And More Knitting

So that sweater is nowhere near finished. The second I decided to speed demon it through some knitting Lillian also decided that she was cutting back on sleep, and the two bigs....well, they are their normal jump all over mama 24/7 selves. The needles just didn't get the workout I thought they would.

It's okay, though, because Levi had no idea what my plan was, so he'll be thrilled whenever I give it to him.

In the meantime, here's Sophia's sweater and matching hat* in action...

And, here's a little peek at a hat I made for Lillian. Pattern found here.**

And, since she's so darn cute, here are a couple more pics of her sporting more mama mades.***

Well, I'll be getting back to knitting now. Happy evening. :)

*The yellow hat is the Pomme. I wish I'd gone a bit bigger with it. It was a quick knit, so maybe I'll do another one.

**The pattern for the first (pale pink) hat on Lillian only comes in newborn size. It was easy to adjust, though, by going up a needle size and extending the length a bit.

***The vest is a Milo, and the last hat is a crocheted bobble hat.

Nesting Has Hit My Knitting Basket

You know that nesting is happening full force when I organize my knitting basket. I should have taken a before photo. I had my stuff randomly piled into two baskets....already finished patterns, projects in need of blocking, 7 needles no longer in use, leftover yarn, and even a couple of kiddo toys were tossed into the mix. It's no wonder I bought new markers recently. Hard to find such tiny things in such a big mess. I even found a little bag to hold my knitting notions and a tiny box for corralling those itty bitty markers. No more hunting around.
Note that there is only one project in there. That must be remedied asap. I try to keep the chaos down by only working on two to three projects at a time, but I think one is a bit too minimalist. I enjoy switching back and forth a bit. The other day I bought some pink yarn. Everything that I've made for this baby has been very boyish looking. My attempts at gender neutral were a complete flop. I'm thinking a few girly items need to be thrown into the mix just in case. But, now, what to make? I've made a couple of these, and I bought the yarn thinking I'd make another....

                                                    Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

Cute, no? But, then there's this sweetness...

                                                   Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

And, if I spend much more time on Pinterest and Ravelry I'll likely find 200 more strong contenders. I have trouble making decisions sometimes.

At Last!

I finally finished Levi's Gramps Cardigan. I blocked it a couple of days ago, and put the buttons on today. This is the first knitting project that I've been really proud of. To say it was a challenge is an understatement. There were so many times when I sat there scratching my head and thinking I'm never going to get past this point. It was my first go at cables which were actually surprisingly easy. The hard parts came in trying to figure out the construction with vague instructions, decreasing through the cables, short rows in ribbing, and some math errors in the pattern itself. Yikes. The only really noticeable flaw is in the collar. I made it way too wide. I think in my short row confusion I ended up adding too many rows. Oh, yeah, and I put the buttons on the wrong side...oops. I still love the way it turned out, and more importantly Levi is thrilled. He was involved in the decision making process from the beginning and has been diligently checking my progress for the past 5 months. He had final say over the pattern, the yarn color, and the buttons. The boy's got taste...if I do say so myself.

For the knitterly types: I used 3 skeins of Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Paints. I knit the sweater in a size 6, so he would have room to grow. My Ravelry notes are here. Happy knitting!

Oh, The Cuteness

I've been diligently working on an owlie sleep sack for the new baby and on Levi's sweater that I started months and months ago. I have had plans to start up more baby projects when those are finished. Ahem. Then I saw this.

                                                    Source: lionbrand.com via Tanya on Pinterest

And, this.

                                      Source: images4.ravelrycache.com via Madeline on Pinterest

Now, all I can think about is how much fun it is to knit for girls. Both of those just scream Sophia. It probably doesn't hurt that they are in shades of purple. I am inexplicably drawn to purple and yellow when pregnant.

Maybe a little knitting detour is in order.

Food and Knitting

A good day = fulfilled pregnancy cravings and loads of knitting.

Today was a good day.
Stephan (my knight in shining armor) not only went out of his way to get me the best tacos around....

But, he also made me a bowl of my very favorite. Tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and mint swimming in lemon juice...heaven.

And, he let me sit around knitting all afternoon while he entertained the kiddos.

I don't think I could have asked for a better husband. Or a better day.

Hope you had a happy Wednesday, too!

Some Knitting

During my first trimester just the thought of knitting made me feel queasy. I'm glad that's over with. Needles and yarn are quickly regaining their appeal. I knit these balls for Sophia, and, of course, now Levi wants some. They knit up quickly, so I should be able to manage.

I still haven't finished Levi's sweater. I'm a tad aggravated by knitting the sleeves on double points. They turn out fine, but I just don't enjoy extended dpn knitting. It's tiring on my hands....am I alone in that? The sleeves are knit from the bottom up, and I'm almost certain they get large enough (fairly quickly) for an itty bitty pair of circulars which means a trip to the knitting store is in order. Also, it's a little daunting to do cables with two children crawling all over me, so I need an easy project for when the kids are awake...one more reason to head to the store. :)

Now to decide what I want that easy project to be. Obviously, it needs to be something for the new baby. Stephan was traumatized by having to pull clothes over Sophia's head, so he has requested (more than once) that all of the new baby's clothes open in the front. That does narrow the choices down a bit. Here are a few of the list-toppers...

