Ready For Autumn

As I'm sure I've mentioned, Jack loves socks.  I don't think I've mentioned that he also loves orange, but his Christmas Sweater 2010 may have alluded to that.  Whenever I go to my Local Yarn Store, I try to leave with something intend for Jack.  It helps assuage the guilt of spending my yarn budget so freely.

When I saw this, I couldn't resist.

They are my classic sock recipe.  No frills or modifications.

Heritage Paints by Cascade in "Citrus Mix."

Canadian Bacon

I come from a very large family.  The cousins (my generation of them, at least) are all 9 months apart and alternate male/female.  This makes figuring out our ages and knowing our order incredibly simple.  My cousin Nick is exactly 1 week shy of being exactly 9 months older than I am.  He is my favorite male cousin and I love him dearly.  

He is quirky, wildly intelligent, and covered in tattoos.  All things I adore in other humans.  The fact that we're related is just an added bonus.

Nick and his charming wife Teresa will be welcoming a little boy into the world this fall.  He will be a partially Canadian baby, and those winters can be brutal.  I cannot think of a more perfect reason for warm woollies.

When we were kids, I remember watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Comedy Central and laughing at how clever the robots were.  I somehow stumbled upon this pattern and couldn't resist.  It's newborn sized, made with 100% Superwash Merino Knit Picks Swish DK in "Coal" and "White", and prompted Nick to ask if it came in "grown up." 

Babies should be swaddled in warmth and love every minute of their lives.  And this Baby Snuggle Wrap is just perfect.  I modified it a bit by removing the icord and pompom.  Made with Misti Alpaca Chunky, it's soft and lightweight and quite personally I'd like this in "grown up" for myself.

I mentioned that Nick has several tattoos, and a generous portion of these are Tim Burton pieces.  There is nothing more perfect in all of Knitshire than a Jack Skellington doll for the baby.  Made with leftover MST3K yarn and polyester stuffing.  I'm mildly concerned that Nick will keep this for himself, as dolls don't have sizes.

I've recently discovered that I have the ability to knit magic.  This crazy little thing is the Star Illusion Blanket.  I used Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in the colors specified in the pattern.  It worked up much easier than the pattern would lead you to believe, but I despise seams and this blanket is ripe with them.  The finished project makes it well worth it in the end.

This is the birds-eye view of the blanket.  It looks like something guaranteed to induce a migraine...

...but this is the eye-level view.  This is what the baby sees during tummy time.  This is the sky brought to his level, and I hope he's as fascinated by it as I am.

x 2

Twins are all the amazing joys of babies times two.  Smiles x 2, and belly laughs x 2, and of course there are messes x 2.  

My boss is blessed with twin grandsons and therefore by association I am blessed with twin knitting requests.

These birthday sweaters are the same as Jack's Christmas Sweater 2010 with a splash of color to brighten them up.  I modified the pattern slightly to allow for the surprising circumference of a child's head.  Always remember to leave a neck opening the size of the Grand Canyon, and then make it just a hair bigger.  

For these I used Knit Picks Shine Worsted in "Macaw" and "Sailor."  This is a Pima Cotton and Modal Natural Beech Wood Fiber blend making it machine washable and dryable, which is incredibly important for regular use by 1 year old boys.

Christmas Sweaters were then requested, which means the Birthday Sweaters went off without a hitch. This pattern is the Snowflake Pullover and it was absolutely perfect for little Christmas toddlers.  I chose Classic Elite Ariosa in "Cloud" and "Lipstick."  It's 100% extrafine merino, meaning hand wash only which admittedly isn't ideal for baby things.  I couldn't resist how cozy and snuggly this yarn was and I decided that since they're holiday sweaters and babies are never the same size for more than one holiday, the washing requirements seemed less important. 

Of course, the boys are allergic to merino.

One Must Accessorize

Accessories are fun to play with, and I love this little neck warmer.  I used some local alpaca from a farm in my town, and as far as I know she doesn't have a name for her yarn yet.  Or at least Google doesn't know what it is...

Even dogs need to accessorize every now and again.  This wonderful little piece is the Classic Aran from Dog Gone Cute, and it really is.  It was incredibly fast to knit up, and several of my four-legged friends have received one for those blustery fall days.

