Things have been quiet for a while on this here blog, but the knitting has been progressing steadily.  I have been knitting almost exclusively on the tank – meaning, I want to wear this, like, now!  The cotton yarn looks like a winner because it feels cool and drapey, even when I am knitting with it and I’m sure that it will feel lovely wearing it (fingers crossed)!

 

As I was knitting and tweaking the waist shaping decreases and increases, I was wondering what would look nice as a neck-line.  Since us knitters, we can make any neck line work right???  That being said, I really don’t have the time to sit down and work out pattern specs and so I was looking online for some neckline inspiration and then I looked, looked and stared some more – my tank was looking dangerously close to Isabella by Jordana Paige on one of my favourite websites.  Granted, my stitch count was different by a few stitches and I was doing my own thing where the lace pattern and colour changes were concerned, but the picot hem and construction of the tank, sorta similar???  And here I thought I was being all original and stuff!!! 

 

I was actually super happy, because I don’t have to worry about the neckline (insert happy dance here)  I think that the neckline lace bits look lovely and so I think that this Candy Floss Tank will be my own take on Isabella – thanks Jordanna for neckline inspiration.  I’m liking the picot stuff on the armholes to tie in with the picot hem and so I think that Candy Floss will meet Isabella and do a knitterly handshake…or will they click needles!! 

 

I’ve begun the armhole shaping and I can’t wait to complete the back and cast on for the front already!!!  Let’s see how things progress and if the zigging and the zagging of the lace panel doesn’t clash too much with the Fern/Leaf neckline pattern.  Stay tunedJ

This little fella so enamoured with life…

has grown up into this energetic, fun-loving, talented, creative, compassionate young boy, still enamoured with everyday…that’s life:) 

Love you, son! Happy 9th birthday!!

It’s officially no-sleeves weather in these parts with the mercury steadily rising.  Out comes the skinny cotton for some tank top knitting on our recent weekend break!! 

This yarn has proven to be lovely in various projects in plain stockinette, but I wanted something a little more stimulating like errrm…some lacework!!!!!  So I cast on and things were going great guns until I found myself squinting more and more at the lace chart.  Blame this on sleep deprivation with a 5-month-old nursling and a son who is on spring break – yeah, we’re talking crazy combo. 

I do love the way the picot hem looks….that stays, but the rest of the lace….sigh….has been frogged.

 

For the moment it’s back to good ol’ stockinette with just a hint of lace…not too brain numbing and I’m loving it so far. 

Granted that there’s miles of knitting left to go, I am really enjoying the zen time this knit is providing and the bits of lace will provide in-built air-conditioning.  Now, that’s what I call an all-round knit…lovely and functional!!! 

At this point, I’m basically winging it with no specific pattern in mind just a picot hem and some sort of waist shaping.  I’m NOT loving the colour changes once they’re knit up – funny that…they looked so good together when they were thrown together…just like candy floss!!!

                                          

I’ve had this lovely Sweet Georgia Yarn called “Summer Skin” for ages.  It’s 100% superwash merino sock yarn but since it’s tooooo hot in these parts for wearing socks, it’s destined to become a skinny scarf using this pattern from ImagiKnit.  I love that this project is so portable and that the flecks of blue show up randomly in the yarn.  Granted that this scarf won’t be getting worn until next winter, I just wanted an on-the-go project, so here’s my So Called Scarf…

 

So Called Scarf

 

Nope…not me.  I always thought that knitting would do its cycle and then I would wake up one day and venture onto the next craft that makes me happy.  But I just can’t seem to be quittin’ knittin’.  Try saying that many times and get your tongue tied into all sorts of knots! 

And so…next on the needles is Wendy Bernard’s Something Red, only mine is “Something White” since I’m using some white Phildar Aviso I had in my stash.  It’s knit from the top down and went fairly quickly until the armholes, but now each row has a gazillion stitches and so it’s taking forrrrrrrrr……ever!!!  Here’s my progress so far.

  Something White

Then there’s the ever lovely CeCe that has been hibernating for a while.  I’m knitting this with Cascade 220 in a lovely green that I got from Three Bags Full.

Of course, summer is just around the corner and so I can’t knit much longer on these bulky knits, time to dig out the skinny cotton for a tank maybe???  I have varying shades of pinks in Phildar Licorne (yeah, more licorne!!!!!!!) and I’m thinking some sort of ripple stitch pattern for the tank maybe?  I should make a swatch and see how it works up….when I get some free time….free time, what’s that!!!!

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My posts today seem to be all flowery-like, but considering that I love flowers…this is ok!

Since this post waaaay back, I have been putting off attaching the ties to the Blossom wraparound dress from Magknits. But I finally got my act together and ta-da…Baby K in her Blossom on her 4 month “birthday”

I attached black velvet ribbon which looks great on the orange yarn. At the end of the day, said ribbon was covered in baby drool and had shed most of it’s velvety-ness!!! Note to self – next time use satin ribbon!
I’ve been working on another doll’s dress using this pattern by Hazel Spencer

Pattern Modifications:
I worked an eyelet pattern instead of the drop stitch pattern on the skirt and sleeves. And I used the picot bind off for the bottom of the skirt using
this tutorial from knitty.com.

The button band has a row of single crochet and then some loops for the buttons instead of the usual buttonholes. The teeny buttons are just the normal plasticy kind I got at a notions shop called Al Washia.

I’m suspecting that these buttons are too fiddly for tiny baby fingers but I love how the dress turned out and the doll seems happy too! Here’s Dolly K sporting her new “Buttercup”!

This cardi has been finished for a while now and finally we had some cooler weather and I could get Baby K to sport it last evening. I’m sure she’s going to outgrow it soon but I think that she looks adorable in her first hand-knit:)

No knitting makes me a really cranky woman. Here’s the knitting progress that I have gotten accomplished over the last month!!!! Not much…

But even a row or two every evening when the hubster cuddles Baby K, has kept me sane. The downside, no finished objects in a long time. This is why; I have chosen a small project to work on. Enter “Peace Baby” by the amazing AnnyPurls (did you see her 24 sock-advent adventure!!!!)

I saw this pattern on Anny’s blog a couple months ago and I had to have it – the pattern comes with a great cause too – PEACE!!! I’m loving the instructions and the details and tips that the pattern has and it has been fun knitting this little garment for my adorable Baby K so far.

The yarn is called Home Island that I got from a yarn store in Zurich when we went on our “babymoon”. Granted this is 100% cotton yarn and won’t be the best yarn to block, but the weather here will permit us to wear only cotton or cotton blends and so it’s got to be this. Also, Baby K has been wearing pink, pink and more pink and so I decided to deviate and work this sweater in blue and red and it looks lovely (I think).

I just hope I finish it before she gets too big to wear it…she’s growing so quick and outgrowing most of her newborn outfits. Fingers crossed – I really want some baby-wearing-knits pictures and don’t want to model this on her Teddy Bear!!!