Cute Baby Knit

So remember when I posted about finishing my pinwheel blanket?  I mentioned something about promptly starting a new project.

Meet my new project (see sidebar for Ravelry link):

Project Sheet

It's for a co-worker who just had her first baby.  I was gonna buy a little something; however, whilst basking in the glow of my pinwheel FO, my thoughts turned to quick baby knits.  For some reason, I had it in my head that I could finish a baby sweater in a week--or less.  Now don't laugh.  It could be possible, perhaps if I had chosen the 3 month size (but babies grow fast, so 6 months seemed like a better size).  And perhaps if I were a different knitter--say a faster one!  Ha!  And maybe if I didn't have to go to work during the day or sleep at night . . .

No matter.  The sweater is a growing.

Body complete, one sleeve in progress

This is gonna be darn cute when its finished.  And yes, I am using the leftover yarn from my pinwheel blanket.  Aren't these the best colours for a wee baby boy?  Hoping to make a matching toque too. 

Now back to knitting 'cuz my queue grows by the day . . .

My Crochet Afghan

So while I tarried on my pinwheel blanket, I also worked on my crochet afghan (have you followed the crochet-along over at Bernat?). I was doing well, completing each clue as it was released.  Then came the mitred squares.  There were supposed to be sixteen of them.  I fell behind--far behind :(

Lots of squares

There's an update over at the Bernat blog by none other than yours truly (I think I'm allowed to toot my own horn, right?). 

Thank goodness for my fellow crocheters over at the official CAL forum on Ravelry .  Their photos and tips have been inspiring and encouraging.  Soon I'll be finishing my squares and sewing them together . . . soon I hope :S 

One Down

Finished the pinwheel blanket this afternoon.  And I must say that I am feeling very good about scratching an item from my list of WIPs (let's not talk about the new project for which I cast on promptly after supper--yes, I added more to the list, but let's save that for another day, shall we?).

Pinwheel Blanket

The stripes  and mottled seed stitch add a touch of whimsy to what would have been an otherwise plain blanket.  N'est pas?

Stripe and Seed-Stitch Detail

Once I've woven in the ends, I'll give it a wash.  When it comes to acrylics, I generally don't block, but a wash & dry makes everything look fresh and clean.

Now back to my knitting . . .

Just Keep Knitting . . .

Just keeping knitting . . .
Knitting, knitting, knitting . . .
What do we do when we want to keep going
We keep knitting, knitting . . .

Remember good old Dory from Finding Nemo?  And her song about "just keep swimming"?  Well, I've embraced that philosophy and have kept knitting my pinwheel blanket.  

Stripes on the Pinwheel

I'm currently at the 370 stitch mark and have approximately less than 20 rows to go.  Unfortunately each row requires about 20-30 minutes to finish (which in the grand scheme, is not an inordinate amount of time, but my interest quickly wanes with what seems like miles upon miles of stockinette . . That's partly why I've added striping--to keep my attention just a wee bit longer.

Inside the Pinwheel

My knit club meets this coming Wednesday.  Will I be able to finish in time (minus any darned ends or blocking)?  Must keep knittin' . . .
;)

Always Remember . . .

That there were others before us that made the supreme sacrifice . . .

Poppy Wreath courtesy of morguefile.com

So that we could enjoy all the freedoms and rights we have now.   

Red Poppy courtesy of morguefile.com

Lest we forget . . .

Slow Progression

Whether it be crochet or knitting, my crafting life moves slowly  . . . but there is progression.

Pinwheel Blanket

My pinwheel blanket is now just a wee bit bigger than a 12" pizza and I've passed the halfway mark at well over 270 stitches (Target size: 450 stitches).  Some of the ladies at knit club have already finished theirs (although some of them had a head-start--just sayin').  Nothing like peer pressure to spur one on.

Slipper Progress

My husband's slippers . . . not much new there.  Other projects have come first.  And now they are truly on the back burner 'cuz the gift knitting has begun.  

The Start of a Christmas Gift

Cast on for a girly skull hat this morning and am now starting the decreases (click on my Ravelry project link in the sidebar to see more details).  It's a wee bit big for its intended recipient, but I think it will still be appreciated.

Almost-Finished Girly Skull Hat

As for my Bernat CAL, progress continues.  Although I didn't quite finish all of the mitered squares, I'm up-to-date with all the other squares.  I'm not sure about the projected due date (some time in December perhaps?).  Hope that will be finished for Christmas.


A Few of My Crocheted Squares

Sometimes I feel as if there's too much on the go.  How did the two-project gal end up committing to so much?  Too ambitious?  Unrealistic goals?  Maybe I over-estimated my knitting speed?  How did I manage to make so much last year?  Perhaps I need to re-evaluate my goals--and how I spend my time . . . for now, I'd best get back to finishing something. 

Here's hoping your week is filled with crafting goodness. :)

The Jig Is Up :(

The boys figured it out on their own.  They devised an "experiment" to test their hypothesis and then they discovered the ugly truth: the tooth fairy ain't real.

A Special Box

Without telling anyone, my eldest lost a tooth.  When no one was looking, he put his tooth in the special box and then he waited.  And waited.  And waited.  After a week and no coin in sight, he figured that the great mythical fairy was just myth.

An Empty Box?

I suppose it was bound to happen eventually.  It just makes me a little sad.