This is a super warm winter hat I dreamed up.  The false brim is one of my favorite hat styles as it gives it a bit of definition without the bulk of a fold over brim.  I used Lopi for this hat, and I know it can be a bit itchy at times, but it is my go-to yarn for most fair aisle patterns.  It seems so perfectly suited for playing on an Icelandic countryside.

Moving on to this little number.  I have always been fascinated by beading.  It's such a pretty addition to certain pieces and it's not at all as finicky as I had imagined.  I'm not usually a pink kinda gal, but the purple mixed in on this ivory background was exactly what I was looking for.  This is also some alpaca from the neighborhood farm.

Whether it's a hat, pretty little neck warmer, or something for a furry friend, accessories are always fun to make and I love that people often forget all of the things yarn can do.

First Impressions

I've already mentioned that the tiny humans are my favorite to knit for.  Every baby should have a hand knit blanket.  Mommies spend so much energy growing the wee ones, giving them something soft and warm made with love is the least we can do.

This Aran Blanket is a combination of my own design and made with something from Knit Picks that I can't remember right now.  Baby Megan, aka The Meggie Monster, is the cousin of Ava and AJ from this post.  This family produces children in rapid succession, but they're always kind enough not to be pregnant at the same time.  This blanket brought me closer to the edge than anything else I've ever made.  It left me crying on the floor in a pile of cashmere mumbling nonsense about my failed ability to count.  In the end, it was all worth it.  Maybe.  Well not really, but the blanket is quite divine...

Ava recently had a little brother, Gunnar.  Although I didn't know his name when I started making this, I had decided that he needed a strong, manly stitch to welcome him into the world.  This is the Dragon Skin blanket, and it's perfectly suited for his strong, manly name.

Ava, AJ, Meggie, and Gunnar recently had another cousin, Nicholas, who I've decided will only be known as Nickel.  Nickel's mommy is my dearest friend in the world, and her journey into motherhood was not an easy one.  I made this blanket near the start of that journey because even when she was too tired to keep hoping, I knew she'd get her wish.  Made with a wonderful Rowan that has since been discontinued, this was my first real attempt at Entrelac and I adore it.  I adore it so much, in fact, that it's the background for all of my marketing.  It's bright and happy and intriguing.  As is Nickel.

Also made with something from Knit Picks, this is a simple basket weave stitch with a garter edge.  I've never met the baby this was made for so I don't have much of a back story, just that there was a tiny human about to be born and he needed something to cuddle up in.

Also done in Entrelac and with Knit Picks, this little blanket has the title of belonging to the only baby ever to be born before his blanket was ready.  Of course, he was early and also attended his own baby shower, but that's no excuse.  I made him a Love Bunny with the leftover yarn to make up for not having a blanket to come home in.  Sorry, Matthias!

Knit with Loin Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in "Macadamia", this little blanket is my own design.  The yarn is super soft and gets softer with every washing, but it sheds and sticks to my hands and gets in my eyes and generally makes me want to die.  And since I had to graph the pattern from scratch, there was a considerable amount of starting over.  It also involved a considerable amount of counting and I believe I've mentioned how I often forget how to count.  I think Baby Logan got (gets) enough wear out of it though, and that is really the only thing that matters.

The Tree of Life is a wonderful little story, and this pattern represents it perfectly.  It was a joy to make.  Baby Addison was a winter baby and that brand needs a blanket even more.  It's delicate and just the right amount of frilly for the little princess she's turning out to be.

All of these tiny humans are growing into full sized adults at a rate that leaves my head spinning.  I'm grateful to have been a part of welcoming them into our world.

You Have Feet In Your Shoes...

...and those feet need socks.  I almost always revert back to my standard sock recipe.  It's comfortable, familiar, memorized years ago, and I can do it in my sleep.  But there are so very many interesting and delicate and trendy and unique patterns that I know I'm deeply limiting myself in the sock department.  

Sometimes there are birthday socks,

and sometimes there are socks just for me, 

and sometimes there are Christmas socks, 

and matching socks, 

and socks for moms and dads, 

and sometimes socks just because.

