Baby Daisy Hat

I'm still plugging away on my Lacy Hug Me Tight from Knit 2 Together. It's a lot of 2x2 ribbing, so it's a little tedious, but I'll get there. I'm a little discouraged because I'm going to run out of yarn - I'll need 2 more balls I think and I'm not sure where I'll get it. But I'll keep working away at it.

Meanwhile, for a little instant gratification I knit up an Upside Down Daisy Hat from Itty Bitty Hats. So fast and so cute.

Pattern: Upside Down Daisy Hat from Itty Bitty Hats
Yarn: TLC Cotton Plus, medium Rose
Needles: US7
Size: 0-6 month

It's for my husband's cousin's new baby (due next week). They have another daughter who is around 3, so I think I'll make a matching big sister hat. I'm so pleased with this little project.

In baby news... the little guy's very active these days, which is so fun. Lots of kicking going on. I'm feeling good and enjoying this stage of the pregnancy very much. We are gradually putting the baby's room together. We assembled the crib and I dyed some curtains the other day, and that worked out nicely. There's still lots to be done, but it feels good to make a little progress.

Have a great week!

My New Best Friend

So, about a month ago I started with the pregnancy aches and pains. But it was mostly caused by sleeping as far as I could tell. So I ordered myself this awesome (both in size and comfort) pregnancy pillow. And I tell you what, this thing is my new favorite thing. Soooo comfortable. Like sleeping on a cozy cloud. Now I'm a happy pregnant lady!



And in knitting news...I knit up this precious elephant. Sooooo cute. And fast and easy. The only challenging part for me was the ears, which are crocheted. And since I don't know how to crochet, that took a little figuring. But I figured it out and I think they came out okay. And really I love this little guy.


Pattern: Elefante by Susan B. Anderson (ravelry link)
Yarn: Cheap Blue Acrylic
Needles: US 4 double points

Li'l sweaters

I found this sweet little baby cardigan pattern and I liked it so much I had to make a second one. The first one is for our new baby boy, the second will be a girl baby gift.



Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple, Easy Baby Cardigan
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino - Rich Red (about 300 yards)
Needles: US7
Size: 6 month




Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple, Easy Baby Cardigan
Yarn: Moda Dea Dream - rasberry (about 300 yards)
Needles: US7
Size: 6 month

Cute cute cute. This is a great, easy baby sweater pattern. I'm going to make some booties now to go with the pink one. And if the booties work out, maybe more of them for other baby gifts.

And speaking of baby, all is well with the pregnancy so far. I'm at 20 weeks now, halfway there! My belly is getting big and the baby is strong. We had our 18 week ultrasound and everything looks healthy. We're beginning to collect some baby gear (crib, bassinet, carseat), and are getting more and more excited about our new little one, set to arrive at the end of July.

Hemlock Ring at last

I have been working on the Hemlock Ring blanket since December. For some reason I really struggled with completing this project. I grew bored with it at times, and it just seemed to move so slowly. Then, when I was finally approaching the end, and was feeling motivated to wrap it up, I couldn't get over how long the bind off row took me. 3 days! Blocking was another challenge too! I struggled to make it as symetrical as I could, but it is far from perfect. And still, I love it. It's a very pretty, very soft lap blanket.


Pattern: Hemlock Ring Blanket
Yarn: Cascade Eco-Wool, color #8063 (about 1.75 skeins)
Needles: US10.5
Modifications: I knit to row 60 of Brooklyn Tweed's chart (106 rows altogether), then did the bind off row. It measures about 54" across.





And, since it's been so long since I've posted, I never did post about my birthday. I turned 40 on February 19th. We celebrated with a trip to Santa Cruz and Monterey, which was wonderful as always. One of the highlights was our trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is just so spectacular. So here are some beautiful jellies from their incredible jelly exhibit:



Aren't they beautiful!

Baby Knits

All I want to knit these days is baby stuff. I'm working on a cute and simple hooded cardigan for my little one.


And I whipped up a little hat to go with the baby baseball tee, which I'll be shipping off to a friend who is due next month.


And the baby socks of course, they just keep coming. I've done at least 5 pairs now. The blue ones are for a friend with a new baby boy, and the green ones are for my babe, to match his mama's Embossed Leaf Socks.


