Deciding what to knit....

I just downloaded the new beautiful Cabled Baby Jacket pattern from SweaterBabe.com, that just might be my next project. check it out here.

It has been a slow recovery since losing Shadow Dec 18th. My husband and I have cried for days, some days are easier than others, while all the christmas doings were going on it took my mind of her for brief periods but my heart still ached. Our other dog Abby a mini dachshund was lonesome and kept staring at the door waiting for Shadow to come back, they were together for 6 years and got along beautifully.

In the end Shadow refused to eat ( this lasted 6 days) I even tried hand feeding her, I cooked up a rice diet withe chicken livers, bacon fat, eggs and Tums, I thought for sure she would eat it but nothing. Shadow was a biscuit monster and when she refused biscuits I knew she was a sick girl. So she got weaker and weaker by the day, initially our vet said she could hang on for a few weeks or maybe even a month but she only lasted a week after she stopped eating. She was the best dog you could ask for and the part my husband and I have trouble getting over is when we arrive home and she's no longer here to greet us. She would always pick up a shoe, slipper or toy and carry it around when we got in the door, she was such a happy dog!

My daughters were home for the holiday and they got out the big box of photographs, here are some of Shadow when she was 6 months old and the top photo was taken just this past summer in August.

Christmas was a happy time but went too quickly, the house was all quiet again the 27th after 6 days of celebration.

Here is a shot of the girls, andrea, silly jennifer, me and my mother

Here is another group shot, my husband, me, Andrea, my new SIL Todd and Jennifer.

we spent one day at Niagara Falls, went to a winery called Niagara Landing, checked out the casino ( I am not a gambler!) too much cigarette smoke for me and I'd rather spend my money on yarn and patterns! Then we went back to Buffalo to the Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo Chicken Wing. check it out here.

We will have another small celebration Saturday with my sister, nieces and nephews who could not be here christmas day.

I finally feel like knitting again, so I guess I'll go search my stash and see what yarn I can use for that pattern, maybe even cast on this afternoon.

VERY little knitting....

I am here but having a tough time as my older dog and buddy Shadow is in failing health. She is 13 years old and last week was scheduled for surgery to remove an ulcerated tumor on her side. After pre-op blood work is was determined she is in renal failure, her kidneys are shutting down. So more than likely she would not have survived the surgery. My husband went and brought her back home and our vet said she could last month or so but as of 24 hours ago she has not eaten, she drinks water but that's it. I am afraid this is the beginning of the end. :(

So no knitting for me and barely getting things done for christmas.

Here'a a picture of a few more xmas towels I knitted last week and the dishcloth knit-along, I completed but forgot to take a picture until today, a stocking.

Christmas Wreaths

I created these on Monday during the snowstorm we had here in western New York!! I cranked up the christmas music and just had fun!

They are from an old Leisure Arts book titled " Romancing Christmas a victorian collection" # 1062, dated 1986. Requires 2 1/3 yards of fabric sewn into tubes, lace is added and then one tube is sewn on top of the other, that seam creates the casing and you slide the casing onto a cut 12" extruded styrofoam ring and glue back together, add a bow and a hanger and Ta-Da!

See I have been busy!!

Is it christmas yet?

Dish Towel Toppers... and snowman favors

Here are the dishtowel toppers I have been busily knitting for a friend, almost done! I am using Paton's Canadiana color "denim", from my stash of course. The other yarn is Bernat Satin color "lagoon".
I have a few more to knit and of course more buttons to sew on. I love this snowman dish towel, it's a nice quality, not scratchy and fairly thick too. I bought a few myself to knit up. I think they're a good choice, they can be left out all winter because their not too "christmasy". We found them at Martin's Grocery store on sale for $2.99 each.

The "will wash dishes for chocolate" towels she found at the mall, one of those kitchen/gourmet stores, $3.99 each and very nice towels! Those she wants knit double, meaning I pick up stitches all across the middle of the towel without cutting it, that was tricky!

you can click on the pictures to see them close-up




These are what I made last Saturday, took me 6 hours at least.... they will be given as favors at our TOPS Christmas brunch on the 13th. Believe it or not they are made using a white washcloth ( those I found at the dollar store very reasonable). I made 24, that should be enough, I think the ladies will love them! Here is the pattern.


Of course they want you to order the kit but you can see what you need by looking at the picture. I cut the hat out of red felt a piece 6"wide x 3 -3/4"high, quick seamed it up on the sewing machine 3/4 of the way up, turned it inside out, folded up the brim and glued it on.

