Something Knitty

Knitting! Gifts! Exclamation points! Parentheses!

I've been working on a few hand-made gifts for a while, but have held back their pictures so as not to spoil the surprise for the giftees.  Now I can finally share.  

Specimen 1: Parents' Little Helper Bucket (from the Toy Gathering Bucket Sewing Tutorial at Sew, Mama, Sew!)

Recalling life with a newborn, I can remember countless times settling down to nurse the baby, getting us both comfortable, and then realizing that I couldn't reach my water.  Or my chapstick.  Or the phone.  You get the idea.  Once I got the hang of nursing (and that pesky cesarean scar healed), I could hop up and grab what I needed without disturbing the baby.  But until that time, a basket, bag, or bucket to hold a few comfort items was a lifesaver for me.  This fabric bucket can hold whatever might comfort mom or dad when it comes time to feed the baby.  Stash the aforementioned water, chapstick, and phone.  Toss in a snack, pen and paper, a burp cloth, a tube of nipple cream.  Then scoop up the bag in one hand and know that you can relax with the baby and have whatever you need within reach.  This one uses fusible fleece to help it stand up tall.  Toss the bucket into the washing machine when the baby barfs on it or you spill/spray milk on it (parenting babies is so glamorous).  This was made with bits of two fat quarters of quilting fabric (the exterior) and part of an old flowery sheet (the interior).  The bucket makes a great delivery device for other gifts as well (this one held baby sweater, hat, and socks).  Later you can use for a toy bag, an Easter basket, or a really wacky hat. 

Homemade fabric bucket, light orange with dark orange outside pockets, a peek of flowery lining visible

An overly bright view of the inside of the orange fabric bucket

Specimen 2: Orange- and green-striped baby sweater (from EZ's Surplice Baby Jacket knitting pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman, with commentary by Meg Swansen, Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2007)

This is a very easy garter-stitch sweater, knit in one piece beginning at the bottom.  Decreases along each side create the inner edge; strategic increases create the sleeve-shaping.  The only seaming is at the top of each sleeve.  I used three-needle bind-off for this, but kitchener stitch would do just as well.  Zimmerman and Swansen have given us more of a recipe than an exact pattern, with many possibilities for personalization and variation.  Button plackets, ribbed cuffs, a foldover collar, longer or shorter sleeves are all possibilities.  The  yarn here is KnitPicks Shine Sport in Grass (the green) and Marmalade (the orange), a very soft washable cotton yarn.  This one has buttonholes all around the bottom to make it widely adjustable to the size of the baby, but in the end, worried about the baby choking, I left off the buttons.  Ties might have been nice, but the overlapping points of the sweater will suffice for most purposes down here in the South Texas sunshine.  

Orange- and green-striped, hand-knit, baby surplice jacket

Specimen 3: Orange- and green-striped baby hat (from the patterns of my fevered brain)

This matching baby hat is made with the same yarn as the sweater, with a soft ribbed edge and stockinette top. 

Green- and orange-striped, hand-knit baby hat

Specimens 4a, 4b, and 4c: Infant and toddler socks (from the patterns of my fevered brain)

The grey/black pair of infant socks on the left of this picture are 24-stitch socks that are quick and fun to make. I can make one infant sock during a World Cup soccer match, provided I knit steadily, stopping only occasionally to blow a pretend vuvuzela.  I have a theory that baby socks knit during World Cup matches impart special kicking power to their wearers.  The greenish sock at the center is another infant sock, which has acquired a mate and been gifted to a neighbor for her new grandbaby.  The toddler sock on the right has a mate-in-progress and is destined to be launched to Canada to celebrate glorious Exceptions.  The yarn here is KnitPicks Essential in Lily Pad Multi (the greeny) and Carbon Twist (the grey/black). 

Hand-knit baby socks: one pair of grey/black infant socks, one greenish infant sock, one greenish toddler sock

Fancy-schmancy Presentation Idea A: Using the yarn wrapper

Some smart person on the internet suggested giving away the yarn wrapper with hand-knit gifts to share both fiber content and laundry care with the recipient.  Some people even include a bit of the yarn in case of future repairs.  I rolled up the baby sweater and hat and tucked them inside the skein band from their yarn to make this tidy little package.

