Archive for the 'gift knitting' Category
Newborn Knits!
Monday, January 4th, 2010
I’m working on a few little layette sets for New Baby! For Mazie, I knit a lot of 6-month things, but didn’t have anything for her to wear right away. So THIS time, I want to have at least a few things for her to wear when she gets home. It’ll be summery again in a few weeks, so our “Knits Window” is pretty small and closing.
Each set has a sweater, hat, and socks (or will when I’m finished, at least!)
Thanks to my knitting friend Stephanie for the heads up, I got in on a bunch of Lorna’s Laces Swirl DK at Jimmy Bean’s Wool for 50% off! I decided to use it to knit a few teeny baby sweater sets for my new little girl. (They still have lots of Lorna’s on sale, if you’re interested. I also recommend the Shepherd Sock, also on sale!)
I think I’ll order some more Swirl to make something for Big Sister, too.
The yarn is wonderfully soft and feels great in the hand. The knits are definitely next-to-the-skin (even baby skin) soft. I love that these colors aren’t typically “Baby Girl.”
I had a couple of emails in my inbox from concerned readers…I tweeted / facebooked (by phone) at one point last week about being stuck in a snowstorm with no internet. We survived! We were actually all holed up at Nathan’s parents’ house in IA. We were comfortable, but without internet and going really mad from cabin fever. They had 20.8 inches of snow over like 3 days. Everything was shut down.
Posted in Patterns, baby, gift knitting | 6 Comments »
My baby is a big girl now!
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
I took Mazie to the park today. The last time we went, I had to go down the slide with her, and hold her hand while she walked around the jungle gym.
But THIS time…my brave girl did it all by herself!!
I am a proud Mommy! 
Mazie is growing up so fast that I was *also* encouraged to finish up the pattern for my Vestvember vest, Violet: a vest that grows with your child
Statistics:
Yarn:
2(2, 3) hanks Berocco Vintage: (50% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 10% Nylon; 3.5 oz / 100 g; 217 yds / 198 m; Machine wash. Lay flat to dry) Color: Lilacs # 5183
Gauge:
4.5 sts = 1″; 18 sts & 24 rows = 4″ (10cm)
Needle:
7 (US) / 4.5 mm (or size to obtain gauge) 16” circular needle, and either DPN, long needle for magic loop, or 2 circs for working neckline in the round.
Sizes: 12 mo.(2,4) / 16-20(20-24, 24-28)” chest measurement
Notes
This sweater is worked in the round from the top down with no seaming. Front and back are worked separately for a few inches after the sleeve caps are bound off.
The sweater is designed to grow with your child. As she grows, remove one or more of the under arm button bands to create a deeper armhole. Unhem l purl ridge at a time as you need more length at the bottom of the sweater.
The longer you knit the sweater, the more hem you have to play with, and the more your child can grow and still wear this garment. Be sure to cast on loosely so that the neckline will be stretchy enough to accommodate a growing head circumference, too! (Sizes 12 mo.(2, 4) will accommodate up to 21(23,23)” head circumference.)
The pattern can be purchased for $5 from my Ravelry shop.
Posted in Patterns, baby, gift knitting | No Comments »
We are just THRILLED that it is VESTVEMBER!
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
So…after talking several times with both Yahaira and Karen in recent days, I decided to cast on for a Vestvember project! (There are both Ravelry and Flickr groups for Vestvember…be sure to check them out!)
I was at Unravel the other day, because I heard a rumor that they had ordered some Lorna’s Laces yarn and wanted to see that for myself. They didn’t have any Lorna’s, but they did have this interesting yarn from Berroco. I used to shy away from yarns with high acrylic content, but after successfully using Berroco’s Comfort for a big project for myself a few years ago:
(it has held up GREAT!) I decided to give the Vintage a try.
It feels so nice in the hand, it’s soft, lofty, but still has that Cascade 220 (another fave of mine) feel of like, “ok, this is just plain, simple, old-fashioned YARN.” I *like* fluffy fancy high-end wools, but sometimes my knitting history calls from deep down inside and I just want YARN. BUT…this is more than “just yarn” … it’s MACHINE WASHABLE. And it feels GOOD! And the colors are FABULOUS! And…And…I knit my Vestvember project in TWO DAYS.
I decided to make a little vest for my Mazie.
Yahaira is doing a turtle / cowl, so I totally copied that. Well, let it sink into my brain until my brain said, “Hey! How about a turtle / cowl?” And I said, “Well, that would be GREAT! I wonder if Yahaira would think that would be cute?” (wink) Here is the start of my turtleneck on top of the cabinets that Nathan is refacing. (little peek into life at the New House.)
