Baby Knits Continue....just not for my baby

Here's two more finished baby knits, again, both not for my little one (I'm nearly 34 weeks along, need to knit faster).

First up is the Tiriltunge Newborn Onsie, pattern by Shja.

My Project Page on Ravelry.

This is a super sweet little lace onsie the buttons up at the bottom and up the side, simple cable details and raglan shaping. I knit this for my friend Steph's little girl and finished it a month or two back.

Here's a close up of the side seam, with mix and match buttons (since the Covid 19 shut down, combined with paking up my craft room due to the flood meant I only had access to one button bin to find a set of buttons). The onsie is worked seamlessly from the top down, and knowing my gauge in advance would have been helpful, since I wouldn't have had to rip out and restart this knit after deciding I was knitting something fit for a porcelin doll.

False start before ripping back.... will I ever learn my lesson? Who knows, I did swatch for the sweater I'm currently working on for myself, but not for the baby sweater for our little one on the way that is also in the work.

Anywho, I knit this bad boy with some Cascade Heritage Silk that I had in my deep stash. Originally purchased to maybe knit a  colour shawl (I still have a teal and a pink skein left), I gave up on that plan and decided it would make for a super soft baby knit (its' 85% merino and 15% silk and probably not friendly to washing).

Up next is another Knit Crate project. Something about two skeins of yarn says knit me for babies I guess?

I wanted to knit a traditional layette for my niece to be (she's since been born, welcome to the world sweet Lennon!) and fell instantly in love with the Angel Lace Baby Layette by Marcelline Simonotti when it turned up in my Ravelry search results (you can find the designer on instagram as @tbeecozy ).

I knew that the Uru.Yarn Sugared Sport that I got in my April KnitCrate would be perfect for this. Coming in at 300 yards in 100 grams, the 70% merino, 20% nylon, 10% stelina yarn was both super soft and delightlfully sparkly, just right for a little girl. And best of all, mice come in a sold ivory colour (called diamond), just the one I would have picked.

The sweater was knit in a unique combination of seamed pieces with a seamless yoke, the lace pattern was easy to memorize and knit up quickly. For the contrast colour I dove into my miniskein stash and grabbed a 25g skein of Julie Asselin Leizu Fingering that I had from a 5 colour fade called Vendanges (I picked that particular kit up at the Loop in Kensignton in Calgary probably 4 years ago). And had no problem incorperating the two different gauge yarns together.

I should say, that I went up a couple needle sizes (info is on my project page on Rav) and knit the smallest size in the pattern since the Sugared Sport was a little heavier than the yarn used in the original. Also, I did improvise a little to have my garter ridges (they are a combination of thick and thin ones) match the pattern photos, since to my pregnancy fogged brain the pattern didn't seam to be matching up.

Overall, the sweater used 95 grams of the first skein of Sugared Sport, and I used about 37 grams of the second to knit the bonnet and booties. I used 23 of my 25 grams of the pink mini for the accent bits. The set has been gifted and I can't wait to see pictures of Lennon wearing it as she gets bigger.

Next up, hopefully I'll have a finished Vellichor by Andrea Mowry to show you, although it's knit on 3.25mm needles and its a slog and a half. Plus you won't see me wearing it for a while yet, since I knit it for my pre-pregnancy size.

I did swatch tho!

Some Knitcrate Baby Knits ~ Uru Yarn Silk DK

When I recieved my Septeber 2019 Knit Crate, I adored the yarn straight away. I have to say, I prefer solids and semi-solids to veriagated yarns. I just feel like they are so much more versitile, knit any pattern, shape, stitch you want, without worrying about the dreaded pooling that you often get with hand dyed yarns. (ask me some time to write about the class on knitting with hand painted yarns I took with the Yarn Harlot once upon a pre-covid world some time).

Anyways, the yarn was Uru Yarn in their Silk DK. A rather tightly spun, very smooth 4-ply yarn, made from 85% merino and 15% silk. Just enough silk for shine without giving it that stick to your hands feeling that I get with silk (or maybe this is just from my experiance with spinning with silk, but I describe it as cotton mouth on your hands.... anyone else?). At 300 yards in 100 g it's probably more of a sport weight than a DK yarn. Mine came in the purple Beautyberry colourway, probably the one I would have chosen out of the three options pictured below. And despite the luxary fibre content, I was feeling baby knits.

