It's July???

Whoops it's suddenly July! I guess I should do a wrap up of anything that came off my needles in the past few months! I haven't worked much on that blue cowl (surprise surprise, because it's for ME).

OK this one is actually from April?!? I made a cowl as a birthday gift for my friend Natalie. I used some yarn I had reclaimed from an old navy sweater and it's really nice... has some wool and I think even a touch of angora? Anyway I had fun modeling it for my project photos :) I really want one for myself now!

Pattern: Columbia Cowl

I also made some preemie and baby hats, and a ballband dishcloth (which pulled me out of a knitting funk where I was not in the mood to do anything! Scary!!!)

Then after finding out the sex of my cousin's baby-to-be, (Boy!) I got to working on a few things:

Pattern: Baby Sophisticate

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore

I liked the pattern but I made the 6-12 month size and it came out newborn.... yikes. So keep that in mind if you want to make it. The arms were long enough for a 6 month old but it would barely button around my friend's 2.5 month old kid.... sooooo thats why it is going to my cousin (was originally making it for a baby who is already born, oops).

I also threw together this "Phoenix Suns" hat - I hope the basketball button makes them realize it is in team colors! hehe!

Whew - Still more to share!!! Hope you guys aren't getting tired :)

My friend from college (she's the one who made those cool knitting cookies!) is pregnant again... with TWINS! She found out they were going to have 2 girls (woot!), so along with passing on some of Norah's old clothes I made these hats:

Pattern: my own, notes here

Yarn: Leftover Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride bulky (they knit up so fast!)

And last but not least, mom's birthday present:

Pattern: Ilene Bag

Yarn: Sugar & Cream kitchen cotton

I followed another user's mods to make it slightly smaller than written, I think it turned out nicely. I think if I make it again I might make the strap a few stitches narrower, but it is comfortable on the shoulder. Anyway I think mom liked it! Happy birthday! :-)

Rip rip rip

Had to rip back my mom's sweater the other day. Cynthia and I were knitting in the conf room at work during lunch... and I realized I started the yoke detailing 8 rows too early! crap! Instead of tinking back 3 rows, I just pulled out the needle and ripped... i went one more row back, which re-separated the sleeves and body. BUT: the upside to this is I decided to rip back the upper sleeve where I had totally messed up a spot that would have been RIGHT on my mom's SHOULDER. Meaning I would have hated that shoulder and been embarrassed when I saw my mom wearing it.

Sooo it's probably for the better. Although, as Cynthia said, I could have put an American flag iron-on patch over it. LOL.

Happy thursday!!!! New Office tonight, right? Woot!

FO timeeee

Babylegs: Done.


Autumn leaves baby sweater: Done, but needs some buttons! (I need to buy some!)


It turned out really cute. I did less increases for the body so it's less flared than the original pattern. I like it!



In other news, I finally sat down and joined my mom's sweater pieces into the yoke and feel like I will be able to get it done soon! Unfortunately there is a lot of rolling, so I am devising various ways to combat it. (It is cotton/acrylic yarn, so I am not holding my breath that a block will do anything). Many people who have knit the sweater sew ribbon on the back of the edge to help keep it flat... I am planning on doing this on the front edges for sure!

Also... today it was rainy, then sunny, then all of a sudden rain poured down and then with crazy HAIL... then back to sunny, then dark? Indiana keeps you on your toes!

(photo of the hail on our deck courtesy my hubby and his nice camera)

Yet another "Catch Up"

Sorry loyal blog readers.... I don't know why I am so bad about updating my blog!!!! I really like having this.... I think ravelry has spoiled me too much since it is so easy to update my projects there! (my username = stitchholder)

OK here we go :-)

Mom's cardigan (sitcom chic)... one sleeve and the body knitted up to the yoke! Woot! (doesn't need to be done till June so I am doing great lol)



I am so thankful to CYNTHIA for teaching me how to do Magic Loop!!!! Yes I learned a new knitting technique and it is very easy and solved my problem... see normally I can knit baby hats and other things on double points and not have a problem getting "gaps" between the needles... but normally I don't use cotton yarn!!!! My mom's sweater is using a mostly cotton blend, so when I went to knit the sleeves i was getting MAJOR gapping. Blech!!!! Luckily Cynthia had a 40" cable to lend me (We both have the knitpicks options sets so all she had to lend me was the cable itself - PERFECT) I really enjoyed doing Magic Loop and in fact I am planning on using it on a project I just started (mentioned later in this post)!

Next up - Baby hat! I am about 90% done with this right now, I am going to finish it up tonight before I go to bed! Just adding it to the stockpile of baby knits for all the kids being born this year!



(If you remember the green booties I made at the beginning of the year, this hat matches them!)

And most recently, a baby girl hat:



Its the pattern Miss Dashwood from knitty.com. So far the picot cast on is quite tedious... but I think it is really going to turn out cute!!!! I am planning on trying the magic loop with this hat also... wish me luck :-)

Also I am planning my first ever "Knitting party", where I am inviting my knitting buddies who live in fort wayne over for some food and knitting, of course! I will post how it went after next weekend!

Friday is my coworker's baby shower at work.... I am gifting the B&W striped baby hat and the pink baby chucks booties... I can't wait, hope she likes them!!!!!

Sweater progress....

I will let you see my mom's sweater WIP now since its actually more than 2 inches long...


Pretty color, no? She picked it out... it is Knitpicks Comfy in "pomegranate"!

FOs & Superbowl knitting.....

I finished meg's turtleneck shrug!


Its interesting to try and put it on, but its nice and warm and I like it.



I also got my baby booties done....


They turned out pretty cute!


Superbowl knitting: Cast on and finished this striped hat to match the booties above!


It makes a cute set for my pregnant coworker! I think she will like it :)


New project: cardigan for my mom!


It is cast on already, but not much to see yet! I am doing the "Sitcom Chic" pattern from knitty.com! (hopefully in time for her birthday in JUNE lol....)

Hope everyone has a great week!