THEN…I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could make this sweater for Mazie one year and have it still fit the NEXT year?” SO…I lengthened the armholes (in a decorative way) with the plan of adding little tabs at the side that I can move down as she gets bigger.
I also did a little deco thing at the hem, so that I could fold the hem at any of the purl ridges and hem it…then LET IT DOWN as she needs more length!! I didn’t hem this one, but I *could.*
Mazie likes it…I think.
Posted in yarn reviews, Patterns, baby, gift knitting | 2 Comments »
UPcycled Tshirt Yarn patterns are LIVE on Ravelry
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
I have now formatted and uploaded all four of the new Tshirt yarn patterns to Ravelry. They range in price from $2 to $3. CHEAP. My contribution to encourage people to recycle or, even better, UPcycle!
In case you missed it, you can watch my “how to make Tshirt Yarn video” here. And, if you are really inspired, you can sign up for the next offering of the class.
PS: I’m designing a kids’ Tshirt yarn pattern for the winter issue of Petite Purls.
Posted in Patterns, gift knitting, Online classes | No Comments »
Turn old Tshirts into yarn and FOUR great projects (video tutorial)
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
In the middle of preparing the “Mirth: A Fitted Raglan Shawl” class and pattern, I’ve had another idea for a class. I’m knitting along thinking of great spots to do videos, and then…poof! New Class Idea!
You know we just bought a house, and I’m packing and getting ready to move. I looked in my husband’s closet and found at least 50 Tshirts. Some of them are cool, like the “Black Flag: Loose Nut” Tshirt that I’ve commandeered for today (makes an awesome-looking preggo-belly!) Some, however, are really old and nasty, some are just lame free ones from various companies. I just don’t want to throw them all out! I’ve seen T-shirt yarn on Etsy, so I’m not the first person to think of this, BUT.
I made this video on the weekend:
I’ve decided to offer a class at http://stefaniejapel.ning.com.
Making yarn out of old (or new) Tshirts is such an easy process in and of itself. I decided to show you how to do that for free in an tutorial. I see that there are already a few demos for this on YouTube… so now you’ll have my take on it!
(The video is also a description of the class that I’m offering.)
In class, we’ll go through how to not only make the yarn, but how to figure out what weight it is (worsted, DK, etc.) and then how to cut to get the weight of yarn you want, as well as how to cut so that you make “special effects” like thick and thin, fringe, etc.
In week 2, you’ll learn how to dye your yarn, using both natural and commercial dyes.
You’ll also get a PDF booklet of four projects so that you can actually USE your yarn! (It would defeat the purpose to just cut up the shirts and then have a bunch of yarn that you don’t know what to do with!) Week 3 of class will focus on tips and tricks for the four projects.
This is a great project to do with kids, as long as they’re old enough to work with sharp scissors.
And, like all of my online classes, you can work at your own pace. The material is available to you for three weeks, but you can go through everything all at once if you want to.
Posted in gift knitting, video post | 4 Comments »
Aunt Tonnie’s rabbit
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
Aunt Tonnie knit Mazie a rabbit! We got it in the mail today.
She loves the long (i-cord) ears to hold onto and also to chew!
(This was one of the free stuffed animal patterns that my sister Tonya got for signing up to receive Knitting Daily.
Posted in Patterns, baby, gift knitting | No Comments »
Charity Knitting
Friday, April 11th, 2008
One thing I haven’t done much of is charity knitting.
Recently, though, a great one has come to my attention.
It’s the Oxfam Blanket for Maternal Mortality. They’re collecting 9″ squares. For me, that’s a great thing…I can send in small bits of knitting and not feel overwhelmed by knitting an entire garment or shawl by myself. And every little square is a big help to the project. Hey…if I make all of my swatches 9″…I help two birds with one stone.
Here’s the press release:
Oxfam calls on knitting activists to demonstrate some purling power
Oxfam is calling on all knitters in the UK to (purl together and) support a new campaign to help reduce the numbers of women who die needlessly every year in pregnancy and childbirth. Millions of mums in poor countries get low-quality health care or are forced to go though pregnancy and childbirth without it altogether, meaning that, every minute, a mother dies because she doesn’t have access to the medical care she needs.
The campaign is being launched in partnership with the parenting website mumsnet.com and knitters will be asked to make 9-inch squares for a giant baby blanket, with each knitted square representing a mother who did not survive pregnancy or childbirth to be able to care for her baby.
Mumsnet founder Carrie Longton said: ‘It seems astonishing that in the 21st century mothers are still dying through lack of basic healthcare. Mumsnet are delighted to be working with Oxfam to raise awareness of this desparate situation and Mumsnetters are busy knitting already.
