Wanderlust

Really not sure where I'm going with this. But I shall knit until all of those little mini-leftover balls are gone.

Okay, so you know how I have so much to do before December hits that my head is spinning? Yeah. Well, you know what I started to do last night even though I had a bunch of real writing to do and cookies to bake and important stuff to think about? I started knitting a dishcloth. And man, it feels great.

Book Review: 400 Knitting Stitches

Potter Craft's 400 Knitting Stitches is a book whose title says it all: this is a stitch dictionary, nothing more nothing less. No fancy introduction (other than some knitting basics), no project ideas, no examples of sweaters or scarves or legwarmers using these patterns. Just stitches. Which is what makes it totally awesome.

Each stitch entry consists of directions, a chart, and a photograph of the stitch swatched in off-white yarn. The patterns are sectioned off into knit/purl stitches, crossed stitches and cables, slipped stitches, lace stitches, double stitches, twisted stitches, cast off stitches and "fancy" stitches (smocking, bobbles, etc). And that's it.

So, why do you need this book? Well, if you design your own knitwear, the answer is obvious. If you don't, it's still handy if you want to add some zip to a plain scarf or sock pattern. Me, all I can see is dishrags. Loads of fun dishrags. I hope to spend a lot of time on the couch with some cotton, whipping up dishrags. And when I'm not doing that, this can sit on my shelf as an amazing reference book.

Treats

A couple weeks ago when I was in New York I was walking by the Plaza Hotel and gasped. I've been to New York a bunch of times, but usually find myself spending most of my time South of Midtown, so I'd never really had a moment to gaze upon the place-where-Eloise-grew-up before. I gawked for a second, then started on my way. Then it dawned on me. I could go in. I could go in and see the Plaza. I was all alone, with no responsibilities, no children, not even Aaron. I wasn't rushing to go somewhere or pick someone up or get something done. So, I went in the Plaza, sat at the bar, and had a glass of wine at 2:30 in the afternoon. I chatted with the bartender and only grumbled silently when I realized that they charge $30 for a glass of wine at the Plaza lobby bar.

So, when I was driving with the kids after picking something up this morning and drove by a really yummy Middle Eastern restaurant that I'd only eaten at once before, I had a Plaza moment. With Ruby now over her illness but nothing on the agenda today (November 11, you know), there was nothing stopping me from introducing my kids to the wonder of falafel. And then, to be even bolder, after lunch (which they loved), we walked a few blocks to my favourite yarn store and, for the first time in ages, I bought some yarn. To knit with. Oh yeah.

And it ain't cheap yarn, but I didn't buy very much. When my aunt saw my mom and I wearing our Calorimetry headscarves at Thanksgiving, I offered to make her one. So I bought some really gorgeous turqoise merino by the Tanis Fibre Arts. And after making Fishnet Bandanas for Aaron's sister and her girlfriend I thought maybe I should make one for myself. So I bought this crazy Malabrigo colourway (I know, the fact that it's not hot pink shocks me). So yes, one day, and hopefully one day soon I will knit. Because that's something I like to do.

Surprise, Baby.

Surprise! I knit something. Knitting used to be my #1 craft, but it's definitely fallen by the wayside over the years. I blame the lack of instant gratification, coupled with the high price of luxury yarn. Still, I do like the knits, and there is never a better time to knit than in anticipation of a new baby. And, lucky for me, I have a fabulous new baby to celebrate.

My new nephew, Jason David, came into the world a week ago this past Friday. When his brother, Caleb, was born, I spent six months knitting a spectacular baby blanket that somehow summoned the baby into being born the day it was finished. I hesitated to finish this little jacket too early, since my other brother was getting married at the beginning of the month and my very pregnant sister-in-law did not want an early baby to prevent her from being able to go to the wedding. So, I finished the jacket (except for seaming) about a week and a half ago, and wouldn't you know it, the little guy arrived a couple days later.

So, yes, a baby surprise jacket. This is the second one I've made and it was nowhere near as fun. I think a lot of that has to do with the non-variegated yarn. BSJs are a lot more fun if you use just the right kind of variegated yarn. Also, I used Lion Brand Wool Ease, because I wanted something that was natural, but washable (and, I really hate to say it, but I couldn't find time to go to my local yarn store -- they don't open until 11 most days and I tend to do my errands in the morning). This yarn really ticket me off -- the whole skein was essentially tied in one big knot. Yechhh. But, all in all, I think it turned out nice, if not a little large for young Jason. But he will grow into it. Yes, he will.

