We had a great time, even though I bought zero yarn (I really stocked up at the Windsor Button closing sale, and feel like I need nothing) and Gregory was somewhat hesitant about the animals. The location - just a bit over an hour away from us - is perfect for a half day trip, and the grounds were really nice. Some great vendors, too!

On the knitting front, I have two successes and one failure to report.

First, I am nearly done with Budgie, the third. The knitting is done, and the ends are woven in.

The buttons are picked out.

Now only to sew on the buttons and block.

Second, I started another baby sweater, Sunnyside cardigan by Tanis Lavallee. It's a lovely, simple pattern for a basic baby sweater.

I am using Gedifra Florida, a discontinued yarn I got eons ago on elann.com. On the plus side, the yarn knits up into a lovely fabric on US 3 needles, and it's wool-free! On the minus side, it is SO splitty! I'm sticking with it, though, I like the color and the way it knits up. I'm going to be done with this sweater very soon.

The one failure I have to report is with respect to my grandma's socks. I picked a pattern - Anniversary Socks by Nancy Bush in Favorite Socks, but the lack of symmetry in the lace motif was bugging me, plus the socks weren't coming out wide enough. I picked a yarn - a gray one from my stash. I picked it because it was already wound. My yarn selection process is so rigorous nowadays, haha! It's hand-dyed, but I'm not sure of any other details. In any case, the yarn is terribly splitty and kind of stringy. So I'm back to square one.

I've actually been thinking of reknitting this pattern, Traveler's Stockings, because I really enjoyed knitting it (and remember this 6.5 years later!), it worked from the first try, and I know my grandma gave away that sock pair to my great aunt. I'd even use some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock to guarantee success. With so many sock patterns out there, it feels like a cheat, but sometimes you want a sure thing, know what I mean?

Gorgeous, right? The one with the ric-rac was crocheted by yarnbee Cheryl, and has got to be the fanciest potholder I've ever seen. I understand that Cheryl is writing up the pattern, which is awesome, because I've been trying to deconstruct how exactly she made this for days. The other round potholder was crocheted by the fabulous NJ Stacie - I always shy away from patterns which have so many different colors, and I'm so glad Stacie doesn't ;). And the square potholder is by none other than Maryse! I love her adaptation of the granny square, and, again, all the colors!!! Thank you so much, ladies!

My own potholders ended up with melseyknits Melinda, Maryse, and... I don't know who got the third ;).

I love this swap, and would participate again in a heartbeat!!!

As for the title, it's baby season, as we all know, and the logic is simple:

Baby season => baby sweaters => small amount of yarn => handspun stash => combine with a solid to stretch the yardage = Budgie!!!

This time I'm combining some Blue Jellyfish handspun from Pigeonroof Studios (80/10/10 superwash merino/cashmere/nylon, 170 yards of DK/worsted weight, purchased 4/12/2010 - yay for using up stash!) with Berroco Vintage #5101 (mochi) (left over from knitting the Preppy Cardigan, more stash!).

As soon as I started knitting this sweater, the stripes came across very nautical to me, even though the Blue Jellyfish colorway is more of a teal than a blue. I even considered adding a shawl collar or one of those square-ish collars you find on sailor uniforms. However, eventually I decided to leave the neck opening as is, knit a button band instead of a zipper band, and add some nautical silver-tone buttons (not yet purchased). I think the sweater will come out very cute! Stay tuned for FO pics!

Pattern: Inky Dinky Jacket and Hat by Anne Hanson. I first noted this gorgeous pattern on the lovely Eloise, and it was only a matter of time before the right recipient came along so I could knit it!

I knit the 6 month size of both jacket and hat, without too many modifications! Oh, yes, you might have noticed that it's a different stitch pattern - I had to change that. As beautiful as the original is, I just couldn't keep up with the massive chart. I subbed the significantly-easier stitch pattern from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Sweater on Two Needles (February) from the Knitter's Almanac. I think it worked out very well.

Yarn: Louet Gems Merino Sportweight in color 09, lavender, two 100-gram skeins almost to the last yard! I've had this yarn in my stash for almost as long as I've been knitting - I bought it off eBay years ago for a song, as they say. The color has been long discontinued. I could never think of the right project to knit with it, but this one was perfect. I paired this very classic color with interesting buttons!

