These are so fun to make.
Specs:
Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) bamboo Profi dpns. (Love these needles.)
Yarn: Baby Ull leftovers (5 colors). Could also use Stork for these, or other fingering weight/sock yarn.
Gauge: Somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 sts/inch.
The stockinette heel flap was a new thought to me. Not sure why I never considered doing that before, but I like it.
Every now and then, I consider subtitling this blog: “Confessions of a Crummy Knitter” - or words to that effect. So, anyway, I’ve been knitting. Things come out close to how I envision them, but usually not quite in the same ballpark. I just keep telling myself it’s a learning process, and even though they come out flawed and full of “oops” moments, I’ve learned that much more from the mistakes.
A friend of mine gave me the most amusing book from 1968, and it’s full of baby and toddler and young children’s sweaters and hats, and of course booties, and a few other fun things, like mittens and hats with animal faces and ears on them.
The pink bonnet is one of the bonnets in the book. I need to stitch some satin ribbon on it to finish it off. I goofed up the lace pattern…of course. The textured pattern is called “Quaker stitch” and it’s alternating stockinette and reverse stockinette to make a nice stretchy fabric to accommodate a pretty good range of head sizes. I like the seed stitch borders. When I bound the bonnet off along the bottom edge, I used two different bind-offs. The front sections, I used one that I saw Annie Modesitt demonstrate once which she calls the k2tog bind off. I like it because it’s such a pretty edge, it looks kind of “crochet’d”. However, it’s not very stretchy, so for the midback section of the bonnet, I used EZ’s sewn bind off, which is illustrated in her book, “Knitting Without Tears”, for a slightly more stretchy area.
The black socks are just the finished pair I’d been working on previously. Basic sock “recipe” - and they also have my unique stamp of “oops I forgot I did that” on them - and one heel flap has a 3 ST garter selvedge - and the other does not. Sigh…
How cute is the ladybug sock???? Yes of course there are boo-boos in it - need you wonder??? I finally got my hands on a copy of the (out of print) book Vogue Knitting on the Go, Socks. I’m sure I could have improvised this from the Dale of Norway book that has Marihone in it (the Ladybug sweater that still sits waiting for steek cutting and sleeves to be sewn in), but I’m glad I got the book because I knew it had the pattern in it. I found the book used through Amazon.com. It smells of ciggy smoke though (ick!) but hopefully that will fade eventually, and I won’t have to resort to putting it into a plastic bag with some charcoal briquets to take that stench away from it. The book is a small one, and just the right size for a knitting bag.
They’re so nice to do ahead of time, and then have on hand for when you get the shower invitations. Of course, even if you don’t have them done ahead of time, they’re quick and usually easy, so still “doable” for a last minute scramble. I have two recent knits and one stash item for a shower I’m attending today. They don’t match, but since they’re techincally in the accessory category, I’m hoping the baby will have something they do match, and if not - babies really don’t worry too much about such things.
The stash item is the February sweater from Knitter’s Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Love that sweater.
The bibs are the quick knits added this week. I think these bibs are just the neatest idea, I hope mom likes them. They should be practical as well as cute, because cotton is nice and absorbant, and if all else fails and mom needs a washcloth, just run it under some warm water and instant face and hands clean-up.
The pink bib is made with the same pattern as the red one, but I used a smaller gauge yarn, so I added two extra repeats in the seed stitch portion, and one extra stitch to each side of the cable - so instead of a CAB4 it’s a CAB6. I also tapered the end into a leaf shape, which I think for a girl is a nice touch. Maybe wouldn’t do it for a boy’s bib, although I’m not sure I’d make this bib for a boy. I like my entrelac one for a boy. I, again, used hook and loop for the closure instead of a button.
I can see these becoming a “staple” amongst the knit-ahead baby shower stuff. [Read more →]
Apparently, I’ve become enamored of cables now. This sock in progress is called “Twinkleberry.” Sounds kind of funny to me, but I didn’t chose the name. The pattern is free from Knitzi.com. Although, I (of course!) found it on Ravelry.
It’s a very simple pattern too, so lots of bang for your buck. You get “pretty” without too much concentration! I had the Regia silk sock yarn in the stash, so someone’s getting pink socks. Not sure who just yet.
I am going to try the short-row heel that’s in the pattern, mostly because it seems like it’s explained so well it will work this time, however, if I have any trouble with it, I’ll be substituting my favorite heel flap/turn. I know it looks more “store-bought” with the short row heels, but I actually like the old fashion way of building the heel on a sock, so either way I think will look fine with this sock.
And, if this foray into easy cables, and Coronet were not enough - next up (or perhaps along with this project since I have a baby shower to attend in a couple of weeks) will be the cutest baby bib - that has a cable along one side that also ends up being the “collar” part of the bib. Here’s a Ravelry link to it. Designer’s blog is here.
So, apparently I’m in to cables here these days. Hadn’t planned it, but I’m enjoying the nice results I’m getting with “beginner” cables as well as lace.
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