Whatever the reason, socks are one of the best things to make for people.  They are warm and fit just right and the feet in our shoes should always be well taken care of.

Dragon Scarf

Every little boy goes through a phase where dragons and wizards and goblins lurk around every bend.  Occasionally, this phase needs to be accessorized.  Morehouse Farm kits allow you to don yourself in everything from a dragon to a panda.  They're charming, interesting to make, and the kits come with all the materials except the needles.

 

This dragon got plenty of wear and held up quite well.  It doesn't get much use anymore since my little dragon slayer has moved past his medieval phase.  Now it's patiently waiting for him to have a dragon slayer of his own.

Tiny Humans

Every baby should be welcomed into the world with something hand stitched just for them.  I love finding the perfect little thing for each and every tiny human and I try to never make the same thing for multiple babies.  Babies are unique individuals, except for twins but I'll cover that in another post, and they should have a unique piece made just for them.

This is the Baby Bolero from One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit or Crochet.  This sweater was made quite a few years ago by now, and I hope Baby Eva liked wearing it as much as I liked making it.  It knit up fast and finished in one day.  The Eyelet design on the back comes from Eastern folklore and is said to bring luck and protection to the wearer, no matter his or her size.

Hats might be my favorite thing to make for the tiny humans.  We can make them silly and ridiculous and they get worn with smiles and laughs because the babies don't get a say and parents think it's adorable to slightly embarrass our children while they are powerless to stop us.

These two lovelies warmed the tiny little head of Baby Eva's cousin, AJ.  Thinking about how big these little bodies are now makes me tear up a little bit.  I am never more reminded of how quickly time passes then when I see a baby outgrow their knits faster than I can make more.

Speaking of embarrassing our children while it can still be considered cute, nothing makes us grown ups squeal and coo quite like an ogre hat on an infant.

Some babies scream sophistication and class.  And those babies should be outfitted accordingly.  This sweater was fun to make and the buttons make the piece special.  This baby should also have a tweed jacket with suede elbow patches, loafers, and a briefcase.

In my family, even the slightest mention of babies needing anything homemade within earshot of me will all but guarantee a tiny little care package promptly delivered to said baby. Last Thanksgiving, my newest little cousin kept loosing his socks.  I overheard his mother fretting that they stretch too much and fall right off his tiny little feet and she's powerless against them.  By Christmas, baby Matthias had tiny little socks made to stay on his tiny little feet.

When my son was born, my father gave him a stuffed puppy that you could record a message into and that message would play when you pushed a button on Puppy's ear.  Within an hour, Puppy's ear had been drooled on and chewed enough to short out the wiring and maniacally repeat "Hi, Little Boy!" until we tore into the ear and cut the wires.  Puppy made it through his minor surgery with flying colors and is still my son's biggest mascot. 

All children will inevitably choose their own "lovey" to align themselves with and battle the childhood years.  That's exactly how these bunnies were born.  100% washable, durable, no maniacal wiring, and ears the perfect size for holding, sucking, and chewing.

It's Not A Purse

I really like making Laptop Covers.  They're fast, simple, and finding the perfect button just makes the piece complete.

I always try to use a strong, durable fiber for these projects.  Let's face it, these covers are going to be shoved into backpacks and yanked out of drawers for (hopefully) a long time to come.  The patterns are fun to experiment with and I like using something with a texture for that little bit of added cushion and usually knit with 2 strands held together for thickness.

This cover (I think) was knit for my friend Scott.  Or his wife, Andrea.  Either way, it's on one of their computers.  Scott told me a year or so ago that it's still going strong and people often ask him where he got it.  He also mentioned that he dropped his laptop at airport security and the cover noticeably softened the blow.  Yarn can be quite shock absorbent.

I made this one for someone who works on computers for a living.  I figured even though he had tons of covers, he could probably always use another one.  This is the only piece I still have the yarn band for.  It's Universal Yarn 100 % Wool Deluxe Chunky Tweed in "Nottingham Forest," which is too charming for words. The Tweed has been discontinued, but Deluxe Chunky is still available.  It's a Hand Wash/Dry Flat, which I try to stay away from when making something for men because they don't often care enough about laundering instructions to follow them, but I hope this cover is still going strong as well.