I'm just giddy with excitement over all the baby knits. And the actual baby too of course! We're finally sharing the news with friends, coworkers, etc. and it's so fun to witness their surprised reactions. We're heading to Santa Cruz /Monterey/Pacific Grove next weekend to celebrate my 40th birthday (the 19th). I'm so looking forward to a fun coastal getaway, and a gathering with our Santa Cruz friends, and visiting my favorite Pacific Grove yarn shop.

Really Big News

We're having a baby! I have been wanting to say that for ages, and now I'm almost afraid to say it. But I am sooooooo excited about it, though still struggling to believe it's for real at times. I am a bit of a late bloomer, what the doctor's like to call "Advanced Maternal Age". I'll be 40 in a couple weeks. 40! And yes, this is my first. I have two adult stepdaughters who are fabulous. But I am so thrilled to be growing a baby from scratch. It took us two rounds of IVF and a lot of emotional ups and downs to get to this point. I am 14 weeks 1 day today, due July 31. We did a CVS to check for chromosomal abnormalities, which we passed; a HUGE relief! One of the side benefits is that we got to learn early on (like at 12 weeks) the sex of the baby. And....it's a boy! I'm having a baby boy! Woohooo! Perfect. The whole thing still seems like such a huge miracle to me. A big ol' scientific miracle of course. But magical and amazing nonetheless.

So of course I've been working on baby knits, mostly tiny socks Also some gifts for a couple friends who are soon having, or recently had babies, also boys. I love love love the baby knits. Fast, easy, and way cuter than grownup stuff. If anyone has good baby boy knit ideas, send them along because I'm looking for suggestions. I'd like to start on some baby sweaters very soon.

That's my news. No pics today. Have an amazing weekend!

Returning to Blogland

Once again, I'm back after another extended absence. All is well, and I'm happy to be blogging again. I see that it's been almost a month since I've blogged, and it was a fairly eventful month indeed. Let's start with our New Years gathering at Lake Tahoe. It was sooooo beautiful. Snowy and sunny and gorgeous. Perfect really. My brothers and sister-in-law skied. Hubby & I hiked in the snow. And we took Mom up the gondola to the top of Heavenly. So beautiful! Lots of handknits were worn:

That's me in my center square hat and mom in her sunflower tam.

And this last weekend I had a wonderful get-together with my high school girl friends. We gathered at the coast and had a great time catching up, walking the beach, yarn shopping, and knitting!


(And some crochet too!)

And yes, I have been knitting too, though at a much slower pace for some reason. I've been plugging away at the Hemlock Ring Blanket. I just finished the first skein of yarn in fact, so it's time to wind the second. I WILL finish this thing...eventually.


Also, baby socks. This is about my favorite thing to knit these days. They are so fast and cuuuute. (It's the Better Than Booties Baby Socks from IK.)


I am about ready to expand my baby knitting to slightly more elaborate items...hats, sweaters, etc. I have a couple friends with new or expecting baby boys, so I gotta get busy with that soon.

Anyway, all is well. I'm happy to be back. I'll do my best to post a tad more often in the near future.

Happy New Year!

And Merry Christmas too, to those of you who are so inclined. I, once again, apologize for my blog flakiness. I'll make up for it soon, I promise. Big stuff going on. Bit stuff. More on that later.

Christmas was great. We had a super fun time with my husband's (large) family. Lots of music, games, gifts, food, etc. They do a super fun white elephant gift exchange that is just soooo amusing. We played some Cranium - what a fun game! And we sang lots of silly carols, led by some outstanding musicians (my husband, his sister, and her friend). And the food.... to die for, of course. And best part, we scored the ham bone (with plenty of meat still on it), with which my hubby made the BEST split pea soup. Which is tonight's dinner (once again). Love the split pea soup.

That all took place the weekend before Christmas. On actual Christmas we had a small brunch gathering at our house which was also just lovely. I made this insanely unhealthy egg bake thing which was such a hit my mom made me promise to make it again this weekend.

And the fun continues. This evening my brother and his wife arrive from Venezuela. And on Sunday we're all heading up to Tahoe for a few days of New Years fun. I'm not a skier, but my two brothers are (or used to be back in the day), so that should be fun for them. And I'm looking forward to some relaxing by the fire surrounded by snowy beauty. Maybe a little hiking too.

My dvd tips for the week are: Once. Loved it. That's all I can say. Loved it. And the Namesake. I read the book, but also loved the movie, as did my husband. So that's my tip for the week. Oh how I miss the Daily Show, and the Colbert Report. Wish those writers and producers would settle their differences so I can be entertained and informed once again.

