Adyn's Christmas Sweater

I just love the idea of being the aunt that makes you a silly christmas sweater every year. EXCEPT I wanted it to be a really cool great sweater instead of one with a reindeer on the front and beads.

So I set out to challenge myself and make an heirloom sweater. I wanted it to fit for more than one year and be usable. I choose cables for the challenge and luxurious look. I added extra stretchy panels along the ribs, neck, and sleeves to make sure it grew with my little man. The sleeves are extra long so they can be rolled up and then let out when he gets bigger. In hindsight I would have used a different material I think he found it itchy. However the color, oh man did it look great with his fire engine red hair. It is probably one of my favorite items I have ever made.

Its been a year now since I made it for him, and now he has a baby brother just waiting for a stocking of his very own and a christmas sweater. So... planning and designing I must be.

Crochet: WHO KNEW?

I keep seeing all these really cute crochet items and I was trying to remember why it is that I don't like to crochet. I have a new crafty friend (shout out to Lorri) who inspired me to try again. So, after a few hours of internet surfing I found a couple patterns to try out. This one is available for free at:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/weaved-hotpad

Ok, so I crochet REALLY tight and this is painful. After some encouragement from my crochet buddy I tried again and loosened my grip. :) EUREKA!! This is not so bad. I am not a fan of crochet clothing BUT love quick household items and toys. I have already made 4 versions of this. More pics to come.

MORE CROCHET TO COME ALSO!!

(Hint: check out the magazine in the background to find my little buddy W.I.P.)

Christmas Stockings 2009

Two more stockings down. I got a new circular needle that is exactly the diameter of my stockings. AHHH, finally a tool that makes my life easier. No more using 5 dpn's to knit. I also tweeked how I start, do the heel, and finish with the toe. I worked on stockings for my sister-in-law and her husband. Anne is of Polish decent and she likes hand painted polish pottery, my gaol was to make it look like that. I really really like how hers turned out. I created the pattern and used some new colors to enhance the contrast. I think it is my favorite. The only problem is... they keep getting bigger and bigger.

Kellen's was a whole other issue. I knit his and then didn't like how it turned out. The colors were just kind of muddy. So... I started over. Kellen is of Irish decent and I really wanted his to look like a kilt or his family plaid. His family plaid was a little to complicated to convert into a knit pattern. I did alot of research and learned that plaid are serious business in the Celtic world. Some are symmetrical, centered, asymmetrical, ect. WOW!! I kept the spirit of his family plaid and added a Celtic knot to spice things up.

Happiness Washcloth Pattern

This is the 3rd and final pattern in my "Peace, Love, & Happiness" washcloth series that I recently knit for my mother on her birthday.

Needles: Size 4

Yarn: Sugar'n Creme Cotton - Bright Yellow

Finished Size Approx. 5" x 5" (28stitches x 53 rows)

Pattern: Use the chart below and the instructions following.

* I knit very tightly so adjust needles size to get appropriate gauge*

Odd rows = right side (all knit)

Even rows = wrong side

Knit all stitches except purls on wrong side.

Cast on 29 stitches.

Row 1-5 knit across all.

All odd rows knit.

R6: K10, P9, K10

R8: K8, P13, K8

R10: K7, P15, K7

R12: K6, P5, K7, P5, K6

R14: K5, P5, K9, P5, K5

R16: K5, P4, K3, P5, K3, P4, K5

R18: K4, P4, K3, P7, K3, P4, K4

R20: K4, P4, K2, P9, K2, P4, K4

R22&24: K3, P5, K2, P9, K2, P5, K3

R26&28&30: K3, P23, K3

R32: K3, P6, K2, P7, K2, P6, K3

R34&36: K4, P4, K4, P5, K4, P4, K4

R38: K5, P4, K2, P7, K2, P4, K5

R40: K5, P19, K5

R42: K6, P17, K6

R44: K7, P15, K7

R46: K8, P13, P8

R48: K10, P9, K10

R49-53: Knit across all.

Bind off on wrong side.

Sew up tails.

(I like to split my tails in two, then sew up 4 tails.)

