Basket Weave Newborn Set

click on the photos for a close up view

While looking for the March 2006 issue of Creative Knitting magazine I came across the Premier Issue September 2004 and remembered making this baby set. Well, I found it in a knitting bag of UFO's! All I had left to do was set the sleeves and add the button, done!

I used Bernat Softee Baby..............yes, my favorite baby acrylic.

But there were a few mistakes in the pattern and I emailed the magazine back in 2004 and they sent the corrections , you can find them here.

I made the sweater first but as I continued to knit the set, I discovered a problem with the booties pattern.

rows 14-20: Beg with a purl row, work in stockinette stitch

rows 21-24: Knit

rows 25-28: K 3, P3 rep across

rows 29-32: P3, K3 rep across

rows 33-36: Knit

I don't remember exactly why I had to change the row sequence but it worked!

In the meantime I finished these booties a few weeks ago while I had to sit and wait for someone. They are from the book 50 Baby Booties to Knit by Zoe Mellor. Page 109 Lacey Leaf Booties. I used Bernat Softee Baby ( again! ) in the color "prettiest pink", great pattern, I love the edging!

I started another new project, I'll post my progess soon!

Petal Sweater & Hat to match

I finished this set that I started last Saturday. It's a fun knit that requires a worsted weight yarn and size 8 needles. I used discontinued Red Heart TLC Lustre in color Butterscotch. It was a leftover in my stash from a baby blanket I made a few years ago.

You can find the hat pattern here

And I managed to knit even more bunnies last week. they just seemed to multiply daily!

I came up with the idea to make a chocolate knitted bunny, see below.

This is a butter lamb from the holiday & as we used the butter we discovered they actually start with a whole stick and then build around it. This one was made by a Polish woman who sells them every year at the market. I didn't actually see her working but would guess she uses a cake decorating bag and a round star tip to do the piping. The eyes were peppercorns, how unique and it was delicious on our homemade bread!

cute bunnies!

I have made a few things in between outpatient surgeries and tests.

I'm getting back on track now and so happy they are over!

Hopefully what was done will correct my severe anemia problems.

The bunnies are little plastic egg cozies! Fun to make and great for using up those odd ball stash amounts.

This is the right angles dishcloth found here http://www.geocities.com/blossomknitwear/rightanglesdishcloth.html

I used the new Sugar n Cream Twist in Rose Twist

I think mine came out sloppy, I will have to try this one again.

AND I got this in the mail today!

Nashua Handknits Bloom spring summer 2007, new book, beautiful designs!

I ordered the book from yarnandfiber.com, only $13.50 and free shipping! arrived in 3 days, awesome service! You know us knitters we are impatient when we are waiting for yarn or patterns! Ha!

14 patterns for newborns and small babies , they range from 0-3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months . There are yoke down designs and some are bottom up and of course front, back, sleeves versions too.

They are all just darling, can't wait to start one!

I must go now and drool over my new book!

Happy Easter everyone!

Another Cable Layette set!

I finished this today, finally! It's Bernat Softee Baby in Lilac. What a pretty shade. I have a few skeins of Bernat's other new color Candy Baby it's an ombre shade too.....hmh

I will probably cast on another one soon!

First I need to finish the pink pompadour sweater I started while waiting at the airports, see March 11th post. I finished the body but need to start the sleeves. I read ahead in the pattern and it too has a collar , booties and a hat.

We had a warm, 55 degree sunny spring day today. My husband and I even went for a walk, that was nice!

here are the booties

these are the cabled layette matching booties. The pattern is written for dbl pointed needles but I changed it for straights, the only tricky part is the picked-up stitches around in the instep, the first row is a little tight but do-able.

they match this sweater I made a few weeks ago.

my camera is changing the colors again......the booties are more the true color of this yarn. It's Bernat Softee Baby new color tutti fruitti, they have several other new shades out too, check out their website! I sure wish they would make a nice solid peach or a bright orange.

I started another set in Bernat Softee baby lilac, this time I am trying to stop the curl on the edges by slipping the first stitch of each row as if to purl, it's better but still not quite lying flat.... anyone have any suggestions?

This is the little booklet the pattern came from:

Creative Hands, dated 1981 called BABYLAND book # 412, orginally sold $1.00. The cover shows a yellow shell crochet layette set. 18 pages in all.

I have a busy weekend, that's all for now!

Home again!

I had a great time in Orlando with my oldest daughter, we stayed here.

This was the adult pool I enjoyed for 4 days while dd was at her conference, she would join me in the afternoon. We used the outdoor hot tubs and had nice meals and enjoyed drinks by the pool. It was the best b-day ever!

When I got home my youngest daughter presented me with her fimo clay creation of me.

I came across something similar to this on someone's blog and sent the picture to her, this is her version, how cute! I believe she was called Crazy Knitter Lady.

I started this at the airport and yes you can fly with knitting in your carry-on luggage/bags. I got thru security with no problems, actually I saw 3 other women knitting in the airport too!

It's from an old hand written pattern my MIL designed and shared with me, so I'm not sure what the sweater will look like but I do like the knitting!

I am using Lion Brand Baby Soft in baby pink pompador and size 3 needles.

more later!