And that's my update. Sorry, not much knitting to share. I started the Hemlock Ring Blanket, but am kinda struggling with the pattern. Once I get the chart figured out I think I'll be good to go. Guess I should join the yahoo group to see what kind of tips I can find.

Here's my one knits in action picture - my husband's nephew wearing his Utopia hat. He liked it and wore it all evening.

Long time no blog

I see that it's been nearly a month since I've blogged. That's bad. I didn't realize I've been gone so long. I did do a fair bit of knitting in that time, small stuff - holiday gifts mostly.


Pattern: Sophie from Magknits
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino - Royal Purple and Dark Gray
Needles: US 10 1/2
This was a quick and easy knit. It really felted up small, but it's still a pretty cute little bag. I made the straps quite a bit longer than the pattern called for, and added a loop closure and a button.


Pattern: Utopia Cabled Hat from Smariek Knits
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino - Dark Gray
Needles: US7 for ribbing, US8 for the rest
I loved this pattern. So cute and easy. I liked it so much I cast on immediately for another in purple.



Also, I finished another Wisp. It's pretty much identical to the first one I made so I won't bother with pictures.

Sorry to be gone so long. I'm hoping to get back on the blog train more regularly soon, if not right away. Hope everyone's holidays are happy so far!

Earflappiness

There is something about an earflap hat that just seems fun and joyful. I see that they are also quite practical, but mostly they just scream out playfulness to me. I learned so much doing this hat - it was my second ever fairisle project and a wee bit more complicated than my first - the Center Square Hat. But still, pretty simple, and this hat knit up quickly as well. Only thing is, it came out a little too big, even for hubby's man-sized head. So, I decided to give it a little felting - ran it through the washing machine, inside a pillowcase on a short cycle on hot water. Still too big. So I stuck it in the dryer with a damp towel. That did the trick. It came out nicely sized and I really like what the felting did to tighten up the stitches and create a little fuzziness. Plus it'll be super water-proof now. So I guess it's about time for us to take a trip to the snow!

Here it is before felting:


And after:


Now isn't that fun?!

Pattern: Ryan's Hat from Interweave Knits (Winter '05 - staff project)
Yarn: Valley Yarns - Berkshire in Coffee Bean, Stone Blue and Mistletoe
Needles: US 9
Modifications: None, aside from the felting at the end to shrink it a bit. I'm not super thrilled with my color choices - the green and blue are a little too similar so the pattern doesn't stand out as much as I'd like. But overall I'm pleased with how it came out.

Finished A Wisp

I finished a Wisp, from Knitty.com. This was such a quick and fun little lace project. I happened to have a bunch of brushed alpaca laceweight in my stash - not as fuzzy as the Kidsilk Haze (which I haven't yet had the pleasure to work with), but it has a nice, soft halo about it. And I think it worked nicely. It knit up in a couple of days and will make a nice, lightweight (but warm) scarf for a holiday gift. I think I may make more of these!


Pattern: Wisp from Knitty.com
Yarn: brushed alpaca laceweight (a gift from a friend who purchased it in Argentina) - I used maybe 300-400 yardsNeedles:
US 9Finished Size: 60" x 13"
Modifications: I skipped the eyelets along the size, since I wasn't planning to add buttons anyway, and that was just one more thing to keep track of. I used a larger needle size and it blocked out to be larger than the pattern intended, which was fine with me since it will be used as a scarf.

Also, my yarn arrived from Webs today - it's Valley Yarns Berkshire and it's for Pete's Ryan's Hat. The brown is a little darker than I pictured, but I still think the colors will go together nicely to make a lovely hat for my hubby.

Have a great weekend!

Target Practice

Recently my husband asked me to knit him an Andean-style earflap hat. Now, since he's never really asked me to knit him anything before, there's really no way I could refuse. I gave him some patterns to look at, and he liked Ryan's hat from Interweave. Only trouble is, I have never done fairisle, or stranded knitting. So I had some learning to do. And I thought maybe I should learn on something other than his hat, get a litle practice first. So I looked around for the easiest fairisle project I could find, and I came up with Center Square from Knitty.com. This turned out to be an awesome first fairisle project! Super fast and easy - it knit up in less than one day. And it really helped me build my confidence about stranded knitting. I ordered some yarn for the earflap hat and now I can hardly wait for it to arrive so I can get started.



