Tuesday; March 18, 2008

this is the Kimono baby wrap from Mason~Dixon Knitting, a book i have been wanting to read for a very long time, but its still in hardcover, so hey, what the hell?!?! that's expensive! So i got it out of the library and i am glad i didn't buy it, so i don't care now if it never comes out in softcover. There is just really nothing in it that screams "OMG! Must Make Over and Over!" This baby wrap here is pretty darn cute however, and i may make a couple more after tinkering with the pattern some. I did this one in Heirloom brand baby wool, at a gauge of 7 st per inch, and i think the sleeves came out too narrow at the end, even though they are the recommended 4 inches in diameter, and the wool very stretchy. i just foresee struggle as fat baby fists squirm. it is pretty dang cute though...and the baby wool colours are not all just pastel, or fawn, or peach, or...well...baby colours. in fact, i found three! this fuchsia colour here, and one Very Red, which i have just cast on to be a cardigan based on the one from Stitch and Bitch Nation (not a fan of swallows, though, i'm thinking i will put a BSG logo or the Seal of Rassilon on there). I also knit a Soaker based on the Fan and Faerie freebie pattern, but i think i have made a fatal gauge error, as the thing i have would not even be suitable as a cat's pantie. it's rilly rilly small!

march 8 2008

It's a girl!

and here are some damn hell girly-ass booties for the Lola-to-be.


These are worked in Pagewood Farm's hand dyed sock yarn, Orange Spice. This has got to be the most expensive yarn i have bought to date, at $31.95, and acquired at the very posh Big Sky store in Lafayette. I recently made a long overdue pilgrimage to Lafayette to check out both that store and The Yarn Boutique. Both are VERY different, but uh, i like yarn boutique way better, it just feels like home, and we are already Ravelry pals, woot! That's not to say i will never go back to big sky, but uh, it's a little out of my league, hee hee. for sure i will take my mom there though, you have got to see the place, it's so very.

The pattern is the amazingly popular Saartjes Bootees, and was so fast and fun to make. I completed the first within an hour, and the second even faster as the pattern is so simple i nearly have it memorized by now- i'm on a third bootee in a different yarn.

And this yarn? this spicey orange expensive yarn? worth every penny, truly. its wonderful to knit with, is lightly springy and soft yet feels more than sturdy enough to stand up to being worn on feetses all day. i might knit a pair of queen of cups socks for myself in this. i made one for a sock-swap once, and i have not stopped thinking about when i am going to make more of them again soon. But really, if it was a tad more red, i would have to make something dune related, it just really does remind me of The Spice, but what doesn't?

stillsuit socks? hrm.....

March 2, 2008

The docotor who scarf is now taller than me, and resting at the moment beside the couch in the living room. The cat has not yet claimed it as her own personal napping spot, only because we get no sunlight in that room at all. Its a cave! one day we will install some nifty light tubes....yeah, one day.

The baby surprise jacket for the baby that surprised me is done, as is her hat. Yes, her hat. I totally caved and peaked. Due to my 'advanced' age, i had to have a number of tests that i didn't need with the boy. Now, i did skip a lot of them still, no amnio for me, thanks! But blood tests done on me, that's fine, and two scans? ok, as long as it's only two. So i am laying on the table covered with slime and the tech is talking to me about the previous baby (now seven) that i had, and i mentioned that he had not gotten any kind of scan or testing or poking at all. She looked at me with a very surprised face and said "And the baby turned out all right?"

yeah, cause the scan totally prevents defects.

currently in progress is a variation of the Elizabeth Zimmerman/ Mrs. Hoover baby blanket, look at an older issue of knitty.com to find the pattern for the latter. I cast on 108 stitches of Patton's newish SWS yarn which is soft as all get out and totally affordable, on to a 29" circular needle. I used garter stitch for 6 ridges, and then leaving 6 stitches on each side for a border, took those middle ones and K1, M1, the rest of the way across. This doubled the number of stitches in the middle, and makes a two sided blanket, you can put your fingers down between the layers of fabric, its so neat. but the border is in single stitch, and makes a nice deffinition around the edges. So just continue along, slipping every other stitch. The only draw-back is that it is fairly boring, but the yarn is nice to use, and is thick enough to knit up rather quickly.

One day i will get my camera fixed, but until then cell-phone only pictures. bleah.