This is a cover I made for myself.  It's a wee little thing, knit for a 13" MacBook Air.  I used Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in "Natural" because that's the only durable fiber I had in the stash in ivory, and for some reason I decided I needed it to be ivory.  Fishermen's Wool is 100% Pure Virgin Wool with the natural oils still present, which means it is also Hand Wash/Dry Flat...

... but it's surprisingly still clean considering it's color so I haven't managed to shrink it down to  a change purse yet.  I'll let you know when I do.

There Is A Season

I absolutely adore Autumn.  The way the leaves smell, hot cocoa, jeans and sweatshirts and whatever it is in the air that makes everything more crisp and delicious.  And it is my favorite season for woolly stuffs.  Scarves, hats, mittens, and cowls seem to fall off the needles at record pace.

This scarf is a simple little ribbed piece with cabling on the ends to give it a little something special.  If memory serves me correctly, it's an alpaca blend which gives it a slight halo and makes it just that much more cozy. It was made quite a few years ago, and I can't remember the intended recipient.  If you're out there, and this is yours, I hope it's still warming you winter after winter.

Cowls are a lovely way to mix up the scarf craze that seems to grab me every September and I'm powerless against it.  This is the Yarn Harlot's Encompass Cowl, and it was a Christmas gift for my Mother in Law, who I'm happy to say I still consider family years after my divorce.  She is a kind, wonderful woman whom my son cherishes beyond words, and I wanted to make her something that would feel as warm as a precious neck-hug from a small child.  Made with Plymouth DeAire 100% Fine Merino in "Columbus."  Hand wash/Dry flat 

Any knitter worth their needles will inevitably end up with a stash of left over sock yarn in quantities too small to make anything with.  My solution?  I'd like to introduce you to the Entrelac Sock Scarf.

I went on quite an Entrelac jag one spring and this was the project that finally nipped it in the bud.  Making socks for people is one of my favorite things to do.  Everyone deserves a pair of hand knit socks and there are countless colorways and patterns to hold your interest.  I can never bring myself to toss the little bits that are left over, and so this scarf was born.

I almost never make anything for myself, but this was something I couldn't possibly give to anyone else.  Wearing this scarf takes me back to all of the Birthday socks, Christmas socks, Baby socks, and Just Because socks.  It's like wrapping myself in memories of everyone I love.

Merry Christmas, Stinky Face

Let's step into the way-back machine and remember Jack's Christmas sweater of 2009.  This was his first Christmas sweater, a tradition I've tried to carry on.  I've been mostly successful save for one year when a particular finicky baby blanket forced me to toss every other project into the great abyss that is my Works In Progress bin.  I used Bartlett Yarns worsted weight in a color I can't remember and a Saxon Braid cable.

.

This was originally supposed to be a sweater, and just as I had gotten halfway through the second sleeve, His Highness decided a vest was more to his liking.  I have learned never to argue with a 4 year old over wardrobe selection, so the sleeves were ripped back and the Christmas Vest was born.

This brings us to Christmas Sweater 2010.  This is the year Jack decided that just because it was a Christmas Sweater didn't necessarily mean it had to be Christmasy.  It just had to be made For Christmas.  He had a point.

This is the Blue Jeans Hoodie with a few tweaks to the length here and there.  The sleeves are way too short for my liking and I also increased the overall length to get a little more use out of it.  I don't remember which of the suggested yarns I decided on, and the yarn bands are long gone.  But I do know it was a Knit Picks brand.

Let's take a moment of silence over the omission of Christmas Sweater 2011.  A baby was on her way and all other knitting got pushed aside so this blanket would be ready in time.

Moving on to 2012.  This little number is a pattern by Melinda Goodfellow called the Reindeer Sweater.  

Made with Wild Apple Hill Farm from Rhinebeck, they are always one of my first stops.  Their yarn smells sort of like crayons and I absolutely adore it.  Jack can be seen here dutifully trying to finish his homework amid the stacks of freshly purchased woollies.  And that's not even that big of a haul.  I could still carry it all in one trip.  I must have been tired that weekend.  Sometimes I like to leave it all out for a while and bask in the yarn fumes.  Totally normal, right?