well-crafted

So delicate

The yarn has become a sweater! A sweet, classic yet modern, delicate sweater. And if I can brag a little, I finished within a month after buying the yarn. And see the piling? You know, usually highly undesirable but it’s the evidence of just how much this sweater has been worn and loved in its short life. 

The Helena is a fantastic pattern—a really fun and quick knit. I made the size 4 which is largest the pattern is written for, but it’s plenty roomy. I figure Lauren can get two good years of wear out of it. (Then I’ll make it again with a larger gauge). Instead of i-cord ties in the front, I added buttonholes and the glass buttons. I also did one extra repeat of the lace pattern at the bottom, to give it a bit more length.

I’m just so happy with how this sweater turned out.

Soft and shimmery

During our annual camping trip at the coast last month, some of us sneaked away for a little yarn shopping in nearby Manzanita. Of course I was only planning to browse and enjoy some girl time, but you know how it is… I found this darling yarn with which to make a nice fall sweater for Lauren. The beautifully variegated, soft pink combined with the thin strand of silvery sparkle is the ideal combination for my girl and me. She loves it and I will enjoy working with it—always good when great investments of time and effort are involved. Since taking these photos, I have made excellent progress toward a finished piece and hope to share photos of the final product soon!

Hand-made birthday

For Lauren’s birthday I had some fun making stuff. Instead of a birthday dress, I made her a skirt and sweater set. The sweater is the simple and lovely Girl’s Cap-Sleeve Spring Top from Soulful Hues. What a cute and easy design! This particular version was my third attempt (more on this later) and I finally nailed the gauge with Hap’i yarn, a really beautiful cotton from the Mirasol Project. Such gorgeous yarn and a wonderful cause. Learn more here.

Lauren’s main gift this year was a Götz doll named Jessica so the next logical step was a matching outfit for her. It was pretty easy to figure out the math for the smaller size of the sweater, knit with another Marisol yarn, T’ika. So soft and easy to work with. The little coordinating skirt is slightly too short but oh so cute.

And last—but by no means least—is the traditional Birthday Dress made for my daughter by my mom. A beautifully crafted heirloom Lauren loves and I will always treasure.

I made…

I made a few things recently and it felt good. For a few months now, I’ve exchanged that making-time, blogging-time and peaceful “me-time”, for sleeping. Although I miss my late nights alone creating, puttering, I do not miss the grumpy, frazzled, and sometimes tearful mom I became when operating on so little sleep. Will and Lauren don’t miss her either. So, I’ve been doing more knitting lately because unlike sewing, I can take it with me. I can squeeze in a few rows here and there while at Will’s basketball practice or waiting at the doctor’s office. I can also knit in bed while watching a movie so when I get tired I can just let it drop to the floor and drift off. 

This little sweater jacket was made for my friend, Susan’s new baby boy (who arrived early and is in for a bit of a stay in the hospital before he can get strong enough to go home). We are all sending as many good thoughts their way as possible. It is the Debbie Bliss Ribbed Baby Jacket, (pattern available here) knit with Louet Gems worsted weight yarn in Neptune. Inspiration for the stripes came from another version seen on Ravelry. It’s an awesome pattern. I made it for Lauren when she was a baby and had her wearing it almost every day. This is my first time working with Gems and I have to say I really like it. It’s very soft and is machine washable and dry-able (on the lowest heat setting). Great for new babies—and new moms!

I will try to share some of the other pieces I’ve been working on sooner rather than later. : > )

I still miss my sewing machine and hope I can figure out a way to spend more time with it and still get some sleep. Maybe after the laundry is folded, the kids’ rooms re-organized, the toilets scrubbed, bills paid, phone calls returned… Sigh. You all know what I mean, I’m sure.

Project finished…Project started

Remember that glorious bamboo yarn I bought in Bend last Easter? The project I was furiously trying to finish? Well, furiously became leisurely when I realized it wasn’t going to fit its original intended recipient; my old friend, Laurie, who moved away after 15 years in Portland. Once I started to work on it at a snail’s pace I pondered my options for who should have it (would be to small for me). I happily decided to gift it to my friend, Kieren (not the model here) who was with me when I bought the yarn. She was with me as I struggled with the lace pattern at the bottom and always admired the piece while we worked on projects together. And it fits her. (Dear Laurie, you will still be getting something special when I can figure out what went wrong with my gage!)

