Sunday, September 28, 2008

Modeled Shots!

My nephew is 4 months old already and big enough to fit into the little pullover I made for him before he was born. My sister was nice enough to take some pictures for me because she knows the only thing I like showing off more than knitting is this baby.

Logan''s blue pullover

It's the placket-neck sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in Rowan Calmer. Super easy pattern, nice for no-thinking knitting.

Little boy blue sweater

When I started knitting this, I didn't yet know that Logan would be a boy, let alone anything about what he would be like. Now he's here, and I'm here in Cincinnati where I get to see him all the time, and these pictures are making me feel a little overwhelmed with how lucky I am for that.

Logan Laughing

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Ladybug for Lilybug

Yesterday I went to a ladybug-themed birthday party for my favorite 2 year old, so naturally I had to knit her an appropriate present. Crafty Alien came to the rescue again with a super cute Ladybug pattern, available in the "Buggin Out" set. There is also an ant and a very cute bee, which I can see myself getting around to someday. I know there have been some concerns with the pattern kits at Crafty Alien, but I have ordered pdfs from the website twice now and it's automatic and no problem at all.

Ladybug

Like most little toys, the ladybug was pretty fiddly. You make the body in two separate pieces, and then you make legs and antennae. Then you have to sew the body together and sew all 8 pieces on. The best thing about this project: felting hides everything! As usual, I had the most trouble with the eyes. They actually came out a little wonky because I was late for the party and had to just accept that I still don't know how to embroider.

Ladybug back view

That reminds me- I came across what looks to be a great tutorial on embroidering on knitting. Check it out.

I think the birthday girl likes her ladybug, though not nearly as much as she likes chocolate cake.

Liliana

Friday, September 12, 2008

Hats!

I've been a little hat crazy lately, because they are fun and easy and don't require me to go into a new LYS. Also, I have had good reason to do gift knitting.

First off, my friend Michelle turned 30! I pulled out a random skein of Noro Kujaku and some Patons Classic Merino in Black to make the Fake Isle Hat. Super fun, super fast knit! I would probably never use the Kujaku again (even if it wasn't discontinued) because it was pretty novelty-ish. It had these little pieces in it that looked like those old school wrapped friendship bracelets we made when we were 8.

Fake Isle Hat

The colors were fun, even though I had to rip back a few rows and cut the yarn because it went to a super dark, almost black section. But the green and the purple with pink flecks was cool.

Fake Isle Hat

If I were to make this again (which I would), I would change the decreases at the top. It came out a little pointier than I would like.

My next hat is an extra present for Baby Yuri, the now-3-days-late child who better get here so s/he can wear this little piece of adorable.

Sailboat Hat

Here's hoping that Kara doesn't see this because she's at the hospital giving birth! This pattern is from Itty Bitty Hats and I think it's as cute as pie. The baby has a sailing themed nursery and the parents are sailing fanatics, so I think they'll like it. How can they not? It's tiny! And has a boat on it!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Hey, I could make that!

I'm finally settled in at the house enough to start really knitting again, but the big move has tightened things up so I can only knit from the stash. Lucky for me, the move also made me realize that I really need to get the stash in a better place. I don't mind having lots of yarn, but there's a lot of stuff with no purpose. And not enough of anything to start a new sweater (this sweater, in particular, except without the flared sleeves), which is all I want to do.

In a perfect example of why I should buy yarn for a particular purpose, I pulled some Plymouth Encore I bought to make another Elijah out of the stash and was ready to roll on a present for my friend Kara's soon-to-arrive baby.

Elijah #2

Pattern: Elijah by Ysolda
Needles: Size 5 DPNs
Yarn: Plymouth Encore- 3/4 skein of gray, scraps of pink

This is the 2nd Elijah I've made and I still love him. This one is in the 75% acrylic Encore, which usually would not be something I would mess with, but this is surprisingly great yarn. It has a wool content similar to Woolease, but I think it is so much better. It doesn't have that plastically feel- it really just feels like slightly softer wool.

Elijah head

And of course, Ysolda's pattern is as brilliant as they come. Everyone thinks so- that's why there are 340 of these on Ravelry. The swirl the head decreases make, the way the purl row and decreases make the feet look, the way the short rows make the ears look perfect- all of it makes this pattern not only great because it is seamless, but also because it creates an adorable result with spot-on details.

In other news, I was in Urban Outfitters recently looking for fabric and saw this huge knitted purse:
Urban Outfitters purse
(please ignore ridiculous look on my face- I think I was trying to look casual)

Cute, right? Except this bad boy was 100% Acrylic and $68! So like any good knitter, I made my husband take pictures of it inside the store because I was just positive that I could replicate it.

Urban Outfitters purse- flat view

It looks pretty easy, huh? I may just have to figure that thing out.