Mom's Birthday Vest

I finally finished Mom's birthday vest.  I'm pleased with the finished result.  I used some washable knitpicks yarn, Swish wool in a colourway that's no longer available but it's a nice greyish green.  It knit up quite nicely!

It's a Drops Design pattern. and took a lot of yarn for a vest.  I knit it in wool because our springs are quite chilly around these parts.  With the colour and the wool it becomes a 3 season vest! 

On to Christmas knitting!!

Dennis' Kilt Socks

My mom's husband is a Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Scotsman.  He is the provincial commissionaire of Clan Donald.  He wears a kilt of the proper Clan Donald tartan (what I like to call 'his skirt'). For Christmas last year I gave him kilt socks.  Well let me clarify that... I gave him yarn and a pattern and a promise to knit him some kilt socks because somehow I didn't manage my pre-Christmas knitting time very well and hadn't even started them.  Then on Dec 28th I broke my wrist.  I was very lucky in that my break was what can best be described as minor compared to other broken wrist stories my cousins felt compelled to share with me a couple of weeks into my cast time.  I spent only 6 weeks in a cast.  However after the cast I spent another couple of months with numbness whenever I knit for a bit.  My doctor figured it would resolve itself. 

I think the start of gardening season did wonders for my hands (both were showing a bit of numbness at night but the broken one was bad when I knit)  Either way, I'm numb free at this point, when I knit, at night and in both hands!!  Wonder what I can do all winter long to keep this sort of healthiness for my hand?  Knitting is good but diverse actions, lifting, pulling, twisting, etc, seem to be imperative to address potential carpal tunnel syndrome.  Oops, I've gone a bit off topic haven't I?

Back to the kilt socks.  I followed John Anderson's Kilt Hose toe up pattern. Using Lion's Brand Fisherman's Wool.

They fit perfect.  And now I'm throwing out the pattern.  This is the one and only pair of kilt socks I'll ever do.  Ever get second sock syndrome?!  Well image facing a second sock with a leg this long and a turn over flap that's so labour intensive!  Yup, never again....

Ms Sophia's First Birthday Present

I finally remembered to take a picture of a FO. It's not that I haven't been knitting, I just don't think to blog about it.

My step-neice Ms. Sophia just turned one! I've loved this pattern ever since I saw a version of it knit at Tangled Skein (a now-defunct LYS). That was about 3 years ago! Don't laugh, I have a sock monkey kit to knit for Ms. Sophia's birthday next year.... You have to wait until they're just the right age to give them just the right gift.



In the end I added another little pocket with just the flower (no stem) to the middle of the top. It just gave it a little more colour.

This is Anouk by Kate Gilbert from Knitty.com. I used Bernat Cotton Tops for the pinks and beige and a discountinued organic cotton for the green. I also knit this in the round to make it a dress instead of a pinafore.

Cheers!

I can not believe how slack I've been (with the blogging, not with the knitting - I've been knitting up a storm...)! I've got some stuff to share in the coming weeks as I gear up for Christmas but to start I thought I'd show ya'll this cute little wine warmer set. Tonight it's off to be gifted as I attend my first party of the season. Let the games begin!

Makes me giggle... hehehehe

Seriously...

Could these be any cuter?!


Delivered to Miss Sophia today! More baby projects on the way!

BABY SOPHIA

On May 10th my step brother and his wife had a baby girl. Like a true goof, I have no pictures yet but trust me, she's beautiful and I don't even like babies. They all usually look like plucked chickens to me but not miss Sophia, she really is the most lovely little girl.

I had knit her 2 hats before she was born in green so she'd have something to wear home. That was before we knew whether she was a boy or a girl. Once we got the news I checked out my stash for pink. Oddly enough I have quite a bit of pink (anyone who knows me just chuckled a bit). I started with the petal bib but quickly realized it is a bit big for a newborn so I'll make more for later. Right now I want newborn stuff!

Meet the baby bolero! Yes, once again the pic is sideways, turn your head. I haven't blocked it yet but I will.

Now I'm starting on the Debbie Bliss Teddy Bear in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece.

I've also got a pair of sheep booties on the go. Stay tuned for many more baby knits!!!!! And maybe even a pic of the baby!

Mom's Birthday Sweater

Mom's birthday was coming up and I wanted to do a sweater for mom that she could wear now. See it's hard for me to do sweaters for Christmas because there is just too much knitting to do to take on such a large project. So the only way anyone will get a sweater for me is for their birthday. But Mom's birthday is in April and it kinda sucks to get a nice heavy sweater when you can't wear it! Hence the spring sweater I did this year.

It's called Lace for All Seasons Cardigan from Knit 'N Style Magazine, Feb 2010
The pic of the one in the magazine is done with a recycled acrylic poly blend. No way was I using that (I detest synthetics!)
So I ordered Knitpicks Comfy Worsted in Honey Dew I liked it as I knit it up but once I washed it I was shocked at how it pilled. I have lots of good quality store bought 100% cotton sweaters that don't pill at all. I guess this price really was too good to be true. It's okay but I'd think twice before using this yarn again.

Overall I'm pleased with how the sweater turned out. Sewing it up was a torture but once I stopped treating it like sewing up fabric and got out the old Stitch 'n Bitch Knitters Handbook and found out how to sew it up properly it went much better.

I'd like to do one for myself in a fall colour since our fall tends to be warm.