                                                    Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                                     Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                                Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

I'm leaning toward the top cardigan. Although, the other two are tugging hard. It'll likely be a last minute decision as I'm standing in front of all the lovely rows of yarn. Which one would you pick? Have you run across any adorable baby knitting (or crocheting or sewing) patterns lately?

Making

This sweater has been in the works for a few weeks. It's Levi's Gramps Cardigan...

It's my first go at cables, and I can't believe I was actually scared of them. Not so very terrifying after all. However, there are times (like when my children are bouncing off the walls) that I need a super easy project to turn to, so I cast on for the hat that Stephan has been asking for lately. (What he really wants is a Fair Isle hat. Ha! He's going to have to wait until our children are grown for that one. Maybe I'll manage a Fake Isle hat before then.) We went to The Knit Studio where he picked out the yarn and the pattern.

I measured his head, and I even did a gauge swatch. I knitted away for a couple of days, and voila. A hat......a hat that was way too big. What is up with my math skills? Sigh. I unraveled it, and cast on again. Then I set it aside because really I was a tinge aggravated. It didn't help that my failure coincided with Sophia teething and thus not sleeping much. I was in need of some immediate gratification knitting therapy, so I went with a cup cozy....

It was fast, easy, and patternless which made it oddly even more gratifying. Now maybe I can get to work on that hat again.

In between knitting I've started making Levi's Halloween costume....

In case the pile doesn't give it away, he's going to be either a dinosaur or a dragon. I'm thinking I'll make the wings detachable so that he can change his mind all last minutey. I've actually finished the spikes going up the hood, but I just haven't managed a photo yet. He's pretty particular this year. He wants eyes, teeth, and claws that "go like this not like this." Ahem. I think I'll have to teach the boy to sew soon if he's going to be so picky.

Mama-Made

So here's that cardigan I finished awhile back. Told you it looked way cuter on her...

I do love a baby in knitted goodness. Don't you?

The pattern is a freebie on Ravelry. It's a top down, seamless little cardi. If you're a newbie knitter, don't let that scare you. It's really a simple knit.

Finished

I finished Sophia's cardigan a few days ago. These photos are actually much truer to the color than those in the previous post.

Picking a button was tough, as you can see....

In the end I liked the red the best....

I tried it on her, but she's the squirmiest little thing ever. So, there aren't any photos of her in it yet. I wish there were because clothes never look quite right on hangers...

Since I had so much yarn left I made her a hat using this pattern. It looks so stinkin' cute on, but of course, there was the squirming issue. Oh, yes, and the fact that she pulls hats directly off of her head. Her birthday crown was in fact snuck on her as she was waking from her nap. She never knew it was there. I believe that's the tactic I'll use when cooler weather hits. Hat on first thing in the morning.

If you're like my husband you'll say, "Why'd you choose a green ribbon and a red button? Why not match?" Hmmmm...I have no good answers for that. Except that I think there's such a thing as too much matching. Ahem...that and I didn't have a matching button and ribbon on hand. :)

Yarn Along: Hooks and Needles

It's been awhile since I picked up a hook and crocheted anything. I'd nearly forgotten how much faster it is than knitting. I crocheted this little Bobble Hat Saturday. When that was done, I cast on for the Striped Smock Top minus the stripes. Nothing against stripes, I was just trying to use up some yarn from the stash. I have a whole extra skein of it and not too much further to go, so I'm thinking a matching hat is in order. This is the first top down sweater I've done, and now I totally get the obsession. I'm not sure I'll ever do a bottom up sweater again....and definitely no more sweaters in bunches of pieces. Seaming is not my friend.

After the little cardigan and hat are finished, I'll be taking a reluctant break from the Sophia knits. Every time I cast on (no matter the color), Levi asks me if it's for him. The number of times I've said, "No, baby." is starting to get to me....oh, mommy guilt! Remember this post? I'll be choosing a sweater soon. He's voting for a white one. Yikes. I'm trying to steer him toward a darker, more dirt friendly color. A trip to the yarn shop in our future.

There is a chance that I might have to sneak this onto some needles as well...

                                                       Source: ravelry.com via Madeline on Pinterest

Wouldn't it be just darling on Sophia?!! I know. I know. I need to be fair. But, really girls are so fun to knit for.

I've recently mentioned the book The Dirty Life, but it was good and worth the double mention.  I finished it a few days ago and haven't decided on anything to replace it's nightstand position just yet. So what are you reading and/or knitting these days?

P.S. If you're the knitterly type, you might enjoy Corinne's recent post on the subject.

P.P.S. I'm linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along even though I totally forgot to toss the book into my photo. Whoops! :)

On The Craft Front

Lately I've tried to shift my focus to practical crafting. It's been hard to stick with, but there's a pretty long list that I've put off in lieu of more fun stuff. The soakers were the start of that list. I swear, though, that there is no end to the number of soakers one needs....especially if you take into account that they require a couple of days of drying time when you wash them....and, ahem, a certain very kind husband of mine might have an uncanny knack for shrinking them. Sigh. I've knitted soakers for Sophia until I'm about tired of them. But, I keep trudging along. I should probably try some new patterns out before I get bored to tears. At least the finished products look cute on her bum.

