Back in Babyville

I haven't mentioned my knitting in ages, mostly because I've been making gifts:

I knit this for Sally, my Mary Modern editor, who had a baby girl in April. It's the infamous Pea Pod Baby Set by Kate Gilbert, which is no longer available online (so many people on Ravelry are frustrated that they can't knit it). If you are reading this and don't have a copy, you know that I couldn't possibly email it to you if you dropped me a line to ask. Oh, no. (Raveled here.)


The Little Coffee Bean Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith is my new favorite pattern—I knit these for Lindsay's baby (due in July) and my nephew (sized up for a 2T). Let me tell you, I'll never knit a baby cardi in pieces ever again, and crazy stripes are a great way to use up odd balls. As you can see, the sleeves on the second Little Coffee Bean are much longer—I knit the first version to the pattern, but then I decided I wasn't too keen on the half-length sleeves; although I guess I'd have to see it on the baby to know for sure if it would look odd or not. (Raveled here and here.)

This hat (super-easy pattern here) isn't for any baby in particular—I just wanted to knit something fast that would cheer me up the week my grandfather died. (Raveled here.)

Harmony Homestead Dispatch #2

As promised: puppypalooza! (I neglected to mention that they are Vizslas.) Most of them are going home with their new families tomorrow. It's going to be awfully quiet around here.


Grace (she's the pup Gail and Paul are keeping) and Lilypads (so named for her extra digits) have a tussle in the puppy pen.

Welcome to Babyville, part 3

Think of all the people we'll love who haven't been born yet: Kate said that, and I appropriated it. Now one of them has—on March 9th, Ailbhe and Christian had a healthy baby boy! (He's big, too: 8 pounds, 3 ounces.) When I packed this up I addressed it to the baby, which tickled me to no end:

I have to make another one of these dinosaurs for my nephew. So cute, and a lot easier than I thought it would be—I'm much more confident with a crochet hook after finishing this. Ailbhe was particularly excited about it one because Christian had a plush dinosaur as a child and really wanted to find something similar. (Pattern here, raveled here.)

Funkahedron

Look, look—a stellated dodecahedron! I know, I'm a big nerd, but I think nerdiness is kind of a prerequisite here. It's got bells in it too. I hope my little nephew gets as big a kick out of it as I do.

(Pattern from Berroco, raveled here.)

Olivia's Birthday Cardi, take 2

This child is destined to become a knitter, don't you think?

Knitting sweaters for kids is tricky. Ideally you want the garment to fit them for more than one winter, but you don't want to knit too big a size either.

I wanted to make a cardigan for my niece's third birthday, decided on a pattern—Alice Starmore's Secret Garden—and got halfway through knitting the 4/5-year-old size before I realized that, lovely as it is, it would truly look like a big purple sack on her. But if I'd knit the 2/3-year-old size, it would have been quite a bit of work for something she won't fit into this time next year. So I decided to finish the Secret Garden cardi for her fourth birthday, and knit her something quick in time for her party.

Which leads me to the other tricky thing about knitting for kids: there aren't enough patterns out there! I guess I'm just used to having tons of choices when knitting for myself or another adult. I had it in my head that she'd like a top-down garter-yoke cardigan (she's very fashionable, for a toddler), but I couldn't find anything to suit the yarn I had in my stash. So I winged it.

It's basically a downsized version of Melissa LaBarre's Garter Yoke Cardigan from Knitscene Fall '08, although I substituted the short-row instructions from the Sweetheart Cardigan by Laura Brown. I'd originally bought this Knit Picks Swish DK to make me some witches' britches, but I can always buy more when I eventually get around to knitting them. Or not, because the quality of this yarn is ridiculous—at several points it frayed to a hair's thickness, and I had to cut the yarn and start the ball again from the beginning of the row. (I've used Swish Worsted on several projects, and I like it, so I don't know what the deal is with the DK.)

