My Three Sons

Each time I'm knitting something, it never fails that one of the boys will ask me 'Is that for me?' The answer has always been no .There are loads of adorable patterns for kids, an entire ravelry group devoted to people who knit for their kids and even knit for their male children. I felt like a loser. All this time spent making knots with two sticks and never anything for my own chitlens.

Through a random string of instagram likes (Hello, Big Sister Cardigan KAL), leading to pattern searches, led me to Kate Oates of Tot Toppers. I have seen her 'Gramps' cardigan everyeon, and it has been in my queue for ages, but this one, Boys Can Wear Pink, is T'Shirt style with raglan sleeve shaping, and knit in the round with nothing but a little underarm grafting in the way of seams; I knew I was on to something. A quick glance at the calendar showed Easter as being a few weeks away. I definitely had time to knock out  three sweaters for them. I know myself well, I am quick to jump to the 'Meh, not enough time. I can do these for another event.' So I told the boys and let them pick from some color options and from there I had a lot of fun playing with making the colors work both for the pattern yardage needs and for their personalities.  I made their current clothing size (10, 6 and 4-yes, Jack often wears 4's already...) and all three of them fit perfectly. The yardage requirements were correct and I made zero modifications-that in itself is pretty awesome.

This all kind of started with purple sparkly Toms. Charlie desperately wanted them when they went up on Zulilly because they were purple. Wouldn't you know, it's hard to find things that are purple for a six year-old boy that weren't 'designed' for a girl. I was talking about it at bookclub and a friend who knows Charlie said 'What about purple Chuck's?' Yes. That was the ticket. Those were also found in the 'girl' department, but nobody would ever know, so there was no risk that someone would hurt his feelings. It's a fine dance to honor who your kids are while protecting them the smallest bit. Some kids wouldn't care what others think, but Charlie does, and I know that. I happened to have some Violet colored Cotton-Ease that I called 'Dusky Purple' to appeal to his fashion sensibilities and the most fun and funky hand-dyed yarn from Republic of Wool in the colorway Wanderlust (hailing from Portland) for the tie. (And they matched his purple shoes to boot)

Henry and Jack are much more subdued, and their sweaters were as well. Utilizing two of my coveted YOTH ooak gradient sticks (with an added skein of Big Sister in Hazelnut for Henry's in order to meet the yardage requirements) for them was perfect. I love the finished hem and sleeves, which was also super simple but makes for a really clean-edged finished piece.

 Paired with button-downs they already had in their closets, twill pants and Chuck Taylors, they were perfectly presentable for the country club brunch and egg hunt and now I have the itch to make lots more fun and funky pieces for my kids. Usually having an itch isn't an awesome thing, but in this case I'ma scratch it.

why yes, that is a tattoo on his face...isn't that where all moms want their kids to put them?

Because I'd been so fixated on finishing their sweaters, I realized yesterday that I hadn't put much thought into Stella's outfit. I went out to the six month bag and found there were several adorable spring dresses. Sadly, I didn't realize until today that I have zero pairs of tights for her cold legs. Girl mom fail. She didn't even have a bow in her hair. Ah well. Baby steps.

always a sweet smile from Miss Stella June

Thanks to Kate for such a fun and simple pattern that leaves loads of possibility in customizing for personalities. Next up, I have some fun sweaters by Tin Can Knits up for Miss Stella and Mr. Jack for next Fall and Winter and even the remainders of this spring. Check out their new Max and Bodhi collection, the first release is adorable. These also count as sweaters 1-3/12 for Twelve Sweaters in 2015.

Happy Easter, all!

...And the Flowers and the Trees

I have been ogling Nicky Epstein's Tree of Life (or Tree's Breeze) pattern for a long time. I actually contemplated making it for my sister's wedding two years ago, but I'm glad I waited until now, because I'm a much more confident (and competent) knitter. Oh, and I had a two-month old and a 2.5 year old. Not exactly a recipe for success on a complicated pattern.

