GuEsS what DaY it Is?

I have a brother named Mike, and it's all I can do not to call him up every Wednesday morning. 

    

 This was the view from my kitchen window this particular hUMp day.

 At least there's blue sky looking to the southwest.

 Which became widespread by 10 am.  It stayed in the 40s but the snow melted.

 This may not be exciting news where you live, but to us it's pretty big stuff.  The maple trees are budding!  I love how the red buds look against the blue sky.

I finally sent out another package to Nantucket.  I finished the yellow moss stitch jacket.  With the bunny buttons.   I almost left off the pompon until I saw it as a sort of "cottontail".

 Yes, I know the little ceramic bunny has a hole in the middle.  That's because it is actually a napkin ring. I bought a set last year from this website. And the little white crochet bootees?  These are so sweet, and I made them from a pattern I borrowed from Olga at her blog Lacy Crochet.  I have more pics of the bootees that I want to share, but I am consulting Olga first, which is in keeping with her wishes.  You see, she recently found her free patterns being stolen and sold on etsy!  She is continuing to share free patterns, because she's just that kind of a generous person, and she loves to share crochet projects with others who love crochet.

And I finally finished the bonnet to go with the Peek-a-Boo Sacque and Bootees.

I kept putting it off because I knew I really needed to practice bullion roses more before I tried to do them on the bonnet.  I used some tips and tricks from Jeannie Beaumeister at Old Fashioned Baby.  I attached the ribbon according to her recommendations (sort of), folding the end over and gathering it at about 3/4" in.  Then I embroidered the rose on it.  The ribbon I used was very ravelly and so I finished the cut ends with Dritz Fray Check, even the end I was folding over.  It didn't want to fold over,  I had to press it to get my point across.  I also cut one ribbon about 3" longer than the other so that it would come out relatively even if it were tied with the bow on baby's right side.

I've saved the best for last.

The precious baby for whom I have been fussing all this time.

 Here she is, the lovely Marie Rose!  These pictures are about a month old.  My brother is tormenting me by not sending me daily cell phone shots.  In the shot above, I believe she shows her mother's eyes and nose, but the chin is directly from her paternal grandfather (my Dad).  He had a distinct cleft; I have a bit of one too, more subtle. 

Mum and I have yet to see this roly-poly cutie pie.  Truth be told, we have been busy caring for someone who is ill, and unable to get away just yet.  I'm setting my sights on Mothers' Day.

I want to cuddle her, smell her, gaze at her, can you blame me?

Little Baby Bunny Buttons

These are some buttons I have been collecting for baby garments.  I bought the bunny buttons about 7 years ago, when I was knitting this precious little jacket.

I know, right?

I borrowed this pic from the Yarnspiration website which offers the free pattern here.  Well, the baby I was knitting for was really not someone I knew very well, and so, when I didn't finish before baby was born, it got forgotten, and I think I just sent a card.  And so it languished.....

Recently, I pulled out my stash of baby yarn and I rediscovered the jacket pieces, waiting to be seamed, edged, buttoned and pomponed.  (What?  That's not a word?)

After the picture was taken, I found the missing sleeve.  Whew!  But I didn't find it before nearly finishing a new one I was whipping out with the leftover yarn. 

Now, here's where you come in....What? you say, What have I got to do with it? No way am I seaming that thing!

No, no, no. I've finished the seaming, I'm working on the edging and I need to make a decision and I need your help.  It's all about the buttons!

Now, look again at the pic above;  I had originally chosen the bunny buttons for this sweet little jacket.  But another set I really like is the little green flower buttons.  I must really like them because on Tuesday, I stopped at JoAnn Fabrics in Auburn on my way home from Stratton, to take a look at, among other things, little baby buttons.  See what I found?

 See anything familiar?  Yup.  I'm consistent.  I bought the same buttons twice.

 Here they are in a lousy picture made lousier by my amateur editing, but the point is that I have such cute ribbons that could be laced through matching bootees to wear with the jacket, either the gingham or the dots.

And here are the bunny buttons:

And now a quick peek of other little goodies I'm sending to sweet little Marie Rose.



Awaiting blocking and ribbons..

And if you read this post, you'll understand why I had to get this little outfit.

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment about which buttons look best....Thanks!!

Latest Projects, Part Two (and a teeny tiny announcement)

This is just a little beginning.  Poor Marie Rose has a Peek-a-Boo Sacque and Bootees, but no Bonnet to match!  And being a discriminating newborn, she no doubt wants her headwear to match her outfit.  I still haven't met her, but I hope to soon.  After all, it will be difficult to be Favorite Auntie if we don't get some bonding time in.

