Tender Is the Hat....and Cowl??? Cabernet Time!

This girlie can officially be WARM this winter!!!!  Seriously, isn't it beeee-yoo-tiful???

Can I also say that I'm glad it's DONE???  Aha!  Neither of these projects is lengthy/difficult.  Naturally, though, I made them more difficult - because that's the sort of ship I run.  The first time I made the hat, it turned out too small, because I failed to read the directions and left out the first several rows I was to knit after the ribbing.  Such is life.  This first version will head off to a cousin - naturally!  I didn't want to rip it out, because I figured a finished hat is a good thing - as long as it fits someone and I have enough yarn to complete everything else, which I DID.  Whew.

Gonna get ya'!

I used Colour Adventures (the FB page link), base Dia Merino DK, colorway Tender.  Elena Nodel, as always, dyes up a gorgeous yarn.  And it needs to be known that after blocking this yarn out, it softens up super nicely, not that it's rough to begin with, but you get me??  The patterns, Cabernet Hat (in DK weight) and Cabernet Infinity Scarf (which covers several weights of yarn, though the link says it's DK) are written super well - easy to understand and no issues at all.  Monika Sirna, the pattern writer, includes a tutorial to help peeps out with the cabling, but it's not something an experienced cabler needs to look at.

Always have to do a sad face

With that hat, my gauge was trying to trick me, as usual.  I didn't want to go down a needle size, and I didn't actually do a gauge swatch IN pattern, which the pattern calls for.  I winged it, and I found the right size needle I needed for the ribbing.  I cast on for a small but did the length of the medium.  And naturally, after blocking, it's a bit bigger in the ribbing than I'd like it to be, but thankfully, the hat is a teeeeny bit slouchy, so, she'll grow into it just fine.  And as you can see, the cowl is a great fit, so, I'm pretty happy with the set.

As a bonus, it SMELLS awesome, aha!  I used Eucalan in the grapefruit oil scent...which for some reason, really stands out this time :)

Love this!

And bonus:  I love that I made two hats AND a cowl out of two skeins of yarn!  Yay to me!  One day, when I have TIMETIMETIME on my hands, I will whip up one of these sets for moi.

One day.

Looking Hip: TWO Modern Pixies!

This could very well be my last blog post as a mother of one...OUTSIDE of the uterus!  Dare I hope that it stays that way for a few more days????  I've been sewing up a storm this weekend, and I'm not yet done.  After some minor details are complete, I will have finished three dresses, a skirt, and a top.  In my wildest dreams, I will also have the chance to trace, cut and sew a couple more patterns, but let's not get hasty, eh?  ;)

All that aside, though...knitting is the point of this post!  Which project, you say?  Why, I did a KAL of sorts with a friend, Terri - the Modern Pixie by Elena Nodel.  I've been in suspense to share this sweater, and I chose the ONE insanely WINDY day on which to take pictures, so, take care to ignore Camden's windswept look.

Camden would love that horse!

The wee headband she received at a birthday party!

The pattern itself is SOOOO easy/such a basic, in terms of straight-up stockinette, but it has such a cool look about it.  Camden loves this sweater, and I don't know if wee Amelia does, but she should - hers looks awesome!  I'm glad we each went with a different striping method, so, it gives you the chance to see a couple versions.  My ONLY issue is that I honestly suck at striping.  I carried the yarn in this sweater, and it wouldn't have mattered if I'd NOT carried it.  End-weaving also leaves an un-pretty look for me.  If anyone knows of a better way to carry yarn and NOT have an ugly "seam" of sorts, let me know!  Terri apparently works magic, as hers is great.  I suppose you can't really tell in the pictures I chose to put up, but I promise the funny look is there.  Also, in the sweater link, you can see there is a belt option, but I chose not to add that, as it wouldn't look right, in my opinion.

For Camden's sweater, I used Colour Adventures Little Mermaids and Bleeding Heart colorways (list/pictures of colors HERE), and the yarn is fantastic.  Naturally, I had to go down a needle size, because I am a loose knitter - and I honestly think going down two needle sizes IS smarter (this is per an Elena sweater I just finished, by the way - more on that another day!), as with blocking, I think I'd be more on gauge.  (The smart person would just start wet-blocking...and I definitely plan to do that when I knit my OWN sweaters!)  The yarn was delightful, as always with CA yarns.  I have quite the stock pile of CA yarns to work through, actually ;)

Terri used Madelinetosh Tosh Chunky, which I've heard is awesome possum yarn but haven't yet used.  She used the colorways Vishnu and Button Jar Blue, which look super great together.  She also had no issues with the pattern, and it's lovely on Amelia.

These colorways are this lovely in PERSON!

The mean wall hurt Camden's hand a few minutes into the photo shoot, so, she went from silly to sad; thank goodness her dad was there to give kisses.

Ouch!!

Don't mind his crazy sword-fighting glove ;)

The unknown count-down to el bebe's appearance continues....But here is one last shot of the big sister!