Pattern: Center Square from Knitty.com
Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool Merino in red & white
Needles: US 9 (the biggest knitpicks options tips I have. I have since ordered 11's as called for in the pattern)
Obviously, I did not mean for my hat to look like a Target ad, but it totally cracks me up that it does. It just happened to be the colors I had available. I will definitely make this hat again in more carefully selected colors.

Now I'm inspired to try other fairisle projects too. Like maybe the We Call Them Pirates hat. I'm not into pirates myself, and it seems like that particular trend must be fading, but maybe my 11 year old nephew might like it.

While I wait for my yarn and needles to arrive, I decided to start on another holiday gift - Wisp from Knitty.com. This is such a great, fast and easy lace scarf/wrap. I started yesterday and it's now about half done. I'm using some lavender alpaca laceweight yarn that my friend Katy gave me. It's got a little fuzz to it, so it works nicely with this pattern, though I bet it would be even more beautiful with some actual Kidsilk Haze.


So that's all I've got for now. I just downloaded an audiobook from Audible.com to keep me company while I knit. It's called "The Short and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao", and so far I love it.

Parsnips are our friends

The Parsnip-Apple Cupcakes were surprisingly delicious. If you ever find yourself with some parsnips you don't know what to do with, I can recommend this recipe.

I finished my Shedir last week, but only just had some pictures taken.


The top of the hat is especially lovely. When I wear it out in public I will be sure to keep my head down so people can admire the top of my hat.


Pattern: Shedir, from Knitty.com
Yarn: Rowan Calmer, 1 ball (with almost none leftover)
Needles: US3
Modifications: I elminated one of the cable pattern repeats. Otherwise I would have run out of yarn.

Next up...my husband wants me to make this hat. I, however, have never knit any fairisle before. For some reason this technique has always intimidated me. So, while I'm waiting for his yarn to arrive, I decided I should try a simpler fairisle hat, for practice. So I cast on for the Center Square hat from Knitty.com. Turns out the fairisle thing is not too hard at all. And this hat is awesome. It knits up very fast on two strands of worsted weight wool. It will make a thick, warm hat too. I think I'll be done in no time at all.

Slipper Gifts

So I decided to try these felted house slippers from Knit 2 Together. It's really my first felted project and ohmygoodness I am in love with it! They knit up so fast and easy - 2 days, lickety split. And it was super fun watching them grow, and then shrink. And I think they're pretty darn adorable, and a great way to use up the stash yarn. This is my new favorite little gift knit.

Pattern: House Slippers from Knit 2 Together
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino - red - 3 strands held together (1+ balls)
Knitpicks Merino Style - cornflower - 4 strands held together (1 ball)
Needles: US13 straight and US 9 circular

So, we belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm co-op thing, and we get a bin of veggies every other week (because we split with a friend). And, this week, among other things, our bin contained parsnips. And I suspect that might be something we get often during the winter months. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never cooked with parsnips before, and frankly don't have a clue what to do with them. But I found this recipe for Parsnip-Apple Cupcakes, and now I'm dying to try them. Doesn't that sound fun and different? So tonight's baking project is cupcakes. Also roast chicken with yams. I love this farm basket program because it makes us try out different vegetables and diffrent recipes.

It's nap time for me. So have a great weekend everyone! Don't forget to leave me a comment. Other parsnip ideas would be appreciated too.

Friday Sock Wrap Up

I am not a fast sock knitter. It always takes me at least a couple weeks to finish a pair of socks (though I rarely work exclusively on socks). These took closer to a month I'm afraid, but I quite like them now that they're done.


Pattern: Hedera, by Cookie A. from Knitty.com
Yarn: Knitpicks Essential, Dusk
Needles: Knitpicks classic circular size US 1

I'm still working away at my Shedir. I'm pretty close to half done. I'm starting to freak out a bit about whether I'll have enough yarn. I'll decide after I finish this repeat if it might be long enough to skip one repeat. Right now I'm thinking probably not. It's a very cool pattern. I think I'm going to be very pleased with the end result, if I don't run out of yarn that is.



Have a great weekend all!

Some good karma

I whipped up this hat for my brother - his birthday is next week.



Pattern: Cap Karma Hat by Smariek Knits
Yarn: Wool Ease Heather - grey
Needles: US8
Modifications: I used Brooklyn Tweed's modified crown to continue the cables on up to the top.

