Ooo Baby Knits

How many dogs does it take...

to totally cover a carefully knit sweater in fur? One will suffice, but with three shedding their winter coats (jackets, sweaters, and long johns), it's taking longer to pick out the hairs than it did to knit it. But le Scoop du Jour is finished and it fits beautifully. Too bad it's 80 degrees outside.

Notice the sad rose bush in the background? (Pretend you don't see the lovely drain pipe.) A few days ago it was covered in flowers that smell so sweet I notice them as soon as I walk out the front door or get out of the car. This bush was here when we moved in 12 years ago and it looked pretty haggered then, but the blossoms are too fragrant and abundant to even think of replacing it.

Road trip to the doctor tomorrow, so I put aside the BSJ until then. It's a good car knitting project. Instead I've been dyeing yarn and knit the infamous French Market Bag. It's in the wash, so first the dyeing. I’ve had this Ebay yarn for a couple of years. It’s washable wool and calls for #3 needles. I bought it thinking I’d double it for A4A or CIC, but the colors are too light- much lighter than in the picture and much duller. Then I had an Ah ha! moment. Socks. Why didn’t I think of that before? Mostly because I thought it was heavier and didn’t remember that it was washable. I pulled it out because I felt like dyeing something, and it was all I could find.

Before- boring, after- vibrant. I've bought more Kool-Aid, and I'm thinking Christmas presents.

They’re Kind of Like Potato Chips

You can’t knit just one.  I tried this one in stockinette stitch, but I like the garter better. The striping yarn is cool, though. No ends to weave in, yet still stripy goodness.

Time to join the KAL since I'm going nutso with the pattern. I'm thinking about adding a lace edge to the bottom of the next one. I have yet to finish my two sweaters, so I've been sticking with little things...

...and planning my next venture. Something summery I'm sure, something using stash (I have several cottons), but what I don't know. I think whatever I start next needs to be bright. I've been pastelling it for too long. Time for vibrant color. I have a statement to make. Not sure what yet, but I'll think of something. I love knitting for babies- the charity work I do is more important and more satisfying than bigger knits- but I do like that sense of accomplishment when I've finished something bigger or more difficult. I like having choices, too. I may be in the mood for something easy to knit while I watch a movie at night like the BSJ I started. When I'm at home by myself, I'm more likely to dig into something that takes more attention like lace or colorwork. Sometimes I need a quick fix in the middle of a time consuming project, and sometimes I just need something new- a different yarn or color or pattern or texture. That's the great thing about knitting. Same stitches, same basic concept, but so many choices and differences. You can use the same yarn or the same pattern over and over- or never use the same twice. I'll never use all the patterns I've accumulated and probably not all the yarn, even if I stopped buying new things (which we all know will never happen). There is comfort in casting on 80 stitches for a hat just like I've done a hundred times before. But if I want to I can throw in stripes or a Fair Isle design. And there is excitement in casting on 200 stitches for a new sweater pattern in a yarn I've never used before. What I decide on will depend on need, want, availability, mood and whim. It’s all knitting, and it’s all good. 

Must Read

If you haven't seen this yet, it's worth checking out. I now have hope for all my UFOs.

Endings

I’m almost sorry to finish some projects if the pattern or yarn was so satisfying- a sure sign of a process knitter. Usually I get giddy taking that last stitch off the needles. I laugh at the little (and gargantuan) mistakes I made, from a dropped stitch to unraveling a whole piece only to discover it was right to begin. I stand back to admire. And take pictures, of course.

Pattern: Basic top-down shawl with lace patterns from Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting thrown in: Diamond Eyelet for the body and English Gadroon Lace for the edging.
Yarn: A honking huge cone of some unknown substance I bought on Ebay a couple of years ago. I hardly made a dent in it.

I was afraid it wouldn't block as well as wool or cotton, but even after being stuffed into my scarf basket it comes back out looking great. I'm thinking maybe some rayon? It has a soft, slinky feel.

Pattern: Oat Couture BB208 - Prairie Blanket for Baby (Look here for a better picture.)
Yarn: cheepo bulky acrylic

Not sure what I'm going to do with it. I started it for a gift that's now long overdue, and it's too heavy to use now that the weather is so warm. I'll just tuck it away for now. I'm sure I'll knit the pattern again, but with a lighter weight yarn. The nice thing about corner to corner blankets is you can knit half up your yarn increasing, the other half decreasing, and not worry about having enough.

Pattern: Baby Kimono from the new and fun Mason-Dixon Knitting (Yea Jen! She has a cute one on her site, too. She even has her own darling labels.)
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Cotton Soft (I don't think they make it any more. I bought a few skeins for 50 cents each at Smiley's Yarns ages ago.)

My goal for today was to finish sewing up the black Scoop, but it's dark and rainy and the stitches are hard to see. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Instead I'm working on baby booties, a pan of Rice Krispie Treats, and a cup of Lady Grey tea. I should sweep and vacuum (three dogs- what were we thinking?!?) but it's Sunday. And I don't want to.

F is for Flowers!