My scarf was cut 1" w x 9" long. The arms I cut from brown chenille stems 2 pieces each 2- 1/2" and 1 piece 1- 1/2" long and wrapped that around the longer piece. I used black 1/4" pom poms for the buttons on his body, 10mm wiggle eyes, an orange spaghetti bead for the nose, a 3/8" gold jingle bell that I thread on a piece of red yarn and used that to gather up the hat, tied in a knot in the back. and I got out my button box and glued a button on each scarf. I made the body the way the directions tell you do so. I used hot glue for all of the construction, what would we do without hot glue?

another dishcloth

I started & finished the Christmas Bell dishcloth last night. I used red Sugar n' Cream yarn and size 7 needles, it was fast and easy to make! Click on the link, it's the 6th pattern down.
or cut and paste this: http://home.earthlink.net/~oscarsdotter/id2.html

But it was difficult to get a good photograph. I have heard red is hard to photograph , well I found out, I must have taken 30 photos in different lighting and backgrounds.

I am working on knitted dishtowel toppers for a friend, she had asked me a few weeks ago if I could make her a "few" for gifts, she had watched me knitting them. Well, the other day she handed me 7 of them! So I am slowly working on those. I would really like to start a Bev Dillon baby sweater pattern I ordered but I tend to get too many things going & I don't finish many and that stresses me out. Christmas is only 29 days away and I have no shopping done, started decorating a little bit today.... I'll get there, I always do.

Gary the Gobbler Dishcloth

Well, here is my first attempt at this dishcloth pattern. I liked the pattern but not the yarn I used. It's a large cone of Sugar 'n Cream I had on hand, it seemed thin in spots and definitely not the same quality of the smaller balls. Now what can I do with 800 plus yards? Crochet potholders maybe....

The lovely bouquet arrived today from my wonderful husband, what a nice surprise!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Almost back to ....normal

whatever that is! Well, the upper respiratory infection knocked me for a loop! My husband started with it the week before, last Monday my nose was running and by Tuesday a.m. I had it hit me like a brick!

I couldn't knit or even look at it I was that miserable BUT I managed to go to work 3 days! I guess this is really going around my area, I have talked to so many people that have had it or just got over it. I believe my husband picked it up at the Dr's office the Friday before he got it. He suffered for 9 days, I never had a symptom. I took my OPC's, vitamin C, B-12, all isotonic of course so 100% absorption but I couldn't escape it.... I had just gotten done telling someone I hadn't been sick in 2 years taking my Market America products and then this struck, oh well, it could have been much worse. No, I didn't get a flu shot either, maybe I better!


So, last night I felt almost normal again, these are what I made. My own pattern for a cute turkey fridgie or lapel pin. All crocheted and so quick. I donated them to the biggest losers at my TOPS chapter this morning, the girl's that won - loved them! Guess I better write this pattern down, right now it's just in my head. The yarn and crochet hook are still sitting out so tonight I'll make another one and write it down.

I hope to get back to my baby sweater knitting today or tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving if I don't get a chance to post again.

New Baby Cardigan a FO!

Wow, this little pattern goes rather fast, I enjoyed making it and will definitely knit this one again! Perfect for a newborn!

here is a close up of the heart shapes buttons I found at JoAnn's, perfect for this sweater!


and the little hat is so easy, I used 2 needles rather than circular so mine has a seam down the back

Update on 2 projects!

Here is the "Bernat Small Fry hooded sweater" back , I love the little garter and seed stitch band. Hopefully I'll get started on the front today.

And in the meantime I've been knitting on this................


This is the NBC ( newborn baby cardigan) this is the pattern my knitting buddy gave me. I am using Reynolds Utopia another acrylic worsted weight so it's goes fast! I just have the button bands and neckline ribbing to do, oh and sew in the sleeves. I picked up some cute buttons yesterday at Joann's, wait and see!

New project!

This is my newest project, I felt like knitting pink and a friend's daughter is expecting a little girl so I found this in my vast library of patterns. It's from the book Small-Fry by Bernat Book # 254, dated 1979!!!! Fits toddler sizes 1,2,3 and 4. I'm knitting the size 1 and gauge is right on with size 6 needles.

Tha pattern calls for Bernat Berella Sportspun and of course I'm using Bernat Softee Baby in "prettiest pink". This is the back and I'm up to the pattern part of the yoke with raglan decreases. So far so good!!

A lovely friend sent me 2 knit sweater patterns I want to try, I just may cast on one of those shortly! Stay tuned!

Halloween Sewing

I came across this pattern while cleaning out my so-called "craft room" ( actually it's more like a room where a bomb went off! ) And I decided to make a few & donate them to my TOPS Chapter Tops is short for Take Off Pound Sensibly, where I have been a member for 16 years. We weigh-in every Wednesday morning, here's the link to their site if you would like to learn more and find a chapter near you. The annual dues are only $24.00 and weekly dues of only $1.00 and once you reach your goal there are no weekly dues. For the 24.00 you also receive a monthly magazine with success stories, recipes, before & after photos and lots of weight loss tips. It's a great place for motivation and support, they have no specific diet you follow but all the help & knowledge is there!

