The Thrill of Surprise

One of my coworkers is preparing to welcome his first tiny human into his family.  As is the custom, I was asked to make a baby blanket for the wee one.  They have chosen to keep the specifics as to which brand of tiny human will be joining them a surprise.  With this in mind, they have chosen yellow and gray as their colors, and requested something in a chevron.

Everyone has that Grandma, Aunt, Neighbor, etc. who keeps the chevron blanket on the back of their couch since the dawn of time.  And that blanket is almost always yellow, or orange, or brown.  I couldn't, in good conscious, do that to this new child.  I used all my knitterly knowledge to override the request for yellow and went for a gray-scale instead.  The baby will thank me one day.

Within days of being asked to make this blanket, said coworker's mother also requested a blanket, with one caveat.  This blanket had to be gender specific.  And since we don't know the gender, she was actually asking me to make TWO blankets.

So, three blankets later and this baby is covered.

I was struggling with creating the same blanket three times so close to Christmas.  The monotony was eating away my will to live.  The only thing I could do was vary color block size or order.  I got through it.  Now we just need Baby Bean to arrive and see which blanket gets used.

Chevron Baby Blanket knit with Juniper Moon Moonshine in "Dew," "Moonbeam," "Conch Shell," "Charcoal," and "Cotton Candy Blue."

UPDATE: Baby Bean made his arrival shortly after New Years, and the gender specific blanket was his "going home" accessory.  He seems to like it.

It's That Time of Year

Every year I get a few requests for these earwarmers/headbands.  They work up quickly, they're comfortable to wear, and they're durable.

I always use Patons Soy Wool Stripes.  It's discontinued now, but eBay still has plenty.

I have a few of these I've managed to keep for myself over the years.  The pattern is mostly just in my head as I've played with the number of stitches and decreases quite a bit, but the original can still be found on Knitty.



I think I have a few extras stashed away somewhere as well.  You never know when you'll need a last minute gift.

And Another One...

I have been making these laptop covers for years now.  They might be my most requested item.  They are durable, stretchy, thick, and bouncy (so I've been told).

The plethora of colors and buttons available give it just enough customization that I never have to change the pattern and I always seem to be able to make a cover perfect for its intended recipient.

As many of these as I've made over the years, I believe this is the only one living an international lifestyle.  This little number spent a few weeks in a box and made its way 11,000 miles to the other side of the globe.

From what I hear, it's enjoying itself quite nicely.

Babies Everywhere

Today my dearest friend is welcoming a son into this world.  Personally, I’d rather he wait until tomorrow, but I’m sure his Mommy hopes he comes sooner than later. 

This new tiny human will be the little brother of Mr. Nickel.  Nickel has been featured here a few times looking dapper and handsome in his knits and I can’t wait to see how they look on the new little guy. 

I wanted Baby Boy #2 (yet to be named) to have a blanket all his own, as is the tradition.  I used the same pattern with a different color yarn.  Nickel’s blanket was made long before I knew he was on his way so the colors had to be gender neutral.  This little man was different.  We knew he was coming, and we knew he was a he.  Hopefully this blanket suits Baby Boy #2 as well as Nickel’s blanket suits him.

Nickel and Baby Boy #2 have a cousin who isn’t quite ready to make his appearance.   As far as I know, he’s also known as Baby Boy #2 for the time being. 

His older brother didn’t get a blanket so I don’t have anything to compare this one to.  I chose a neutral color so it would match the nursery and a pattern that would bring out the tweed in the yarn.

I hope it warms his winter nights for many years to come.

Congratulations , Mommies.  I can’t wait to hold your little ones.

Watch What You Say

I think I've mentioned before that Mommies should be careful what they say within hearing range of me or my yarn.  One Mommy in particular made a casual comment about the striped socks on her daughter's tiny feet and how she just loved funky socks.

I told her I'd make her some and she promptly told me that it was silly because the feet on tiny humans grow at an alarming rate and she would grow out of them too quickly for it to make sense.

I firmly disagree.  The glory of hand-knit socks is a wonder that all feet, no matter the size or growing speed, should get to experience.

And I promise to make more for the little one for as long as her Mommy desires.

UPDATE:  Today I received a picture of this little one wearing her yellow socks.  As her Mommy says, they fit her perfectly, at least for now…

International Footwear

While most of the socks I make for people are birthday socks, sometimes situations arise that call for unbirthday socks.  

Australian climate doesn't often allow for woolies, but where there's a will, there's a way.  Socks are always in season.

An Aussie came to visit me this month and I couldn't let him fly home without something special made just for him.  Knit with Patons Kroy Socks in Eclipse Stripes, he seems to love them.  Considering he put them on, took a picture, and sent it to me with no prodding whatsoever.

I see more woolies in his future.  If only he needed warm knits... 

The Kindness of Strangers

Many years ago, I was moving into my apartment and rushing like mad to get everything ready before Christmas so Jack and I could be settled.  It quickly became apparent that there was no way that deadline was going to be met, but my little boy asked Santa for a new bedroom and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure he got it.  I enlisted all of my closest friends, many of whom have received baby blankets featured in this blog somewhere, and we got all the painting done and carpeting laid and furniture moved in.  But Jack was missing bedding for his new room and my bank account was hovering dangerously low.

