New Happenings, New Blog Name, New Etsy....New Stuff!

So, as chance would have it, I've ended up selling my hand knit items. Which has turned into an Etsy shop, which has turned into me being inspired to try more new things. Here are some pictures of what's new that I'm up to!

All of these items are up for sale right now in my Etsy shop. I'm currently working on some custom orders, but will be adding new colorways soon, as well as some new items. If there's something you're interested in, drop me a note and I'll let you know what I can do :)


Here is some new yarn that I dyed. The colorway is "A Child's Autumn".

These are some wrist warmers that are knit up in a really fabulous hand spun wool. Dark forest green, little bits of red, blue and yellow mixed in. They are so soft and cozy, I'm really happy with how these turned out!

And finally, a baby girls beret. Made of soft merino wool and a little bit of cashmere for extra luxury!

Kiddo Mitts Pattern with pictures to show two at a time cast on

Kiddo Mitts

(in Harry Potter Gryffindor 'Apprenti Sorcier', see yarn description below)

These are on my 8 year old, who is petite and slender, but have enough ribbing stretch in them to accommodate most kids age 3 years to 8 years or more. They are easily adapted by adding in two to four stitches on the cast on edge to fit kids with larger hands and arms.

Needles: size US 2, 47" circular

Yarn: Biscotte & Cie 'Apprenti Sorcier'

Skills: magic loop, two at a time, long-tail CO, knit, purl, peasant thumb

(picture instructions below for getting started if you haven't knit two at a time on magic loop before)

I knit these two at a time on magic loop. If you prefer, you can work them one at a time on DPNs or on a circular. Just cast on like you normally would instead of following the cast on I'm giving.

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CO 48 sts and pull the end loop of the circular needle out so there are 24 sts on each side.

Push the sts back up to the needle tips and exchange the end st from each needle to close the circle. Then, pull back down so you can cast on for second mitt.

With a second ball of yarn, CO 24 sts (half of your total sts for one mitt) onto one needle for your second mitt.

Now, use your other needle to transfer these sts purlwise to your other needle.

This will put your working end where it needs to be to cast onto the other needle and close your circle by exchanging end sts like before.

Holding the working end of the yarn, ready to cast on the remaining 24 sts onto the other needle.

Two sts cast onto second needle using long tail cast on.

All sts cast on for second mitt, ready to exchange sts to close the circle and begin knitting.

(images above are knit using Biscotte & Cie's dark wizard colorway)

Both mitts cast on, circles closed by exchanging sts, with separate balls of yarn for each mitt. Ready to knit :)

Now that we are cast on and ready to go, when you are working with two at a time, you will knit along the first side of one mitt, then you will knit along one side and the other side of the second mitt, then you can finish up the last side of the first mitt and you will have completed one full round on each mitt at this point. I find it helpful to add a little stitch marker to the first mitt (or sock if I'm knitting socks) so that I always remember when I complete a full round on both. I usually just attach an clasp-type marker to the first row of knitting after I've completed a few full rounds and leave it there until I'm done.

*K2, P2* repeat in asterisks for each round, until you have knit 3" or 4" for the cuff and hand portion of the mitt. My example is knit in 4" length.

Using a waste yarn of contrasting color (important it's contrasting so you can find it easily), knit 7 sts onto waste yarn, then tuck ends inside work and pick up regular working yarn, leaving a comfortable float where you knit with the waste yarn.

Continuing knitting in pattern of K2, P2 for another 1" to 1.5" (example is knit in about 1") to complete the mitt. Use a stretchy bind off like Elizabeth Zimmermann's Sewn Bind Off

note: I usually bind off one side and then use the needle I just finished on to transfer sts onto so I can continue around in my bind off. You will only need to do this for the first mitt, as when you get to the second it's the only one left on the needles.

Now you are ready to knit the thumb.

Carefully remove your waste yarn and put the live sts onto your needles. Knit around first 7 sts, pick up 2 sts on side, continue onto other needle, knitting other 7 sts and pick up two more sts on other side of thumb.