The pattern is from Joelle Hoverson’s Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. The yarn is Be Sweet’s hand-dyed bamboo yarn. It is luscious! It feels so good against the skin—I will most definitely make something with it for myself next summer. Or maybe something fancy for a winter party.

And a new project is underway as of last night. I cast on for the February Lady Sweater, which I am so excited about. I picked up the most gorgeous kettle-dyed merino wool from Malabrigo. I will post photos when I finish it.

Gotta wrap this up. We’re headed out for our last camping trip of the season, this time at the beach. I’m looking forward to it, but am having a hard time motivating myself to do the packing. So much work.

Unseasonably warm

What almost-six-year-old boy wouldn’t want a new, hand-knit, wool vest… in the middle of summer? My boy did. The knitting of this vest was finished several months ago but had been left to languish in one of many “unfinished projects” bags peppered throughout our house. The reason for this was the zipper. It scared me a little. I couldn’t decide if I should insert it by hand or machine and so I ignored it for a while until Will found it and asked when it was going to be finished. “I want to wear it today, Mom”. Music to my ears, as they say. So motivated was I after hearing these words, I slapped that zipper in (using the machine) and had it on him within 15 minutes, even though it was 80 degrees out.

The pattern is Knitting Pure and  Simple #271. It’s a good simple pattern, easy to follow and nice looking but sized a little small. I made an 8 and it fits well. I used (probably for the last time) Lamb’s Pride chunky in Charcoal Heather for the body and Red Baron for the edging. Has anyone used the Superwash?

Although it came off of him within 5 minutes that day, he has happily reached for his vest many times since, on (only slightly) cooler days. Bless you, my boy.

Easter getaway

Oh how I wish we could have enjoyed another Easter with real Spring weather like we did last year. This time around we escaped, with friends, to one of our favorite places in Oregon: Sunriver. Here we had four days to indulge in time spent reading, knitting, cross-wording and eating. 

An egg hunt, snow play, bike rides and hot tub were also enjoyed—and a new discovery: cornstarch building blocks. These biodegradable nuggets are perfect for bringing on vacation: they’re cheap, easy to pack and create little to no mess, as they require only water to adhere to each other. Because of their Easter-y colors, the lazy Mom in me deemed this activity an acceptable alternative to dyeing eggs.

Our departure on Saturday was delayed because at the last minute I decided the Easter dress I’d started for Lauren the previous weekend had to be finished. The week had been so busy and stressful, I could not get back to it and was thus forced to accept the possibility that she would not get an Easter dress this year. “It’s too cold anyway”, I consoled myself. But seeing it sit on the cutting table that morning, half finished, I realized it had to be done. I was glad for this decision Easter morning when she rushed to put it on. I love how it turned out. There’s only one problem: it’s way too big. Maybe I’ll save it for next year, but I’ll likely want to make something new—especially after seeing what Katie made. So inspiring.

A visit to one of Bend’s knitting stores was also a highlight. I discovered this beautiful yarn made of 100% bamboo and instantly fell in love with its silky texture and unusual steel-blue color. I bought enough for a secret project I am now furiously trying to finish and promise a show-and-tell upon completion.

My Fuzzy Valentine

I finally finished weaving in the ends of Lauren’s Valentine sweater and convinced her to wear it to the park on Sunday. It’s the Debbie Bliss Molly Bolero pattern from Junior Knits and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It was very easy—as I find most Debbie Bliss patterns are—and knit up so quickly I may make another for Easter. My first attempts to show this off were thwarted by L herself, complaining that it was too itchy on her neck. Although I love Lamb’s Pride yarn for its palette and value, it’s not the softest yarn. The fiber-shedding is a bit of a problem too. Anyway, we all had a nice outing and my girl made me proud by wearing her sweater the whole time.