Mother's Day and This and That
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Knitting. Quilting. Sewing. Motherhood. Cleaning. Just kidding about the cleaning.
Fun! Quick to make, fun to figure out, and adorable finished project. No wonder they are so popular! If I am wrong, and YOU are the only person on the planet who hasn't made one, go forth, now, and make thee a Baby Suprise!
Add some wee buttons and revel in the cuteness.
Specs:
Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Suprise Jacket from The Opinionater Knitter, also available as a single pattern from Schoolhouse Press.
Yarn: Sophie's Toes Magic Ball, color Pastel Baby. It only took 1/2 of the ball.
Buttons from Wool and Company.
Notes: I was determined to use the Magic Ball as is, with no "engineering" of how the stripes would be placed. But when I got toward the end, I could see that the only pink section was the one around the sleeve edge (the same stripe that goes across the upper back). And I thought it would look really nice if the pink was repeated. So, I did break my "rule" of leaving the ball alone and just doing whatever came along. When I could see that the last stripe was going to be purple, I took the ball apart and got to another pink section so the front/bottom stripe would be pink. Some rules are meant to be broken--I love the way it turned out.
I am really good at picking out fabric! I tell Mommy which fabric I like (all of it!) and she puts it in the cart. Sometimes she even buys it! (Sometimes she puts it back when I'm not looking.)
I love joking around with my Aunt Allison. Here we are at Hancock's of Paducah.
Quilt shows are hard work. I think I'll make my new fabric into a princess bed and take a little nap. Mom will be back at the blog after she does some laundry and gets back into reality!
Love, Sophie
Stats:
Pattern: Fiber Trends Easy Knit Baby Blankets, Collection 2
Yarn: Plymount Encore Worsted Color 793 Lite Blue (their spelling-not mine!), 5 skeins
Notes: I made the smaller size and it turned out 34" x 40". While doesn't sound that big, this thing really looks big; it is easily a baby/toddler drag around blanket. I think you could take out 2 repeats and make a smaller blankie, and I would probably do that next time.
Overall: enjoyed the pattern, not the yarn, but it is very pretty, very traditional, very washable, very blue, very Blankie-ish.
Signing off for now,Speaking of quilts, I am often asked when I'm going to make a big quilt again. Well, the answer is.....soon. The trouble is, sometimes soon, for me, means a few days and sometimes it means a year. But I'm working on it. This school year has been much busier than I expected with the kids (you experienced moms are shaking your heads and laughing at me, I know) and of course, the yarn takes a lot of time too. I'm feeling a little rusty at the quilting but trying to get the wheels turning again.
In anticipation of starting a big new quilt, I have been spending a lot of time spring cleaning the studio. Clearing out the cobwebs and clutter (literally) has helped clear out the clutter in the brain. You know, the voices that keep telling me that it won't be good.I spent several days ironing and folding hand-dyed fabric that was messy, disorganized, wrinkled, and scattered around the studio in several piles.Doesn't that bookshelf look yummy and inviting now? So which stack would you start with? The pinks and oranges?
I think I hear this stack of periwinkle calling me.....
Here's the yoke:
And here are the specs:
Pattern: Cabled Cardigan by Shiri Mor, Vogue Knitting Magazine, Winter 2007/2008
Yarn: Cascade 220 Quatro Color 5017 Moondance, 6.5 skeins
Mods: Obviously, I omitted the ombre effect that they used in the magazine sample and went with one color yarn. I also added a four stitch seedstitch button band to the front. I omitted the buttonholes in the yoke while knitting the fronts, but placed a marker where they were supposed to go, so I could put them in the same spots when I knit the button band.
A few more details on Ravelry.
Calico Cat Magic Ball patchwork scarf went to the Minnetrista Cultural Center.
Scaruffle went to the Muncie Children's Museum.
Periwinkle Cable Cardigan went to the library.
Green stripey sock went to the world's best bakery.
Blue Manos scarf went to the world's best (I'm really not kidding) candy store.