Continue in pattern now of K2, P2 for about 5 rnds and bind off using EZ's bind off like described above for mitt bind off.

Do the same for second mitt. Any questions or corrections, please comment or email me so I can update. Thanks!

So much

That's the title, and then some. Let's not worry about past circumstance since that's more work to catch up on, but let's instead just focus on where we are currently at the moment. Currently, I'm knitting the Star-crossed slouchy beret, and working on Rosamund's cardigan. Pip ripped apart my notes with the rows and pattern area that I was currently at, but hey, I'll get around to figuring that out. This is just a little pick-me-up blogging. Totally can't believe it's November. Time for the big boys birthdays. So ready for the holidays... yes I am. Slightly timid as I've learned to be with life now, but yes, ready and excited.

Saturday drive

So, I'm sitting here trying to knit Jim's socks, since Peregrin and Gabriel are napping (and Jim too!). I'm watching BBC News and I'm feeling like I should/need to do a million things which is probably why I'm blogging instead of just knitting. I really need to turn on the Celtic radio and just listen and knit.

However, we took a nice drive out to Multnomah Falls yesterday. I love going there, and so does the rest of the family. It was after 3pm when we left though, so we got there around 5pm since we had to stop to eat first. It was pretty cold, and to make it colder, the wind was blowing like hell. The river was completely choppy and being at the Falls wasn't exactly a warm idea. Ah, but it was still pretty. And I love drives. I don't need a destination, I just need myself in the car and some time. My favorite thing is to drive and see where I end up; to discover new things and new places. It always settles the kids down, and I feel completely at peace. Especially if there are lots of trees nearby. I love trees....woods....forests.

I also love to feel like I don't have to do anything in particular. Like when I get on the freeway and I feel like I can just keep going. I don't have to go anywhere but where I want to. Just keep on going until I get to where I want to, and have a new adventure. Life seems like that, like I can just keep going down the road, and enjoy all the stops along the way and just enjoy where I end up as I wander along. I mean that metephorically and literally.

Well, back to reality right now, and here's some pics of the kids and the falls. We weren't there long as it was getting a bit dark, and for once, I wasn't in the mood for a hike up the mountain to the falls. I really just felt cold.


This is what it looks like when I look back in our van. Carseats, boosters, everywhere. Oh yeah, and kids too.


Top of Multnomah Falls, from the bottom.


Whoa, look at the water!


"We're a wild and an untamed thing!"


"No, I'm not coming!"


OK, so that's it. I'm going to get back to knitting now because I'm paranoid that the kids are going to wake up before I can do anything. And PS, I'm pretty happy that I've only got about 20lbs left to lose to get down to pre-pregnancy weight. I was so puffy at the end of my pregnancy that for the first time I honestly didn't want my picture taken. Now, I finally get that. I really should work out a little though. My tummy is always the hardest thing to get back down and into shape.

Yarnie Yarnie - Pics - Massive Yarn Score!

I'm trying to catch up with all my yarnie goodness, so here's my package from Biscotte & Cie that I received on Feb. 6th. I have made little progress with Jim's socks, but I'm centered on making longies for Peregrin right now. This yarn, however, will be socks. Socks for me, socks for Peregrin, and socks for who knows who!

The Harry Potter Yarns....

This is the Watermelon self-striping yarn. I wish I had an example of how it knits up. Well, I will when I get to some socks for Miss M with it.



And, finally this is my Sgt. Pepper's yarn from her Yarn Club for February. I just love hand-dyed self-striping yarn!





Now here's my February yarn for The Unique Sheeps Lord of the Rings sock club. The package has a pin, some dreamy tea, the Hobbiton sock pattern, and the Hobbiton colorway.




Here's my Three Irish Girls yummy BFL yarn that we picked out for Peregrin's soakers.


Aiden


Nolan



And finally, if you've made it to the end of this post, then I'm going to reward you with some chubby cutie-pie goodness!

