Final Stretch

I'm due in just 4 days, so I've been working on finishing Courtney's wrap around sweater. It's actually pretty fast going, it's just a matter of me picking it up instead of sitting around on the computer or napping. I don't think I'm actually going to 'finish' it before I give it to her. The construction is pretty simple - it's just a scarf, but with the ends seamed together and then attached to the back (this makes a lot more sense when you look at the pattern).  Since in my current state, my abdomen is HUGE compared to hers, I'm going to have a difficult time judging how long it needs to be.  I think I'll do the recommended 16 pattern repeats, then put it on waste yarn and finish it up while we're there at Christmas. Worst case scenario, I'll need to add a repeat or two, and they only take about a half hour apiece, so I should have plenty of time during the few days we're in GR. It's looking like it will take just over 3 skeins of Knit Picks Biggo, so I'm glad I went for that extra skein I wasn't sure about.  Maybe the extra will be just enough for a small snuggly cowl or something. The yarn is nice and soft, but it does tend to fuzz a little.  After knitting with it for awhile, I have little reddish fibers all over my (ginormous) stomach.
Something I would have liked to have done is use a provisional cast on. I attempted it a few times, but it just frustrated me, so I ended up just doing my typical long tail CO. It seems like a provisional would be nice, though, because then I could just kitchener (or whatever, I don't know all of my official terms) the two ends together for a neater seam. Oh well, someday I'll figure it out.
When this is done (providing there isn't a new baby around), I need to finish my second Offset Wraplan, and then I think I'll make something for me - my eye is on Multnomah (Rav link), in Knit Picks Imagination in Seven Dwarves. I bought two skeins in 2009 (my first real sock yarn purchase), and then never got around to doing anything with it after a few false starts on socks.  I think it's about time! The pattern also looks easy enough for me to be able to pick it up and just knit a few rows while baby is sleeping (if I'm not also sleeping, of course). I'm thinking of just making one slight modification, and only doing 3 center stitches instead of 5.
No pictures this time since I haven't taken any in forever :)

More Finished Goods!

     I'm apparently really on a baby roll.  Larissa called me a few weeks ago asking if there was any way possible I could make Easton a pair of baby mittens and a matching hat.  Since I was already planning on making him a hat for Christmas, I said, "Of course!"

     I had just finished my first hat in Swish, and it turned out to be very stretchy, so I decided to use that pattern again (Little Boy Blue Ribbed Baby Hat), and found an easy thumb-less pattern for baby mitts (Basic Baby Mitts). She told me to use whatever yarn I had on hand, but clearly this was an opportunity to place a Knit Picks order (plus I needed to order yarn for a project for my little sister), so I picked up a skein of Swish Worsted in Dublin and one in Dove Heather to make the perfect MSU set!
Once I finally got to knitting it, it was super quick - mittens took about an hour apiece, and the hat was two easy nights of TV knitting.
     Up next is my sister's wrap around sweater using Biggo.  We'll see how it goes!

Lots of mini-knitting

Knitting for babies is so much better than knitting for adults.  My Zora is still sitting, unseamed, waiting for the day when I get the motivation to spend a few hours finishing it.  On the other hand, I've finished two cardigans, two pairs of thumbless mittens, five hats, a sleep sack, and two blanket squares since doing the final Zora knitting.
My latest FOs are the Owlie Sleep Sack with a matching hat (I just finished the hat last night and haven't taken a picture yet).

 I shelled out the big bucks for Malabrigo Rios, and it was totally worth it.  They are super soft, and I love the semi-solid look.  I'm also a big fan of the color, which is closer to the full picture.  I know babies are born with blue eyes in general, but since Evan and I are both blue-eyed babes ourselves, it's looking pretty good that little Rocky Balboa will be sporting them as well.  The teal-y color of the Owlie set should look really, really good on the kid. He's clearly going to be a good looking kid ANYWAY, so this set makes me really happy. I honestly don't know how often it will get used - my main purpose for it was to have a nice prop for his newborn pictures.  Kristy, our photographer, is pretty awesome, so I'm sure she will get some terrific shots.
I'm thinking with my leftover Malabrigo I'm going to make another Hermione hat.  I have about 66 grams leftover, which is enough for just about any hat, but I'm a huge fan of the Hermione hat I made last Christmas.  I probably don't need another one, but I'm not sure what else I'll do with the yarn, and I don't see any other hat patterns that are calling my name. I've also found a cardigan I'd like to make for myself (with NO SEAMING, I've learned my lesson) out of the yarn I bought at a fiber fest at the end of September. It was supposed to be a vest, but based on the gauge I should be getting, the yarn is just not going to work.  The pattern calls for either a worsted or bulky yarn, but I think it would work much better with bulky, and this 'worsted' is more like a light worsted.  I have six weeks-ish left until this baby shows up, so I'm thinking I should get a bulk of my knitting done now! Odds are, I'll just sit on Ravelry and look at stuff, though, instead of actually knitting. . .