One afternoon, a friend of mine showed up with a Christmas present for me.  She refused to say who it was from.  I was to believe in Santa and accept the gift without question.  Underneath all that wrapping paper was a complete Lightening McQueen bedding set.  It seems one night after hours of painting, she had stopped at the local pub.  A good friend of hers, and someone I barely knew at the time, asked her why she was covered in paint.  She told that friend my story and mentioned the bedding conundrum in passing.  My anonymous benefactor instructed her to purchase whatever Jack needed, even though we were mere acquaintances at best.

I did some detective work and eventually found out who my Santa was.  I knit him cabled socks that year as a thank you, cloaked in my well-known desire to knit socks for everyone.  

That was several years ago, and he recently told me that the heels were wearing thin.  And so, all this time later, these are my official Thank You socks.  I have no idea if you'll read this, and you may not think it was much, but you were integral in helping make my son's dream come true that year, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

May they warm your feet for years to come.  And know that there will always be another pair whenever you need them.

Time Must Have A Stop

I don't know how it's April already, but it is.  I'm woefully behind on the blog but I have been taking pictures of the few things I've actually managed to complete so here they are…

Back in March my little man turned 9.  He's been to my LYS several times and always ogles a skein of Cascade Jewel Hand Dyed.  He bought this with his own money and I promised to turn it into a scarf for him.  The color is "Jewel Box" and it's 100% Peruvian Highland so it's quite warm and toasty.  Hopefully he still loves it next winter because he only wore it for a few weeks this season.

And as is my custom, everyone gets birthday socks.  I bought this yarn a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and have no idea what it is or what color.  Jack decided these are his "kinda camo" socks.  I think that's accurate enough.

And then just because he loves them so much and always wears them before his store bought socks, I made Jack a pair of Easter socks.  These are Supersocke 100 in "Emotion."  

They didn't make it to Easter, he stalked the needles and put them on the moment the ends were woven in.  They haven't been washed or blocked but they are happily on his stinky little feet and that's the important part.

Second Sock Syndrome

I dove into the stash a few weeks ago and decided that it was time to finish some of the projects that have been living in my works-on-progress bin.  I came across a bag that contained two single socks.  Not a pair of socks.  One sock in one yarn and one sock in another yarn.  Second Sock Syndrome (SSS) seems to have struck twice.

The benefit of SSS is that you often stumble upon something that can now be completed in half the time you set aside for it.  In the time it would have taken me to make two socks, generally 1 pair, I made two socks and got 2 pair.  Voila!

I have long since discarded the yarn bands for these lovelies, but I can tell you that the first are my standard sock recipe, and the second are Circle Socks.

I should dive back into the progress bin and see what else I can finish up, but I somehow found myself at Sarah's this weekend and there is a bag of fresh new yarn on my table that is begging to be knit.

Any bets on how much of that will end up in the progress bin?

Quite a Mouthful

This latest project combines my two favorite things.  Three favorite?  A lot of favorite things.
1 - Tiny Humans
2 - Yarn
3 - Entrelac
4 - Things that Match

I don't know what is going on with my camera, but the pink is not reflected even somewhat close to the real life color.  This looks sort of red or orange and a bit plastic.  At any rate, these are entrelac blankets in a yarn that is way too hard to pronounce.  It's no longer available so there's not a link, but it's called Ornaghi Filati Punto su Punto Bla Bla Bla (yes, that's part of the name) in #601 and #606.  A Superfine Merino and Acrylic blend, it's soft and machine washable.

The yarn being a mouthful is perfectly paired with the name of these new babies.  Leonardo and Letetia  will be snuggled up together in their matching blankets by the weekend.  Just in time, too.  This polar vortex is still moving through the area.

Nickel's mommy is dutifully sending me pictures of her little guy in all his woolly goodness.  This is a tri peak hat, the pattern for which is misplaced somewhere in the depths of my stash closet.  I did manage to track down the yarn.  Knit Picks Chroma Worsted in #25258 Midwinter.  Seems fitting.

I think these colors really complement his tone.  Stay warm little man.

Speaking of staying warm, I went to a wedding in SoHo this weekend and NYC is always windy and colder.  I decided that I would want something to keep my ears warm walking to my train while not messing up my painstakingly straightened hair.  I made a little headband for myself.  Made with Patons Soy Wool Stripes it knit up in a few hours and worked like a charm against the brisk Manhattan wind.

And the wedding was beautiful.  Congratulations Carly & Ceri.  May you always be as happy as you are in this moment.

(Sorry for the blurry.  Much whiskey was had).

Small Miracles

I've mentioned several times how much I love making blankets for the tiny humans.  And with the exception of one little guy who made his appearance a bit on the early side, there hasn't been a baby born on my watch without a blanket to come home in since I started this endeavor.  

Sometimes, the blankets have more to do with the mommies than with the babies.  Such is the case with this blanket.  This mommy had a long and difficult path to mommydom, and for a very long time believed that all of her children would be of the four paws variety.  Sometimes the universe has a way of granting wishes when we least expect it.  

The leaves symbolize the coming of spring, new life, and small miracles.  With a mid-march due date this little girl is fully embracing her season.  The cables, of course, are standard Celtic symbols and she will be shooting whiskey and darts in no time I'm sure.

The pattern can be found here and is available for just a few dollars.  It was easy to follow with both charts and written line-by-line instructions.  Knit with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport in Oyster Heather, it's hand wash and dry flat which can sometimes be a no-no when it comes to babies but I decided to risk it anyway.  Next time I will use a heavier weight so it works up a bit more quickly.

Little Nickel is seen here showing off the vest that finally fits him.  I have absolutely no recollection of the fiber or pattern for this number, and frankly I have no desire to find it.

You're a dapper young man, Mr. Nickel.