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!