Striped baby sweater and hat, rolled up and tucked into the yarn wrapper

Fancy-schmancy Presentation Idea B: ribbon and tag 

Baby socks are too small to tuck inside yarn wrappers, so I often tie them up with a ribbon and a card.  I write the fiber content and care instructions on the card along with a message.  In the case of socks I always point out that baby socks make great Christmas ornaments.  I bet many of the baby socks I give spend more time on Christmas trees than on feet.  Babies grow fast.  

Grey/black hand-knit infant socks, tied together with a blue ribbon and a card that reads: "When these wee socks are outgrown they make sweet ornaments. 75% wool/25% nylon. Machine wash/tumble dry low."

Specimen 5: G's Treasure Bag (from Traci's Trinket Keepers Sewing Tutorial at Amazing Mae)

This was a fun, quick, and easy little gift for a five year old's birthday.  The bag is reversible and the tutorial gives instructions for varying the size.  The carabiner can be clipped onto a belt loop, bike handlebar, or some other place in order to stash the treasures of the new big-sibling away from the pokey fingers of the baby. This one held a small notebook and pencils.  I printed out large, fancy upper- and lower-case G's as templates for the felt applique.

Homemade fabric treasure bag with red carabiner, blue side with red, felt applique, lower-case g

Inside-out view of the treasure bag, red side with blue, felt applique, upper-case G

I could TELL you that I've been knitting, but that's all.  But for the most part I can't tell you WHAT I've been knitting, so this post is really rather pointless.  

I can't tell you, of course, because all of my latest knitting is Gift Knitting, and the giftees just might be among you, dear readers.  I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.  I will promise to post pictures when the items are gifted later this summer. 

One set of stuff has already been gifted.  I could show you pictures of the two pairs of lovely baby socks and the Little Helper Bucket I made for Sonar X9's teacher, who is expecting her second baby very soon.  I could.  If I had remembered to take pictures of them before we wrapped them up with bows and tissue paper and sent them on their way.  Such is the trouble with finishing gifts the night before you hand them over.  

A note on the Little Helper Bucket:  the Sew Mama Sew tutorial calls it a Toy Gathering Bucket.  Without the felt toys, it would make a great container to create a Nursing Bucket.  Fill it with resuable breast pads, nursing balm, a couple of soft burp rags, a snazzy water bottle, some chapstick, a notepad and pen, some of those teeny nail clippers, or anything else that the new parents might like to have handy when it's time to feed the baby.  

In the meantime I'll distract you with an oldie but goodie that includes babies and knitting, circa 2004.

Smaller Sonars on a lovely knit blanket; click to embiggen

That's Sonar X1 (now 7), Sonar X5days (now 5 years), and Sonar X4 (now 9) back in the day.  The blanket underneath them was made by a lovely group of knitters that I hung out with regularly back then.  For this stealthy project, they distributed skeins of sock yarn and sampler patterns and set out to make blocks--many, many blocks--which were then crocheted together by their ringleader.  It's a large baby blanket, but not too heavy.  I've always marveled at how long it must have taken them to make it with that lightweight yarn, and how they kept it a complete secret and flaggergasted me into tears while I was nine months pregnant.  Granted, prompting me to tears when I was nine months pregnant wasn't exactly a hard thing to do, but the love that went into that blanket still astounds and warms me.  People bandy about terms like "instant heirloom" pretty frequently, but this one is the genuine article.  I hope it goes on warming babies in our family for many generations to come.  

My dear friends should know that I have no such miraculous powers of knitting to call upon these days, and you should expect more modest marvels for the babes you have cooking.  xo

*Edited to fix the time-travel, date error.

Buttercup

I finished my Knitting Olympics project on Friday February 26, 2010.  I worked on this sweater a little bit every day from the Opening Ceremonies until it was finished, except for one sick day.  That's a sweater in fourteen days for anyone keeping track.  I still can't quite believe I finished it.  I'm not happy with the bottom hem.  The picture demonstrates that hem's lack of cooperation in staying-flat.  I am going to pull out the hem, and about an inch of overall length, and knit a smooth hem instead.  The top fits great otherwise, and the pattern was clear and easy to follow.  

Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier.  Yarn: Spa by Caron, Ocean Spray colorway (3 skeins).