The buttons are from the now defunct Windsor Button. Where else could I have found such great buttons?!? Oh, the sadness :(.

Needles and finished dimensions: As recommended, US 3 and 4 circs and dpns. After blocking, the sweater is about 19.5" across the chest, 11" from hem to shoulder, and 5" from cuff to armpit. The hat is 14" in circumference and 6" deep. I know the hat pattern was written to be more of a beret than a hat, but I think my version is going to be more of a slouchy hat. Everything is super stretchy, but I think this set will fit a 3-6 month old: so, for this May baby to wear this fall/winter.

All in all, I really liked the styling of this sweater - the A-line silhouette, the lovely little collar, the garter stitch edgings. I did find the actual pattern a little wordy, but I don't think I'm allowed to complain about that, as I write wordy patterns myself ;). Just push through - Anne Hanson has you in good hands :).

(My reviews of 60 Quick Baby Knits and 60 Quick Knits.)

Like the other books in this series, 60 Quick Baby Blankets uses Cascade yarns, specifically Cascade 220 Superwash and Cascade 128 Superwash. Both yarns are available in dozens of colors (hundreds, in the case of Cascade 220), in hundreds of online and brick-and-mortar yarn shop locations, all at an affordable price point. They are just winner yarns, that's all there's to it.

The patterns in this book are for knit baby blankets. There's just a bit of crochet here and there, mainly in the edgings. Because these are baby blankets, the sizes are in the traditional 30" x 36" range, some a bit bigger, some a bit smaller. Many of the blankets can be easily up- or down-sized.

To me, the most striking part of this collection is the range of patterns. There are simple patterns and complex ones; patterns using all one color, several colors, and many colors; smooth patterns and textured ones; classic patterns and whimsical ones; patterns knit all as one piece, and patterns composed of smaller pieces sewn together.

Let me highlight 3 of my favorites:

(click on an image to view larger)

  

The first blanket is called Zig and Zag by Holli Yeoh. It is knit using 8 colors of Cascade 220, and it's absolutely stunning. It instantly reminded me of this chevron quilt that my friend Maritza recently sewed. The description of how this blanket is constructed was also quite intriguing: "This blanket uses a modular technique called strip knitting. The blanket is constructed out of narrow strips, which are joined together as they are knit." Oh? That sounds interesting. I will not deny that the number of yarn ends that will need to be woven in scares me, but it's just so pretty.

The second blanket is called Monster Mash by Susan B. Anderson, and is knit using Cascade 128. The reason I like it is because it's intarsia, but not crazy intarsia. I've found that in order to create fun, whimsical motifs, you often end up needing to use intarsia. Sometimes the intarsia is crazy and approximately zero fun. But here, there are just three colors, and just a few bobbins. The faces, arms, legs, and outlines are added later. Plus the blanket is made out of individual blocks, so you are working on only one intarsia monster at a time, not trying to balance all the intarsia bobbins at once.

The third blanket is all one color and one piece - Lavender Lace by Karen Kendrick-Hands, using Cascade 220. It is beautifully textured, but the lace pattern is not entirely traditional, and the double seed stitch provides a nice frame.

All in all, another great collection from this series! Click in the extended entry to see some additional patterns (with a bit of commentary from yours truly).

Pattern: Eight Pointed Flower by Julie Yeager. With the addition of a few more rounds, my potholders came out to be exactly 6" square.

The back was an improvised pattern, crocheted with improvised colors (similar, but not the same, if I had run out). At first I was slightly bothered that the backs weren't all the same, but then realized that each potholder will go to a different recipient, so this picture is the only time the three of them will be seen as a group. So, I got over it.

Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic, 100% mercerized cotton. I didn't keep track of the colors I used, sorry.

Crochet hook: size C (2.5 mm) from this set, which is still my favorite.

I loved this clever, clever pattern and look forward to exploring other patterns by Julie Yeager for future potholders/blanket squares.

P.S. If you're interested in a trip down memory lane, here are the potholders I crocheted in 2009, 2010, 2011, and the ones I received in 2009, 2010, 2011.

So, what sock pattern have you knit lately? What would be interesting to knit for my grandma? As you know, I knit all kinds of socks - plain, lace, cables... For my grandma, using fingering weight yarn, I find patterns worked over 68-72 stitches to fit well.