Fishnet Bandana

After the success of my 7-Up scarf, I realized that I liked the look of an all-eyelet triangular scarf, even though it wasn't what I originally set out to knit. I gifted it to my sister-in-law's girlfriend, who absolutely loved it. It was so loved, in fact, that the giftee not-so-subtly hinted that a black version would be much appreciated by her lady love. I barely ever knit for Aaron's sister since her tastes are very specific, so I lunged at the chance to knit something that I knew she would like. I picked up the darkest skein of Noro I could find and knit away.

This pattern (which I'm sure has been invented elsewhere, but I'm giving you my own version) is simple as simple can be. Use any kind of yarn you'd like, choosing a needle size or two higher than the one recommended on the ball band. Then:

CO 1 st
Row 1: Kfb
Row 2: Kfb, Kfb
Row 3: Kfb, K2, Kfb
Row 4: Kfb, K4, Kfb
Row 5: Kfb, K to end
Row 6: Kfb, (yo K2tog) to end

Repeat rows 5 and 6 until scarf is desired length or you run out of yarn (a decent sized skein should be enough). Bind off as loosely as humanly possible. Block.


Blocking is an essential here... well, sort of. I didn't block the 7-Up version because the yarn was holding pretty large eyelets, and I felt it was light and large enough as is. But with the Noro, blocking was the key to success. Before blocking, the scarf was heavy and small. Blocking made it pretty much double in size and really opened up those eyelets, making for a light and flirty scarf. Hooray!

Back Pages

Remember the knitted book I started for Henry in, er, June? I finished the last page this weekend! I'll post more about this once it's an officially finished item, but for now I'll just say that I remember why I don't do more intarsia (or colourwork in general). I don't like doing it. And look at all these ends!

In other news, I did not do well in my Oscar pool last night. Not even close. It didn't help that the only nominated movies I saw this year were Frozen River, The Visitor, Vicky Christina Barcelona, (all on DVD), The Class (nominated in Foreign Language) and Kung Fu Panda (which I actually saw in the theatre). Anyway, I'm not $50 richer this morning, but I am feeling happy for Kate Winslet.

What Would You Do With 10 Skeins Of Hot Pink Mohair?

That's the question of the day. Back in those early days of knitting, when I was all in love with the idea of knitting everything under the sun but had no idea of what I was doing when it came to yarn purchasing or anything like that, I bought 10 skeins of hot pink vintage Bernat Mohair Plus on ebay. Yeah, I know, real bright. It's been taking up real estate in my relatively small stash space for about five years now and I've been wasting brain power trying to figure out what the heck to do with it (other than donate it to the Sally Ann -- that would be letting the mohair win).

I tried using it for the Airy Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, but it's way too thick -- at least three times thicker than a lace weight mohair. Plus it's itchy. A few weeks ago I knit up the above piece of material... lets call it a scarf... but again, way too itchy to wear. So what do you do with 10 skeins of hot pink mohair? Any input would be more than welcome.

Sock Feet

I actually finished knitting these about a week ago, but with all this computer business, I didn't get around to posting. Viola! Les socks!

As I mentioned, I got this ball of Noro Silk Garden Sock for Christmas and, having never used it before, I wanted a pattern that called for this yarn specifically. So, I went for Glenna's So Simple Silk Garden Socks, which is available for free on Ravelry. I used a US 3 needle (a tiny bit bigger than the pattern called for) and they knit up really easy and really fast. As I've mentioned before, I find this yarn totally mesmerizing and I became quickly addicted to watching the colours change.


I'm very happy with the finished product. They remind me of a store-bought pair of "home-spun" Hue socks I have and love. They're totally fraternal and while I don't really love these kind of transitional colour patterns in general, I like these. Also, the yarn is a little too thick to wear under shoes, so I'll probably use them more as slippers than regular socks. Which is nice, because it's cold in this house sometimes, but I like to tread lightly so as to not wake up any wee nappers.

Finally, this marks my first attempt at cables. I've always been afraid of cables, which I now realize is ridiculous. They're so easy and fun. Try them if you haven't.

Solid As A Sock

So, I held up this sock to Aaron the other night and said "Look how wacky this yarn is! Isn't this sock crazy?" He looked at me like I was absolutely crazy.