The aim is to get 250,000 squares by September, the number of mothers who could have been saved in that time if decent healthcare had been available.
Oxfam Leeds Campaigner Sarah Blakemore said: ‘Most knitters love to make beautiful things to show others they care, this campaign is about showing how much people in the UK care about the lives and health of mums and babies around the world. It’s a message to tell world leaders they must act to provide decent healthcare for all’
The giant blanket will be handed over to the UK Government just before world leaders meet in New York to discuss progress on the Millennium Development Goals, aimed at halving world poverty by 2015. It will represent a demand to global leaders to act now to ensure that everyone in the world has access to free basic healthcare
After the giant blanket has been handed in, it will be dismantled and sold in Oxfam shops and at festivals, with the money raised going towards Oxfam’s work to fight poverty.
To join a group of knitting Mumsnetters locally, click here http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2280/499651
Send completed squares to Oxfam Campaigns, 47 Park Square East, Leeds, LS21 2NL
(Here’s the group on Ravelry: oxfam-blanket-for-maternal-mortality)
Posted in gift knitting | No Comments »
I never promised you a (knit-and-felted) rose garden
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
So, ok. I’m realizing that it’s probably better if I just go ahead and blog than “not blog because I’ll just blog about the baby.”
If I don’t write about what’s happening here day to day, I’ll not end up blogging at all. And that’s just Boring!
Here’s what’s going on:
Knitting:
I’m writing up the patterns for two garments for SWTC. This is my main project at the moment, and I snatch time for it when my mom can come over and hold Mazie. She’s not sleeping all day any more, so she needs to be entertained, and Grandma is happy to do that! My vision is to have these done by Monday.
I’ve also picked up my Sanpoku again.
I have a few minutes every night at like 10 to work on it. It’s great for zoning out and getting ready for the night time wake-ups. I’m not sure when I’ll finish this. My LYS isn’t carrying my colorway (Olive 9781), and I ran out of yarn! (Not because of the yardage listed in the pattern.) I’m subbing Comfort, and it’s hanked up differently. The pattern calls for 11 or 12 hanks, and the called-for yarn (Touche) is in small hanks, while the Comfort is in big balls (I’ll get some interesting spam for using that phrase)…and I lazily guessed at how many yards I’d need total.
Should have taken the .5 seconds to do the math and bought what I needed at the time. I ordered more yarn, so whenever that gets here I can finish it. I’ve finished two sleeves, and may have enough for the back, which is on the needles now.
I also finished this sweater:
It’s a size 2T and is a trade, going to a woman on the diaper-sewing board that I read. She’s making me a few diapers in exchange. Knit from Malabrigo worsted in “Midnight Blue.”
Do you like it? We made the buttons, too.
Here’s the back:
**See the lighter stripe at the bottom? Be a better knitter than me and alternate your hanks!**
In other news, we just had a stay-at-home day. I was going to campus, but we just weren’t able to get everyone ready (me, mom, Mazie) so we didn’t make it. Tomorrow.
My Mom and Mazie:
Posted in just chit chat, Patterns, baby, gift knitting | 2 Comments »
Gift Swap Knitting and lots of “signing up”
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007
I signed up for a handmade gift swap on one of the message boards that I visit, and here’s what I’m making:
They’re little cotton bath scrubbies, and each one has a bar of nice soap inside. They take about 20 minutes to knit (if that). There are 11 people in the swap, I can’t wait to see what everyone makes. So far, I’ve finished 6 of my gifts and have 4 more to go.
Mom and I signed up for a 5K fun walk at the end of the month. I think it’ll be a lot of fun. Nate asked me if we were going to start training. I need to train to walk 2 miles? Sheesh, I must look really out of shape. I was at the mall yesterday for a whole HOUR. That had to be at least 1.5 K
We also signed up for a natural dye class in November. I’m really looking forward to that. I’ll take lots of pics. I’ll be careful not to stand in any poison steam, don’t worry.
I was at the mall yesterday, looking for bath bombs. I rediscovered my LUSH stash last week and used it all up…so I need more bath stuff. STAT. Unfortunately, our mall isn’t that extensive. So, I left the bath bomb trail and just spent an hour or so looking at baby stuff. I don’t know, do they still even MAKE bath bombs?** The expiration date on one of mine was 2004. I know they were THE Christmas gift a few years ago. But was it really 2004!? Time files, dearhearts.
Not much really new is going on. We’re going to Sioux City for Thanksgiving-mas and having Christmas with Nate’s family at Thanksgiving time. We’re leaving on the 20th…that’s only about a month from NOW!
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**ETA: Yeah. They do.