Usually it takes me a long time to select a potholder pattern, with lots of "auditions" and trial and error. This year, I simply didn't have time for that, especially since I didn't even start until two weeks ago and the potholders are due on April 1st. I'm so lucky to have come across a pattern that worked almost right away!

This is the Eight Pointed Flower pattern, and it's wonderful. Quick and easy to make, but with some great details.

First, there is a bit of dimensionality to the pattern - only four out of the eight flower points are embedded in the potholder fabric. The other four float on top and are secured with just one stitch. Second, the eight points themselves are created by crocheting a very full flower, then joining the sides of the petals at the halfway point to make it lie flat. Very clever, which this knitter/crocheter loves.

I didn't need to modify this pattern at all, other than to add two more rounds to bring the potholder to the official allowable size - very nice when one is so short on time. For yarn, I used my potholder favorite, Tahki Cotton Classic, some from the stash, and some from the Windsor Button closing sale that I told you about last time.

Now I only need to crochet a solid back, join front and back together, and add a loop. I'll probably pick something simple from 200 Crochet Blocks for the back.

The toddler has exhibited a huge interest in knitting, crocheting, and yarn balls lately, and during this impossible winter I've even let him (and the cat) run around with yarn once in a while. It's a huge mess, but when you can't go outside, it kills time and that's a win. Here he is putting together a puzzle just a few days ago.

Dear Susan,

I just received your newsletter that Windsor Button will be closing. I cannot believe it. It was, by far, my most favorite yarn & sewing shop in the Boston area, and the one most convenient for me. Your yarn and notion selection was always spot on, and I loved that you were able to maintain such a large inventory - even a bag of yarn was not typically a problem. The staff was always very helpful (and left me alone when I knew what I wanted or was just browsing). I have such fond memories of the items I've knit using yarns purchased in your shop - countless potholders using Cotton Classic, a hat for my son using Berroco Comfort and a sweater using Berroco Vintage. I also loved that you carried Sublime yarns and pattern books - soft and adorable. Your button selection has rescued me so many times - you always had just the perfect ones.

I am just so heartbroken that Windsor Button is no more. You will be missed.

Sincerely,
Kathy, aka Grumperina

Windsor Button is holding a clearance sale beginning Monday, February 11th at 10:00 a.m. I might stop by: one last opportunity to tell the employees how much the shop will be missed.

I'm so very sad :(. Windsor Button has seen me through so many projects. Here are a few, a trip down memory lane for sure.

Basically, all the details are the same as the first time I knit this sweater. Such a great pattern - not much tweaking is needed, really. The yarn colors here are Gilded and Baltic, and I'm happy to say there was truly minimal bleeding, thank goodness. So far I've worked with 6 different colors of Tosh Vintage, and it's just the Oceana that's given me trouble in terms of bleeding.

I tweaked the stitch counts ever so slightly because my gauge was different than specified, and I really wanted to get as close as possible to the newborn size (the recipient is expected in mid-February). The buttons were from my local Joann's. Not as exciting as the ones from Windsor Button, but very cute and not totally plain.

The hat is basically the magic coffee baby hat, except with a garter edging to match the sweater, no loop at the top, knit flat (so there's no color jog), and adjusted for a different gauge. But I swiped the desired circumference - 13" - and depth to knit before decreasing - 4" - from this pattern.

The expecting mom was thrilled! Success!

Cue frantic opening of any box labeled "yarn," "knitting," or "crafts." At the moment my creativity level is zero, so I determined ahead of time what I wanted to find: some Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage to knit another Beyond Puerperium. Good thing I have a few skeins in the stash - the colors are so vibrant, they are just perfect for babies.

Anyway, only two boxes later, success! I found my bag of Tosh Vintage! Now to find a copy of the printed pattern and pattern notes, hmmm. Maybe it would be easier to just print a fresh copy than open more boxes.

ETA: I just found the printed pattern and notes! They didn't make it into any of the knitting boxes and were together with my office stuff, which has been unpacked already. It's meant to be ;).

Until I'm able to actually show you some stitches, Happy Holidays, my friends! Here's my little love being a love :).

