Bow Tied

The ever elusive finished knit decided to show its self today. Though is has been complete for sometime, being shy, it only shows itself on cooler summer days/nights. The bow tied bolero was first seen in this area here. So as you can see by the date on the post, it hides from public view on purpose.

Want to know about this quiet knit? Well, it is a Debbie Bliss pattern, knit with Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton. The color just pops against the white linen dress that Bean has on. I started this on June 9, 2008 and finished on September 12, 2008. Again, the reminder that this knit is very shy. You can also find details on ravelry.

Unfortunately, I do not have a photos yet of the front, but it turned out well. If you follow my blog, you know that I am very careful not to publish the faces of our kids. There are several fabulous photos of the front, but all have the sweet Bean's face in them. yes I could crop them out, but I would also crop out part of the sweater. Babies just don't want to hold still. There is a very great appreciation for the professional photographers of babies in our household. How do they do it? Once we snap a decent photo, I will amend this post, OK?

Another note, because the ties were so long (next time I would make them shorter), they are wrapped around Bean and tied in the back. Since she is crawling and can not be bothered by things hanging down, this was the best solution.

blast from my past

I found this vest in a pile of clothes a friend gave to me when Biz was born. It looked familiar. Where did I recognize this top from? Think, Trixie, think . . . then it hit me.

I knit that damn thing!

At first I was a little irked that a gift was "re-gifted" back to me. But then it occurred to me that because this was one of my first knits, no photos were ever taken. All I had to document this fun garment was a notebook page with the details. So, let's begin, shall we.

We are all aware that I lean (understatement) toward Debbie Bliss patterns. I am not sure if it is the pattern itself or the styling/photos in the books that reel me in. either way, I have knit a few here, and here, and here, and . . . you get the picture.

This pattern is titled Eyelet Vest and is on page 8 of Special Knits by Debbie Bliss. I knit this in record time, only five days from start to finish. That includes shopping for ribbon and buttons.

Can I mention, extremely off topic by the way, that it is almost 60 degrees outside! The sun is shinning, the birds are singing and I can hear the hum of a boat motor on the lake. Biz is napping on a blanket next to the slider, which is open slightly to let in a fresh breeze. If I take a deep breath, I can almost smell summer.

Back to the matter at hand. I used Plymouth Yarns Dreambaby DK in a soft green. It knit well, from what I can remember. The yarn also seems to have stood the test of time and baby wear, as there is no pilling and any stains wash right out. Feeling smooth and soft is also another positive for this yarn. I ask myself why I haven't knit with this yarn again. There is no excuse, except maybe that I like natural fibers better than microfiber. Only taking two balls of yarn was very easy on the pocket book! Back in 2006 I wasn't as worried about these things as I am now.

A word about the notions on this vest. The pattern calls for a small button at the back of the neck (thank heavens, because Biz's big noggin definitely would not fit through without it). I chose a small shell button with browns and greens. It compliments that piece nicely. After several attempts to photograph the button I gave up. Biz was not cooperative at all. The ribbon is run-of-the-mill ribbon from the local craft shop in an ivory color. I do not know the brand.

Blocking the vest after each wash is a must. Notice the fabric roll at the bottom. No matter what I do, at the end of the day it is rolling.

So this was my trip down knitting memory lane. It is very nice to see where I started my knitting era and how I have changed since then. Re-gifting back to me in this case was good. Note to self: I think I'll hold on to this vest for when Biz has a baby. Then it's not re-gifting . . . it's passing along heirlooms!

Tulle - ing Around

Here is a cute little hat I knit for Bean. What a fun project. It has all the ingredients to make for a quick, adorable project.

Obviously, Bean wouldn't hold still to get a clear, crisp photo. So we take what we can get.

Details incase you want to make one too. The pattern is from Susan B. Anderson's Itty-Bitty Hats, called Simple Baby Cap 1. I followed the directions to add the tulle, though next time I will shorten the tulle length's from 20 inches to 10 or 15 inches. I used Debbie Bliss' Baby Cashmerino in lavender. Can you believe I found tulle that matches perfectly?!

Round And Round We Go

We took a little family trip to Cedar Point! I love thrill rides. The taller, faster and zoomier (my own word) the better. RM and soccer chica love the rides too. Boo-boo, not so much. So we were iffy on whether or not he would have a good time. It could have turned out as a day of motorized cars and Jr. Gemini for us. Yet, he found his inner coaster love and can't be kept off them. As for Bean, she definitely wouldn't ride any rides this year. Our model of baby definitely does not come equipped with thrill ride capabilities. We will have to purchase that up grade when she gets to be 48" tall. She reclined gracefully in the stroller, choosing to be chauffeured around the park in style.

We had a day of fun, thrills, and trip to first aide. Suffice to say the Snoopy Balloon ride did RM in. He can ride all the coasters, ski down double black diamonds, hike to the top of mountains, etc. But when it comes to the kiddie rides that go in a circle . . . he's toast. Having never had motion sickness before (and being a bit of a drama-king when it comes to feeling ill) RM thought there was something seriously wrong with him. He was certain it was a stroke, heart attack or some dreaded disease. So off to get some Dramamine and an hour of rest at the First Aide Station. For the rest of the day, it was RM not Boo-boo who was content to ride the motorized cars.