Valentines

So Jim and I hadn't really discussed doing anything for Valentines. I pretty much think it's a greeting card holiday....well it really is thanks to that Victorian card designer whose name escapes me. Ah, but anyhow....and Jim was working a late shift that day as well. I think just having a glass of wine and hanging out is enough. Just taking a little time together. Gifts and cards are nice, but I like making Jim cards and notes for holidays. It seems so much more true of a way to let him know how I feel.

So we did that Friday since he was home - had some wine and watched LOST (which can be downloaded from xbox live ....I had no idea!). Jim brought back chocolates from the store with the wine though. Sneaky. Then when we got up Saturday I asked Jim to make me coffee and he made me a latte instead.

Then when he came back from Baker & Spice Saturday he had a cake for me along with the bread. He's relentless! And it was delicious....



I also got some flowers from Jim, which were waiting on the table for me.

Mirkwood (cargo) Longies are the cuteness

So here are is latest FO for Peregrin. Jim picked up this delicious Araucania yarn in color #805 last Saturday. It was right before store closing and I started freaking out that Peregrin needed more longies as newborns go through them a bit faster with all the constant changes. I had only made two since I wanted to wait and see what sex the baby was before I made too many "neutral" ones.

eta - i did make a newborn curly purly which was too small for him right after birth, and the wrap i was testing for snasna which works great except it's too narrow to cover the prefold and is merely a spare for emergencies.



Luckily for me, Jim completely understands what colors and textures of yarn I like. I sent him with the mission of finding a good color in either the Aysen or Malabrigo worsted. He did well, because I love what he came home with. And then I set to work to get some longies done. It took me a couple days to get started on them because Peregrin and I were trying to get into our groove of doing things. Up to this point I had really only held him and sat down and relaxed.


Here's the link to my project in Ravelry.
I decided on doing pockets for these longies (faux ones as he doesn't really have anything to put into them right now..). They became the "Mirkwood Longies" as I'm kinda going into a LOTR thing again lately and after all, his name is Peregrin right. So all things LOTR is good.


So, complete with little wood leaf buttons on the pockets, the cargo longies are complete. I decided on doing a longer rise, and did a size small. I added in three short rows in the back, and instead of doing seed stitch cuffs, I left them in stockinette so they'd roll naturally. The benefit to that is that you can add onto the leg length with many options if the body still fits as they grow. I don't think this will be necessary as Peregrin seems to have a longer truck and shorter legs. We'll see.

I made a twisted cord for tieing the waistline, and I did the waist ribbing in a 3x1 twisted rib, with eyelets on every purl about halfway down the ribbing.



Overall, I'm very happy with them, and they are currently laying to dry after lanolizing them this morning. I especially love the pocket and button detailing on them. Now I just need to start collecting some shirts to match up with his longies that I make.



I really am in love with longies right now. I never really wanted them with the other kids, but they are so easy....just put on a prefold or fittted diaper and then the longies over them. One less step of a cover and pants as well, as the cover itself is a pair of pants. Less bulky and oh so cute to have knitted pants. He got lots of compliments yesterday on the "pants" he was wearing made of Manos del Uruguay.

I've ordered some Three Irish Girls BFL worsted in colorways "Aiden" and "Nolan" for his next pairs of longies. That should be arriving this week and then I can get to work on those. (eta - just got an email it shipped out today!)I haven't picked out any complimenting colors for those yet, so I'll see what I do with them. I really do need to start buying him some clothes though to match with the longies. I've only gone out of the house once since he was born - yesterday in fact. We took the kids to a Valentines party one of the moms hosted. Lucky for me, it was fairly quiet. As silly as I can be at times, Jim's the one to do all the physical jumping around and playing with the kids.

I've got more yarn from Biscotte & Cie in mostly all Harry Potter colorways to post about. That will be coming next. Right now I've got a sleepy newborn and a fussy 2 year old to deal with...