Little Man Sweaters

I'm always looking for fun knits for my grandsons and I recently found this really fantastic pattern on Ravelry for wee ones.  Of course it is a unisex design, but boy oh boy, it sure fits the bill for a little man's sweater. 

The pattern is Abate by Alicia Plummer. It is so well written that I didn't ever.. not once.. question what I was doing on each and every step. It is knit top down in the round so there is very little seaming. And it has the best underarm attachment that I have done to date.

I would definitely recommend this pattern if you need to make a sweater for kids. 

I knit up this one for my Grandson Gavin that just turned 3 last June.  I used Vanna's Choice Acrylic and it came out soft and snuggly, just like Gavin.

I liked the pattern so much, I did another for my other Grandson Warren, who just turned 7 this past May.  I did a little modification and added some textured design around the chest. For this one, I used (GASP!!) Red Heart with Love acrylic.  Now, I am a huge yarn snob and usually won't allow Red Heart in my house, much less knit with it.  But, after constant complaining from the mothers about the inability to wash and wear, I caved and bought some.  I am actually quite surprised that it didn't squeak on the needles and it is much softer than the regular Red Heart.

Anyway,  the pattern is FANTASTIC and I will probably make it again with some modifications. Definitely a great skeleton pattern to build your creativity!

Keep your needles clicking ♥

Perfect Knit Socks

I am pretty much old school when it comes to knitting socks.  I am a die hard DPN girl and no matter how many times I try the magic loop sock method, I always give up mid way through.

Because I work each sock one at a time, I usually end up with one sock slightly different than the other due to missing a row or two. But, when I am diligent in keeping track of the rows, the pair will end up perfect.

The pair below is a basic stockinette sock.  I let the yarn give the pizzaz to keep the knitting simple.

Here are the tools that I use:

Double Pointed Needles
Fingering Weight Sock yarn
Note Pad
Sock Blockers
(not shown: darning needle)

I am totally in love with these DPNs that are named Darrn Pretty Needles, made in Vermont.  They are wooden and have the sharpest points and feel like glass.  These are size 2 and I prefer the 4 inch length for socks. 

 

 

I have found that if I diligently mark off each row when working each foot, the socks come out perfectly.  I use a notebook with grid lines, but any paper will do.  I like the note book as I can look back to previous socks and make sure I have the right size and stitch count for all my family members. As you can see, I have two sections for right and left foot:

 

 



I don't actually use a pattern, but I adhere to the 50/50 method (using half of the stitches for the heel and gusset).

 

Once they are done, don't forget to block them for that added look of professional knitting!

 

 

I knit this pair for my oldest daughter, Erin, who loves the outdoors. She goes hiking, trekking, snowboarding, skiing... and who needs to keep her feet warm! 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that the magic loop is very popular now and to knit both socks at once seems to be very gratifying, but there are still those of us that prefer the DPN method. 

 



Nolan's First Birthday Sweater

I absolutely fell in love with a knitting pattern I found on Ravelry for a sweet little sweater for a 1 year old.  And now that we have a wee baby in the family, I just had to knit it up.

Our youngest grandson will be one on Christmas Eve 2013, so how adorable would this cabled hooded sweater be on him! 

 

 

 

I'm one of those people that really has difficulty following directions (my high school teachers will attest to that). So when I sat down to get started, the pattern just didn't make any sense to me. It was to be knit in pieces, sewn together and then pick up stitches for the hood. So, I modified it to knit it in one piece from the bottom up.

I used the recommended yarn and needle size, but the gauge was coming out all wrong. I pulled out my calculator and started modifying the stitch counts and ended up changing the size of the needles as well.

I pretty much just used the photo of the finished sweater as inspiration and just did my own thing. Which, in the end made this a most enjoyable knit. Nothing to keep track of, just good old knitting till it looked right. 

 

 

Maybe I have become to rigid in my ways, but all in all, I think I did it justice.

Freestyle Knitting

My most recent shawl project is finished with a bit of a twist with the design.

I normally follow patterns or design elements that require full concentration, calculation and counting. But for this one I decided to try something a bit different.

I had a hank of stunningly gorgeous handdyed yarn with a bit of sparkle that I bought at a fiber festival. This is the WINK line from the Periwinkle Sheep. I am such a huge fan of Karin's handdyed yarns that I use it when ever I can.

My thoughts on this shawl were that I really wanted the yarn to stand out so I didn't want to have a design element that would take away from the beauty of the yarn. As I loving cast on for the shawl I told myself not to rush, listen to the yarn and decide where to go as I knit.

 

 

After I completed a few repeats with some texture and lace elements, I felt that some cable work would fit nicely along the bottom. And it did!



I must say, that this was one of my most enjoyable knitting experiences with no counting, charting or hard thinking.  And what beats kntting up a hank of the Periwinkle Sheep's handdyed gorgeous yarn?

What is on your needles?

Knitting with Cashmire

I couldn't resist this super soft cashmire blend yarn and I found the perfect shawl pattern on Ravelry to knit with it.

The pattern is called triplicity and is by Michelle Hunter and can be found on Ravelry.  The pattern is easy to read and is a fun knit.  Three different textured stitches are used, so it feels like a sampler in progress when knitting. I highly recommend this pattern!

Here is my version, soft and scrumptious! 

Don't forget to block it when you get done.  I think that is almost as important as the knitting for a nice finish.

Tug Hill Crib Blanket

My newest baby blanket design is now available for knitters.   The pattern can be found in my etsy shop, on ravelry and on craftsy.

 

 

Inspired by Hudson Bay bold bright wool blanket, this crib blanket is knit with cream as the main color with thin strips of yellow, orange, red, purple, blue and green. I named it Tug Hill Crib Blanket to celebrate my local area. The Tug Hill Plateau is an upland region in upstate New York, USA near the Adirondack Mountains that is known for its excessive snow fall. We average about 200-300 inches of snow per season and what better way to celebrate than with a warm cozy blanket.
The white background represented the six to nine months that we have snow on the ground or in the air. Cables imbedded within the white background show the snow blowing about in the midst of a blizzard. The bits of color celebrate the short time period when our world explodes with color:

·         yellow daffodils and dandelions explode in the spring and poplar trees show their yellows in the fall

·         orange sunflowers and garden pumpkins arrive in midsummer and the maple trees pop in the fall

·         bright red tulips and poppies bloom in spring and summer and trees show their crimson reds in autumn

·         purple lilacs and violets pop in the spring and the cool evening autumn skies are full of purple hues

·         blue bells, corn flowers and blue skies brighten our word occasionally

·         green grass in the summer and so many varieties of pines, spruces and cedar trees

 

This warm blanket is sure to be a favorite for moms and babes to keep snuggly warm! 

 

Holiday Sale

35% off in my etsy shop... now through Christmas!


Looking for some quality handmade knitty gifts?  Hoping you will stop by and pick up some classics for the holidays. 

 

Handknit Shawl

 

 

Sweet Little Girl Hat with Pompom

 

Child's Elf Hat

 

 

And MORE

 

Happy Holidays