Tag: Knitting

What to make for a baby girl who I knew would be as stylish as her modern and artistic mother?  Aaah, I don't know!  Fear sets in.  Fear followed by lots of flipping through knitting books and then Ravelry.com.  Finally inspiration hits when I find the Chevron Baby Blanket pattern. 

But sadly, it's not quite right.  Too many color blocks make it seem too childish, so I check to see if anyone has altered it in any ways I like.  Bingo! A few folks have altered the pattern to do one-color stripes that are thinner and more streamlined than the original pattern.  And two colors rather than five?  Perfect!

And thanks to the husband who helped me pick the perfect color combination that cements this blanket as modern and stylish, rather than frumpy and juvenile.  

The blanket knit up fairly quickly post-swatch-blocking, and knitting a whole blanket in cotton wasn't as hard on my hands as I expected.  Especially as the colors came together, I really enjoyed this pattern and the resulting blanket.  Full project details follow the close-up image below.

Modern Baby Blanket

Pattern:  Chevron Baby Blanket by Espace Tricot

Yarn:  Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in Sage (~2.5 skeins) and Lemongrass (~0.5 skeins)

Needles:  US 7 circular

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of 21.5 inches wide by 25 inches long, and post-blocking measurements of 21.5 inches wide by 24.5 inches long

As you loyal readers know, I can't bear the thought of a baby being cold, so when I learned a friend's baby was due in frigid January, my mind immediately went to knitting patterns!  

Given baby Delilah's natural tones-themed nursery, I decided to knit a white baby blanket.  The pattern I selected – Moving Mountains (take heed Delilah!) – wasn't quite the right size, so I modified it to create the newborn crib / travel size that I wanted.

The size I created was enough to create a 22 1/2 inch square blanket, which then grew to a rectangular shape post-blocking.  Full project details below!

Moving Mountains Blanket for Delilah

Pattern:  Moving Mountains by Aimee Alexander, modified to 85 stitches cast on

Yarn:  Cascade 220 Superwash, 1.8 skeins in color 871 (white)

Needles:  US 9 circular

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of 22 1/2 inches square, and post-blocking measurements of 26 inches tall by 22 inches wide

(Don't take my word for it, Delilah loves her blanket!)

When baby Cameron was born, I knew I would have to knit something special to welcome him to the world.  But what to knit, what to knit? 

I searched through my Ravelry queued projects page, and through my books and magazines, before settling on the great Fred Textured Sweater pattern from Louisa Harding's Natural Knits for Babies and Moms book.  The book has really timeless and lovely patterns, and this sweater is no exception.

The sweater features very simple detailing, a garter stitch border, and a very cute buttoned shoulder, which also serves as a great solution to getting fidgety babies in their sweaters!  I decided to make a 12 month size as Cameron was born in January and I wanted something he could wear the next winter as he grows.

Unfortunately that means that pictures of Cameron modeling this sweater are months away!  But hopefully this post will serve as a good review for others considering this pattern.

Fred Textured Sweater for Baby Cameron

Pattern:  Fred Textured Sweater by Louisa Harding, 12 month size

Yarn:  Cascade 220 Superwash in Color 1910 Summer Sky Heather

Needles:  One US 3 and one US 4 circular needle

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of:

• 24 inch circumference at bottom of sweater
• 12 1/2 inches from top to bottom
• 8 1/2 inch circumference at top of the sleeves
• 10 3/4 inch long sleeves
• 5 inch wide neck opening

Post-blocking measurements of:

• 22 inch circumference at bottom of sweater
• 12 inches from top to bottom
• 8 inch circumference at top of the sleeves
• 11 1/5 inch long sleeves
• 6 inch wide neck opening

One of my favorite magazines is Selvedge, a UK-based textiles publication that I was first exposed to when I volunteered in the library of the Textiles Museum in Washington, D.C.  I used to subscribe to Selvedge, but after a series of shipping mishaps / lost issues / unanswered emails to their customer service account, I now mostly follow Selvedge through their website and email list.  

While I have primarily relied on Selvedge for pattern / color inspiration and knowledge about global textile traditions, I recently tackled my first Selvedge "project" – only 13 years after first being exposed to the magazine.

This project was Alabama Chanin's Cut Flowers from the Alabama Stitch Book, which features a range of American South-inspired projects.

When I first saw the beautiful image of these cotton chrysanthemums, I knew I had to make them.  They just seemed so cheery, light and homey – the perfect antidote to our otherwise staid New York City apartment.  

It took me some time to organize myself to start making these flowers, and I can't wait to make more.  This despite the fact that they are time-consuming, require close attention to detail, and can be quite difficult to sew through.  But the simple beauty of even my less-than-ideal home versions (pictured above) are just so delightful to me.  

I admittedly took some short-cuts when I initially made these flowers at home.  First, I used random leftover fabric I had at home – an old bed sheet, old t-shirt, and one of my husband's old t-shirts for good measure as well.  Some of the cut fabric made quite a mess, but it was a great was to use up some odds-and-ends I have been holding on to.

Second, because some of the fabric was thicker than the cotton jersey called for in the pattern, I varied the size of my flower bulbs.  I made one 5-bulb flower and two 3-bulb flowers, one of which was made from other single strip fabric bulbs instead of the pattern's double strip bulbs.  Even by making those bulbs with less fabric, it was still a bit difficult to sew through the bottom of the bulbs to hold them together because of the thickness of the fabric and my relatively skinny needles.