Pattern: Deer Dress by Signe S. Simonsen.

Yarn: red is Dale of Norway Baby Ull, #4227, 3.5 skeins; white is Dale of Norway Baby Ull, #0020, less than 1 skein; navy is Lanett Superwash, #5575, less than 1 skein.

Needles: US 1.5, 2.50mm circs.

Sizing, gauge, etc.: I worked the second smallest size, 1.5-2.5 years, and the dress came out to be 21" around the chest and 19.5" shoulder to hem after blocking. I steam blocked using my steamer, by the way. As always, my gauge varied drastically between plain stockinette and stranded knitting. Plain stockinette: about 7 stitches and 9.5 rounds per inch. Stranded knitting: about 9 stitches and 11 rounds per inch.

I failed to accommodate for my very tight stranded knitting, and as a result, the chest came out quite small/tight and the dress fits a child much smaller than a typical1.5-2.5 year old. The pattern made some provisions for the differences in tension between stockinette and stranded stockinette, but I think I needed to compensate even more.

Nonetheless, the end result should fit the recipient, and overall I'm super pleased with how it came out!

My model is a cute one, eh? Get those blackmail photos while they're young, right? ;)

The boxes are still piled high, my new commute affords me far less knitting time than I imagined (who knew there could be such a thing as too short of a commute?), but I'm still finding a moment here and there to knit the Deer Dress by Signe S. Simonsen.

I'll be honest, this is a pretty hellish project. The corrugated ribbing at the top was a pain, because it's worked back and forth (not in the round). Have you ever knit with two yarns while carrying them on the front side of the work, when working the WS rows? Yup, that.

Then the deer were pretty complicated to execute because there are long stretches of the two colors, necessitating the whole twisting the yarns thing so the floats aren't too long (this is a superwash wool - Dale of Norway Baby Ull).

And after all of that, there are inches and inches and inches of plain stockinette knitting. Using fingering weight yarn. And US 1.5 size needles.

BUT look how cute!!! So well worth it :).

Gregory, who is already 17 months (how did that happen?) says "hello" from our palace of boxes :). He was the sweetest little lion for Halloween.

Here's my boy wearing his Twisted Tree Cardigan. I finished that sweater before he was born, and I can now say that I got the sizing all wrong... Oops! The sweater was too big in the spring, fit perfectly in the summer, and now is bordering on the tightness of a bodysuit. I think he'll get a few wears out of it before I put it aside.

In other news, we are in the process of moving, from one Boston suburb to another! All my yarn, fabric, and supplies have been packed away already, and I cross my fingers that there's no last minute crafting emergency :). Once we've moved and are all settled in, I can't wait to share with you my latest little project, which I'm knitting for a friend's daughter.

I originally thought that this sweater would look nice with bright yellow buttons, but when I actually went to the button shop (Windsor Button, FTW!), these mainly red buttons looked really great against the fabric, and were just the right size.

Pattern: Beyond Puerperium by Kelly Brooker, light worsted weight version, size 3-6 months, with the "long tapered" sleeves option. I didn't make any significant changes, other than to knit the sleeves flat and then seam, in order to avoid the color jog (same as in Budgie).

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in oceana and chamomile, less than 1 skein of each. I'm still upset about how much the yarn bled.

Needles: US7 circs.

Gauge and finished dimensions: gauge is about 4.5 stitches and 7 rows per inch in stockinette. Sweater is about 19" across the chest, 10" shoulder to bottom hem, and 5" from armpit to sleeve cuff.

Overall, this is a great little sweater, despite the yarn foible. Now to wrap it up, and give it away!

P.S. A recent picture of my sweet boy, for the Gregory fans among my readers :).

Not the most amazing picture in the world, but this is Beyond Puerperium, minus the buttons. I knit it using Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in oceana and chamomile colorways, after seeing this beautiful version on Ravelry.

Everything went exactly according to plan and I love, love, love how the sweater came out, except the yarn, the oceana colorway in particular, bled like a mofo when I blocked. I think I should have expected it, because the colorways are SO saturated, but what I didn't expect was that the yellow would soak up some of the extra aqua dye, and now looks muddy and dull. I still think it's a fine sweater and totally wearable, but not at all what I envisioned when I first put those two colorways together. Oh well.