Tripping Along

On my design floor today.  I love doing this pattern; it's just up my alley, and I don't even get too stressed with it.  I have to admit that I'm a knitter, not a sewer, so this doesn't come naturally to me.  But I do just a little at a time, and try to curb my perfectionist tendencies, and it's become lots of fun.

Here's another view.

Baby Benjamin photos.  Yep, you have to look, 'cause he's adorable.  He's wearing this dark blue gorilla outfit that the Hubz couldn't resist buying.  And of course, the plug in the mouth.  His folks and big sister took him snow-shoeing last weekend, and his dad carried him under his coat.  He was nice and toasty in spite of the weather.

Awww, now isn't that cute?  Say yes.

A Challenge

A faithful and wonderful reader wondered why no picture of Baby Ben and his big sister.  I surely don't want to disappoint her, so here it is.  Taken about 3.5 weeks ago, so he's bigger.  She's still the same.  10.5 year olds don't change weekly.  ;-)

She schleps him around like he's a little bundle, and he is.  It's fun to watch the family at dinner time if he's awake and fretting.  It's called "Pass the Baby."

What's on my floor Monday

And that's all I have to show.  After being in Minneapolis for a week to visit kids, Miss P and Baby Benjamin Bunny, this is all I've accomplished. 

I love sewing this quilt; even my mismatched corners don't show all that much.  It's such a neat pattern, and perfect for me.

And, because I have to do this, here is a yet another Baby Benjamin moment.  I miss that kid so much, not to mention his big sister.  She's growing up!  What happened to my little granddaughter?

Oh, not another picture of me! No! I'm not happy!

I'm happier now.  Bad Mommie for not picking me up.

Baby by his parents; sweater and hat by me.

Baby Burrito

One cute baby and his green sweater

 

He looks like a little green elf.  He's so cute!  Oh, and that's his big sister holding him.

A jacket for Baby Ben

Every baby needs a green jacket and hat.  Especially one from his Grammie.

Yarn hand-dyed by me.  100% Superwash Merino DK. One entire skein (240 yards) + whatever I needed for the second sleeve and the hat.

Pattern, also by me.  A basic little jacket worked bottom up, with sleeves picked-up and worked down.  Hat is also a basic hat.  Don't ask for instructions; there's aren't any.  I just did my thing. 

There's garter stitch at the top of the jacket, because I love to work it, and it shows off the variegated yarn differently than stockinette.  Garter cuffs on sleeves, also.  No sleeve shaping at all; I want the sleeve to be wide enough for his little arm in a onesie to get through easily.  Bottom of jacket and hat have 2x2 ribbing just to hold in a little, especially on the head.

Either it will fit, or it won't.  I don't worry much about this stuff.  The process is what's important here.  I like knitting little garments, and if he can wear it, good.  If it's too small, then his Mom can donate it to the annual NAMI auction.  If it's too big, he'll wear it eventually.

Garland Redux

Here she is, my Garland Shawl redone in this amazing new yarn I'm testing out.  I've been gushing over this yarn and it's all true!  THE best singles yarn around.  Forget the commercial stuff, this is THE best.  Too bad I can't take credit for having spun it, it's that good.

As I mentioned yesterday, I knit this shawl originally in a colorway that suited some of my clothing.  But it's a weird colorway, and  the pattern never sold very much.  I had wanted to redo it for some time, but there were always new ideas to play with.  So, along comes this singles yarn, and I thought:  "This is perfect to try out with the shawl.  It'll show up garter stitch, a bit of stockinette and lace."  And so here is the result.  (Notice that I am not modelling any of these pics.  It's kind of hard for me to take pics of myself.  And the Hubz tends to cut off heads, shoulders, whatever.)

This is how I wear my little shawls, all snugged up around my neck.  Cozy, you can see the fabric from the back, and you get this cute look from the front. 

 Want to make it yourself?  Go on, it's easy and fun and requires only a 400 yard skein of fingering or sock yarn.

Garland Shawl

What's on my design floor, needles, hooks, etc.

 
Crazy busy week last week.  Between yarn dyeing for Sock Madness 7, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and feeling generally lousy with the acid reflux from hell,  I went nonstop.  I was so happy when Saturday rolled around and we had a lovely field trip to Warwick, NY. 

Sewing news:  I've fallen in love with the Scrappy Trip Around the World that's sweeping the blogosphere.  As you know, I'm not the greatest machine sewer in the world (or for that matter, the greatest hand sewer, either), but I kept looking at this neat quilt, and decided to go for it.  Mine is not scrappy; I'm using a Marmalade jelly roll from Moda.  It's such fun to do it.  First I get to pick out the strips, put them in order (all color work that I love), and then the machine work is easy.  I'm in love!

No EPP went on.  Just no time for hand sewing.  It really was a crazy busy week.

Knitting news:  So, here are my current knitting projects.  Yep, I have a bunch more, but these are now on the frontline.

1. Baby sweater and hat for Benjamin Bunny.  My own hand-dyed SW merino DK yarn.  Softer than you can imagine.  Cushy, cuddly, and perfect for a Frozen Northland Baby.  It needs the buttons sewn on, and a good blocking.  (And that's why the front edges looks so odd.  It's the nature of knitting, but wool sorts everything out.  You'll see.)

2.  Garland Shawl revisited.  I made this about 3 years ago, and it never photographed well.  I wanted a shawlette in soft avocado, rust, etc, etc.  In real life, it's very pretty, but the photographs made it look very dull. 

I am playing with this incredible singles yarn, and so I decided to reknit the shawl.  WOW!  That's all I can say.  If you follow me on Ravelry (ruth), you'll see that I'm over the moon with this yarn.  I don't like commercial singles, but this yarn is beyond gorgeous.  Yep, it's a singles, which means that it wants to get this little kink in it, but the yarn is of such quality, that the kinks just disappear as you knit.  The yarn glides through your fingers. 

Here's the original followed by the singles version.  Non-knitters:  it will block out into lacy wonder.  This is just what knitted lace looks like in progress (an old tatty bag).

I should finish this today. I hope.

Dyeing:  3 different colorways for the Sock Madness group on Ravelry.  Lots of work, but very satisfying. 

AND, take a look at this singles yarn.  This is the same yarn I'm using for the new Garland Shawl, but in a different colorway.  See that bit of sheen?  That kink?  Yep, this is a singles yarn.  And you don't feel the kinks as you work with it.  Now, that's a singles!

Next time I order yarn, I'm buying 3 kilos of this. 

Crochet news:  This is another version of the singles above, only this one is a bit softer, and with virtually no kink.  They are both beautiful yarns.  This one is not yet available for me to order; this is a trial skein.

And that's that.  Now if i could get this acid reflux thing solved.......  Going to the gastroenterologist tomorrow.  I'm pretty nervous about it, but I feel so awful, and this simply has to get taken care of.

Ya think I had a busy week?