I am adapting another bonnet pattern to have the same stitch pattern as the Sacque and Bootees, and while this is relatively simple, it has its little challenges as well.

The real news is:

The Chiloquin Mani-Mitts are done!  I finished the right mani-mitt and decided that I had not only done it a little differently than the left one, but I had done it better.  So I had to take apart the left one, unravel almost half of it, and do it over!  I think it fits better now.  I was about to wrap them and send them on their way to Chiloquin, but guess what?  A.C. from Chiloquin is on her way here.  So much the better!  I look forward to a hug and a visit. 

 How cute is that little pincushion in the upper right hand corner?  It is vintage, and a homemade  craft.  Inside is a tin can of some sort, like tuna fish, maybe.  The lace edging is soft, like cotton, not stiff and scratchy, like the yucky nylon stuff you find now.  The bottom is covered with a round piece whip-stitched on by hand with neat, little stitches.

Well, now my teeny, tiny little announcement.  I am going to post the patterns I adapt on their own page. (See the tab above.)  In case anyone wants to give something they see here a try.  They will, of course be free, since I am entirely amateur, have no test-knitters or test-crocheters, and have no experience writing a pattern.  That being said, I will do my best, and welcome questions and critiques, deal?

Finally Finished!

Oh, I can't believe how long it took me to get these things finished!  I'm afraid Marie Rose will have outgrown them, and then they'll only be useful to her as doll clothes.

 The little sweater, or sacque, as it is called, is called the Peek-a-Boo Sacque.  I found the pattern on Ravelry, which linked me to a website generously offering vintage baby garment knitting and crochet patterns.  (Win!)  Many of the patterns are available in matching sets of garments, but this one was a stand-alone.

 I had to devise a coordinating pattern for the booties.  I adapted and modified another vintage bootie pattern.

 I'm mostly happy with the result.  I'm working on a matching bonnet now, but dared not wait to get these out the door.  Details on my Ravelry page.

Odds 'n Ends

I recently had a new little garment to wash out and block, and while I was at it, I blocked the scarf below, which I knitted months ago, and tucked away, without weaving in the ends or adding the buttons.

 I still need to weave in the ends and add buttons.
In that same post, I talked about trying to learn to knit in the Continental style, although I have always knit in the English style.  In my recent projects for Marie Rose, I knit up a swatch to check my gauge, English style, and then for comparison, Continental style.  After blocking:

 This is the English style.

 And here's the Continental.  You can see that it is definitely looser, and a whole lot less regular.  I concluded that I'll stick with English style and only carry yarn in my left hand to make Fair Isle knitting easier.

 Here they are together.  Same number of stitches and rows.  Vastly different results.  I used sz 2US ndls, and the yarn, as far as I can tell is no longer available.  It is Bernat Baby, which is a fingering weight.  A few years ago, I bought this yarn in white, ivory, pink, blue, yellow, lavender and green.  I have 1-2 skeins of each, and I don't think I'll be able to get more.  Bernat has many baby yarns, but not fingering weight.  I like the fingering weight, because it gives me such fine, delicate results.  The recommended needle on the label is a sz 3, but I like a little tighter fabric,  think it gives firmer, finer feel to garments.

Here is a swatch of Caron Simply Soft.  I love the color and took this picture as I think it would make a darling little girl's cardigan sweater to go with dresses made from the above two fabrics, n'est-ce pas?

Just a little tease, really....

She's here!  The little dear made her arrival in the wee hours on Valentine's Day.  What a wonderful day for a birthday.   I haven't seen her yet, as traveling to Nantucket isn't just a matter of hopping into the car.  But Mum and I are planning a trip very soon.  I am just dying to hold that baby!   

 This little one is quite a bundle.  She weighed 9 lbs and 13 oz. Oy vay!  But, we aren't surprised.  Her father (my brother) is 6'3" and was the smallest of my 3 brothers at 10 lbs and 4.5 oz.  I was Mum's "little peanut" at 8 lbs 6.5 oz.  And her mother is 6' tall.  She also has a big sister who is almost my height at the age of 8 (or 9?).  We met Maman (she's French) and big sis Amélie at Christmas and absolutely fell in love.  My brother Jonathan is one lucky man.

