Mommy Knits

Easter

So Easter was a low key event around here this weekend.  I got the girls their Easter dresses but they are sleeveless and anyone who has been to Washington in April knows that won't do.  So what is a knitter to do but knit a few adorable angora boleros*?

            

M didn't know what to make of the egg hunt but it didn't take her long befor she was filling her basket (and stealing from her sister's basket too!).

           

Of course this is Washington so by the time dinner was over and the grandparents were leaving it was raining so this is how J and K spent their Easter evening.

            

They got totally soaked but they were having so much fun and we had no place we had to go so why not?

*I used Classic Elite Lush and both boleros only took 2 skeins.  I did them top down raglan style and then picked up stitches around.  They were way easy and the Lush certainly lives up to it's name. 

A little Catch up

Last summer, the one and only Kay posted a picture of a little dress that she had knit for a friend (scroll down to June 22).  It had a knit top and fabric sewn on for the skirt.  I emailed her and the wonderful person that she is she sent me the working copy of her pattern.  Well at the time I was pregnant, planning a Change of Command and my In-laws were descending.  So I played around with the idea a bit but it never materialized.  Fast forward a few months.  I was mapping out all the Christmas knitting I wanted to do and I decided that I wanted to knit the kiddos Christmas outfits.  J (aka the human inferno) was easy, a sweater vest is about all the wool he can handle.  But the girls were a problem, I didn't have the time or desire to knit them whole dresses but I didn't want to do sweaters.  (You can see where this is going can't you?)  So the idea of Kay's dress seemed the perfect fit to my problem.  I pulled up the e-mail she had sent and searched the archives to find the pics she had posted.  The only problem was her version was a sleeveless tank top,  I needed sleeves.  So out came Ann Budd's Book of Sweater Patterns.  I made them short sleeved so they wouldn't swelter, and my Grandmother sewed the skirts on.  They turned out really nice I think.  K's was a bit big, the girl is growing like a weed, I was going for grow room but I overshot it a bit.  M's fit just perfect. 

I have to say that it was great Christmas Eve standing there with all the offspring covered in my hand-knit love.

Of course we also had to march down to Ye Olde Mall and get the pics with Santa.  I love all the expressions on their faces.  K, my ham, will smile for any camera in a ten mile radius,  M,  wondering what Santa's "elf" is doing, and J, who absolutely refuses to smile his real smile when there is a camera in the room.  (OK and who was the genius who decided Santa needed a red chair?  He and half the kids in line were all wearing red!)

Only one more update from last year and we should be good to go for the new year.  I should also have a FO this weekend, I love me a quick knit!

FOs and Insanity

It's done!  Jayme I win your sweater is done!

This photo was taken by J!  He's only 5 and this was the first time he's been allowed to use this camera.  I think he did a really good job.

Pattern Notes:

Fiery Bolero from IK Summer '05,  knit in Frog Tree Merino.  This is a neat yarn but it is very sticky.  I used my Denise interchangeables and that was a mistake I should have used Addi's but I was a way into it when I made that realization and I was worried that switching needles would change my gauge.  I knew my stitch gauge was off and I had made accommodations for that but I never checked my row gauge, big mistake, big, huge*.   I had to rip one front and half the back a tedious chore let me tell you.  I said this yarn was sticky remember?  But I pushed on and less then a month after Christmas it's done.  And if she doesn't want it or she doesn't wear it then I will reposes it.  It is so soft, definitely next to skin yarn and it's really reasonably priced too (137 yards for less then 6 dollars).  I would definitely use this yarn again.  In fact I already have.

These are the fingerless mitts from Weekend Knitting.  I think I will have just enough yarn to make the next one. 

I worked on Honeysuckle on Saturday when the SEAHAWKS WON!!!!  Yes I'm yelling and dancing a jig!  I'll spare you the progress shot but I'm pacing myself in case they make it to the Superbowl.  (Jayme, who are you going to cheer for if it's Seahawks v. Steelers?  Remember I haven't sent the sweater yet...)

Now the insanity, I signed up for the Harlot's Olympic Along and now I'm wondering if I'm totally insane.  I have no idea what I'm going to knit.

On a happy note all these photos were taken this afternoon in real actual sunlight!!!  It makes me so happy to see the sun!

*Can you name the movie?  I use this quote all the time.

Clapotis

Up close and personal...

         

So this is probobly like the hundred and tenth clapotis that you've seen but here it is anyways.  I got the yarn last year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  It's from Kiparoo Farms but I don't remember the name of the yarn.  It was actually two strands that were knit together, one black and one white and the white one had slubs every few inches.  I used all the yarn I had so it is big but I love it.  I wear it as a scarf with my jean jacket and also as a wrap when we go out.  It's mostly cotton so it's a little heavy but it's not bad.  Now I really want to make a soft wool or wool blend one.  And since the only thing better then a finished clapotis is a finished clapotis with a baby.

         

She was having so much fun watching the flash go off that I had to get one with her in it too.

When If the weather clears up this weekend* I'll try to get DH to get a picture of me in the bolero that I designed and knit just before Christmas.

*It has rained for 20 days straight now.  I know it's the Pacific Northwest but really I'm starting to doubt the existance of the sun at all.