I know that I should be working on Ruby's doll, but I got a ball of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn for Christmas and it was calling my name. So, I cast on and have been addicted to watching the crazy, seemingly random colours fall into place. I know this is a really niche knitter thing, but I actually find Noro funny. I laugh as I knit with it, watching the thick turn into thin, the dark green turn into hot pink. A non-knitter might just think that these colour transitions are ugly, but I think they're witty.

Plus, this yarn is kind of awesome because it knits up so quick, which is exciting, even though I don't see myself wearing these socks under shoes -- they're more of a house sock kind of thing. Either way, I'm well into sock #2, so I'll tell you more about all of this once I have a finished project to show off.

Admiring The Knits Of Others: Holiday Edition

My own knitting has come to a pathetic slow-down over the last year or so, but our house was blessed with some knitted goods over the holidays. I honestly don't think anyone appreciates a knitted gift as much as another knitter. I love the three items on this page and honestly believe they're all worthy of slipping into the family heirloom category (which reminds me -- I have some actual family heirloom knits to show you -- another post).


A package arrived from our dear friends Josh and Joanna earlier this week and it was a very sweet new year's surprise. Jo is a great knitter -- a true master of the sock. She's also an amazing horticulturalist, but that's another story. Anyway, she sent the little doll decoration that you see at the top of the page (knitting and felting! I'm impressed!) to Ruby and a lovely pair of long booties for Henry. So cute.


And speaking of wee Henry, his Nana (Leena) knit him this gorgeous sweater. It's so cute. With the seed-stitch yoke and the pockets it's like a little woolen jean jacket. Cozy and cute, perfect for my little man.

It's A Horse (Of Course)

When I first reviewed Jean Adel's Knitted Critters For Kids To Wear, I wasn't that jazzed on it. I thought the hats were a little repetitive and sized for kids too old to pull off animal hats. But, as you know, you can't really judge a craft book until you make something. Let's just say my opinion hasn't turned for the better.

Like I said, the hats in this book start at a size 3 yrs and go up to 4-5 yrs and 6-7 yrs. Most (if not all) the hats are knit in Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted. Now, I know Lamb's Pride is a little thicker than most worsted wools, but the sizes are wacky. Either Jean Adel doesn't have children or they have tiny tiny heads -- because there's no way that these are sized for children that old. For example: a three year old's hat in Adel's book has 72 stitches. In Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Hats, the same gauge and stitch count yields a hat sized for 6-12 month baby. I know I could have used common sense and double checked this, but I shouldn't have to do that.

So, I knit up one of these in a cheap-o acrylic yarn, at 72 stitches. I couldn't even get it on Henry's head (remember, in the book it's recommended for a three year old and Henry is nine months). I re-knit in pure wool at 80 stitches and I think it will just fit my one and a half year old nephew, for whom it is a Christmas gift. There's no way it would fit a 4-5 year old.

Anyway, in case you were wondering, it's a horse. I omitted the eyes and nose because I was afraid they'd stretch too much once the thing was on his head, and I like the idea of the child's own face being the face. Anyway, I think it's cute and you could easily use any of Adel's embellishments on a hat pattern of your choice. Just measure your kid's head before you start knitting.

Stacking The Pages

So I have been slowly working on Henry's knitted book. Dudes, I'm not so sure how this one is going to turn out. Intarsia is not my forte, that I have leaned. I don't know if I didn't choose the best possible gauge or yarn, but it's not looking nearly as tight as any of the other ones on Ravelry. Or it just could be that I'm not a tight enough knitter and not very details oriented. Or it might all look way better once I block it.

I'm pretty happy with the almost finished moon, which was way easier because of the minimal colour changes. The other page you see here is a fish, in case you were wondering. Either way, I'm kind of glad that this gift is staying in the family (and going to a baby), since it may not end up being my best work.

I have one page to go. It's the sun, which is one of the most complicated of the bunch. Hopefully I'll get a start on it tonight over some Barack Obama infomercial action and a marathon session of CNN.

Warming Up A Bald Head

The weather took a sudden change this week. It's not freezing or anything, but I realized that Henry's bald little head was going to get pretty cold pretty fast if I didn't knit something fast. So, for about the 15th time in my life, I cast on and made a very simple baby toque.