Love Washcloth Pattern

This is the 2nd in my "Peace, Love, & Happiness" washcloth series that I knit for my mother.

Needles: Size 4
Yarn: Sugar'n Creme Cotton - Bright Red
Finished Size Approx. 5" x 5" (28stitches x 53 rows)
Pattern: Use the chart below and the instructions following.
* I knit very tightly so adjust needles size to get appropriate gauge*
Odd rows = right side (all knit)
Even rows = wrong side
Knit all stitches except purls on wrong side.

Cast on 29 stitches.

Row 1-3 knit across all stitches.

Knit across all odd rows (right side)

R4: K14, P1, K14

R6: K13, P3, K13

R8: K12, P5, K12

R10: K11, P7, K11

R12: K10, P9, K10

R14: K9, P11, K9

R16: K8, P6, K1, P6, K8

R18: K7, P6, K3, P6, K7

R20: K6, P6, K5, P6, K6

R22: K5, P6, K7, P6, K5

R24: K4, P6, K9, P6, K4

R26: K3, P6, K11, P6, K3

R28: K3, P5, K13, P5, K3

R30 & 32: K3, P4, K15, P4, K3

R34: K3, P4, K7, P1, K7, P4, K3

R36: K3, P4, K6, P3, K6, P4, K3

R38: K3, P5, K4, P5, K4, P5, K3

R40: K3, P6, K2, P7, K2, P6, K3

R42: K3, P11, K1, P11, K3

R44: K4, P9, K3, P9, K4

R46: K5, P7, K5, P7, K5

R48: K6, P5, K7, P5, K6

R49-53: Knit across all

Bind off on wrong side.

Sew up tails.

(I like to split the tail in two, and then sew up 4 tails)

Peace Washcloth Pattern

I recently have fallen in love with KrisKnits washcloths. She has a great blog and many free patterns on ravelry. My mother's birthday took my by surprise this year and I needed something quick, inexpensive, and personalized to make for her. What better than a handmade washcloth. She happens to be a little bit of a hippy child :) and loves the phrase/motto "Peace, Love, & Happiness". The idea was born using KrisKnits desings as inspiration, and also keeping in mind the finished sizes of her washcloths, I came up with this design. It it the first in the series for my mother. I hope they bring a smile to her face when she is doing the dishes and the same for those who try the patterns.

Needles: Size 4

Yarn: Sugar'n Creme Cotton - Bright Green

Finished Size Approx. 5" x 5" (28stitches x 53 rows)

Pattern: Use the chart below and the instructions following.

* I knit very tightly so adjust needles size to get appropriate gauge*

Odd rows = right side (all knit)

Even rows = wrong side

Knit all stitches except purls on wrong side.

Cast on 29 stitches.

Row 1-5 knit across all stitches.

All odd rows knit.

R6: K10, P3, K3, P3, K10

R8: K8, P5, K3, P5, K8

R10: K7, P6, K3, P6, K7

R12: K8, P5, K3, P5, K8

R14: K9, P4, K3, P4, K9

R16: K5, P1, K4, P3, K3, P3, K4, P1, K5

R18: K4, P3, K4, P2, K3, P2, K4, P3, K4

R20: K4, P4, K4, P1, K3, P1, K4, P4, K4

R22: K3, P6, K11, P6, K3

R24: K3. P7, K9, P7, K3

R26: K3, P8, K7, P8, K3

R28: K3, P9, K5, P9, K3

R30 & 32: K3, P10, K3, P10, K3

R34 & 36: K4, P9, K3, P9, K4

R38 & 40: K5, P8, K3, P8, K5

R42: K6, P7, K3, P7, K6

R44: K7, P6, K3, P6, K7

R46: K8, P5, K3, P5, K8

R48: K10, P3, K3, P3, K10

R49-53: Knit across all

Bind off on wrong side.

Sew up tails.