And Knew Kniece?  Her name is Marie Rose.  With such a lovely name, I had to learn how to make bullion roses.  Now, I think I'll be putting them on everything I make for her.  Kind of a signature feature.  Dear sweet Marie Rose.  I can't show you the rest of the garment in the above pic - it still needs a finishing touch.  But I'll take pics before I send it off in the mail. (or deliver it in person, I hope.)
At Christmas time, I joked with Jonathan and Sandrine (Maman) that dear baby would look like me, because his baby pics and mine look so much alike, and wouldn't she be a lucky girl indeed to resemble such a pretty auntie.  (Tongue firmly planted in cheek, I assure you.)
A few days ago on the phone with my brother:
Me:  What does she look like?
Jon:  Ummm, I don't know... a baby?
Me:  Is she beautiful?
Jon: Well, yeah, of course.
Me:  Oh, so she does look just like me!
Jon:  (cracks up)
Sandrine:  (in background) She looks just like Amélie did.

 Speaking of Amélie, I have distinct recollections of the arrivals of my younger brothers, as I was age 7 and 10 on those 2 occasions.  I remember some kind lady making a point of talking with me and bringing me some sort of treat, so as not to fuss over the baby as if I didn't exist.  To be honest, I wasn't feeling overlooked, as my mother was careful to let me hold them and help her dress them, and even burp them after feedings.  I was captivated, to say the least.  Still, the gesture was not lost on me.  Such a lesson in thoughtfulness that I've never forgotten.

So the fingerless mitts above are for Amélie.  They're going to be my undoing however.  I had firmly determined not to be a fiber snob, but I found 2 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran at the GW for $0.99 ea.  (I have since found them on the website for $9.99 ea.!)  Knitting with this yarn made me want never to knit with anything else, alas...
I have them modeled on my hands, and believe me, this child's hands are almost as big.  I picked a ribbed pattern, so they'd be more "huggy", and she won't likely outgrow them.  I hope.  They may be a little too long as I got a little carried away before I realized that I'd misinterpreted the pattern.  (Which is by the way, Lush Fingerless Mitts, by Susan Mills, available free on Ravelry.)
Do you love my background fabric?  That little remnant was another GW find, and I am sure will make a little dress out of it for Marie Rose, and I may have to spring for some Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in the same rosy shade as the mitts to make a little matching cardi to go with.  A little dress with a cream or ecru Peter Pan collar, piped.  Oh I wish I could smock the bodice, but I'm sure I don't have enough fabric (and I haven't learned smocking. yet.)
I was going to show a couple of other little projects I've photographed, but this post is getting long, so I'll save them for next time.  It'll be easier to post again, when I already have photos ready.

À bientôt!   
(translation:  see you soon, am I right, Lorrie?)

Knantucket Kniece Knitting

I have a brother who lives on Nantucket.  We are not particularly close, and I have never been to Nantucket.
Sounds like a limerick, doesn't it?

"The closest  I've been to Nantucket
  (by ferryboat, since you can't truck it,)
  was just out of reach
  on Hyannis beach
  but it's on my list labeled 'Bucket'."

There.  I made it through without using any unsavory words.  (But if I made you think them, I'm sorry.)

I have another brother who is working out on Martha's Vineyard, building a house, but that's another story.  (....and besides, what rhymes with vineyard?)

Well, NanBro is expecting a daughter sometime in February.  Now, I have just done a tally of sorts.
Between us, my husband and I have 8 siblings, 7 of whom have had children.  As it turns out, this new niece will be a tie-breaker.  Right now, we have 8 nieces and 8 nephews.
I have never knitted anything for a new baby.  That's right, never!  (What?!)

Let 2014 be the year that changes.

Vintage Simplicity 4464

Here's a fabulous vintage pattern I found listed on ebay.  I didn't buy it though, because I haven't yet scrutinized my pattern stash for something similar.  I think I might have one or two that I could use as a starting point.  I may have to make some modifications to the style, to give it a side zip (or even a back zip), figure out what I want to do for pockets. I have a pocket style in mind, and I'm sure there is a name for it, but I don't know what it is -- think Dale Evans, and in the meantime I'll try to find a vintage photo that shows what I'm thinking about.  Another compelling reason to get this pattern is that blouse!   I love kimono sleeves, dolman sleeves, and batwing sleeves.  I find that styling to work really well with an overly generous bust, particularly if the waist is brought in with a belt, or cummerbund, as illustrated below.  And I love it used unbelted, over the turtleneck as shown in the upper right.

I'm trying to improve my blogging presentation skills. I wish I knew more about making photo collages without purchasing additional software or add-ons.  So, I've been playing around in Microsoft Paint, and reading online about how to use its features.