I used the Simple Baby Cap #2 from Itty Bitty Hats, which is a pretty standard hat pattern (there's a million of them out there). I used some Malbrigio Worsted that I had leftover from I don't remember where and just went to town. I love making this kind of hat -- it doesn't take much more than an hour and it's something that I know will be worth my while and get a lot of use. As I was knitting it, I was afraid it was going to be too big, but apparently my kid has quite a lot of brains, because I'm now worried that it won't last him through the winter. Which is okay, since I can always take an hour or two to make another one.

Book Review: Knitted Critters For Kids To Wear

More books! I've been taking a look at Knitted Critters For Kids To Wear by Jean Adel. It's a book of animal-themed hats (with scarf and mittens) for kids. Nothing more, nothing less. So, need not apply if you don't have kids or don't like cutesy stuff for your kiddos.

Now, I know what you're thinking from the cover: this will probably appeal more to the kind of knitter who favours novelty yarns and shops at Michael's than the hand-dyed lovin', LYS shoppin' yarn snob. And that's probably true, but while I probably fall into the latter category myself, I think I'll probably crank a few of these guys out by the end of the calendar year. The designs are all pretty similar: the book consists of a couple dozen versions of the same hat, embellished in different ways. Some are pretty simple (i.e. no real frills), some more complicated (i.e. colourwork). But they're all pretty much the same. I've got my own eye on Jeremiah the Frog, Bandit the Racoon and Ringo the Dog.

The book itself is pretty well laid-out -- each section (beginner, easy, and intermediate) starts with colour pictures of kids wearing the hats, then the patterns follow, making it easy to flip through and choose the animal you like best. I am a little irked that the hats are sized age 3 through 7. While I'm seriously making hats for Henry and my one-year-old nephew Caleb, I'm not sure many self-respecting school-aged kids are going to be that into these (and thumbless mittens for three-year-olds?). Maybe it's the snob in me coming out again, but I can't see Ruby seeing a fuzzy Koala hat as anything else than baby-wear. Don't get me wrong -- I don't look down upon five-year-olds in animal hats (to each her own), I'm just saying that it would be nice for newer knitters if they were sized smaller for tinier kids so they wouldn't have to do the math themselves.

Update: Okay, I'm out of the loop. Apparently these hats sell for big bucks at Barneys. Yes, the upscale department store, not the dinosaur. So, I know nothing about hip kid fashion. But I still think these would be cute on a baby. That's all.

*****

In other news, the weekend was indeed lovely, despite the missed anniversary. Trips to the park, wine-tasting get-togethers, pool parties... it's a good summer.

Crafty Odds And Crafty Ends

Henry has proven that he is not indeed the easiest baby in the world (still pretty damn easy, but now that he's four months old he actually likes, you know, attention) so I don't have any finished craftiness to show for, but I have been sneaking a few minutes of stitchin' in here and there. In fact, I've got more projects on the go than I should, just not a lot of finishing. I'm still working away on Ruby's Stichettes and am almost done a baby sock, plus the stuff you see here.

Above, my Bend-The-Rules Sewing Lap Quilt. It really is, as the pattern advertises, easy. I've been afraid of quilts yet dying to try one for a while, and this one is totally boosting my confidence. Today I cut out the back and the batting and machine quilted like crazy. And it only really was an hour or two of work (and that's while tending to Henry). So far I'm loving it. I'm a little afraid of the binding, but I really want to finish it sooner than later.


And here, another page for Henry's knitted book. It's a chick!


Finally, I didn't actually make this guy, but I get to live with him. Aaron's Great-Aunt Betty is in her early 80s and is totally amazing. When she was young, she studied engineering at university (not a common degree for young women 60 years ago) and eventually became a pilot as well (and also fell in love with and married her flight instructor). She never had any children of her own and Aaron almost thinks of her as a third grandmother. She made this little bear for Henry and added the pilot details to cuten him up. I love him.

Other People's Knits: Blanket For A Boy

I can't believe I haven't posted about this blanket yet -- it's so incredibly beautiful and I've had it for four months. This is Henry's blankie. After spending months on a blanket for my nephew last year I wasn't too anxious to knit a blanket for my own babe. Plus I knew that my lovely mother-in-law Leena wanted to knit something special for our little guy. Naturally she chose a beautiful yarn and a great pattern made of up of mitered squares.