( I like to split the yarn in two, then sew up 4 tails)

Mastercard "HUG"

Chris is always saying how I should make one of these "HUGS" from this mastercard commerical http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sPVppC6jxY. So I did!! I think it turned out better than the commerical. It makes me smile. Initially I was gonna give it to him for Valentine's Day but decided to send it to a dear little friend who's birthday is coming up. That way I could give her hugs whenever she wanted. I hope you like Kaitlyn. I knit it in the round in one piece from top to bottom. I learned a new embroidery technique for the eyes and mouth. And, if I do say so myself, my blanket stitch on the heart is nearly perfect. These little guys are selling on etsy from another crafter but I think mine turned out better. The first pic is of me EARLY this morning just after I finished him. I am thinking of making different colored ones, like a spring hug or a winter hug. Who knows! :)

Karen's Christmas Stocking

This is actually the first stocking I knit for Christmas. I looked at several fair ilse stockings and created my own charts. I started one and had to abandon it (actually turned it into a hat) because it was WAY to wide. After modifying the pattern I began again with a count of 32 per side. It was quite tricky doing the math and making sure all the repeats were divisable by 4s and 8s but I worked it out. I am still surprised at how easy fair isle really is. This is also the first time I used the "after-thought heel". It was a little rough cutting the first loop to start picking up stitches but I truely believe this methods is easier and cleaner when working in pattern. I keep learning new tricks with each one I do and I will be making charts and patterns to sell for the next holiday season.

FYI: these are some of the best gifts I have ever made or given. They are heirloom quality and make me smile with a sense of pride. My ultimate goal is to make one for each of my immediate family and to continue the tradition on to my children.

John's Christmas Stocking

As promised!! My inlaws came down for a visit this weekend and graciously brought their stockings for me to photograph. This one I made for my father-in-law, John. I wanted something "manly" but with an outdoorsy feel. I searched online for charts and motifs and sorta combined and created my own, and this is what I got. I used the "after thought heel". I am getting better and better with it every time I use it on these stockings. I find it really makes it easier to knit the fair ilse in a tube rather than worry about the heel as I go. I shortened the heel and like how it turned out but I think I made the toe to big. Live and learn. I am making charts and a pattern and hope to sell them around Christmas. Wish me luck.

A Sweater for Lance

A very, very dear friend just celebrated the birth of her second child Lance Tyler. I just wanted to send my love from afar and knitting seemed like the thing to do! I've made this sweater before but have been perfecting the pattern each time. This one turned out so much better than the last. And its so QUICK and easy, just 2 days. I did a simple raglan pattern with 2x2 ribbing on the sleeves, neck, that continued down the sides, and the bottom. It is super stretchy, I can get my arms through the sleeves. Hopefully it will grow with him. Love you M!

Adyn's Christmas Stocking

I made this pattern all on my own. Adyn Vincent Ashander is my very first nephew and cute as can be. He is Irish and has the firey red hair to prove it. One of the projects I took on this Christmas was making stockings for family. Again, I made two really awesome ones for my mother and father-in-law but forget to take pics. So, here is Adyn's. I wanted it to have a celtic feel so I searched the web for celtics designs. I saw the swirls and knots and made a chart for them. I found the coolest yarn at walmart that is inexpensive and completely eco friendly. CHECK IT OUT!!

http://www.caron.com/color_cards/cc_sseco.html

FYI: these stockings were my first Fair Isle projects. :) I think I did good for a beginner making her own pattern. I could go on forever about the pattern and how much fun they were. I used the "after though heel". I promise as soon as I can to have my in-laws take pics of theirs I will post.

P.S. Can you find the mistake in the knotwork. It drives me crazy, my eye automatically goes to it.

Kai's Chiefs Gear

In February 2008 to celebrate the birth of my newest cousin, Kia I decided to make him some Chiefs gear since mommy and daddy live in Kansas City and are fans. I been using this pattern from etsy for a while and have been modifying it every time. I've come up with a coverse bootie that is knit in the round and is one piece. They turned out really cool and I have since made about 10 of these little guys as baby shower gifts. The hat is from Grumperina and it is the easiest, quickest, and most satisfying knit.

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=6242366

Another Sarah, Another Birthday Present

Again, I altered this Jelly Bean pattern,

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_2&listing_id=18875946

to make a punk rock bunny for my big sister's bday May of 2007. He turned out so cute. I made the eyes so you could turn them up or turn them down. I think he turned out super cute too.

Adventures of Boyfriend Monkey