Queen of Buttons

Yup, I feel like the queen of buttons.  Check out my stash:

Various assorted buttons

Yup, I haz buttons!  Lots of selection and that suits me just fine.  It gives me options when I need to use buttons for a project.

I've also got a stash of colourful ones which often work great for children's clothing or accessories.

Sorted colourful buttons

I've separated them into their various colours.  Me thinks I need to sort through the other buttons too.

Why was I looking through the button stash?  To find the perfect ones for my nephew's Baby Sophisticate.  The collar is complete and all the ends have been woven in.  I only need 4 buttons to finish it off.  I narrowed it down to a few possibilities:

Possible choices 

After "trying out" a few and consulting with my boys, I settled on two possibilities: plain wooden buttons and tarnished brass ones.

Wooden or brass?

I'm leaning towards the wooden ones 'cuz that's how I envisioned the finished sweater when I initially chose this colour for the project.  Decisions, decisions, decisions . . . 

Progress

One sleeve is complete.  Yay for me!

Detail of finished sleeve

And I've started work on the second sleeve.  Hard to see with the two circulars (my favorite method for working in the round--less likely to have ladders.  Guess everyone uses whatever method works for them).  A couple of inches left to go . . . (but don't hold your breath 'cuz I've been working in the yard this weekend).

In-progress second sleeve

Even managed to get myself out to knit night.  It's been a year--at least.  With the school semester done, I plan to get out more regularly 'cuz I usually get some knitting time in and it's nice to connect with like-minded crafters.

WIP

Time to start looking for another project.  I find that if there's a new yarn or project waiting for me, the incentive bolsters my odds of finishing that WIP.  ;)

Knitting . . .

Almost ready to cast off the body . . . 

Looks good from behind too.

Now if I could just need find my other 5.0mm circular needle to work the sleeves . . . .

Something New

I had meant to post about a new project last weekend.  But you know how it is when life throws you a couple of curves.  Between finishing my last project, helping my son with his project and getting started on my taxes . . . well, you can just imagine how much time or energy I had left.  Nil to be exact.

New project using a mega ball of Red Heart Super Saver

So I'm posting this now to let you know you that yes, I have been knitting.  I just have no updated progress photos to share.  

Pattern Detail

The project is the Baby Sophisticate (Ravelry link).  It's a lovely pattern knit from the top down.  And it looks . . . well, it looks sophisticated for a baby sweater.

I've made this before as a gift for one of my nephews many moons ago (check out my blog posts from 2009 or see my  Ravelry entry  for more details).  I remember it being an enjoyable knit and the finished sweater was rather cute.  Thus far I've cast on and worked most of the body.  With such good progress, here's hoping the project gets completed soon.

About the Baby Stuff . . .

Almost done.  The hat was already completed when I'd started on the booties(the link will take you to the pattern links).  The booties were actually quite easy to work and to stitch up.  

Bernat Baby Booties

With those items finished, I decided to add some baby socks (they're just so darn cute!).

Baby Sock

The sock pattern comes from a discontinued booklet from Bernat (Rav link).  I'd actually made the socks a few years ago (old Bernat blog's archive at Yarnspirations.com) using the now discontinued yarn Bernat Baby Stretch.  I'd hoped my non-stretchy Red Heart Smoothie would work with the pattern.  And it does!

Almost done . . . 

 This is gonna be a cute set when its completed.  Just need to start the second sock . . .  ;)

Cheery and Bright

Amidst the gloom of wintery grey weather, I'm working on bright and cheery baby stuff.

The hat went rather quickly--worked on it mostly during naptime whilst my toddlers slept.  I've made this hat twice already--hard to beat a practical and equally cute pattern.  Its Berry Baby Hat (Rav link).  The only 2 mods were to include a ribbed brim( instead of a rolled one--personal preference) and addition of  8 extra stitches after the ribbing.  I used Red Heart Smoothie which feels like a silky cotton but is actually 100% acrylic.  The spring-like colours have a nice sheen and a soft hand. 

Right now I'm working on some matching booties.  I'm using Bernat Baby Booties (Rav link) which has easy-to-follow instructions.  The plan is to add some green trim 'round the cuff so the items will match.  The recipient isn't due till April, so I hope to add either a second hat or matching socks . . . not sure which yet.