Wearing those Nozky leg warmers by Monika Sirna!

Figgy's...Once Again! (But Kicking it Old School)

So, gosh....these are my baby girl's (I know, I know...a BIG GIRL!) third and fourth Jane dresses (though one is clearly a Jane top).  This pattern is from back in the ye olde days from Figgy's Patterns.  So, I hate to say it, but it's no longer available, unless you can find that crazy, sneaky copy still left in your local fabric store - not sure if Bolt in Portland would have it, but it's always worth checking!

I had done the size 2/3 many moons ago, when Camden was just over 1, and you can see how big it was on her then - and she can STILL squeeze into it!  Silly me, though:  Last year (maybe summer 2012), I decided that since the other one WAS getting a big shorter, I'd upsize...to the 4/5, and it didn't fit THEN and doesn't fit NOW.  It is so excessively long, though I can't wait for her to wear it, because I did the cutest machine embroidery on it, LOL.  My computer ate the pictures of the green dress, but here is a progression of her getting older in the linen one with Liberty contrast:

This time around, I decided to do the size 2/3 and lengthen the dress - and naturally, I thought I'd lengthen the shirt, though I wonder if next time, I would only lengthen half the amount between a 2/3 and a 4/5...and also shorten the waistband, as I find it a bit long on the vertical (and while we're at it, I should have lengthened the sleeves, but ah, well...)  I still love it!  I'd been holding onto this fabric for a year or so, and it was perfect for this blouse!  You will find in the pictures that I used shot cotton for the green dress version - and for the waistband, etc. on the blouse, which is one of my FAVORITE lining fabrics for children's wear.   The color has a nice depth, and the fabric is pretty lightweight (definitely pull out the size 70 needle for this stuff - and be ready to use your straight stitch plate, if your machine has one, as my wide stitch plate loves to suck this stuff down into its gullet).  It does clearly wrinkle a bit, but no mind!  I can handle that.

What is going on here???

Reading 100 Angelina Ballerina books, LOL

Anywho - the blouse is constructed with French seams, which are so super easy.  I'm a bit nutty about making them look good, so, after I do my first 1/4 inch stitching of wrong sides together, I press the seams open THEN together.  I then trim that seam allowance down and flip the fabric out so it's right sides together, and I press it again before doing the next 1/4 inch stitching.  For French seams, it's usually best to have a lighter weight fabric, as it can get HIGHLY annoying to stitch them if the fabric is heavier.  The directions for this pattern are great (again, I apologize that I'm doing an old pattern, but it's worth it if you can find it!) - and the dress is a quick sew, which is nice!  Also, the dress has pockets, which Camden always finds fun!

Clearly, these are octopus hats!

You'll also note in the photo above that she's been getting some wear out of those leg warmers, aha!

Lastly, a couple randoms - at the park on Sunday afternoon....it was such a NICENICE day!  She is wearing a mish-mash of things, LOL.  Her Celestial top by Figgy's, her Color Me Pretty sweater by Elena Nodel and her Nozky leg warmers.  The second picture is from today - we like to LAYER whenever we head out on the bike now, so, her Pepper sweater is peaking out from under her Molly jacket, along with a random scarf - my second I ever knit.

A Wee Post: Nozky Leg Warmers for the Chilly Air!

Lemme just say - it's effing freeeeeeezing, Mr. Bigglesworth!  Well, cold enough that a bike ride in the 32 degree (into the wind, I might add!) isn't exactly the coziest 25 minutes of my life - times two.

Anywho....cold is the word!  So, in these tough times, LOL, what does a 3.5 year old need?  Too right!  Leg warmers!  Luckily, this is one of those times when I did something as exciting as a free pattern - the Nozky by Monika Sirna.  They're cute and simple, and the directions are well-written.  Also, Monika was super fast to answer a question the other day in her Ravelry group, which I appreciated!  They're a quick knit....unless you're, as usual, like me, and do silly things (with this pattern, on the green pair, I thought I'd try to knit the same leg warmer twice, for some reason, so, there was some ripping out.).

I finished the orange pair first (Tomato on Madelinetosh DK), then I did the Jade pair.  I should have done the orange pair on size 5 needles, but I did not.  Ah, well - still cozy and warm, even if a bit loose.  I will say I also did NOT do the knitting with elastic in the top ribbing, as I'm lazy and figured they'd work fine enough.  Definitely not fine enough for gymnastics, but for the love of fashion and warmth, they'll do ;)

As I have a bajillion other knitting projects to do, these might be Camden's only two pairs of leg warmers this winter (Yikes!  I still want to do SOCKS!!  When will this allllll ever happen?!), so, I hope she enjoys.

I haven't yet blocked them, so, here they are in all their glory - unexciting photos notwithstanding.

And here she is because it's her REAL smile, and there is more knit-wear featured...LOL (though she is presently playing a RECORDER in her bedroom - NOT laughing about that!):

A test hat pattern that I'm totally blanking on - and her Magical sweater