Note to all mothers nursing or not: Both First Aide stations in the park have a beautiful nursing room and kid area, complete with TV and games. This was a god-send for nursing and once discovered, used frequently. BTW - it's air conditioned.

So while RM and I took turns waiting for the kids to ride the coasters, I did a little knitting. I mentioned here that I bought some Panda Bamboo Silk at Your Local Yarn Shop. A hat for Bean would be the right choice because it is such a lovely shade of pink. Never having knit with this yarn before, a gauge square is a prerequisite. I think the hat will be a simple stockinette stitch and knit in the round. As for embellishments, I have vision of some flowers - big and flashy for Bean's inner diva.

Did you take note of the tennis shoes I was wearing? They are my beautiful Chuck Taylor's that I received for my anniversary of my birthday. I wear them everywhere. The other items on the stroller were necessities for the day. Gum to keep away bad breath. I always indulge in the over-priced, uber-greasy park food. Plus pain reliever to take away the various headaches that arise when we travel with a 16 year old (who wants nothing to do with kiddie rides and never smiles), a 6 year old (who discovered that he loves roller coasters - yea - and wants to ride them all NOW) and a 6 week old (who just wants to eat, sleep, and poop).

In the future, I will be knitting circles around RM as he sits out the circle amusement rides.

Lot's of Life, a Little Knitting

My blog sub title says "Knitting . . . with a little life thrown in." Well, that is true with the exception that life has been over taking all knitting of late. Remember the secret project I have been terribly preoccupied with? Well, in a few more weeks that will be wrapped up. RM has even contributed a bit to give the finished product a little flair. We are breathless with anticipation. It has not been an easy road. Along the way we have had nausea, disappointments, aches, pains and many bumps in the road. I know the end result will be fantastic. Hopefully we get great reviews on it.

I had one of these a week or so ago. Now, I really love my birthday, but really don't like receiving presents, being the center of attention or my age. Back about 7 years ago, I decided that I would no longer celebrate my birthday, but the anniversary of my favorite birthday. Happy anniversary-birthday to me!

The kids made a lovely cake that tasted a hell of a lot better than it looked. Though beautiful, it would not make Food Network's top ten list. I took this photo after the candles where gone and a few tasty pieces eaten.

JJ is getting ready to burst, literally. The baby should be here by Monday (as if nature doesn't take it's course, her doctor will be helping things along). When we spoke yesterday, she was having fun picking out what her little sprite will wear home from the hospital. She has even knitted a hat, sweater and booties for him if it is cool enough . . . in Oklahoma. Somehow, I doubt it will be that cool. But they could always turn up the A/C a little (kidding!). Mom is there providing love, support and smothering helping JJ out. Yep.

I started this little project the other day. It is the bow-tied bolero from Simple Knits by Debbie Bliss. Having made this several times (it makes a quick and easy new baby gift), I can knit it in my sleep. Someone near and dear is having a baby and I wanted to knit her something for after the baby arrives. She is having a little girl, so this will be perfect.

I am using Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton yarn for the sweater. It is so soft! Definitely will use this yarn again.

New Project

At the beginning of my knitting career, I knit a hooded sweater for Boo-boo. Because of my naivety in the realm of natural fibers I chose a lovely acrylic with no dye lot. I did not do a gauge swatch, just matched the recommendations on the ball band to the recommendations in the pattern. It knit up just fine, though pilled like mad. It must be mentioned that the pattern only went up to 12-24 month size. Alas, Boo-boo was well beyond that size by the time I took up knitting. What was I to do? What every naive new knitter does . . . I forged ahead and made something up. Really, I did. In actuality, I just made note of the adjustments the author made for each size and kept doing that on scrap paper until I got to the size I wanted. Bravely casting-on I and knit the sweater. At the conclusion of the knitting, blocking and sewing I had a great piece, that by sheer luck, fit the boy. He looked so sweet in it with khakis and sandals.

Forge ahead to now (in reality only a few years later). My sister, JJ is having a baby boy in late July. I am sending her all of Boo-boo's baby items in an effort to be kind and reuse some of the lovely things we had. While sorting these things I found the above mentioned hooded sweater. Still in great condition and ready to have the ends woven in - but that's another story for another day. My brain in it's tired and overworked state thought, "Hey why don't you give the already knitted sweater to JJ for LG and knit a second for the new baby!"

I cast on and am doing just that. Here are some details:

Pattern: Hooded Sweater by Debbie Bliss from Special Knits
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Country Blue
Needles: US 8 Bamboo Circular
Started: April 13, 2008

Even though these sweaters were knit 3 years apart, the colors match perfectly! Thank heavens for no-dye lot yarns! Hopefully we will get photos of these sweaters for all to see.