After making the Serenity blanket, I knew that I couldn't go back to a standard acrylic ribbed or basketweave baby blanket. So with babies, babies all around, I cast on for the Tree of Life. (I'm using Lion Brand's Cotton Ease, which I'm really liking for baby blankets. Soft, yet easy-care and drapes well.) I first was going to just make the baby throw version, but the reviews all talked about how it was disappointingly small. I'm a go big or go home girl, so I was just going to double the width and realized that was the same as making the full blanket. 180 stitches per row is a lot of stitches I'm finding, and it's also almost comical that when I was looking at other people's projects, they had given themselves months...lots of them...to finish their blankets, while I'm giving myself less than that. Substantially less. So, here I am, two days and a little carpal tunnel later and I'm almost half-way through. Oh, I meant half-way through the first skein of yarn, the first of 6 motifs. Oh, the hilarity.

But I have to say, I'm already loving how the stick-like branches are twining through one another with nothing more than simple cables. The more projects I knit, the more I'm astounded by the looks that can be achieved with the most basic skills. It's marked as an 'experienced' pattern, but I wouldn't let that scare you. If you can knit and purl (and knit and purl and knit and purl ad nauseum), have a row counter, a cable needle and some waste yarn for a lifeline, then I say cast on my friends. Cast on.

Moving On Up

This continues to be a very fulfilling, addictive and 'character-building' pattern. Each time I think I've done something wrong, or that the pattern is written incorrectly, I just keep doing what it says to, count, count again and it works out. I don't know if you can see the stitch markers in the picture, but along the top, there are red and blue stitch markers. Looking from right to left, you have one just to the left of the cabled spine, and then all the way to the other cable; that is one-fourth of the blanket, and it all repeats, ending with either a k4, or 2 over 2 cable to create that spine that will look oh-so-lovely when blocked. I'm really excited about this pattern and already planning what fun colors I can do it in next. The famiy this is going to requested neutrals, so no peony or cornflower or lime green just yet.

Serenity Now!

My SIL was gifted a beautiful baby blanket when she had my nephew. It was such an interesting design, and just looked like it would be fun to knit so I asked if she could find out if the pattern was available, and available it was. Serenity by Laura Wilson-Martos has already proven to be the most rewarding, addictive, and also at times the most frustrating pattern I've ever knit. Frustrating because every few rounds I question whether I'm doing it right, and because it's full of beautiful cables, lace and other great textures, one stitch out of place is noticeable. No 'good enough' for this one. 

It's one of those character-building projects that make you slow down, count all the stitches and really be present in what you're creating. While I do love those projects that allow you to just zone out and watch about 4,000 episodes of Sex and the City before you look down and you've got a full-on sock in your hands, it's nice to know that I'm making something I'm going to be really, truly proud of. 

You'd think all that counting and crossing of fingers would be tedious, but it's an incredibly addictive pattern. Knit in the round, you slowly wend your way through the row of patternwork, and then the next row you get a little rush from whipping around with all knit stitches. Suddenly, your mind is refreshed and you not only want to see how the pattern will emerge, but you also are looking forward to that next little knit row. Like a boozer at last call, you keep begging for just one more round.

I have had to stop, close my eyes and take a deep breath more than a few times, and I ripped it back to the start three times before I figured out how to make it all work in the beginning. However, once you get to a certain point, the pattern starts to lend itself to you, and you can see immediately when you've made a mistake. Hopefully, I don't have to see that too many times! 

While it's knit in the round, when you bind off you do so incredibly loosely so that you can block it, and you end up with a square blanket with slightly scalloped edges, as in the photo above, which is by the designer herself.

I had to take a little break tonight because one round was just not working out right, so I thought I'd take my self-imposed time-out to share this new project

Locked and Loaded

I haven't picked up a set of needles since we moved and I'm itching to do something with my fingers other than fold laundry, push a swiffer around the floor and unwrap newspaper from knick-knacks and picture frames.

I'm just finishing (finally, finally) the two Newsboy caps I made for my friend Michele, which I'm sure she was wondering if she was ever truly going to get, and saw in my in-box a message from Knitting Daily entitled Enter into Entrelac. Entrelac is a knitting technique that looks as if several pieces have been seamed together to create a basket weave effect, when it was actually created by a single strand (or a few different colors) that have been picked up and knitted from the prior row. There's a baby blanket pattern I've been intrigued by each time I get the Lion Brand catalogue, but I wasn't sure how ready I was to bite that one off.

Luckily, the folks at Knitting Daily not only provided a simple scarf pattern, but also a great video tutorial. After a quick ravelry search, however, I fell in love with the luscious color and look of this entrelac scarf by Allison (pictured above) of Freckles and Purls. Maybe this will inspire you to try a new technique!