It's a great pattern, and a super quick knit. I can't wait to see it on him!

I am addicted to Ravelry

I can't help myself. I spend hours looking at other people's projects, other people's queues, and searching out interesting patterns. I have plenty of projects in my own queue, but I can't help myself. Yesterday I discovered the Hemlock Ring Blanket. I don't know why I didn't pay attention when I saw it on Brooklyn Tweed's site, but when I look at all the beautiful versions of it in Ravelry I am in awe. Must knit one. Today, I somehow got caught up in looking for toys to knit. There are zillions in Ravelry. I added a few to my queue. Yesterday I decided I should try to knit a hat for my brother's birthday (October 30th). So I searched around for a suitable pattern and came across, the Cap Karma Hat. Again, Brooklyn Tweed's version is fantastic. If you have not signed up for Ravelry yet, please get yourself on the waiting list. Trust me, you will not regret it. It is really fuelling my knitting passion.

Also, my other newest love...Audible.com. I don't know why it has taken me so long to get into Audiobooks, but last month I signed up for an Audible.com membership and downloaded my first book, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, who also wrote the Kite Runner. I am enjoying it so much. It's a beautifully told story, and the narration is perfect. The deal that I signed up for includes one free book per month. I'm thinking of downloading the Friday Night Knitting Club next, but I'm open to other suggestions if anyone wants to leave me one in the comments.

I knit up a ballband discloth. Seems like everyone was making these for a while there. I don't have Mason Dixon Knitting, but I found the pattern online for free here. I may make a few more of these for stocking stuffers. They're quick and mindless - perfect tv knitting.


I received the yarn that I ordered at the TKGA Knit & Crochet Show. It is soooo beautiful. Interlacements Rick Rack II. Now I'm excited about starting a shawl in it.


Here's a couple pics of my cute hubby modeling the sunflower tam.

Sunflower Tam

I knit up a quick Sunflower Tam, from Knitting Nature. What a fun, quick and easy project. It took just two days, and I loved watching the design develop.



Pattern: Sunflower Tam from Knitting Nature, by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Moda Dea Washable Wool - free (in a gift bag) from the TKGA knit & crochet show in Oakland. It is a lovely yarn.
Needles: US 8 for the ribbing, US 9 for the rest
Modifications: I cast on 96 stitches for the ribbing, but in retrospect, 90 would have been plenty.

If I can find someone who will actually wear this, I'd love to knit it again. I received Knitting Nature as a gift last Christmas and I love looking at the pictures, but this is the first project I've knit from it.

Third time's the charm

I finished my third Wool Peddler's Shawl. The first one was for Pete's mom, then one for my mom, and this one is for Pete's aunt, who loved his mom's so much she wanted a matching one. Fortunately it's an easy and very comforting shawl to knit. The yarn is soft and squishy, the garter stitch is soothing. And the result is warm and lovely. So I'm pleased. It's still blocking, but here's a preview shot:


Pattern: Wool Peddler's Shawl from Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle
Yarn: Knitpicks Andean Treasure, Lilac - 6.5 balls
Needles: Knitpicks Options US 7
Finished Size: 72" x 36"

I'm now excited to start something new. I'm thinking about trying this Sunflower Tam from Knitting Nature, or some other fun hat project. Woohoo!

Our mountain getaway

I'm back from my little mountain paradise getaway. We spent 3 days at Sorensen's, a sweet little cabin resort 20 miles south of Lake Tahoe. This place is so awesome, surrounded by beauty and quiet and thousands of miles of spectacular hiking trails. When we arrived, the fall colors were in full display. The aspens were just gorgeous. And when we woke up on Wednesday morning, it was snowing! The world became a winter wonderland. So beautiful. We did some really great hikes. The dogs had a blast, and the whole thing was super romantic and relaxing.


Our cabin at Sorensen's.


Fall colors in Hope Valley.


We opted to head toward Mexico... but we never did find the lake we were looking for.


Fresh bear tracks!

I did accomplish some knitting. I made good progress on my Wool Peddler's shawl for Aunt Nancy. I think I can complete it in the next couple days.

I ordered (and received) a copy of One-Skein Wonders from Amazon. I was hoping to find some good, relatively quick Christmas gift ideas, and other ideas to use up random balls of yarn. I don't know yet though. So far I'm not extremely inspired. Anybody have any favorites they've knit from this book? I'm in the mood for some quick projects.