Ruminating on Kid Things

I'm thinking about making something for my niece, who is 3 months old this week. The only thing is that she's a grower and I'm not really sure what size she's going to take from week to week, and what size she'll be in any given season. Moreover, she's gigantic (in the 95th percentile for weight and height), and I don't know if she's going to take after my father and I and be tall, or if she'll slow down after a year and fit regular kid sizes. Maybe I should just make whatever project I choose in a 2 year old size?  

Simo

My sister-in-law put in a request for a felted jumper, which isn't going to happen in knitting - poor kid would cook. But I do love this little dress from Berroco's Remix Booklet #303.   The sizes range from 2 to 12 years, so the sizing issue could work out.

Berroco Remix #3956

I would use colour 3956, dungaree (light blue). I think it's a safe colour for a pale kid, and she seems to look great in blue. It only takes 3 skeins to make a size 2 (also 4 and 6), and the price is right at $11 each, so it's not the end of the world if she mucks it up. And the yarns is completely washable, so this one is a definite maybe.

Knitting Pure and Simple Baby Tunic

I've also been thinking about making a little hoodie for her. I love this version by KimDillard, and I have some Koigu Kersti kicking around, but I don't think it's a good colour for my niece. It is rose with highlights of royal blue, pumpkin and black. It sounds bad, but it's not, it's just too dark and too pink. 

Dream in Color Classy in Some Summer Sky

Another option is Dream in Color Classy in "Some Summer Sky". It should be a great colour on her, and when we go to the park it'll be really easy to keep track of her. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

I'm thinking about making something for my niece, who is 3 months old this week. The only thing is that she's a grower and I'm not really sure what size she's going to take from week to week, and what size she'll be in any given season. Moreover, she's gigantic (in the 95th percentile for weight and height), and I don't know if she's going to take after my father and I and be tall, or if she'll slow down after a year and fit regular kid sizes. Maybe I should just make whatever project I choose in a 2 year old size?  

Simo

My sister-in-law put in a request for a felted jumper, which isn't going to happen in knitting - poor kid would cook. But I do love this little dress from Berroco's Remix Booklet #303.   The sizes range from 2 to 12 years, so the sizing issue could work out.

Berroco Remix #3956

I would use colour 3956, dungaree (light blue). I think it's a safe colour for a pale kid, and she seems to look great in blue. It only takes 3 skeins to make a size 2 (also 4 and 6), and the price is right at $11 each, so it's not the end of the world if she mucks it up. And the yarns is completely washable, so this one is a definite maybe.

Knitting Pure and Simple Baby Tunic

I've also been thinking about making a little hoodie for her. I love this version by KimDillard, and I have some Koigu Kersti kicking around, but I don't think it's a good colour for my niece. It is rose with highlights of royal blue, pumpkin and black. It sounds bad, but it's not, it's just too dark and too pink. 

Dream in Color Classy in Some Summer Sky

Another option is Dream in Color Classy in "Some Summer Sky". It should be a great colour on her, and when we go to the park it'll be really easy to keep track of her. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Monkeying Around

I'm fostering a new sock monkey!  I rescued him from the renovations at the former coffee bar down the block. He was all alone, getting dusty, and at risk of getting paint on him. Poor little guy! He looked very naked next to our resident monkey, so I make him a little sweater.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Blanket in Progress

Thought you might like to see the progress on my Crochet Log Cabin Blanket in Noro Silk Garden Sock.  Can`t say enough good stuff about using this yarn for the blanket, it`s just too beautiful and too easy - makes me happy. 

Silly me, I blocked all of the blocks and found out I have one more square to make!  Why do I do that?! The blocks are each 14 x 14 inches, and I'll have 20 of them, making the blanket before edging 70 x 56 inches. The fabric is not heavy, so it might make a nice bedspread, and if  it pleases me I might expand it to 70 x 70 inches (pre- border).

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Herringbone Cowl

I`ve been working on a lighter weight Herringbone Cowl for the spring. It looks gorgeous, love it. I`m using 2 skeins of Malabrigo Worsted in colour no.9 Polar Morn. By the way, it will not actually look like a capelet, as above, the needles are just shorter than the total circumference of the piece. You can see what it will looks like HERE.