Oops

     I made the mistake of washing and drying the new sweater in the machines.  By mistake, I mean it was totally on purpose, but hoped the outcome would be different.  Turns out it shrunk a little, and looks even more wonky than before :-/ I'm hoping that running an iron over it (especially the hem which WON'T STAY DOWN) will help, or even just soaking it again and blocking instead of drying. We'll see. It should still fit for a little while at least, so not a huge disaster.
     I finally got around to making a hat, also.  The Dec 2011 Mom's group on Rav had a hat KAL for the end of August, but it seemed like I never had the needles I needed when I needed them (just ask my fellow stitch 'n' bitchers - I think there were multiple nights when I just didn't end up knitting anything).  Since my Zora is currently off the needles (still blocked, still not seamed), I realized it freed up my 40" size 3. Triumph! Finished a baby hat right away. I used the "Very Basic Baby Beanie" (rav link) pattern, which was exactly as described.  A perfect quick little knit. I am definitely planning on using the pattern again. I think the brim will end up being turned up, but this should fit for a little while at least.  After finishing this, I started an "Offset Wraplan" (rav link) in the same yarn (KP's Felici Sport, colorway "Too Cool"). The Dec2011 group just so happened to pick sweaters as the theme for Sept.'s KAL, so this is perfect! Hopefully that little bit of motivation I might need near the end.  Assuming all goes well, this *might* be baby's coming home outfit.

Baby!

     With my baby boy due in December, I decided it was (finally) time to start some baby knitting. My husband kept bugging me - "When are you going to make something for the baby?" - as I worked on my Zora sweater, so once the knitting on that was mostly done, I went for a sweater.  I had a few sweaters in my queue already, but ended up finding a striped sweater in the book 60 Quick Baby Knits (rav link) that I figured would work nicely and, more importantly, quickly.  I ordered two skeins each of Gulfstream and Pebble (disc.) in KnitPicks Swish Worsted. I've never worked with it before, but decided I didn't want to mess around with handwashing things.
     I'm really happy with how quickly the sweater worked up, although there are a few little things I'd do differently. I didn't want the bottom to roll up, so I purled a RS row to make a hem.  The sweater still wants to fold up, so there must be a better method there. I didn't really know what I was doing, so I'm sure there is something I'm missing there.  Also, the bottom corners where I picked up stitches for the button band look a little wonky. I like how the knitted on buttons bands LOOK, but while knitting, I much prefer one that is just a continuation of each row, using intarsia if multiple colors are used.

     I started this on Thursday and finished on Sunday, so all in all, a super fast knit.  It still needs buttons, so I'll run to JoAnn's today and decide on the color and shape. Right now, I'm thinking bright yellow, but I don't know about dressing my kid in blue and yellow. . .(Go Green!). Hopefully something will catch my eye!
     Now I need to get back to work on my Zora - the back, front, and sleeves are all knit, but not seamed together yet.  Once that's done, I need to do a 4 inch 2x2 rib all along the front and neck. This could take awhile. . .I will probably end up starting another baby project somewhere in there.

So close!

We had two snowy days this week, so I had lots and lots of knitting time!