I'm back, knitting, leaving again...

Wow, it has been a busy month. Miami was sunny, warm and a lot of fun. It is a business/leisure trip my hubby and I take every year. here are a few pics.....

we had trouble getting back home with the storm along the east coast a few weeks ago but finally made it luggage and all! Some had to spend the night in the airport but we were able to catch the last flight out, arrived home at 3am, 1 degree outside and a driveway that plugged shut with about 2 feet of snow. Hubby had to wade into the house and get dressed, warm up the tractor and plow!

I have been knitting..... yes and with finished sweaters to show you!

Here's the set from the previous post.

You can click on the pics to get a larger view

and then......I started this about 4 days ago and finished it up last night. It's top down with cables. I used bernat baby softee in a new ombre color they have out called tutti fruitti . When I saw the color I just had to make something right away and this pattern has been on my to-do pile. I will be making this one again!

and a shot of the back.

I added the I-cord instead of the twisted cord, my first time knitting an I-cord, easy, here's the link I used for the how-to.

http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/misc.php

the pattern also has a bonnet, booties and mittens that have the same cable theme on each of them. I just haven't decided if I want to add those to the set.

I am leaving for Florida again, this time to Orlando! My daughter is attending a work conference at a luxurious resort and she invited me to meet her there and spend some wonderful time together, hey, while she's at the conference, I'll be poolside! We are staying 2 extra days just to have fun! and I will get to celebrate my b-day too!

I plan on bringing some knitting along just have to decide what?

I'll be back .............and hopefully spring will be here too!

snowed in & knitting!

The weather has been VERY cold here 2 degrees this am. There's blowing drifting snow with white outs, schools have been closed etc. My husband gets out just long enough to plow all the neighorhood driveways and remove snow from around the fire hydrants, what would we do without him?





anyway, this has allowed me to knit and knit, here is the 2nd Cabled Baby Jacket and a hat to match! Love this pattern! oh and I forgot the buttons yet again! I guess I was so anxious to cast on another baby sweater!





This yarn is not the softest, so in the washer it goes with the hat hoping it softens up!


So I cast on this fun top down design last night, it goes so fast!


I should have enough yarn left for the bonnet and booties.


The pattern is in this book: First Steps in Knitting by American School of Needlework, pattern by Mary Thomas.
I do not work the yo, K2 tog beading row ( supposed to thread thru ribbon), I just plain knit the 3 rows, oh and I add a buttonhole on the 2nd row.



I am leaving for Miami in the morning, 1 week of sun and warmth, we hope anyway, after this past week we are READY!

yes, some knitting going on

I have been working on this baby blanket, a UFO I found in the basket. It's a custom designed pattern by a friend and I'm almost done! Of course using acrylic Lt Peach Caron Simply Soft, it's the best thing to be working on in this COLD weather we are experiencing here. It keeps my legs & lap warm now that is so long. The other night it got down to 6 degrees! Oh and yes we have snow to go along with it!

and I did start the 2nd Cabled Baby Jacket from sweaterbabe.com, here it is!

Baby Blanket info

To those interested in the knit cream colored baby blanket in the previous post, it's a pattern from Nomis, book #63 Reversible Very Easy to Knit Baby Blankets For Crib Cradle & Carriage

The pattern can be found on page 5
Textured Plaid Blanket

the pattern calls for worsted weight yarn and a size 8 needle. the small size( 21" x 32" ) cast on 89sts, for the larger size ( 25 1/4" x 37 1/4") you cast on 107

SweaterBabe's Baby Jacket is done!

Here is SweaterBabe's newest pattern Beautiful Cabled Baby Jacket. I used Bernat Satin a 4 ply and I made the 18 month size. The close-up picture is the true color of the yarn. my camera is crazy with the color shots lately....

It's an easy pattern to knit, top down and a unique way of leaving the body stitches on the circular needle while you knit the sleeves using the same needle!

The cables are on the front only, the back of the jacket is plain stockinette stitch and it goes quickly. I finished knitting this on the 2nd and just sewed the buttons on this morning. I would like to make another using an ombre yarn I have Caron Wintuk color is summer breeze.



I took another picture showing the jacket on my model, of course my doll has such short arms, the sleeves are way too long!!








Oh, the knit blanket in the background was a UFO I made myself finish yesterday, another red heart TLC ( a worsted weight acrylic) I believe I got the pattern from a knit baby blanket book American School of Needlework.

You can see the wrinkles in it from being stashed away in a knitting bag all this time.
Knitting in 2007, so far so good!!

Cabled Baby Jacket progress

I started this project on Dec 28th and am amazed how fast it's knitting up! Of course it's worsted weight yarn and size 9 needles no wonder! I am using Bernat Satin, color sea shell , a soft rose shade. I found 5 balls in my stash but it should only take 2 to complete the jacket. I had that yarn set aside for a baby blanket but I forgot which pattern!! Did you ever do that, forgot what you bought yarn for?

One thing I think is interesting is the way you knit the sleeves, leaving all the other stitches on the circular needle, no stitch holders are required! I know they look skinny in the picture but I haven't seamed them up yet. I'm headed out for a 2.5 mile walk and then back to knitting....

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?