snoozingpug.typepad.com > On the needles

X's stocking

Just in time for my son's first Christmas, this stocking is being knitted on size 6 needles using the 1954 vintage pattern from Grace Ennis. Most of the stocking is knitted using Cascade 220 (red, green, and white). The reindeer and santas beard are a mix of 60% lambswool/40% angora from Shadyside Farm in gray and white, respectively. KidSilk Haze Night in silver is stranded across the green lettering and Christmas trees for a little bit of glimmer.

I adapted this pattern slightly from the original by moving Santa to the front of the stocking (under X's name) and putting the reindeer to the back. Santa's cuter!

Brooks Farm Baby Jacket

This baby jacket is knitted up in the Four Play wool/silk mix from Brooks Farm, bought at the MD Sheep and Wool Festival in May '05. Colorway is called Santa Fe and I'm knitting it on size 8 needles - it will look perfect with brown wooden buttons on our baby boy in late winter/early spring.

Pattern is by Debbie Bliss in her Baby Knits Book. It is knitted up all in one piece (start at the bottom of the back, work up and cast on additional stitches for arms, keep going, bind off for the neck, work down left front, then add yarn and work down right front). The only seaming happens under the arms and down the sides. Super easy mindless knit in garter stitch, which highlights the colorway nicely.

It's My Daddy's Birthday Tank Top

I've added patriotic stripes to this tank top - another Debbie Bliss pattern from The Baby Knits Book - perfect for celebrating my husband's birthday next 4th of July. Knitted using size 6 needles and Rowan Calmer in a red/white/blue scheme, this tank top should be cool and soft - perfect for the bean who will be about 8 months old come July 4, 2006.

Fair Isle Cardigan

I was *convinced* this baby was a girl - so I figured a soft green cardigan with white fair isle flowers overstitched with pink middle sections would be perfect. Perhaps, if this baby wasn't a BOY! :)

So I'm keeping it pink-free, calling the flowers snowflakes, and adding brown wooden buttons instead of the mother-of-pearl hearts that I had already purchased. It will look adorable paired with some brown corduroy pants, methinks.

Okay, so yarn/knitting details: Yet another Debbie Bliss pattern from The Baby Knits Book (it seemed to be the only pattern book that I could find during our house renovation mess). This one is the Classic Cardigan, to which I have added the fair isle design. The green yarn is Rowan Handknit DK Cotton, the white is from my stash of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, all is knitted on size 6 needles. This is actually my first foray into fair isle knitting, and it came out pretty okay...

Spiral Baby Blanket

Knitted on size 8 needles, this All Season's Cotton spiral baby blanket is super easy relaxing knitting. It is for Baby Q, born in February (it's now nearly June, but it's nearly finished). At present there are 350 stitches on the needle and it's about 26" in diameter. The plan is to reach about 450 stitches around when complete before adding fringe for little baby fingers to play with on the border.

Valentine Poncho

This baby's for me! Pattern is the Very Harlot Poncho, courtesy of the Yarn Harlot, and the yarn is Karabella Soft Tweed in red (color 1100). I decided to knit it on size 11 needles instead of size 13, casting on 74 stitches instead of 64.

This is a quick knit and the fiber is just wonderful to work with. We are planning a trip to London in February, and I look forward to wearing this poncho on the planes and in the hotel room - warm, cozy wool is always welcome when traveling in winter!

Mom's Christmas Mittens

Knitted using the Basic Mittens pattern from Vogue Knitting Mittens and Gloves, I'm loving these mittens! Knitted flat with Cascade 220 in purple (held together with a strand of Crystal Palace Fizz for the cuffs), they are a quick knit with interesting but simple shaping directions.

Sock it to Me...

These socks are being knitted in the round on 40" size 2 Addi Turbos, using the Magic Loop technique (see blog's knitting links for instructions). The yarn is Sock it to Me Colori that I bought online at Elann.com. I only work on this project when I'm in transit, since they are so small. If anyone catches me knitting on the subway, chances are these are what I'm working on.

Afghan with a friend

My girlfriend and I are knitting an afghan together. We started in January 2004 and only have about 6 inches of 1 square done each! At this rate we can finish knitting it together in retirement when we are in an assisted living facility. But it's the process that counts, right?!? :)

Knitted on size 10.5 needles using Lambs Pride Bulky by Brown Sheep. There are three strips of four knitted squares, each with a different pattern and color. Each square is 17", so the finished blanket will be 51" wide by 68" tall.

Sirdar sweater

This sweater is from the Sirdar Chino Knits pattern book. It's for my 7-year old niece Katherine (recipient of the kitty hat earlier this year). It will have purled hearts on the front, and will hopefully be quite simple, since this is my first sweater. I decided to knit the body in the round instead of two flat pieces, as the pattern calls for. It's knit on size 7 needles, using Supersoft Toddler Aran. Since it's machine washable, hopefully my SIL will forgive my color choice!

Avalon (Cables and Lace Cardi)

6/17/04: I've finally cast on for the Cables n' Lace Cardigan from Elann.com. Since the Den-M-Nit 100% unmercerized cotton yarn reminds me at bit of fisherman's netting, I'm naming her Avalon, after one of my favorite spots on the Jersey Shore. This is my first project made using cable and lace patterned knitting.