ANYWAY, I got my sewing machine out and made 3 of these cuties and I remembered to take a picture before I donated them last week. The pattern came from a Home Bureau craft group I belonged to 15 years ago! Easy to sew cotton prints or solids with quilt batting sandwiched in between, the facial features are all cut felt and glued on.

They look so cute on a front door!

Happy Halloween!

Light Pink set and more dish towel tops!

I found this set and it needed the buttons and ribbons. If I remember right I used Bernat Softee baby yarn holding one strand each of pink & white together. It's a heavier fabric, great for winter time! I couldn't resist sticking that Ty teddy bear in the picture!



This has been lastest obsession in between sweaters, you know that quick, no thinking knitting? I found nice towels at the local supermart/ grocery store "Martin's" on sale $4.99 for a pack of 3 towels and they are soft almost a velour terry cloth. I sat down last night and forced myself to sew the buttons on 5 of them, I always dread sewing on buttons.....

these will make great gifts!

Jacket is done!!

Okay, I finished this last night as was too tired to post to my blog. I asked on the GarnStudio forum a question pertaining to the "8 outer most mid-front stitches to be put on a thread" and picked up later in the neck ribbing. I rec'd an answer and finished knitting last night, that was easy, I must have had a brain cramp, it was indeed the 8 stitches on each side ( buttonband) that you put on a thread/holder and then decrease along that edge as the pattern states 2 sts 2 times, 1 stitch 2 times every other row. This shapes the neckline. I have done that before in other patterns, for some reason I thought this one was "different".

The rest was easy! AND I have a small amount left of the 2nd skein, so roughly 300 yards of yarn to knit this. I will try it again for sure!!

Oh, and check out the GarnStudio baby drops site again, they have another new catalog for free baby patterns catalog #11, link is below in Oct 14th 2006 post. or copy and paste this:
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/oppskrift_oversikt_drops.php?drops=b11

only 6 patterns are up but I'm sure they'll get the rest available soon.

Now to find buttons for this sweater!

Jacket day 5 & I'm stuck!

This is how far I have gotten and now a problem with finishing the yoke! This is how the pattern reads:

Neck: At the same time when piece measures 25-27-31 (41-45) cm put the outermost 8-8-10 (10-10) sts towards mid front each side on a thread for neck. Now dec to shape the neckline on every other row: 2 sts 2 times and 1 st 2 times....?

I have gone to GarnStudio website and entered the forum for BabyDrops and asked a few questions to get some help. I can't tell from the pictures (or the diagram at the bottom of the pattern) where these 8 sts are put on a thread/holder......

If anyone has any ideas please email me!

Jacket day 4, whew!

remember to click on any photo to see a larger version!



I reached the point of knitting in the sleeves, that was a bit tricky, more of a tight fit than anything but I did it!! I bet if they were done on dp needles you would have the same problem.
trying to knit in 32 stitches in between 6 cast off stitches is a tight fit, don't ya think?


here's the back view

here is a close up of the tight spot!

and another front shot

Jacket day 3

here is a picture of the body of the jacket, notice the 6 stitches cast off while knitting that last garter stitch row. This makes a "space" for the sleeves to be joined in. You cast off 3 stitches each side of the 2 markers.


here is another view, nice and close:








okay now the sleeves I knit today, so quick & EASY!!!


I cast on and in no time I had the first sleeves done and on to the 2nd!
the pattern says to knit them on dp needles, I adjusted the knit and purl rows increases and decreases so they would work out .

I guess I have knitted enough sleeves thru the years that I know how most patterns are written. I did knit them separately as usual, I have always done it that way, fumbling around with 2 skeins of yarn and switching just seems to slow me down......





and here they are all done!!!

day 2 of the jacket

I have gotten this far on the GarnStudio jacket pattern today, up to the underarms ending with 4 rows of garter stitch and casting off 3 stitches each side of markers for the sleeves to fit in.




here is a close up of the side decreases.

Started the jacket from GarnStudio!!!

I had some serious dedicated knitting time this afternoon and evening, this is how much I was able to accomplish on the pattern b14-29. It is easy knitting, a K2, P4 rib ( which I have never done before) has an interesting effect, of course knit5 garter edges through out. You do some decreasing at both sides ( I did just a simple k2 tog on each side of the marker), this is done every 3cm, 3 times, easy to keep track just measure as you go!!

so far so good!!!

I am loving this Bernat Satin yarn, seems QUICK to knit & just so smooth on the needles.

More to follow.....

GarnStudio Baby Sweater project

I am about to begin this free knitting pattern found here

I have chosen Bernat Satin in color Lagoon, I have swatched and have the correct gauge
18 stitches & 23 rows = 10cm or 4" using size 6 US needles.