Later,

Tink, Tink, Tink

That's the sound of my needles busy at work . . . 

First, the baby cardi (aka Avocado) is happily off the needles.  It needs some darning of ends and sewing of buttons . . . Ahhh, buttons!  Which ones to choose? They could all work, but I narrowed it down to two: the pearl ones and the wooden ones.

Truthfully I had always envisioned the finished item with wooden buttons for a casual, rustic feel, but the pearl ones look pretty . . . Decisions, decisions!

While I pondered my button choices, two requests came in from my family.  Everyone needs slippers!  The slippers of my youngest  fell apart.  Considering he got more than a year's use, I can't complain.  My own slippers lasted a few months before falling part--guess I'm hard on my feet.  Since I had lots of the same yarn leftover, I made the same style using the same yarn.  The Non-Felted Slippers by Yuko Nakamura  are a great design--easy to follow and quick to work (you may recall the pattern mods I posted here).

The slippers were completed over a few days (lunch and naptime are the best times to  squeeze in a few rounds of knitting).  They only need some seaming (of course my mind pondered the possibility of creating a solid sole by using Judy's Magic Cast-on--could it work for this many stitches?  I wonder . . . ).

And dear hubby requested slippers too.  His old ones were the traditional two-tone Phentex slippers--and they were dying.  For a change, he's willing to try the Non-Felted Slippers, mainly because these moccasin type slippers are a quick knit.  And if I use Phentex yarn, then they should still be quite durable (he's tough on his feet too).  Since hubby's feet are much bigger than mine, I've made mods.  I added extra stitches at cast-on, but am still working the same number of increases.  I'm hoping they will be sufficiently larger to accommodate hubby's man-sized feet . . . we'll shall see in a few days.

Now back to my reguarly scheduled studying (after this week's exam, I'm a free woman).  Have a good week! :)

Some Wee Progress . . .

It goes without saying that my knitting mojo is slowly waning.  That there is any progress at all is a surprise to me.  But progress there is!

Avocado Progress

The baby garter sweater (aka Avocado) has one sleeve completed.  Yay!

Sleeve Detail

And even my lowly sock has finally got the beginnings of a heel flap (there's always a sense of accomplishment when I can get the leg portion finished.  It feels as if I'm forever knitting and knitting  . . . until suddenly I've reached the right length).

Ribbed Sock In Progress

I always like working the heel flap--so I can watch the colour changes as I work back and forth.  And of course there's the heel turning which still inspires wonderment: it literally looks like magic!

Now back to my baking and cooking.  Yes, I'm actually making supper which is a wonderment itself (as I so rarely cook--mainly because I don't like to cook and there are other better cooks in the household who actually enjoy cooking).

Have a great week! 

Snow Day

This has been a winter of umpteenth snow days.  Being in the country, my trek into town takes me past hay fields and farms, across which the wind howls and blows much snow.  Long story short: the driving can be quite dicey at times with snow covered roads and white-out conditions.  Today was such a day.

And I can proudly say I used my time wisely and spent most of the day knitting.  I worked on a pair of socks I'd started in December.  I like stripey socks and this yarn (Patons Kroy Jacquards) is working up nicely.  I so love my wool socks.  Woolies make me very, very happy. :)

Stripey Socks

I even worked on the lovely Avocado. The body is complete.  And I've even managed to work on one of the sleeves--in the round of course.  I worked out when to start the decreases.  The rest should be easy--I hope.

Avocado in Progress

Here's hoping I can get out to work tomorrow.  This girl needs to bring home the bacon (so she can buy some yarn--hee, hee!).

Have a good week! :)

About the Avocado . . .

Almost Completed Body

Yup, its growing!  Very pleased with my progress this week.  I made a concerted effort to work on this project.  It became my naptime and lunchtime knitting.  And of course it was my waiting-room knitting.

WIP

Guess what?  My plan worked!  The bulk of the body is done.  I'm actually working on the garter hem.  The pattern called for 5 " for the body before working hem, but I decided to lengthen it to 6 ".  Planning to work the garter hem for about 1" before casting off.  Then its off to work the sleeves in the round ('cuz I'm not a fan of seaming).

