happy halloween!

Watch out for wee pirates out looking for booty!

duck duck goose

Well, would you look at that! It's that duck that every craft blogger was making like 4 or 5 years ago! We're calling it a gosling after coming across this book at the bookstore yesterday, which naturally, I had to get for the wee one. But still, this is the duck... you know the one... from that awesome nuigurumi book now out of print (but I think you can find the pattern in this book, too, if I recall correctly). It was the first gusseted toy I made, I believe, years ago when I first started sewing. For a while, it was my go-to toy to make for people's babies. In this instance, it is the first toy that I have made for my wee one. Shocking that it's taken me this long to get around to that. Even then, I sewed up the parts in a matter of minutes and left them waiting on my work table for over a week to be stuffed and pieced together. Gah. 

I had all these grand plans for making the wee one a bunch of toys. Originally, I had hoped to crochet an amigurumi rattle for him during the ravelympics. (Yes, that's how long ago I've been meaning to get around to this.) I signed on for the Knit Toys team and picked out my pattern. I was psyched and set to go. Then, like those unfortunate skiers that fall about ten feet after the starting line and slide the whole way down on their butts, the sting of defeat punctuated by an icy cold douche, I stumbled as soon as I started and knew I wouldn't be able to finish in time. Other projects quickly piled up like a mini-avalanche, and before I knew it, I was out for sure. Besides, crocheting worsted weight yarn on a small hook to create a dense fabric always gives me claw-hand, and I am not so keen on that. 

I decided it would be easier to sew a toy instead. I had a few ideas - a baby-friendly bat, a bunny rattle, a mini-critter to match one of the quilts I made for him. Meh. I wasn't able to get around to any of it. I am hoping to make up for that now, though, with whatever bits of time I can eke out here and there. Based on his response to this toy, I think it will be well worth it. 

baby's first sheep & wool festival (a.k.a. - woo! RHINEBECK!!!!! yeah!)

Where to start with the post-Rhinebeck post? It's like asking where to start with Rhinebeck itself? You want to be everywhere and see everyone and everything all at once. Let's find a thread and go with it, though, for the sake of some sort of flow. Let's start with the fact that I didn't take any photos. No sheep shots here, folks. Not for lack of wanting to, since I do so love gorgeous photos of our fuzzy wool-bearing friends. I did, however, meet a ton of people who I have been wanting to meet for so long and to reconnect with friends who I haven't seen in ages. It was delightful finally getting to meet so many people who I only know through this amazing internet thingamajig. Sadly, there were a few people who I didn't get a chance to meet or who I didn't even know were there. And I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked to with some folks. I was all buzzing and distracted, happily so though. Much fun was had, and I finally made it to the ravelry party, which was wonderful. Jess, Casey, Mary-Heather, Sarah, Kyle, Erica, Nancy, and Ysolda really busted their butts to put together a fabulous event for everyone.

In addition to the social aspect of it, this year Rhinebeck was all about it being someone's first sheep & wool event. So much so that I actually knit the first Rhinebeck sweater I have ever knit - for him. Thank crunchy it was a small one because I only decided to go for it at the very last possible minute. Or maybe it wasn't quite so last-minute, but knowing how bad I am about the finishing details I knew I would wait until the last possible second to sew the ribbons with snaps on them onto the placket. Speaking of the details....

pattern: February Baby Pullover in stockinette
designer: based on the pattern by Elizabeth Zimmermann (from Knitter's Almanac)
yarn: hello yarn in Thrive, spun by the übertalented and multicraftual Stacie
needles: Addi Turbo 16 inch circs US size 4

 

When Elizabeth Zimmermann calls her patterns "recipes," she is so spot-on. Well, but of course! She's Elizabeth Zimmermann, after all. What I did for this wee sweater was take the basic structure and number of stitches used for the February Baby Sweater and knit it in the round for a pullover with a placket (because babies have ginormous heads and need a little bit of room to pull that sweater on properly). Easy-peasy! I was done in just a couple of sessions. The yarn I used is some squishy and fabulous Thrive by hello yarn, as spun by Stacie, who rocks big time. It's such an autumnal colorway. The wee one was all matchy-matchy with the trees.

Because I was rushing, my stitching was a little sloppy on the ribbons of snaps:

I might rip 'em out and redo them at some point. Right now, they're doing their job brilliantly, and it's also the back of the sweater so I am not so invested in having it be perfect. Funny thing about the ribbon - that ribbon has been sitting around in my stash for years. It was a length of ribbon that was tied to some thing or another I bought at Barney's NY, and I kept it around because I figured that some day I would reuse it for something. Ten years later, it was the perfect match for this sweater. Being a hoarder has finally paid off! Woo! The snaps were so easy to attach to the ribbon, and now that I know how to do it, I am tempted to start making more baby items with snaps on them, like a romper... either striped or with colorwork... possibly with squirrels on it... using Quince & Co. Chickadee.... Hmmm....

To the drawing board with that idea! In the meanwhile, here's a shot of the sweater in action:

hatta boy!

pattern: Giacomo's Baby Hat
designer: Whitney at the Purl Bee
yarn: Madeline Tosh worsted merino for the main color, scraps of handspun Pigeonroof Fiber & Hello Yarn for the colorwork
needles: Addi Turbo 16 inch circs, US size 2 for ribbing, US size 4 for the rest

This wee hat has been on my to-knit list for too long. All it took was a bunch of scraps of handspun and some MadTosh I had lying around. Two hours later, I was done. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to it! It was such a quick and satisfying knit. Granted, I wish I had chosen colors that had greater contrast, but overall I'm pleased with it. As is Finn.

See you guys at Rhinebeck!

you turn me inside out

I love the way stranded knitting looks from the inside. Oh yeah, apparently in my zombified-by-insomnia state last night, I knit this wee hat.