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KnitCrate Membership's featured #yarns and colorways: Taupily (left), Beautyberry (middle), and Enlightened (right)! Will you be picking up more during Double Down? Share with us which one you absolutely need more of 👇

A post shared by KNITCRATE (@knitcrate) on Sep 21, 2019 at 9:00am PDT

First up is an adorable baby cardigan that I knit for my friend Sarah's little girl Millie for Christmas this year.

This is the Anker's Jacket by PetiteKnit (link to pattern on Rav), knit in the round and super quick. The pattern is sized from 3 months to 8 years, (I think I knit the 1-2 year one, but I don't have it written down anywhere), and PetiteKnit has a whole line of aAnker's patterns with the same yoke motif. From baby onsies to boyfriend sweaters and back again (check out all of her patterns here), so you could knit a cute family set, although unlike TinCanKnits patterns, you'd be paying for a set of patterns rather than just one. Anyways, that's about all I have to say about this sweater, I don't love the buttons I used, they are a touch too big, but options for button buying are limitted here in Olds, I really need to stock up on some good all purpose button sets. Oh and I used about 95% of one skein for this little sweater.

Alrighty, next up is a sweet little baby dress than I finished last week, and already gifted it to my sister-in-law, who is expecting a little girl in June. The pattern is the Little Biscuit, by Anne B Hanssen, and it was actualy just published this month. I just went searching for a sport weight baby dress on rav that caught my eye and found my way to this pattern (Rav link here).

The lace details at the hem and neckline are really sweet, the picot bind off took way longer than the instant gratification knitter in me would have liked, but is (as usual) totally worth it; and the miles of plain stockinette in the round are just that.

Anyways, the mom to be was very happy to recieve this little number this past weekend. And the taste of lace knitting has gotten me excited for more lacey baby knits. Too bad we are waiting to learn the sex of our baby, because knitting for wee little girls is just way too cute. In fact I've already cast on some more KnitCrate Yarn (Uru Yarns Sugared Sport from April's crate) to knit a lacey baby layette for my neice to be. I'll be sure to share that with you when its done.

If you are interested in checking out KnitCrate, you can check out their monthly membership plans over on their website.

Tecumseh

Hello 2019, nice to meet you.

2018 was a great year, don't get me wrong. But for this bright and shiny new year, I want so much more.

First of all, I want to shake the dust off of my DSLR camera, and really take some pictures. And then turn around and use them to celebrate and share my knits and craft.

So here we go.

Here is my Tecumseh, which I squeaked in just under the wire, casting it off on New Years Eve morning, and washing, blocking and even sending it for a tumble through the dryer that day. Heck I rang in the new year wearing it (after taking a nap, partier that I am). The pattern is of course by Caitlin Hunter of Boyland Knitworks (a fellow mom of twin boys).

The yarn, well its extra special. I dyed it all myself. More on that in the next few days.

And the place, our little homestead here in Olds, Alberta, just about the most beautiful place you could ever want to live.

Overall, it's a super comfy sweater, although I'm not sold on the dropped arm holes (or whatever you might want to call it). But this one is destined to by a sample, and a symbol, of what I want to achieve this year. And I love it. So happy 2019 fibre friends, hope yours is bright.

Things I knit in Crowsnest Pass

We just got back home to Medicine Hat, after spending pretty much all of February in Crowsnest Pass. And while I was unpacking today I thought both: hey I finished a fair number of knits there and yeep I didn't knit half of what I brought with me.

The problem of course being the presence of a lovely little yarn shop in CNP, A Nest of Needles.

Some tiny Patons Kroy Socks.

My Carbeth of course.

This little Boy Sweater.

A hat for Kevin for Valentines Day.

A gift hat that turned out too small.

I finished my Flock Colourwork Sweater.

And a second hat, much larger, but I forgot to take a FO picture (probably because I cast it off the morning we left. Which meant I blocked it and dried it real quick on a heating vent).

Two sleeves and the start on the body for my Hearthstone sweater.

Plus a sock and a half for Kevin (no picture).

Oh... and somehow, this followed me home as well:

It's going to be a Carbeth Cardigan.... once I finish my thesis.

Let's try this again.

The rather beautiful home we have been occupying this past week and a half belongs to a family with a 5 year old boy.

So of course I decided I would knit him a hat.

I was inspired by the pile of hats the Yarn Harlot knit at Christmas this year.

Pattern is Tiny Lumberjack by Fiona Alice, available on Ravelry.