Rhapsody in Blue

While I didn't get the Gold Medal, I have made significant progress. The sleeves are the pieces sitting to the sides, they're on stitch holders waiting to be joined to the body and worked in the round all together at the yoke. You can see the little increase stitches, and they are at the point that would be the side seams. While this may take the next week to finish, I really love that it's in the round, which mean it's just knit, knit, knit...no purling, no counting, it's great! Now that I'm past the side increases, I'm in the home stretch until I add the arms and start the yoke pattern. I sense an accomplishment coming on!

Want to engage in the Olympic Challenge of knitting? The competition has technically already begun, but I think you'll be fine to start late, you're competing against yourself and the clock.

Find a project that would be challenging for you to finish in 17 days (well, 16 now) cast on and complete it by the time the flame goes out at closing ceremonies and you'll be eligible to win a fun prize, plus you'll get to add a gold medal button from The Yarn Harlot to your page!

This contest couldn't have come at a better time. I recently ordered, and received, the yarn for a project that I have specific time restraints on...pretty much the same timeline as the contest.

Ms. Pearl-McPhee has even given a great pledge in order that all will take this as seriously as need be...or not...

The Knitting Olympics Athletes Pledge

I, a knitter of able hands and quick wits, to hereby swear that over the course of these Olympics I will uphold the highest standard of knitterly excellence.

I will be deft of hand and sure of pattern, I will overcome troubles of yarn overs and misplaced decreases. I will use the gifts of intelligence and persistence (as well as caffeine and chocolate) and I will execute my art to the highest form, carrying with me the hope for excellence known to every knitter.

I strive to win. To do my best, and to approach the needles with my own best effort in mind, without comparing myself to my fellow knitters, for they have challenges unique to them.

While I engage in this pursuit of excellence and my own personal, individual best, I also swear that I will continue to engage with my family in conversation, care for my pets, speak kindly with those who would ask me to do something other than knit, and above all, above every stitch thrown or picked, above every cable, every heel stitch, every change of colour, I swear this:

That I will remember that this is not the real Olympics, that I'm supposed to be having fun and that my happiness and self-worth ride not on my success....
but on my trying.

So cast on those stitches and join in the fun. You can click on the Yarn Harlot above to be taken directly to the link on her page with all the specifics. It must be a project that you think will be challenging for you to complete in the time allotted.

Here's mine:

The Radiant Sweater on LionBrand made with Cotton-ease for great drape and washability without losing it's shape. It's listed as a skill level of 'experienced' but it's knit in the round and there are no crazy cables...unlike my other sweater that I'm sure is destined to remain a really sweet dickie...because that's all I've completed of it.

Wish me luck, I'm going for the Gold!

Dickie No More

Last night, I got together with a few of my knitting buddies, and finally picked up and started knitting the first part of the first sleeve on my sweater...now I have to finish it, because you can't have a dickie with cap-sleeves.

I've got about 6 of the 16 row repeats done for the yoke cables. The part that's curling in on both edges gets used to pick up stitches as the yoke is horizontal and stitches are picked up to knit down for the body and up for the neck. I'm getting excited as I see progress. Once you get the flow of the cables, it's really pretty simple.

We'll see how making the arms goes, I'm more nervous about that.

Gauging a Reaction

When I first started knitting, making scarf after scarf, I always skipped the gauge swatch section. It was time consuming enough just getting the stitches from needle to needle and seemed like a terrible waste to knit a bunch of rows that wouldn't even contribute to the end result! (Spoken by the girl who doesn't believe in basting either).

Even when I ventured forth to baby garments...how much difference would it really make, I argued with myself before surging forward; resulting once in a super cute sweater vest that wouldn't fit over H's toddler melon.

So, while I'm waiting for the right color of Wool-Ease to arrive from LionBrand.com, I decided that it would be a good use of nervous energy to make my very first gauge swatch. I was pretty pleased with myself to see that I was spot on...with needles one size larger. I always thought I knit pretty loosely, but I guess not. Good to know. Can you imagine the tantrum that would result from finishing that knit-along only to find that the yolk I started too small would subsequently effect the rest of the entire sweater...and then not fit over my melon?

Oh, and time 'wasted'? About fifteen minutes. Now, I'm off to practice the cable pattern so I can begin in earnest when the real deal arrives.