Wool Free and Lovin' Knit

Little Boy Blue Overalls

A year ago I was knitting like mad for this little boy, wondering what the little face might look like that would wear these knits one day.  In my wildest imaginations I never imagined how beautiful this little boy would be. 

My great-nephew  is one year old today and with every passing month he just gets sweeter and sweeter. 

I know that he will soon be choosing the clothes he wants to wear (and it won't be hand knits from me) but I have loved wrapping him in warm cozy knits through this first year of his life. 

Happy Birthday little one!  You have filled our hearts with so much joy and we love you so, so much. 

Have I lost you yet?

If you are absolutely sick of seeing adorable babies wearing adorable knits I apologize, but my adorable "greats" keep showing off their knitted gifts and the pictures just get cuter and cuter so I can't resist sharing. 

This was a professional newborn photoshoot and the only thing Kase is wearing (chest puffs with knitterly and familial pride) is the little hipster hat I knit for him.  

I'm casting on for another baby knit as we speak....

Where the Wild Things Are

“Let the wild rumpus start!”

I knit this cotton cardigan for my great-nephew, Finn.  It was a perfect pairing for a  "Where the Wild Things Are"outfit I bought him.  

But even I could not have predicted how perfectly adorable he would look wearing it on his outdoor adventures. 

 

The pattern is my go-to sweater for baby knits. I love the top down construction and the color changes make it a fun and addictive knit for me.  

I'm a fan of the i-cord edging and tie too, no fussing with buttons which is good for little boys on the move. 

And of course it is a great pattern for using up left-over yarn in your stash. 

“Oh, baby, please don't go—we'll eat you up—we love you so!” ...

Fox Baby

Yesterday I showed you the little Fox Baby Hat which was just so cute -- but if you really want to see cute, here it is on the head of my newest great-nephew!

Is he not the cutest little foxy fella? 

If I was to knit this hat again I'd add about 3 or 4 more rounds before decreasing as at only 6 weeks it is already a little on the small side.  Guess I'll just have to knit him another fun hat.  What's your favorite baby hat pattern? 

 

Seeing Orange!

 

Pumpkins are appearing on the streets of San Francisco these days.  Kip is all over them. 

A few pumpkin hats have been dropping off my knitting needles as well thanks to Susan B. Anderson's "Little Pumpkin" hat from Itty Bitty hats. 

And if you happen to have some Bernat Softee chunky orange yarn on hand then you might  be just as tempted as I was to whip up a "Woodland Fox Baby" hat from this pattern by Honey Nutbrown. 

I think these hats will look adorable on my great-nephews this fall.  Anyone else seeing orange these days?!

 

Why my knitting projects are on Paws

Kip looks so sweet and innocent here, doesn't he?  You'd never know he's a little weapon of mass destruction chewing anything and everything he shouldn't.  Hence my yarn, needles and project bags are all safely stored away.  

There has been little time to sit and knit anyway  as puppies need to be fed and walked and played with and trained and bathed and.... But he is so cute and it won't be long until he's ready to watch me knit without getting into trouble (she says hopefully)!

 Hope you are making more progress with your knitting these days. 

A visit to Yarnia

Last month we took a drive up to Bremerton, WA to pick up a little something and on our way back we made a brief stop in Portland, OR.  I  just had time to check out one of the plethora of yarn shops in that city and I chose, "Yarnia" because it's been on my "yarn stores to visit" list for a long time and it is a pretty unique place. 

Yarnia is the only yarn shop where you can design your very own custom yarn blend. You choose the fiber, color, thickness, and amount, and they’ll create your custom yarn for you right on the spot.  

 

Or you can purchase one of the blends they've pre-made.  I was so impressed to see "wool free tags" on any pre-blended yarn.   Makes it really easy to shop.

Of course I couldn't resist the opportunity to create my own custom one -of- a- kind yarn.

 After great debate I chose some teal silk and two shades of rayon (a brown and a sparkle).

Then Kristina took my three choices and threaded them through their machine. 

And  wound them together onto a cone.

And it ended up looking like this!  I just love it.

Since the yarn is not twisted it is best to use wool-free yarn for a project with drape so I created a fingering weight yarn to knit up a scarf (which I have yet to design LOL). It will be interesting to see how it knits up. 

It turns out it was a good thing I got to the Yarnia store when I did.  They are transitioning to an on-line only store this month.  But the good news is that even if you aren't close to Portland, OR, you can now go to their website and choose from a vast variety of fibers and colors (they'll even send you swatches) and they will wind up your yarn (just like they did mine) and ship it out to you.  There are untold combinations so give it a spin -- I'd love to see your custom yarn!

Oh, and that little thing we picked up in Bremerton, WA?  His name is Kip.  

 He waited so patiently with my husband while I played with yarn -- I think he's going to be a great new knitting buddy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Baby Boy to Knit For

We have another great-nephew on the way and I've been busy knitting newborn things again.  We had a shower for the mom-to-be last week and I thought I'd share a few of the "knitted" highlights. 

I asked my Mom to knit some bunting as part of the shower decor.  She used this free pattern and some acrylic yarn in shades of teal and gray and it turned out really well.  It's going to be used in the baby's nursery now too. 

My Mom also knit a baby shawl --so beautiful and such a treasure to have from Great-Grandma. 

I gifted a variety of items for new-born to 3 month sizes.   Hats, sweaters, socks....This is the "hipster hat" which I had knit up for the last baby and was much coveted.  So happy to please this hipster momma with one for her own little guy. 

More photos of knits to come but that's just to let you know what I've been working on these days.  What are you knitting? 

 

A Sad Day

Today we said good-bye to our faithful and loving companion, Duke. For 9.5 years his little face made us smile every single day. He had such a HUGE personality for such a tiny dog.  My knitting chair feels very empty without him sitting beside me.  

It's going to be a very different world with him gone but we are so thankful that God blessed us with this wonderful model of submission, grace, unconditional love, and instant forgiveness. He was truly one-of-a-kind.

Those ears, that tongue....

Gotta love my little knitwear model!

My great-nephew, Finn, has definitely got this  knit-wear modeling thing down pat.  Here he is sporting the Ribby Flying Helmet.  Gosh, don't those eyes just melt your heart. 

 He is also modeling the 50's lounge jacket.  Both were knit by his own "Auntie Joan the great" a.k.a "me".

He likes to think of himself as an "action figure" these days.  So much more fun than laying still for the camera. 

It may be the hottest day of the year so far, but with the air conditioning on he's not complaining. 

Fortunately the hat is going to fit him for awhile -- which means it will keep until the cool fall days come around again.  You can see from the side shot how much room he has to grow.  Good thing, because he's growing so fast. 

Wonder how much longer he'll be so happy to work as my knitwear model?    I'm enjoying it while it lasts!