I wanted to put together a seasonal wardrobe inspiration board, like the ones I've seen on more visually appealing blogs, but I'm not there yet.  Here's what I have come up with so far, a basic palette.

And I even figured out how to change a color on a photographed image, and then collage the result.

It's not the inspiration board I envision, as that is beyond my skills at this time.

I guess it's more important to to make the actual clothes, then I can photo and blog.

To undertake a Me-Made Seasonal Wardrobe project, here are the obstacles to be overcome as I see them:

1.   My sewing room needs a major decluttering and reorganization.

2.  My dress form needs a breast augmentation, and then to be covered.

3. Then she'll need a name, any suggestions?  Better yet, if you do, save them, and when I get her done, I'll celebrate with a giveaway of some sort.  I 'll have to figure out something suitable as a dress form-naming prize.

4.  I need to select my patterns, then modify as needed, and grade for size, and alter for proportion.  My figure type is an inverted triangle.  At least my overweight figure type is.  I put all my weight in my bust and around my middle.  Years ago, when I was slim, I was more of an hourglass.  I'm a little tall, (almost 5'8"), and have a longer torso, and only slightly longer than average legs.

5.  I'll need to source fabric, which may be a bit of a challenge.  There is only one fabric store in spitting distance, and I would prefer to see and touch the fabric before I buy, as I am trying to coordinate my colors pretty tightly.  I think the colors I have chosen are universal, and should be easy to find, but it hasn't been that way online, so we'll see.

6.  Then there's just the making of muslins, cutting and sewing the garments.

7.  And then the shopping for shoes and hosiery, and the accessorizing. 

8.  Then the modeling and the styling and photos and the blogging!

9. Oh yeah, I forgot to add knitting 2 or 3 Shetland cardigans (and selling my plasma to buy the wool!).  After all, I'd like to be dressed at least as well as your average Shetland pony! 

What do you think?  Am I crazy to try this with the holidays approaching?  Or is it too hard to tell, since I haven't actually quantified the scope of the project, like how many of each type of garment.  I'll work on that part of the planning next.

Latest Knitting Obsession

I have a sweater in the works, but I have lost interest, and I'm only on the first panel, the back.  I'll try to take a few pictures to share, although I'm not sure, because my original intent was a gift, so pics may have to wait until it's done (if ever) and given.
My latest obsession is for a basic wardrobe staple, a classic Shetland cardigan.  If you're old enough, you may remember the popularity of Shetland sweaters in the late 1970's.  They were mostly saddle shoulder pullovers (I had one in blue), or fair isle yoked pullovers, some with a button placket in the yoke, or made up as cardigans.  They came in soft, heathered hues, or bright, "preppy" colors.  I had a gorgeous yellow fair isle pullover, with the yoke done in soft blues, greens and white.  I remember that one label was "Northern Isles".  Apparently, that label is still around, I just checked.

Here is a cabled Shetland that Appleseed's has for about $60.  I am in love with the color.

So, back to my Fall/Winter Wardrobe planning.  Here's what I have in mind.

 Very simple, very basic.  What I envision is  mix/match separates centered around a defined palette, one that would be right at home in the early 60's.  Button-down blouses in solids, plaids, and paisleys.  Shetland cardigans and short-sleeve "jumper" sweaters, or better yet twin sets. 

Maybe a few ribbed turtlenecks (and matching ribbed tights).  Straight skirts (not tight, just straight), and twill trousers (ankle length, tapered legs, and side-zipped).  Picture a collegiate look, I guess, or "Weekend in Connecticut".  My chosen palette is navy, ivory, camel, and slightly rusty red. Shoes:  penny loafers in cordovan, and maybe even a pair in navy.

Of course, in my daydreams, the bulk of this wardrobe is handmade.  I've been pricing purchased cardigans (hard-to-find, very limited colors) v. handknitting (good yarn in that quantity is expensive, basic well-tailored patterns are proving harder to find than I thought, but many colors are available).  For years, I have (probably not-so) secretly wanted to go full-on into vintage dressing, but obviously I haven't.  I firmly believe that it works best for ladies younger than I, and infinitely better for ladies smaller than I.  I have been learning vintage hairstyling techniques, and often wear victory rolls at home, or I can be found in pincurls with a scarf tied over them (a la Rosie the Riveter). 

I have finally settled on the above styling, which is decidedly classic, and generously "mature".  I already have a couple of pairs of L.L.Bean khaki chinos that are close to what I described above .  I have a few classic blouses.  My loafers are falling apart and need to be replaced.  If I can nail down a pattern for the slacks and skirts, I'd love to make them in wool flannel or gabardine, lined.  Other bonus items I'll strive for are shirtdresses, in solids, plaids and corduroys.  Wish me luck!

