A Bout of Booties

Blue Booties for Felix
 

Peach Booties for India

 

Yellow Booties for Alice

I have been wanting to knit Saartje's Bootees (ravelry link) ever since I started knitting again at the beginning of the year and have finally had an occasion to - 4 friends had babies in the past month - so I knitted 3 pairs in one weekend to have a break from my Buttercup woes.I used whatever yarn I could find in my mum’s stash. The last pair (the blue ones) were the best and were knitted in Patons Bluebell which is a lovely 5ply and what I used for Nina’s beret and mittens.

I couldn’t figure out how to do the long tail cast on using 2 strands of yarn so I turned the work and did a cable cast on. This worked fine and would recommend it to others who are new to LTCO like me, you just need to remember that when you are on the second strap you need to purl all stitches instead of knitting.
I also skipped the button loops and sewed the straps down and the buttons on top. Most newborns hate getting dressed and I think it would be easier for the (sometimes) stressed out mum.
 

*Just did a search through the comments and forum postings on this pattern and found this youtube link (thanks to Ravelry user Zippy69!) which shows it perfectly. There is something so very Zen about the LTCO!

Buttercup Progesses Slowly

My hopes of finishing Buttercup before this month's Knitters Guild meeting were sadly not realised. I am in the midst of stocking stitch in the round drudgery! And taking a weekend out to knit 3 pairs of Saartje's Booties did not help matters (but more on that later). I am fairly happy with progress despite this and the fact that my knitting to this point is not flawless. I am a little concerned that Medium size is going to be a bit bigger than I'd hoped, and am also worried that I will be a ball and a half short of the cotton yarn. I enjoyed learning how to do long tail cast on ( I used this tutorial) and think I will use it on a regular basis, as it seems to get around the fact that I normally cast on (with cable cast on) quite tightly and slowly.

Build me up Buttercup!

I wanted to knit myself something for summer, in order to keep the spirit of knitting alive through the warmer months. I've chosen the very popular free Ravelry pattern Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier; a top-down raglan tunic with a lace detail across the decolletage. I am knitting it in the lovely Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton in Blush (which is a bit softer than it appears in the photos below).


I cast on last Friday night in time to take it along with me to the Knitter's Guild meeting on Saturday and have set myself to finish it before next month's Guild meeting. So far I have been doing well and am currently into the lace part, soon to separate the sleeves and continue knitting the body - tedious stocking stitch in the round.

New and Old Books

My sister Naomi is lucky to live in Brisbane. Not only is the weather warm all year round, but she has access to the amazing yarn and thread store: Threads and More. I am very jealous even though I have never even been there!

Naomi recently gifted me the very lovely book "Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together" by Larissa and Martin John Brown, which she purchased at Threads and More. I was particularly taken with a line in the introduction that reads:

"taking up knitting is some sort of declaration that life should include more quiet hours and friends".

Many of the projects featured in the book can also be found on the Knitalong website. I am adding two of the projects to my ever expanding queue. The first is the Recycled Sweater Pincushion (left). My partner recently put my favourite Country Road woollen cardigan through the washing machine and felted it. I was too attached to it to throw it away and stashed it in a drawer. Soon it will be reborn as a very useful pincushion, The second project that I would like to undertake is Olive's Afghan; an large multicoloured chevron blanket.

From the new to the old...last weekend I went to a fete at the local retirement village and was delighted to pick up a weighty needlecraft reference book for the bargain price of $2!

"The Complete Book of Knitting, Crochet & Embroidery" published by Rainbow Books in 1972 is in amazing condition and is very informative. It even comes with some very groovy patterns such as a Fair Isle Toddler Dressing Gown.

Moss Stitch Jacket Finished

I finally finished the Moss Stitch Baby Jacket (click here for the Ravelry link) for my nephew Xavier on the 7 September. I thought it looked way too big, but luckily he is putting on the chub and got a chance to wear it last week. He had the sleeves rolled up but other than that the fit was quite good. Thanks to my lovely sister Nicole for the photo below. What a cute little man!

New (Zealand) additions to my stash

On our recent holiday in New Zealand I picked up a few balls of wool to add to my stash. In Palmerston North I picked up a couple of balls of the deliciously soft Sublime Yarns Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK in beige, which I hope to knit Ysolda Teague's gorgeous bunny "Sophie" with as soon as i have finished my current UFOs. I am obsessed with Ysolda at the moment and just wish I could knit faster.


On one of the final legs of our trip, driving from Palmerston North to Taupo I then stumbled across The Wool Company in Utiku and picked up 2 hanks in colours I liked just for the hell of it. I didn't have a project in mind but couldn't walk away empty handed. Their range of Utiku Perendale 8ply comes in a fantastic range of colours (including the two I bought which are Coral and Periwinkle) and at only $13 NZD for a 200g hank it is cheap as chips! Once I decide on a pattern to make for myself I will order more yarn from their online store. hopefully the shipping will not cost the earth.

Ravelry Saves the Day

One of my latest projects has been a double-breasted hoodie in moss stitch that I was hoping to complete in time for the birth of my new baby nephew Xavier. Not only did I not finish in time to make this a gift at the time of his birth but I also had my own Knitter's Nightmare and ran out of yarn when I was 90% through. When I had purchased the Naturally Merino 10 ply the lady in the shop told me that it was the last 4 balls they had, but I didn't realise that it was a yarn from 2002 that I couldn't find any where.
After searching every online yarn store that I could find without success, I finally searched on Ravelry and found it in someone's stash. It was the same colour but a different dye lot, but it was my only chance. So I emailed the owner and asked if she could spare a ball. My new firend Joyce from Odessa, Missouri sent me 2 balls and saved the day. Today i sent her two skeins of yarn (below) hand spun by my mum. Now I just need to finish the jacket before it is too hot or Xavier is too bog for it.