I used buttons from my grandparents' tin—not the cutest option, but cute enough given that I had the right number. I have a half dozen heart-shaped buttons, but I'd rather save them for a project where I can use all six.

(Olivia's birthday was back in November, but I only got a chance to snap some photos just before Christmas, and when I went to Ireland and England I left my camera cable at home.)

Raveled here.

Welcome to Babyville, part 2

I'm home! Been anxious to blog about this:

It's a zig-zag quilt, directions courtesy of Purl SoHo, measuring 40" x by 54" because I didn't want the baby to grow out of it right away (the sample quilt measures 32" by 44").

Ailbhe and Christian want to be surprised, which made choosing colors and fabrics slightly more challenging. Nothing too flowery, but I didn't want something too overtly boyish either. (I couldn't see giving the orange-and-blue Purl sample quilt to a little girl, for instance.)

I found this thoroughly adorable Alexander Henry owl fabric for the backing (from Fabric Worm on Etsy), and I think it's perfectly unisex. (This is what I told my mother, who was surprised to learn that owls are hermaphrodites.) (Edit: this was a really dumb joke!)

I chose the zig-zag colors to match the backing fabric, and decided that using salmon (it's not pink!) and blue would balance each other out. The fabrics are mostly fat quarters from Jo-Ann, though I did pick up two of the three salmon fabrics (and the quilt batting) from Purl SoHo while I was in New York. I used this handy tutorial to help with the binding.

It's not perfect, but it's only the second quilt I've made—this project was definitely an exercise in anti-perfectionism. I'd never have finished it in time otherwise! There are definitely more quilts in my future...

Oh, and here's the baby heffalump with his sweater vest.

His name is Edmund (pending baby's approval).

Menagerie

Happy New Year, everyone! I've been traveling in Ireland and England the last few weeks, and naturally I left my camera cable at home. I'll have lots to blog about when I get home next week.

But here's something I can share now—awhile back Ailbhe had asked if I'd make her a menagerie of knitted animals for her little one when the time came. Menagerie member #1 was Mr. Penguin, and here is his first comrade:

It's Ysolda's Elijah, a terrific pattern I've knit once before, using Knit Picks Swish on #3s. I also made him a little vest with leftover Cascade 220 Superwash, but that photo will have to wait until I get home...

(Raveled here.)

Welcome to Babyville

Gosh, it feels like it's raining babies! Well, not really, only three in my circle are recently arrived or on the way. I really like knitting things for babies though—instant gratification! ('Instant' in knitting terms, anyway.)

A hat for Alaina, born September 2009 to my stepcousins Evan and Sonia. Used up the pink Cashsoft Baby DK I had left over from Olivia's elephant. I really like this hat pattern by Janet Russell—it's simple and quick, and the crown decreases make a very pleasing swirly shape. (Raveled here.)

A cardigan for my nephew Quinn, born August 2009. (He's already worn it, but no pictures as yet.) The pattern is Debbie Bliss' V-Neck Cardigan with Contrast Ribs, from Baby Knits for Beginners. I used Knit Picks Swish Worsted, and I'm happy with it apart from the size of the armholes—if I had a do-over I'd increase a couple more times than the pattern calls for. Not that I'm an expert at babies and their teeny proportions, but the armholes do seem a bit tight. (Raveled here.)

I have made three penguins so far, but this one for Ailbhe and Christian's baby is certainly my best yet:

The pattern is Alexandra Virgiel's Pasha, from Knitty.com. I used Knit Picks Swish Worsted (white and gold) and Lion Brand Woolease Solid (black), less than a ball of each, plus sock yarn leftovers for the garter-stitch scarf. (Raveled here.) This little guy had to make a transatlantic journey to reach the parents of his future owner, but I made sure he was well insulated for the trip:

Hee hee!

I am so happy for Ailbhe and Christian—they are two of the very best people I know, and they're going to be terrific parents. And on that note, stay tuned for Welcome to Babyville, part 2...