First, I started anoter pair of socks. I've only done one of the green crazy color socks, but the Knitpicks Lovers group on Ravelry started a Sock knit along this month, and I wanted to join in that.  I decided to make Valentine's Day socks using the Heart's abound pattern that came in my Stroll Tonal sock kit.  With it, I'm using Stroll Tonal in Gypsy.  I had the yarn up in my "For Sale" section of my stash, but once I decided to make Valentine's Day socks, I knew I had to use it! I'm making them two at a time, on two circular needles.  The first repeat of the pattern made me nervous - it's not difficult, but it's 20 rows and I had a hard time intuitively being able to see what the next row should be.  Now that I'm on the second repeat (of about 7), it's coming along a little faster.

Yesterday I also got a lot done on my Owls sweater.  The cabling is all done - I can see owls! I only have about five rows to go on the neck, plus seaming the armpits, adding button eyes, and weaving in the ends I tried it on last night to make sure it was going to fit. It's snug, but I think it will block nicely and fit perfectly.  My husband was pretty impressed with it, also. He always seems so surprised when I finish something and it looks like it's supposed to. I guess I'm just impressive :) I'd like to wear the sweater Sunday, so tonight will be the night to get it done! Here's hoping the armpits come together like they're supposed to - I'm a little nervous right now :-/

Chugging Along

I've made pretty good progress on both the Moderne Baby Blanket and my owls sweater.  I'm almost done with the first sleeve on the sweater, only about an inch or two to go (which is nothing when it's in bulky weight yarn). Hopefully I'll finish that up during the MSU basketball game this afternoon, and start the next.  The blanket is coming along as well, although by looking at it, you can't really tell. It's incredible how much longer it takes to do a row by just adding a few stitches. I'll just keep chugging on both of these, someday I'll be able to say I'm done!
I've picked up spinning again, and I can tell I've gotten better.  My problem now is that I'm making the yarn too thin. Also, my plying is off. I think I'm underspinning each single, which is making it harder to ply. I spun up one of the PhatFiber samples from September (Farmers Market) that looked like a watermelon. I lost the label for it a long time ago, but it was a bright, fun fiber.  I'm thinking I should have left it unplyed, though, because the act of plying really muddied the colors and it doesn't look nearly as bright anymore.  I just tried to take some pictures, but the lighting was awful. I think I'm in struggle mode today. . .

Housekeeping

As per usual, I haven't updated this blog in about a bajillion years.  Oh well.

I've been working on a Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting lately.  I'm using Knit Picks Shine Worsted yarn in Creme Brulee, Cream, Clementine, and Begonia.  I purchased 5 skeins of each color. Based on stitch count, etc., I think it will be more than enough of cream (I should have plenty for an applied i-cord border, I hope), just a little extra orange and yellow, and not enough pink.  I'll have to reassess the pink when I get closer to the end, but it's looking like I'll need to buy another ball. I'm hoping maybe I can send one ball of the orange or yellow back and just exchange it.  We'll see what happens!
So far, I love the yarn. It is super soft, and the stitches just look really nice.  Also, as the name implies, it has a nice shine to it.  Sometimes I lay it out and I just smile because of how nice I think it's turning out.  Right now, I'm a few rows back from finishing block 6. I'm starting to get a little tired of all of the garter stitch, which might be a problem since I'm only 36% of the way done :/.  Oh well, its potential recipient isn't due until July, so lots of time!  It is not known yet whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I really wanted to make this blanket in these colors (and have for some time), so I figured I would start, and if it turns out to be a boy I can make something else.
I've been doing a few other little projects here and there, but nothing huge.  I have one sock finished from the Threadbare yarn I bought awhile ago, but haven't begun sock #2 yet. I really like the yarn AND sock, but I've been spending all of my knitting time on the baby blanket.  When the baby blanket gets less portable (as it quickly is), I'll start the next sock.
I've also started the owls sweater. I have an extra skein of yarn, so I made it fairly long. Now I'm at the armpits and I've quit.  I need to make the sleeves and keep going, but once again, the baby blanket distracted me.  I am typically a super loose knitter (socks on 0's are still pretty loose gauge), but for some reason, have an iron grip on this sweater. I actually had to go UP a needle size, which is completely unheard of for me.  Because of this tight knitting, it's hard for me to work on it for too long. My hands start to get tired and ache.  The actually knitting moves pretty fast, so if I just dedicate a few nights of knitting (or a long weekend), it should be done. Maybe that can be my project today, once I finish up block 6. . .