I can't tell you anything about the pattern and the yarn -- sorry. And I know this picture doesn't say that much about the blanket -- but it's nice and big, about the size of a crib mattress. Really, this post is just a public thank you to Leena and an excuse to show off a picture of the baby. It's the weekend, I thought you could use a little shot of the cutest boy I know.

Catching Up

Wow. I can't believe it's been two weeks since I've posted. There's been some crazy times in these parts -- Aaron was overseas for a week and a half on business, leaving me here with both kids for the first time (props to the single moms out there -- I have no idea how you do it). Then there's always that weird adjustment period that we always go through when he comes back from a trip. Then Ruby started getting sick. Yesterday I had to take her for a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia -- I haven't heard from the doctor, so I'm assuming the results are in and she's fine. Well, still sick, but not dangerously so. Then the baby started coughing this morning. Ugh -- nothing leaves a mother as breathless as the possibility of their kid being really really sick. It's nice to be reminded of just how intense my love is, but I really don't enjoy seeing pictures of my kid's insides.


So, not a lot of crafting time, but I am constantly feeling compelled to start new projects. What you see here are a couple pages from Bite This Book, a little softie book project from Kat Coyle's Boho Baby Knits. I can't believe this is my first project from this book -- I was so excited when it came out, but never really had the time. I figure I can whip up a little page for the book when I have the time and all six should be done by the time Henry is ready to flip the pages. Though that day may be coming sooner than I think -- by the looks of it, the little stinker is just about ready to cut his first tooth. He's three months old! This shouldn't happen for another six months! I just hope he's not a biter.

The Baby Socks That Time Almost Forgot

See these itty-bitty teeny-weenie baby socks? They took me (by my own foggy calculations) at least 14 weeks to knit. Fourteen weeks! I know, I have every right to have taken 14 weeks to knit a pair of baby socks: I had carpal tunnel in the weeks leading up to Henry's birth and was also in a hellish four-week pre-labour which I later found out all but left my uterus unusable (ladies, if it feels like something's wrong, press your doctor. Don't take "it's normal" for an answer if you really don't think it is). Then, of course, I've had a three-year-old to chase and a little bruiser of a baby who eats at hour-and-a-half intervals. But, look, socks!

This is from a very easy, almost intuitive baby sock recipe, found here. I used some leftover yarn from a pair of adult socks: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Envy, so Henry now has socks that match a pair I made his Nana for Christmas. The two baby socks took up almost exactly the remainder from one skein of sock yarn that had already yielded a single adult sock. So, two skeins of something like Shepherd Sock should give you a pair of grown-up socks and two pairs of baby socks (depending on how long the grown-up socks are, of course).

I'm planning to make a few more of these, if not for Henry, for all the other babies in my life (20 newborns in 2008!). It's a great way to get rid of all those little remainder balls that are lying around the house and they also provide a knitting project that I may actually finish one day.

Oh, and speaking of babies, my dinner out with my friends was great for me, but horrible for Henry and Aaron. Henry is normally a weirdly well-behaved baby (Ruby cries more in the course of a day than he does), but apparently he's also already a full-on mama's boy. He screamed the whole time I was gone, and was smiley and quiet the minute I came through the door. Ack.

Depending On The Knits Of Others

Well, I'm not going to pretend I've been making stuff (other than food). For the first time in Henry's life, I knit a few stitches the other day, finishing the toe of a baby sock. Not super exciting. So, I'm going to spend a couple of posts celebrating the knits of others that have come into our home.

The awesome Lucy and her sweet family came by the other day with handknits for both Henry and Ruby (and a skein of Socks That Rock for me... Hooray!). Here's Henry in a sweet little sweater that she made. It fits perfectly (better than my still pretty big BSJ pictured a while back). And I love the bright colours -- baby clothes are usually so drab in colour and they wash poor Henry's dark good looks out.


It's been impossible to capture Ruby on film lately, so I had to photograph her sweater without a kid in it. But, it does look really nice on her. I love the i-cord tie at the neck. Super cute and also fits like a glove. And, she actually is willing to wear it, unlike most of the stuff I make her.


Finally, in an attempt to feel useful as something other as a full-time milk bar, my obsession with the Martha Stewart cookie book continues. And today, I actually made a successful cookie -- the Chocolate Chunk Walnut Banana cookie (though I used pecans instead of walnuts). It's basically banana bread in cookie form. Delicious.