cute? oh yeah. practical? ummm…

Thursday, March 30, 2006
Tiny Birds Nappy CoverTiny Birds Nappy Cover

It was only after I started knitting this cover that I started hearing that knitted nappy covers aren’t really the best idea until after the breastfed poo stage has ended. In Isabelle’s case that was about 14-16 months. Which would make this just a little small, given the birth to 3 month sizing and the rather large children we seem to produce. On the other hand it’s super cute, it was pretty quick and it was stash yarn. Certainly a nice proof of concept. All it needs now is leg trim and ties at the waist and legs. No doubt more pictures to come.

a question of edging

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

I need some advice about edging the dolly blanket. I have a book with crochet edgings but crochet isn’t really my thing. I also have Barbra Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, which has some lovely edgings but she seems to be suggesting to seam them on afterwards that doesn’t appeal. Does anyone have any tips for knitting on an edging and also for how to deal with the corners? Oh and where do I start - a corner or the middle of a side? All suggestions welcome!

and the whole set together.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Debbie Bliss Jacket With Moss Stitch Bands, Simple Hat and Moss Stitch Shoes

one little cardigan

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Debbie Bliss Jacket With Moss Stitch Bands
Pattern: Jacket With Moss Stitch Bands from baby knits for beginners by Debbie Bliss. Flower from Rowan Junior.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton in colour 125600 (dusky pink)
Needles: 3mm & 3.25mm Addi turbos

This has been done for a while, but first it had to wait for a flower and then for a day with enough light to get a photograph. I am really pleased with how it has turned out, I just hope it fits.

I made a few modifications:

1) I widened the wrists substantially and tapered the rest of the arms less as a result. I also made the arm hole just a few stitches wider than the pattern called for.
2) I used short rows for the neckline shaping
3) I left all the shoulder stitches live and grafted them together

I really like simple moss stitch trimmed cardigans in nice yarn, but next time I make one I think I am going to try doing it as a top down raglan all in one piece.

yes, another hat

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Debbie Bliss Simple Hat, significantly modified
Pattern: Loosely based on the Debbie Bliss Simple Hat, at a finer gauge, in the round, with a moss stitch band. Flower from Rowan Junior.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton n colour 125600 (dusky pink)
Needles: 3.25mm Addi Natura DPNs

I tried this one on Baby Born too, but it was even more ridiculus than Baby Shedir so I had to make do with a balloon…

Debbie Bliss Simple Hat, significantly modified

Debbie Bliss Simple Hat, significantly modified

baby shedir

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Baby Shedir
Pattern: Shedir - Knitty Fall 2004 Surprise, modified to fit a newborn.
Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Khaki
Needles: 3.25 Addi Bamboo DPNs

It worked! If I didn’t have a raging cold I would be doing a happy dance right now. I cannot believe how cute this baby Shedir is - if only I had a baby handy to model it (I am running into this problem a lot lately). I tried it on Baby Born, but as you can see it swallowed her head whole.

Baby Shedir

If I recall correctly real babies have much larger noggins.

This was a really easy modification. I used six rows of ribbing instead of nine, only six pattern repeats in each row instead of eight, three repeats of the main cable pattern instead of five and then dropped all the knit straight rows between decrease rows once the cables were done. My scale is only accurate to 2 grams and keeps flicking between 24 and 26 grams, I am hoping that makes it exactly 25 grams and that I might get two out one ball - because I need to make more.

Baby Shedir

mountain knitting

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Alternate titles for this post:

“Just like crochet - with two needles and no hook…” OR “Best flower pattern ever”

Best flower ever

“Oh my god I only had to knit two to get a pair!”

Debbie Bliss Moss Stitch Shoes ready to seam

And finally: “If only we had light like this at home…”

Debbie Bliss Moss Stitch Shoes
Pattern: Moss Stitch Shoes from baby knits for beginners by Debbie Bliss.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton in colour 125600 (dusky pink)
Needles: 2.75mm Pony Rosewood DPNs (used as straights)

This time I decided to cast off less stitches for the ankle opening instead of adding a strap. Not having a baby handy to try them on I have no idea if this was a good idea or not but I like how they look. And I can’t tell you how excited I was when the second one matched the first - given the tension problems I have had with these shoes in the past.

Debbie Bliss Moss Stitch Shoes

one day I will get one just right

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Simple Hat with Moss Stitch Bands

One day I will get the length before the decreases right. Usually I start decreasing too soon, this one just seems really long… At least there will be plenty of room for a nice big flower if I have enough yarn left over! Working on the shoes now.

And how cute is this?

Shae and Poppy

It’s a sure sign the weather is changing when the cats start getting into the dog’s bed.

all it needs now is buttons

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Jacket With Moss Stitch Bands 2

…and maybe a flower.

two steps forward, four or five steps back

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Jacket With Moss Stitch Bands 2

So I made two new sleeves with much wider wrists and I like them. I then seamed the shoulders and proceeded with the neckband. This I don’t like so much. The seams seem ENORMOUS on such a tiny garment, the neck shaping looks awful and the picked up stitches are bad. It’s all bad. Oh and I dropped a stitch from the back neck and can’t seem to get it back. Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton behaves like cotton, it’s not very forgiving.

I am going to de-seam it, rip the fronts back to the start of the neck shaping and short row them and I am going to undo the cast off sections of the back. The shoulders I will graft together and live stitches will work much better for the neckline. I hope.

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