Baby Blanket | My Very Own

I have knit quite a few baby blankets over the years. They make such sweet, yet useful gifts for expecting moms that I don’t ever mind the extra time that they take as compared to something smaller like a baby hat or booties. But this time, this time I am knitting for me! I will finally get to experience one of my own baby creations.

I chose the pinwheel pattern because I just loved how it turned out the one other time I made it. And as I did before, I chose bright and cheery colors instead of your typical baby pastels. It took me much longer than I planned (started this in Costa Rica in February), but that’s to be expected with everything we have going on. I think it will be perfect as a floor play blanket and can’t wait to test it out on my very own bebe.

 

Baby Blanket | Peach Lace

I wrote last week about finally finishing up some long-standing abandoned projects around the house.  One of those was a baby blanket that I started almost 6 months ago! Baby blankets are by no means a quick knit, at least not with the patterns that I select, but 6 months is still a little long. I usually estimate 1-2 months depending on how much time I have to devote to the project. In this case, it was a combination of lots of other projects going on at the same time and a general lack of interest in knitting, that led to it being dormant for so long. But over the holidays I decided that I just needed to tackle it row by row and last weekend I sewed in the finishing ends and I’ll be excited to finally see a baby enjoy my hard work.

I used the same yarn that I’ve been using for all my baby projects these days – Berroco Comfort. I think the peach (a little hard to see in these pictures) is a nice change from the typical pink for a little girl and makes it look vintage in a beautiful way.  I’m very pleased with the pattern as well. This one could be a staple for summer babies since it’s lighter and more delicate than a chunky cabled pattern (funny that I’m finishing it during the polar vortex!). I hope it is well received!

Next I will be picking up my long-forgotten sweater and I am determined to finish it before spring!  Wish me luck because I am going to need it.

In the Mood for Knitting

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any knitting projects on here. Sorry to get your hopes up, but today is not going to be that day. I should be working on those never-ending baby projects, most of which are half-finished and still sitting on the needles, but this beautiful fall weather has got me excited to start knitting scarves and hats in anticipation of winter. I am always in the mood to knit a new scarf each year. Don’t believe me? Take a look at our overflowing winter accessory basket, One can never have too many. During those winter months when you practically live in your coat, having a variety of options from which to choose makes the cold actually a little fun, and dare I say, stylish.

So, instead of finishing those half-finished projects, I’ve been perusing ravelry “pinning” all of the infinity scarves that I would love to knit this season. Decisions, decisions…

clockwise from top left: Mix no. 20 // Arnhem Loop // Rayures // Jeweled Cowl // Annie

Why not knit a few?

Have you ever found a great fitting shirt or pair of pants and then bought multiple pairs in different colors, or even the same color? When you find something that fits well, suits you, and is of good quality, it’s worth stocking up!

The same idea applies to a good knitting pattern. With so many different patterns out there to choose from, when you find something that knits well and looks great, you knit a few.

It started a year or so ago when I had some extra purple yarn in my stash that needed to be used. I quickly chose a pattern for an infinity scarf to have something to knit on a road trip, and it turned out to be quite a hit. This year, I decided to share my “find” with three lovely ladies in my life.

For awhile there, this was the only pattern I was knitting, but it was actually kind of nice to always have something familiar on the needles. And there was no guessing in terms of what I was going to get as the finished product – a warm and comfy scarf that looks great too.

I had so much fun knitting each of these scarves knowing who was going to be wearing them and picking out the color and yarn combination based on the recipient is always a fun challenge. Hopefully I hit the nail on the head.

For anyone interested in the pattern, it’s the Dovetail Cowl by Carina Spencer.

Cast Your Vote

You may remember from my 30 before 30 list that despite the number of knitting projects I’ve completed over the years, I have never finished a sweater for myself.  So with 1 year and 9 months until that birthday, I figure I better get started because this is not a project I want to leave until the last minute!

Well the perfect opportunity is right around the corner.   I’ll be vacationing soon with my good friend Rachel, a fellow knitter, and I can think of no better way to relax than to knit in good company!  Rachel and I actually learned to knit together years ago in our freshman dorm room with “Stitch n Bitch” as our guide.  It will be just like the old days.  We’ve decided to do a knit-along (KAL) where we select a common pattern and work through it together.  The problem is we can’t make up our minds on which sweater to knit!  So we’re asking for your help.  Take a look at our short list and comment below with the sweater that you think we should knit for our upcoming KAL.

