then, I’m off to knit some more lace… in just 40 more rows the pattern will change!