Then there are the curtains for the kitchen, living, and dining rooms. We've been making do with broken blinds and shades since we moved in. Something needed to be done about that, so curtain making is currently on the front burner. Does anyone else find curtains to be simply maddening? They aren't exactly complicated, but I still thoroughly dislike them. Thankfully, my mom is tackling that project with me. However, it's possible that she hates curtain making more than I do. It's also possible that we end up chatting about our mutual dislike a little more than we end up sewing.

Now, just because I'm sewing practical doesn't mean I have to dream practical, so here are a few sewing pretties that have been in my thoughts lately:

                                                   Source: flickr.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                      Source: pamgarrison.typepad.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                              Source: blogcatalog.com via Madeline on Pinterest

Got any good crafts up your sleeves or any inspiration I should know about? :-)

Ruffles And Baby Bums Were Made For Each Other

 

Since getting pregnant with Sophia I've knitted loads of soakers....some that I liked and maybe one or two that I really liked but soaker love was elusive. Until now (8 1/2 months into her life)! This one meets all the criteria for a great soaker...snug yet roomy, easy thus fast to make yet not so boring that I want to gouge my eyes out, and of course, cute!

For you knitters out there: I used the Frantic Mama pattern. I wanted a snug waistband, so I cast on for a small then increased after the waist to make a medium sized bum. The ruffles are crocheted.
For you knitters and non-knitters alike: Here's a cute bum shot...

Sorry for the excessive phone pics. My camera is still broken...and will be until I get it to the shop. I'm a procrastinator. What can I say? It's still "useable" but kind of a pill, so I like my phone better right now. If you're an instagram junkie, like me, then you should totally friend me. I'm @barefootgal. I'm also barefootgal on Ravelry if you happen to be that sort.

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Sophia's Easter Duds

It dawned on me that I never posted the promised photos of Sophia in her new (made by mama) shrug. Unbelievably I only took two pictures...both on my phone. I know.

She sported it Easter Sunday along with one of my old baby dresses. She was simply edible that morning...

It was a little big on her, so it should fit her for awhile. I'll have to take more pictures next time.

And, just because Levi is so darn cute, here's one of the latest photos of him. We were at a local furniture store. Store might not actually be the right word for it. I mean, after all, there is a carousel inside the place. We didn't end up buying anything. The cheapest (and most perfect for us) bed being $400 definitely made us rethink being in a hurry for a bed. So we continue with the thrift hunting...

Tomorrow is the final day of the Dandelion Giveaway. Be sure to toss your name in the hat!!

Back To That List

Remember that list? I've been plugging away at it. Okay, so I've already broken my "rule" at least 10 times. I might have merged a thrifted shirt with a thrifted scrap of lace, and I might have turned some of Sophia's onesies into t-shirts. And, there just maybe were a few other new projects that I might have tackled....despite swearing off all things new. Sigh. I obviously have issues when it comes to sticking with lists. Buuuuut, I have managed to squeeze in time to knock a few more things off of that list. Yay me...right?

Here's the rundown...

I finished a diaper soaker. Technically I finished two. It's just that I hated the first one (crocheted), so I unraveled it and knit this one...

It's really a dark pink...not red. For those interested I used the Milo pattern from Vintage Baby Knits and Malabrigo worsted merino yarn (can't remember the color...oops). I added an i-cord drawstring. It looks even cuter on Sophia's adorable bum.

I also recovered a chair. Too bad I didn't take any before pictures. It was covered in red vinyl that was busted at nearly every seam...definite improvement...

Excuse the mess. I'm obviously a terrible housekeeper. I'd rather be knitting...or sewing.

And, I knitted two hats. One has yet to be photographed. It won't fit Sophia until winter anyway. This is the other one.

My apologies for the awful photo. It was dark...and on my cell phone...and then instagramed. (Have I told you that Stephan hates instagram. I quote, "Why would you want to take a bad photo and make it worse?" Ha! I still love it) Specs on the hats: The one photographed is from Itty Bitty Hats using a mish mash of leftover yarn bits. The other one is this freebie pattern except I just used a solid color in the suggested yarn.

Aaaand, I finished a sweater for Sophia...from Vintage Baby Knits, of course. It's huge on her...which is good because the summer heat is a comin'.

Oh, and I sewed some prefolds into prefitteds and stitched up a few diaper covers from my stash of wool sweaters.

Not too bad for a month...especially when you add in all the cheating. ;) Oh, and since the knitting pile was officially exed off the list, I went to the yarn shop and added...ahem...four more knitting projects to the queue. I know. I KNOW. I can't help myself.

P.S. Thank you, Mom, for taking Sophia's baptism dress off of my hands! Can't wait to see her in it!!

Another One Down

Sophia's shrug is finished! One day there will be photos of her in it, but since she's sleeping the rabbit will just have to do.

P.S. This is the rabbit that needs a dress.