I will be knitting the smallest size sweater ( actually they call this a jacket), i'm not sure if I want to make the trousers or the booties, first I have to see how difficult it is with the different terminology but I'm up for the challenge!!

I hope to cast on tomorrow after a good nights sleep!!

Easy Baby Bootie pattern

these are shown in yellow in the post below dated Oct 10, 2006

KNIT BABY BOOTIES
Use 3 ply 100% acrylic yarn and size 4 US needles
1) Cast on 30 stitches
2) Knit 15, place marker, Knit 15
3) Increase in first stitch (knit in front and back of stitch), knit to first stitch before marker, increase in this stitch: slip marker, increase in next stitch, knit to last stitch, increase in last stitch.
4) Knit across
5) Repeat row 3
6) Repeat row 4 Repeat until there are 42 stitches on needle.
Knit 8 rows
INSTEP:
Row 1: Knit 24, knit 2 together, turn
Row 2: Slip 1, knit 6, knit 2 together, turn
Repeat Row 2 until there are 10 stitches left on each side. On last row, continue on over the last ten stitches (28 stitches).
Knit 2 rows.
EYELET BEADING:
Knit 1, yarn over, knit 2 together; Repeat across row to last stitch. Yarn over, knit 1.
CUFF:
Purl 1 row
Knit 1 row
Knit 1 row Purl 1 row
Knit 1 row
Repeat the last 3 rows (K,P,K) 4 times until there are 3 purl ribs on right side. (15 rows) Sew up sole and back of booties. Crochet a string to run through beading. Tie booties together with a small yarn bow. You can also substitute ribbon for the crochet cord.

little yellow booties

I made these for my new "model" ( she's a doll, ha!), now her outfit is complete! I will post the pattern in a few days!



I also have been busy finishing up some more knitted towel toppers, I have been looking for grape kitchen towels and was able to find some here and there this summer. I live in the heart of the Lake Erie Regional Grape Belt, Concord and Niagara vaireties mostly. I live on a grape farm of 16 acres so I am always interested in "grape" themed items, they sell well here in this area and they make nice gifts too.
Every September they host a " Grape Festival" locally to celebrate the harvest. There's a craft show, rides and amusements, a wine tent and a big parade on Sunday afternoon.

Mary Jane Booties

It rained ALL DAY yesterday so I could work on a few more knitting projects in between decorating for halloween ( that meant going thru my many boxes in the basement, what a mess I have).

anyway.....these are the Mary Janes booties from the new book I mentioned in the previous post, they are fast and easy!

New little book-- knitting for babies

Here is the new book I bought @ Wal-Mart today only $3.49 they discounted it, it's marked $3.99. Title "Knitting For Babies", blankets, booties, bibs and more. There are 17 projects in all,
only 20 cents each! ( I found this by the registers of a Wal-Mart Super Center along with recipe books and other magazines)


Here are the Mary Jane booties I would like to do first:
these call for sport wt yarn and size 3 needles



and a cabled cardigan: this calls for worsted wt yarn and size 8 needles, worked in sections, back, fronts, sleeves and hood

Precious Layette size 2?

I Finally got this sweater finished! Yeah!! I would say it's more like a size one though, the hood looks small but is very stretchy, my new model is wearing it, see below!





Isn't she cute??? I found her at Wal-Mart in the toy department, $9.88, she came with the cute gingham outfit with a white hat. Only problem with these dolls, their arms are too short!

Last night I decided to knit her a beanie to match her sweater, which is one of my designs, I promise to perfect the pattern and share it with you. It's knit with Bernat Softee Baby another one of my favorite yarns for baby things. I started a pair of booties for her too. AGAIN I forgot to sew on buttons, I'll add that to my to-do list!

Marble Sweater Progress

I decided to knit the sweater in the Workbasket magazine ( Sept. 1981) shown on the cover.
This is all I have managed to get knitted even though it goes quickly on size 9 needles BUT of course I'm working on other projects in between! This is a pic of the back and both sleeves, I should finish the back today and begin the right and left fronts. I have just started the 2nd ball of this marble yarn and I really like it!

By the way, if you click on any of my pictures you can see a larger image, I keep forgetting to mention that!!

not much knitting!

After a busy weekend, this is all I have accomplished since Friday. Working on the Precious Layette design, changing it to be a size 2 like the pink one in my August 29th post. I like the Red heart TLC Essentials yarn, it's nice and soft.




This is one of my next projects, I found this yarn at AC Moore and I am considering knitting another Little Lillies's sweater or the sweater shown on the cover of the September 1981 issue of Workbasket. I made that same sweater using the yarn in the color they show for my oldest
daughter when she was 3 or 4. ( she's now 23, okay where did the time go?)

It calls for Lion Brand Unique yarn, an acrylic worsted weight which they no longer make! I think the James C. Brett Marble will be a nice substitute.....