Enough of the negatives – I love these flowers!  I'll be making more and more of them, my time and hands be darned!

After spending almost four years exclusively knitting baby items for the children of friends and family members, my desire to return to "selfish" knitting has resulted in another finished object – a new pair of knit socks.  

For the uninitiated, nothing beats comfy, squishy handknit socks.  They are perhaps my favorite item to knit because I love, love wearing them (especially if they are well-tailored to my feet) and they are such a great project to fit in your hand bag.  

My latest project is the result of a years-long love of the Anne Hanson Waffle Creams pattern.  I have admired the design's simplicity, which I felt could compliment both the many one-color and variegated sock yarns collecting dust in my apartment (just kidding, my yarns are all organized in sealed ziplog bags to prevent dust collection!).  

So when I finally found myself with a brief respite from the baby yarn knitting, and after finishing my summer knit top, to the skinny needles I went!

The pattern was super easy to knit up, though I did make a few minor mistakes maintaining the design while transitioning from the leg to the foot.  Oh well, that's how you know it's truly handmade! 

The final, post-blocking fit was also great – perfectly snug to my feet.  I can't wait to wear these in colder weather!

Waffle Creams for Madhu

Pattern:  Waffle Creams in the 6 inch circumference size

Yarn:  Knit Picks Stroll Tweed in Thirst Heather, approx. 1.7 skeins

Needles: 2 US 0 Addi Turbo circulars

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of 6-inch foot circumference, 9.25 inches from the front to back of foot, and 8.5 inches from the top of the sock ribbing to the bottom of the foot.  Post-blocking measurements of 5.5-inch foot circumference, 9 inches from the front to back of the foot, and 9.5 inches from top to bottom of the sock.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to knit a blanket for a beautiful and jolly baby boy, Sebastian.  Sebastian is the son of two friends, and based on the lovely pictures his parents had taken, Sebastian loves his blanket!  

I was inspired to knit this blanket based on his parents' color scheme for their nursery, which included accents of muted rust orange and turquoise.  I looked through my knitting books, and found a pattern that I didn't even realize I had but seemed perfect – a simple cable knit blanket, sized smaller than normal for parents who take their child on the go!  More details about the pattern and modifications are below.

Cable Blanket for Baby Sebastian

Pattern: Design B Blanket from the Sirdar 324 Vintage Snuggly DK Knits pamphlet.  Modified slightly by picking up 128 stitches along the border

Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash in color 1910, approx. 2 skeins

Needles:  US 7 circular for main blanket; US 4 circular for the picked up edging / border

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of 20 inches wide by 23.5 inches long;  post-blocking measurements of 19 inches wide by 21 inches long

Baby Rupali was born in late spring, and for a spring baby in northern California, I have to admit I was at a bit of a loss as to what to knit her.  I thought about a little dress, booties, or even mittens, but didn't know if any of those would really make sense and/or last more than a few months?  Instead, I finally settled on a cute hat pattern, Swirl, that I thought could be a good accessory for a multiple mild winters in northern CA.  

The hat knit up beautifully, though sadly I finished it after meeting baby Rupali in June so had to put it in the email instead of giving it to her (or her parents) directly.  It's a wonderful pattern, and resulted in a perfectly lightweight and cute baby hat.

Swirl Hat for Rupali

Pattern:  Swirl Hat by Mandie Harrington, modified by starting shaping at 5-inch length.

Yarn: Shepherd Baby Wool 4-Ply, approx. 0.4 skeins in color 097

Needles:  2 US2 circular needles

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of 5.25 inches wide at bottom of hat and 5.75 inches from top to bottom.  Post-blocking measurements of 5.75 inches wide at hat bottom and 6 inches long from top to bottom.

At my (relatively) new workplace, a group of knitters and crocheters spend a month each year producing full blankets or component squares for charity, specifically homeless shelters, hospitals and/or other direct care organizations.  I was excited to participate for the first time this year, and set out to make a full baby blanket within a condensed 2-week time period (!).  

Thankfully, I got a bit of a reprieve in that the organizers pushed back the deadline by a week – otherwise, I definitely would have had very sore hands and fingers with the pace I was working at!  While this was a relatively short project from a duration perspective, the result was great – bouncy, light and simple enough for many a child to enjoy.  Project details follow below.

2016 Charity Baby Blanket

Pattern: Newborn baby blanket by Altadeena Green, c/o 101 stitches

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in color 0373 Petal Pink

Needles:  One US9 Circular

Measurements:  Blocked in washing machine / dryer with 26.5 inches by 26.5 inches square final shape

Baby Irene, the child of two friends, was born in late April, about a week past due.  For my knitting purposes, that delay meant that I accomplished a rare feat – completing a baby knit item before a baby is born!

The resulting knit item was a Sugarplums Blanket, a beautiful pattern that I've had my eye on for a few years.  The pattern features interlocking wide cables, which were perfectly highlighted by the superwash wool I chose for the blanket.  I really hope Irene can use this blanket for years – it was such a treat to knit that I hope it's a treat to use as well!

Sugerplums Blanket for Irene

Pattern: Sugarplums Blanket by Danielle Chalson

Yarn:  Cascades 220 Superwash in color 392 (Spaceneedle), ~3.1 skeins

Needles:  One US 7 Circular

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of 19 inches wide by 26 inches long, and post-blocking measurements of 25 inches wide by 27.5 inches long.