FO: Little Girl's Shrug

Pattern: Little Girl's Shrug from Knitting Pure and Simple Ravelry link
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Horizon (less than one skein)
Needle: US6

Size: 6 year old
Mods: I did the optional lace border at the bottom but am not sure how I like it (curls a little), but Isobel seems happy
Notions: Sparkly button from a blazer of mine that had lost the other one, but we may need to find a slightly smaller button

Yarn and pattern from Purl Diva.

This was my first Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, and it sure was pure and simple. I knit this up in two days. As you can see Isobel is quite pleased with it. And I have enough yarn left to knit up a little something for Penelope to match; yarn requirements were 250 yards for the six, but I used less than 220. So, should I do the same again only smaller for Penelope? There are smaller buttons on the sleeves of the blazer...

For the Love of Ravelry

As some of you may know, Ravelry is looking to hire a new Email Fairy. It's part-time, off-site, and perfect for me! I mean, come on, it's Ravelry! And I need something to do! Besides, we Virgos like to be helpful.

So, if you know Jess, Casey, and/or MH, please put in a good word for me. Mwah!

THE Joan Schrouder

Yesterday Nick gave me a parenting reprieve for the afternoon so I could attend a shawl knitting class with Joan Schrouder at Knitty City. Yes, THE Joan Schrouder (I always think of the bandito Juan in Romancing the Stone who says "Joan Wilder? Zee Joan Wilder?"). The guru of the Knitlist, designer of the Lotus Blossom Lace shawl on the cover of Shawls and Scarves: The Best of Knitter's Magazine, and general all-around clever lady. Of course, I forgot to bring my camera (blame it on sleep-deprivation, Penelope seems to have gotten a variant of my last cold) but had a really nice time.

It was all about triangular and trapezoidal shawls. Really fun to get a more thorough grasp on the different construction options, rates of increase, top-down vs. bottom-up, etc. And I learned how to do a long-tail cast-on without a slip knot. Clever and useful bit of knowledge.

I have been knitting but, as I posted on Facebook the other day, every project seems to be at a stuck point, so I've cast on something new - a little shrug (Knitting Pure & Simple - I've always heard good things about their patterns but had never knit one before) for Isobel in Cascade 220 Superwash Horizon (a delicious sky blue). Nice, simple knitting. Thanks, Ellen! (P.S. Ellen, Sydney Fox says "hi!".)

The pile of stuck projects include:

a vest-y thing for my sister that I'm designing as I go with one skein of Romney Ridge Farm Hand-dyed yarn (64% wool, 36% mohair) - I'm kind of stuck up at the top: bustier? halter? cami?

Tempest by Ann Weaver in "Impressionist Sky" Malabrigo sock yarn - delicious yarn - at the making up part where I've discovered that, despite all my careful hash marks, I seem to have not knit the same number of rows for the fronts as for the backs. Very odd, as I knit each piece separately, not both fronts at the same time. I think I may sew up the side seams from the top-down and then snip and frog the longer portion and bind off the bottom. Sigh.

the clever, shaped Aran I mentioned in my Shaping post - I messed up the cable repeat and am now not sure I like where I placed the shaping so it's having a little time-out

the angora tam theory project - I messed up the lace repeat and am not sure I like the lace now

You probably want pictures. I don't show many WIP pics these days, but maybe I'll snap some soon, since there aren't any exciting FOs to show. But Isobel's shrug will probably be ready soon - nothing like a little time with a well-written pattern and some worsted-weight yarn when your own theoretical projects (and ones knit in sock yarn) aren't cooperating.

Shaping

So, I get to spend a lot of time thinking these days. While nursing Penelope quietly in the rocking chair in our bedroom, since she's too distractible to nurse around the rest of the family or in front of the computer or TV. While trying to fall asleep, knowing that she's going to wake up for her first nightly feeding right after I conk out. While walking home from taking Isobel to school in the morning or walking to pick her up in the afternoon. Anyway, there is a fair bit of time in my life these days where I can't have knitting needles (or graph paper and pencil) in my hands, so I get to think. And I've been thinking about some knits I've only seen in my head. At some point I'll have to turn these theories into practice. Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about waist-shaping* and just rediscovered Knitting Daily's Waist Shaping Calculator.

*And cables, and in-the-round construction, and various seamless yoke options (EZ offers some interesting variations), and if my theories work, you will hear all about them!

FO: Elefantes

Pattern: Elefante by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted (grey and white, as well as pink bits), Cascade 220 (purple)
Needles: US4 DPNs
Notions: Polyfill, but not pellets since these are all for children
Recipients: Purple for my nephew, grey for my niece, and white for Isobel who requested a white elephant after seeing the ones I'd made for her cousins. And who can resist making a white elephant on request for their dear child. Penelope will have to wait for hers until she can ask. [Ravelry links: grey, white, and purple]

I love these little guys! Isobel already dragged hers to school today, so no pictures of just the white one, and has mangled the neck area, so I may need to do a reinforcement. My only advice is to stuff them quite firmly because they will get loved and squished! They are fun and quick (about two days per for me, and I'm parenting Miss Penelope around the clock). The finishing is a little fiddly but really not bad.

Free Pattern: Soap Bubble Wrap

Interweave Knits and Knitting Daily are offering the Soap Bubble Wrap as a free download. It is a very cute sweater (I seem to be drawn to wrap sweaters lately for Spring/Summer), and the model has an adorable tuchus in the photos. The recommended yarn is Euroflax Worsted, though worsted cotton and cotton blends are also suggested.

Having just received my copy of IK yesterday, I've already dog-eared this pattern.

FO: Cable Footies

Pattern: Cable Footies from One Skein by Leigh Radford {Ravelry}
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool in Crocus
Needles: US7 DPNs
Mods: None! This is a great pattern.

These are a belated Christmas present for my grandmother, who loved the slippers I knit her for Mother's Day. As she told me about those slippers: They never even made it into the drawer. I imagine these won't either, as they'll keep her feet and ankles warm. Added bonus: They're machine washable.

I made a pair of these for myself ages ago and liked them for padding around before bed. No idea what happened to them. Guess I need to make a pair for myself.