So I popped into our LYS (A Nest Of Needles in Blairmore, AB) and grabbed myself three skeins of Cascade 220 superwash.

Colours, I believe (as I tossed the ball bands straight away), are silver grey, aran and really red.

However, I had it in my head that I wanted to knit the Antler Hat (by Tin Can Knits) only Tiny Lumberjack style. Particularly because the Tiny Lumberjack is knit with sport weight and sized only for babies, whereas the Antler Hat, like all Tin Can Knits patterns is sized from newborn to adult.

So I picked the child size, cast on 84 stitches with the recommended 4mm needles and switched to 5mm needles after knitting the brim.

And poof, hat. Don't mind the crown decreases there, about half way through them I noticed I had gone off pattern so I just winged it. 

But two problems with this hat.

1) the fabric is knit at too loose of a gauge, cascade 220 superwash doesn't really like 5mm needles for hats, and after washing and blocking the whole hat is way too drapey. Plus the 1 by 1 rib brim is really opening up too much for my liking.

2) the size, well let's just say it barely fits my 20 month olds, and would be way too small for a 5 year old.

So let's try this again.

This time I'll knit the brim on 3.5mm and the hat on 4.5mm, and I've cast on 106 rather than 84. I'll do a couple extra repeats of the cables as well.

And the first hat, well plenty of people around me keep having babies, it'll make it's way to warm a tiny head some time soon.

Today I'm 30, and maybe I'm finally learning a thing or two

Well it's the big 30 for me. And to be honest, I'm not sure I feel all that different. I think I really aged out of my 20s back when we found out we were expecting twins.

But today I did make one decision already, influence by my older and supposedly wiser self.

I did not cast on my So Faded Sweater.

Here's my beautiful fade of Hedgehog Fibres Sock yarn, in Typewriter, Boombox, Oracle and Graphite. I have it with me here in Crowsnest Pass (that's where we've been for all of February by the way), all caked up and with the intention of casting it on as a birthday present.

I learnt lessons from my Tegna, and knit a pair of swatches.

Decided on a tighter than recommended gauge on a 3.5 mm needle and did all the math I need to knit the size that will fit me. Heck I even measured myself rather than go with the size I am in my head.

Problem is, it's all written down on the printed out pattern... which I currently can't quite find (I'm fairly certain I packed it).

I almost cast it on anyways.

But I realized my 3.5 mm tips are currently knitting this project.

My Hearthstone by Ysolda Teague.

And I just have way too many WIPs on the needles right now (20, which is where I am supposed to draw the limit).

And so I made a mature choice, guided by age and wisdom, and decided to knit on this instead.

A long running sweater design project that is some number of inches away from the hem (I just can't seem to find my measuring tape.... maybe as a 30 year old I will be more organized than I was in my twenties? one can hope!)

I'm a sucker for a good KAL

My friends, I have a problem, and I can admit it.

I am a sucker for a good knit along (KAL).

I just can't resist.

Mason Dixon Knitting and Fringe and Friends are running a Log-Along..... so of course I joined in.

I don't know if it's because I don't have a local knitting group. Or because I don't want to miss out on the fun. Or maybe I just like to drink the cool aide. But none of these things stopped me from caking up 4 skeins of yarn to cast on a Hearthstone (pattern by Ysolda Teague from the Heart on My Sleeve Collection) for the Tin Can Knits Heartfelt KAL .... although I haven't cast it on yet.

I'm not sure how many sweaters I think I am knitting this February (my 30th birthday month btw) but I am currently working on 4 adult ones, 1 toddler sized one, and have yarn caked up for 2 more.

So when Kate Davis and Mason Dixon Knitting announced a February, Bang Out a Carbeth KAL, I initially said, oh no, I can wait. Besides we're in Crowsnest Pass all month, I should just knit the yarn I brought with me.

But have you seen the Carbeth sweater?

I mean, maybe it's Kate's husband Tom's amazing photography (check out her blog for more increadible photos), but how could you not want to knit this sweater.

Plus, knit at a big gauge (bulky weight on 6.5 mm needles) you can fly through the 700 or so yards in half a minute.

So I said, no Sara, you don't need to knit this sweater right now. Work on the projects you have.

Which is why I'm not sitting here next to two skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool in Chocolate.

Thank you Nest Of Needles Wool Shop (in Blairmore, AB), I know what I am doing this weekend! What KAL's are you joining in on? Maybe I need another one?