Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Baby Sweater

I just finished a sweater for a baby that will soon arrive to a lady from church.  She is having a little girl.  I was unable to make it to her shower this past week end, but I finished the sweater to give to her at church this week end.  I am a little discouraged because I didn't have enough yarn to finish the whole sweater in the color I started with.  I could not get the exact same match, even though it was the same brand, and supposedly, the same color.  The dye lots were not the same, but I could not get the same.  I didn't have the paper to match it even if there was a chance that it would be the same.  I took a string of the one I was using to match it up, and I thought it looked the same in the store.  When I got it into the sweater, I could see that it was a lighter color.  It isn't too bad since I only had to use the new yarn for the sleeves.  I was able to finish all the rest of the sweater with the first color. The sweater is cabled and has a popcorn stitch for the sleeves and back.  All the stitches are really pretty and I like the look a lot.  I am not crazy about how the neck joins in the back.  At least, when it is being worn, the seams will not show.

You can see that the sleeves are slightly lighter than the rest of the sweater, but it will have to do.

I am back to working on Ellen's Christmas sweater.  I will do Mindy's next, since she wants one from the same pattern that I am using for Ellen's.  I want to do it right away, so I will remember how to do it.  I am enlarging this pattern from a child's to an adult's sweater.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Shorts for Lexi

Cheryl said that Lexi does not have any shorts yet for the summer.  She has outgrown everything from last year, so I went down and found some material and got to work.  I whipped up six pairs that I think will get her off to a good start.

Lexi in one of her cotton print shorts.

Lexi showing off another pair.

Two of the cotton prints.  The one on the left has a cuff.

This pair is longer and goes below the knee, as shown in the picture above.

These stretch knits can be used as pajamas if she doesn't want to use them as shorts.

Another cotton print pair.

I have a couple of projects in the makings right now.  I am currently working on a baby sweater for a lady at church who is having her first baby.  It is a girl, and I am making a yellow cabled sweater for her.  I am nearly completed with the body part of the sweater, but I still have the sleeves to finish.  I have also started to make Ellen's Christmas present.  I am making sweaters for all the ladies this year, and I am having them pick the pattern and the yarn. Ellen's is being made with 100% wool. I am using the same pattern as I used to make the sweaters for Ellis and Portia.  I am enlarging it as I go to fit Ellen's measurements.  I have the hood, yoke, and sleeves completed.  I still need to finish the body from the underarm down.  This is a pattern that works from top to bottom, all in one piece.  I visited Mindy this weekend and she also picked her yarn and pattern.  It turns out that she wants one just like Ellen's.  I will start hers when I finish the baby sweater and Ellen's.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Iron Man Mask

I never know what a day's project may become when I have little ones around.  Joey came today asking to go to the store to get an Iron Man mask.  I told him that maybe I could make one for him instead.  I couldn't find the maroon colored material, but I did have plenty of red material, so I decided to just use it.  I had one piece of gold felt that I could use for the face.  It, however, was not quite enough to fit the front of the hood that I made.  I had to add another strip of red material around the face to have the face be wide enough.  It was trial and error for me, because I have a hard time seeing in reverse the way you need to do to make a circular pattern shape.  Anyway, I got it mostly right, but it is just a little crooked.  Since it is just a play mask, I'm not going to really sweat the small stuff.  Joey likes it okay, so it is okay with me to not be perfect. 

Joey, the Iron Man!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

New Order For Amy Burns

An old friend of my son's called the other day and asked if I was still taking knitting orders.  I told her I was more than happy to make something for her because I had just finished up on all my current projects.  She dropped by with some yarn and a small sweater she had made herself many years ago.  She wondered if I could duplicate it.  She doesn't like to knit because of her arthritis.  I took the challenge.  The pattern was simple enough, but I was a little worried because of how tight the gauge was.  I knew that it would mean using a very small needle.  What I didn't realize was that it would also require retraining myself to knit at a much tighter tension than I am accustomed to using.  After many do-overs and restarts, I was finally able to get the gauge close to hers.  She wants me to make two of these sweaters, but I have to wait for her to drop off the yarn for the second sweater.  She may also want me to make a vest for her.  She is thinking about it.  Here is the result of my past week's knitting project.

The sweater on the left is hers and the one on the right is my sweater.