The Malabrigo is working up really fluffy and light on the 12mm needles. If you wanted it denser you could reduce the needle size, but I`m happy to have it light and airy.

The pattern is working well, although it does leave a slight jog. Also, follow the instructions and don`t play around with the placement of your stitch marker, or your jog will wander off (mine did, but I`m not going back to fix it). 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Echo Wrap from Interweave Knits Spring 2011

Well, hello! Sorry I've been slacking lately, sometimes I just feel compelled to make stuff (or have stuff made) and my blogging gets away from me.  

Above, is the Echo wrap from this spring's Interweave Knits (also in A Knitting Wrapsody). We used 2 skeins of Malabrigo Chunky in Indigo, and I've got to say that it looks pretty snazzy! Liane liked the pattern so much she started experimenting with it at home and is working out a sweater based on the cable & drop stitch concept. I'm very curious to see what she produces.  The buttons are available at Knit-O-Matic and are hand made in Ontario from locally sourced wood. 

BTW, the sweater was a Christmas gift from Liane, and I think it is the Eyelet Cardigan from Jo Sharp Issue 5. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

New Love of Blocking

I'm kind of pragmatic and don'\t usually go ga-ga over gadgets unless they really add great something to the experience. So when I tell you that I personally love a gadget, it isn't just an Oprah giveaway.  Well, it's offical, I Love blocking pads!  Actually I don't just love them, I Luff them! I LURVE them! 

I hadn't even realized it, but I've been avoiding proper blocking because I loathe my blocking boards. They are big, heavy, awkward, hard to store, and inconvenient. Feh! I am thrilled with my new Knit Picks Foam Blocking Pads. I decided to take them for a test run and pulled out a crochet log-cabin blanket I started last summer. Oooooeee, the pads (I know, it sounds like sanitary napkins) are fantastic!  They are small, easy to use, I can connect as many as I want and into any shape. I am careful about not sticking pins through the foam to my table, but otherwise they are a delight. 

You know what else? I LURV Blocking Wires! I always kind of thought that blocking wires were for lace knitters, and since I wasn't pulling out my blocking boards anyway, I figured that I didn't want or need any. SO WRONG! Blocking wires rock my world!  They keep my edges straight, which is so lovely. But what I like even more is that it's so much easier to block pieces that need to be stretched larger. Being able to align my squares is great too, it's like making a granny square shish-kabob. And the wires also mean less fiddling with my ruler. 

Live an learn. I think I'm going to have to try out a bunch of new things this year that I used to dismiss, because I clearly had no idea what I was missing. 

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Ripple Wrap

Oh curse you transitional weather!  My attention span has been all over the place lately. Some days I'm gung ho on making another sweater, the next a wrap is a moral imperative, new yarn comes in and it needs to become a blanket, the weekend beckons socks, and the next week I want a whole new accessory set for spring. 

Above is a simple crochet wrap I'm winging in Noro Silk Garden. This colourway is so beautiful, I've been sitting across from it all winter and I finally relented and allowed myself to remove some from the shelf. The colours are especially nice because they have a low contrast and blend - except for a bit of black that stood out too much and has hence been removed.  If I really like this wrap I'll consider making a Lady Eleanor with Noro Silk Garden. 

• Red: Colour no. 84 looks nice, but I suspect that it is not really my colour. 
• White: My old favourite colour no. 269 is another good option and a serious contender. On the upside, it is completely neutral, on the downside, I would match my brother's afghan. It would match my black coat, possibly my red coat, probably not my purple coat. Additionally, I currently have enough left on the shelf, but I don't know if the colour has been discontinued (aka - if you are smitten with the idea of something in this colour, you'd better pop over here and pick it up0.
• Rust: Colour no. 221 is a maybe. It would match my purple coat, but probably not the red. 
• Bronze: Colour no. 279 might work with the red and the purple coats, as long as it looks good on me.
•  Noro Kochoran in colour no. 75 might also be elegant, and it would knit up faster :-)

I'm having a very hard time chosing. I've been browsing through the finished Noro Eleanors on Ravelry, but so many colours have been discontinued over the years. :-(  

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!