Garter Detail

Hoping to put up my mods and patterns in one of the pages at the top of my blog as a free pattern inspired by classic garter stitch.  I'll keep you posted. ;)

Precious

Just had to share . . . 

Precious Babe

My sister was kind enough to pose her precious babe.  Meet my wee niece in her new sweater and hat.

Fast Asleep

Just perfect!

I haven't met her yet.  I hope I'll get to meet her soon before she gets too big.  Hard to live so far away from family . . . 

Oh Baby!

Yup, there are babies in the foreseeable future--not my babies.  Just nieces (or nephews).  So I thought I'd start a few baby knits.

Cute Stripey Hat

This is the Berry Baby Hat (Rav link), but I've modified the design by adding stripes.  It was supposed to resemble the cardigan a little.  Sadly I goofed up the stripes. Only after starting the cardi did I realize my error: the new colour of the stripe is supposed to be worked as a purl, not a knit.  I may have to rip back to the pink section and redo the striping ('cuz it'll bug me that the stripes don't match).

Circular Yoke Baby Cardigan

Pictured above is the start of the cardigan (and I'm farther along).  The pattern, called Concentric Stripes Cardigan, is free (another Rav link): very cute circular yoke sweater that requires very little yarn (it's newborn size).  When finished, I imagine it'll be tiny.  Maybe my niece will only wear it for a month.  Guess I'll have to make her another sweater.  If that's the sacrifice I must make . . . Have I mentioned how much I enjoy making baby knits?  :D

Mother's Day

Hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day.  We had a great day complete with sunshine.  And of course there were cards--beautiful handmade cards.

Cards

And in honour of Mother's Day, I present a completed set of shoes with matching hat for a mom-to-be.

Booties and Hat

The shoes were a quick project.  I worked up each shoe over lunch and nap time.  Perhaps the most work was seaming, sewing on the buttons and weaving in the ends.

Shoe Detail

I still have to sew together the crochet booties and I've got a new project on the go . . . but I'll share those next time.  Have a great week! :)

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

So many babies . . . so many baby knits!  Remember I mentioned a co-worker was pregnant?  I managed to finish the baby hat for her yet-to-be-born baby girl.  I like the pink trim along the edge.  The plan is to add a pink flower. 

Crochet Hat

I also crocheted matching booties in white.  The pattern came from the Bernat website (you have to register with Bernat to access their patterns; however, once you save a pattern to your username, you still have access to the pattern even if Bernat takes it off their main website).  It was a surprisingly easy pattern as well as a quick project (I was able to finish one bootie in one night). To match the hat, I think I'll add a little pink trim along the edge.

Crochet Booties

I also decided to make a strawberry hat with matching pink shoes---for no reason other than just 'cuz.  I have yet to make the shoes, but the pattern comes from a Bernat booklet (Ravelry link) for Baby Cakes which I suspect would be hard to find as the yarn is now discontinued (still disappointed about that).

Pink Shoes

The "matching" pink hat is a free online pattern from the blog Random Stitches.  The hat is so cute.  The only change I made was to add a ribbed brim instead of a rolled one.

Baby Hat

Top View

The nice thing about baby knits is that besides being super cute, the projects are often quick too.  And I can confidently say that there will be plenty of baby knits in my future (and no they won't be my babies; my baby days are over).  There'll be new babies in the family come fall, so I'll be busy with more booties and hats . . . babies, babies everywhere!

All in the Details

Don't ya think that sometimes its the little finishing details that can make or break a knit (or at the very least take it from so-so to adorable).  I think the wooden buttons take my Little Navy Stripes from nice to super-duper cute (but that's just my honest opinion and I'm a tad biased).  Wotcha think?

Baby Cardi and Matching Beanie

I just love the rustic feel of the steel blue and cream paired up with the wooden buttons (I don't think they're real wooden buttons, but they're a darn good facsimile).

Detail of Buttons

This Little Coffee Bean cardigan pattern (Ravelry link) is a keeper: I can definitely see myself knitting this one again for future newborns (and I do know of at least one due this summer).  And the Beanie (Ravelry link) is a quick knit too.  Happy to report the new mom appreciated the gift.

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 . . .