1. | 2. | 3. | 4.

Recovering

Well we spent the entire weekend sick and then recovering from being sick, so there’s not much to share of projects or photos or outings, but I did find this little knit from the stash and thought it very fitting for the mood around here.  I hope it reminds me to take the time to fully recover before heading back into the world.  That is always the hard part!

There is nothing like being sick to make you appreciate your health.  

A Stocking Story

Once upon a time, a certain yarn company (Bernat) sold a popular Christmas stocking knitting pattern, complete with the necessary yarn for knitting it.  Many families had collections of these stockings, each personalized with a family member’s name and my family was no exception.  My great Aunt Evelyn took it upon herself to knit a stocking for all of the children in the family.  So no matter where we spent Christmas – at home or away – I would see the same stockings, with the santa claus and candy canes, hanging from the mantle.

Now that we have embarked on the next generation, I have decided to step into the role of the family knitter and carry on the tradition.  The problem was that the knitting pattern didn’t survive like the stockings did.  So I went where I always go – ravelry – and was elated when the pattern turned up in a search.  Apparently I was not alone in my search for the vintage stocking pattern that hung from so many childhood mantles.  And like myself, many other knitters are hoping to carry on the tradition for the next generation.

Between last Christmas and this year, I have knit 5 stockings – one for my husband, my brother-in-law, each of my cousin’s two children and my niece.  Whew!  But I love being the resident knitter in the family.  Everyone has to have a place, and I’ll take mine with the yarn.  I just hope that someday everyone will think of me, like I think of Tante Evelyn, whenever they hang their stockings at Christmas.

To all my family members, please select your future children’s names early so that I may get ahead of the game.  I have a feeling this is only the beginning!

‘Tis the Knitting Season

I’m going to be honest and say that I don’t do much Christmas decorating around the apartment.  I have my reasons, which I won’t take the time to outline here, but even without decorations you would still be able to tell it’s the holiday season just by looking around.  Because at our place, Christmas decorating equals piles of yarn and knitting projects at the foot of every available chair!

Each year I tell myself that I’ll begin planning my knitting projects in the summer so that I can be checking them off the list by early fall, but here I am, yet again, weeks before Christmas with several projects still to go.  I could complain, but I also wonder if maybe it wouldn’t feel like the holidays if I weren’t frantically knitting.  Somehow I’m guessing I’ll probably never find out.

So while I sit here with my knitting and my cats, I’ll just think of the elite group to which I belong…knitters!  And I’ll happily knit until my fingers ache because there is nothing I love to gift more than something that I handmade for you.

 Audrey | Doris | Carey | SJP | Elvis

Endless Lace

My latest knitting project was, surprisingly, not a baby item – it was for me!  I’m not one to knit for myself too often, but in this case it was for a good cause… it used up some of the leftover yarn from my stash.  This pattern is for a regular scarf, but because I was a little short on yarn, it worked out much better to seam the ends together for an infinity scarf.  It’s perfect!  I think I’ve worn it almost non-stop since it came off the needles.

For those of you non-knitters out there who may not be familiar with the term “blocking”, lace knit patterns don’t just magically come off the needles looking this good.  You actually have to soak the finished piece first…

And then stretch it out, pinning the edges, to dry…

Here’s a quick view of the piece right after it came off the needles, compared with what it looks like after drying.  Quite a difference, no?

It’s always nice to make a piece that you’ll use and love and it’s even better when that pieces clears space in your stash for new yarn!

Baby Blanket | Pink Checkers

I thought I would share the latest project to come off the knitting needles.  This was a special request from a work colleague of my mother’s.  Her first granddaughter is due in September and I am so pleased to have been able to knit the blanket that she will use to hold her.

I used my go-to yarn these days – Berroco Comfort.  It is the perfect texture for anything baby.  After the last, more intricate baby blanket, the mindless checkered pattern was a welcome change.  This is the kind of knitting you can do without thought.  It becomes a sort of meditation where the repetition of each block is an inhale and exhale…

One of these days, when the baby rush slows down, I’ll be able to cast on a grown-up pattern, but until then my world will be full of pastels and Berroco Comfort.