My 2012 Knitting Olympics project: a Buttercup Sweater made from Caron Spa yarn in Ocean SprayTempest

As a bonus, I also finished my Tempest Cardigan during the Olympic Closing Ceremonies on Sunday February 28.  I didn't work on this one for much of the Olympics.  When I was sure I'd be able to finish the Buttercup in time, I started working on this one a bit more.  The hem of the button band gave me trouble, and I pulled it out one-and-a-half times.  I had to use a size 8 needle and a very relaxed hand in the bind-off, but after steaming generously, that finally worked.  The bottom band was a piece of cake in comparison.  I had been operating on the notion that I needed ten buttons for this sweater, and managed to squeeze out ten matching buttons from my button stash.  When I looked back at the pattern (always a good idea), I noticed the number "14" sitting there plain as day.  Fourteen.  After briefly considering MIS-matched buttons, I dashed out after the USA-Canada hockey match (a match for the ages folks) and found fourteen lovely green buttons.  

I love this sweater.  It is soft, it fits well, it is so decadent.  Between the two yarns there is wool, silk, and alpaca in this one.  The pattern was well-written (you know, when I remembered to READ it) and easy-to-follow.  

Tempest Cardigan by Weaverknits, Knitty Spring 2008.  Main color is two strands of KnitPicks Gloss Lace (a wool/silk blend), Celery colorway.  Contrasting color is a strand of the Celery and a strand of AlpacaWare fingering weight in Pale Pink.  I used almost every bit of three-and-a-half hanks of celery and three (or was it four?) skeins of the pink alpaca.  A very gracious knitter in Ohio sent me her half skein so that I could finish the second sleeve and button-band.  I will think of this lovely Kelly in Ohio whenever I wear the sweater.  Knitters are awesome.  

A finished Tempest Cardigan in green and pink with green buttonsSonar X9 tried it on and really liked it.  The stripes suit his build.  I may make it for him, with a black and grey-heather blend.  Oh, and much shorter sleeves.  Much shorter.  

Books are coming.  I promise. 

Sonar X5 has an infamous obsession with American football.  Surprising for such a young kid, I know.  I wondered what he would do when the NFL season was over.  I wonder no more.  He has seamlessly transferred his football obsession to the Winter Olympics.  We've watched Luge and a lot of Skiing.  He's not crazy about Figure Skating, but he's fascinated by Curling.  I don't completely understand Curling, but we are figuring it out.  

While he watches sports he never knew existed, I am working on a Knitting Olympics project.  For background on the Knitting Olympics, please refer to the inimitable Harlot herself.  For my project I am knitting a Buttercup Top by Heidi Kirrmeier (Ravelry link requires login) using a bamboo blend yarn called Spa by Caron.  The colorway is called Ocean Spray.  The Sonars gave this yarn to me for Christmas.  

This is a raglan sweater, knit from the top down in the round.  On the fourth day of knitting, I separated the sleeves and body.  Today, the fifth day of knitting, I'm chugging away at the acres of stockinette stitch ahead of me.  

The shoulders and sleeve-caps of a hand-knit sweater, the day five knitting progress on my Buttercup top for the Knitting Olympics

I love the acres of stockinette.  Some knitters complain of boredom when knitting large swaths like this, but I find it very meditative.  I have to maintain a pace of 9-12 rounds of knitting per day to finish before the Olympic Closing Ceremonies.  I have been a little overzealous here at the beginning, knitting more than is perhaps healthy, and I am suffering with a sore left hand.  I plan to ice the hand and pace myself a little better.  I am confident that I will be able to finish though. 

In other knitting news, there is one, ready-to-knit-the-toe sock hanging around in the car for waiting times.  I may have mentioned this stress project in a previous post.  

I also received backup yarn from my Ravelry Hero and finished knitting all of the pieces of the Tempest Cardigan.  I tried wet-blocking the back piece, but was unhappy with the result.  The pink stitches were just not relaxing and lining up the way I had hoped.  I have used this pink alpaca yarn in a couple of projects and have always found it fiddly for both gauge and blocking.  So for the other pieces, I decided to try steam-blocking with my iron.  I spread out the pieces gently, set the iron on Maximum Steam and sort of blotted the pieces with the iron, spending extra time on the curling edges of each piece.  

The results here were stunning.  The stitches emerged in the most gorgeous rows, the delicate sheen of the green silk and wool popping out.  Three cheers for steam-blocking. 