How much is my knitting worth?

Years ago, a dear friend of mine, who had taken up knitting, asked me why, if I was going to put precious time and effort into knitting, was I using acrylic yarn instead of something really beautiful like wool or silk.  Now I am talking two decades or more ago, before there were soooo many beautiful fibers readily available.  At the time, I remember feeling a little embarassed, and as usual, I had little of any substance to say.  I had come from a lifetime of scrimping and saving, but by then I was earning a considerable income, and even after paying considerable student loans, I could have afforded finer materials.
I pondered the question she posed, and explained to myself that I was just trying out patterns, and if I liked something enough, I could always make it up again in a finer yarn.  Kind of like in sewing, it was like testing a pattern by making a muslin (or toile, for our British friends) to check fit, drape, etc.
In the years since my friend posed the question, I cannot recall a single time that I worked up a pattern in a “cheap” yarn, and then chose to do it again in something luxurious.  Not once.  Now, I haven’t done a lot of knitting (which is too bad, when I consider how much yarn I have bought and stashed).  I seem to be more intrigued with making little swatches to try new techniques, like lace, or double-knitting.  I have made socks, all in acrylic, but not just because one of my sons breaks out in a rash when wool touches his skin.  I have always felt like I was still on the sock learning curve.  That, and I thought they would wear better over the long haul.  And I’ve made a shawl, and an afghan, but never in expensive yarn.  I think the truth is simply that I am a cheapskate.  Is that too harsh a judgment?  Perhaps I should just say “tightwad”.  No, I guess that isn’t any more genteel.  But the truth is the truth, I am frugal.  Maybe I feel like I can justify good, durable materials to stock on-hand for projects that bless my family without involving any kind of sacrifice.  I suspect the next step for me is to commit to making something really special for someone, and invest in the best materials, and have something really lovely to give.  It’s scary, though, as it seems it may be habit-forming.  In the meantime, I am going to try to use up this kind of nice, but kind of yucky yarn.  (I sneaked in a picture of the coffee mug that goes with the Evergreen Ernie dinnerware I spoke of in this post.)I worked up a gauge swatch, holding the yarn double (which was a nuisance, as the yarn is already quite “splitty”.   This took me quite a long time, and here’s why.  Like many Americans, I have always knitted in the “English” style, where you carry your working yarn in your right hand.  I recently watched a tutorial on double-knitting, and the instructor recommended using the “Continental” style for double-knitting.  Well, introducing a new handiwork technique is like telling me the cookie jar is full and there is cold milk in the fridge.  I had to try it.  I knit (and purled) the whole swatch in the Continental style.  It was quite a challenge for me.  Apparently, when I get better at it, it is faster than the English style.  For me, I think that it will take a lot of Continental knitting before it is faster for me than English, but I like having a new technique under my belt.
I found it more difficult to keep a steady tension, and my stitches don’t look quite so regular and even.  I tried to show how loose some of it looked on the back, but I’m not so sure the picture below shows it well.  About 1/3 of the way down from the top on the left side of the pic, you can see 2 rows (a couple of rows apart from each other) that look a little darker – it is because there is a big gap between the rows, where I knitted a loose row halfway across.  I watched  some continental knitting video tutorials on YouTube, and learned that Continental does tend to be looser than English. (I recommend this one from CraftSanity.com)I like a fine-gauge fabric, and would have knit it up single, but I was afraid the lacy parts would get a little lost.  Even held double, this is still a pretty fine gauge.  (4”x4”:28 sts and 39 rows).  It is a little larger than the called-for gauge, but I’ll use it anyway, where this is a scarf, and the final dimensions are not critical.
The pattern is free and I found it here on Ravelry; it is shown made up in alpaca, and linked to Ravelry by the Toft Alpaca Shop in the UK.
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I took all of the above pictures in the sunniest room of our house, but it’s quite overcast right now.  I slipped on my Bean Mocs, and stepped outside to show you why the sun isn’t shining here.This picture tells the story.
It is very windy, too.  We’ve had a lot of wind with our storms this winter.  See the granite post below?  That is supposed to be a lamp-post!  The wind blew the lamp right off of it about 3 weeks ago.Here is a pine tree in our side yard:  see the bough lying on the ground?
The birch on the right is a gratuitous picture, I just love birch trees.  This one is across the street.
Spring starts officially in less than two weeks.  I just keep telling myself that.