Hours of seaming went off without a hitch.  The pattern suggested slipping a stitch at the beginning of every row to create a selvedge edge for ease of seaming, and I am so pleased with the result.  That selvedge, and the bold stripes made lining up the pieces so much simpler.  Here's a poorly lit (late night) shot of the sweater during the seaming of the second sleeve and underarm. 

A nearly complete hand-knit Tempest Cardigan in green and pink stripes, pictured during seaming.

After the seaming I picked up and knit the 210 stitches for the button band and collar.  That knitting went surprisingly quickly, but the bind-off befuddled me.  I started to bind-off loosely with the working needle, but after a few inches, it became clear that it was too tight.  I picked that out and moved up a couple of needle sizes and set off again.  This was Friday morning, the same day as the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, and my eyeballs were on the yarn for my Olympic sweater.  I obliviously bound-off the whole edge and held it up to find that it was obviously STILL TOO TIGHT.  Ugh.  I left it for a couple of days, then picked out that edge.  That's where it waits, while I work on Olympic knitting and contemplate bind-off options.  I'm thinking that I'll use Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off and see if I can carefully and continuously control the tension that way. Incidentally, that bind-off reminds me of kitchener stitch, which--contrary to its reputation among some knitters--I really love to do.  I'm hopeful that I will enjoy the process.  

In the meantime, I can choose buttons (I need ten small ones).  There is a bottom-facing still to be knit, but unless something very strange happens, that shouldn't be too terrible.  

The most amazing part of that sweater is that I have four of the tiniest little balls of green yarn left right now.  Two are the size of regular marbles, two the size of shooter marbles.  If I blend them with the pink for that bottom band, I should just about use them up.  Talk about a close call. 

I was trotting along handily on my Tempest Cardigan.  The pattern is well-written (thank you Weaverknits!), the yarn feels fantastic in my hands.  

A blurry image of the first three pieces of my Tempest sweater, pinned to a board all together, waiting for their sleeves

As I finished up the third piece, one of the fronts, I peeked into my knitting box at the yarn I had left.  Ack!  I weighed the yarn.  I weighed my pieces.  I looked at my pattern.  I took a deep breath.  Now, I planned this project very carefully.  I have never swatched and measured and mathed so much for a project in my life.  But apparently somewhere in that mathing I miscalculated.

There was not going to be enough of the KnitPicks Gloss Lace - Celery (the green).  No way. No how.  

No problem, I thought.  I'll go to KnitPicks and order another skein.  No dice.  Celery has been discontinued.  I even sent an email, wondering if there might be one or two skeins hanging out in the back of a drawer.  

Nope. 

So I poked around Ravelry.  For those of you who don't know Ravelry, it's a social networking site for fiber enthusiasts, (knitters, crocheters, spinners, etc).  If YOU are a fiber enthusiast, take care when you click that link.  It's entirely possible that Ravelry will swallow you up in its amazingness.  Yes, I know that 'amazingness' is not a word, but it's a good not-word for Ravelry.  It's not for nothing that someone once called Ravelry crack for fiber people. Don't say I didn't warn you.  

I searched through stashes (users can catalogue their yarn holdings online).  I found people with Celery.  I found people with my exact dye lot.  I could not have hoped for so much.  I sent a couple of tentative emails to people, offering to buy their yarn.  I posted an "ISO" (In search of) on the appropriate message boards.  

While I waited to see if I had a Ravelry Hero, I wondered if I could turn my three pieces into a vest (um, yes, but I didn't want to).  I wondered whether I could make the sleeves solid pink (I have plenty of pink, but again, didn't want to).  I set aside the pattern and cast on a pair of anxiety socks.  Those would be socks you knit when you're worried about something else.  Socks make great stress-knitting.  

And then, lo! A Ravelry Hero has come forward.  Not only is she sending me her remaining Celery, which should be just enough to finish my project, she's also sending it to me as a GIFT.  A gift!  I am so grateful for her sweet generosity.  

I hope to finish the first sleeve today or tomorrow, and start the second sleeve this weekend.  In the meantime I will watch my mailbox for my rescue yarn and thank my stars for cool knitters in Ohio.  

If you'd like to nose through my stash or see the few projects I've posted, you can find me as "Eglentyne" over on Ravelry.