Hummingbird Socks

   As mentioned in my previous post, I spun the yarn and knit a pair of socks for my grandmother's birthday.

Fiber: Sweet Georgia Superwash BFL on Hummingbird, 4 ounces. I divided the fiber in half lengthwise and spun each half, then chain-plied each single to keep the colors together as much as possible. 

I ended up with about 315 yards total, which was enough for a pair of socks, but I should have been more careful while  spinning. My second skein didn't have quite enough yarn to complete the sock, so I had to rip back the first one. 

Pattern: On Hold Socks by Wendy D. Johnson, from the book Socks From the Toe Up

Yarn: 3 ply BFL handspun in Hummingbird, approximately 315 yards, heavy fingering weight

Needles: US Size 1 circular needles

 I'm happy to report my grandmother loved them!

Some Baby Things

My dear friend Lisa had a little girl back in February, and I was only a little late in getting these baby things out to her in Colorado.

I absolutely adore this baby blanket pattern, and I'm sure I will be using it again. It works for both boys and girls, looks good with variegated yarn, and doesn't need to be blocked (usually an issue for me because I often use an acrylic-blend yarn). It's crocheted and the pattern is easily memorized after the first few rows. It's a free pattern from Bernat--you have to sign up for membership to their website but that is also free.

Pattern: From the Middle Baby Blanket by Bernat Design Studio
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Ombres and Prints, three skeins Tiptoe through the Tulips (pink, green, white, purple) (I bought four skeins just to be sure but didn't open the last one)
Hook size: 4.0 mm G
Modifications: Since I was using slightly lighter weight yarn than the pattern called for, I dropped from a size H hook to a size G

I had some yarn left over from the blanket so I made this matching hat:

Pattern: Swirl Hat by Mandie Harrington (another great free patten)
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Ombres and Prints, less than one skein Tiptoe through the Tulips (pink, green, white, purple)
Needles: US Size 3
Modifications: None--I love this pattern because it has lots of stretch for baby heads, since size and shape can vary widely!


One of my favorite uses for leftover sock yarn is baby booties, and I love making Mary Jane style booties for little girls.

Pattern: Fleegle's Seamless Saartje Booties (another free pattern)
Yarn: A small amount of leftover sock yarn from the stash (I think this is from Online Yarns)
Needles: US Size 1
Modifications: None

This baby lives in Colorado, so I figured another pair of booties would be needed. These were made with leftover yarn from the sweater I made her.

Pattern: Angora Baby Booties by Joelle Hoverson, from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (one of my favorite knitting books)
Yarn: A small amount of Cascade Yarns Cherub Collection DK in lavender (this is a great, soft acrylic yarn, but I think they might have looked slightly better in fuzzy angora yarn)
Needles: US 5
Modifications: None


   The mittens were made with leftover sock yarn from socks I made for Jack. I also figured that a baby in Colorado would need a something to keep her hands warm :)  Infant mittens are especially easy because there aren't thumbs to knit--babies don't really need to use their thumbs outside in winter.

Pattern: Infant Mittens by Kris Percival, from the Knitting To Go Deck
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock Yarn (leftover from socks for Jack) in purple, and Dale of Norway Baby Ull in cream, small amounts of each from the stash
Needles: US Sizes 1 and 2
Modifications: The directions call for US Sizes 0 and 2, but US Size 0 for the ribbing seemed a little too small to me, so I used US Size 1 instead.

I looked long and hard for a sweater. It seems like it's been awhile since I had a little girl to knit for, so I wanted something just right. It's tricky with some of the baby patterns because they have ribbons or other embellishments (choking hazard) or I don't think they're practical for dressing a baby (I try to avoid tiny necklines and pullovers without buttons at the shoulders). I finally found this great pattern in the book Vintage Baby Knits:

Not too fussy, cardigan style with just two buttons, (which I think makes dressing and undressing easier), simple but pretty.

Pattern: Louise Cardigan by Kristin Rengren, from Vintage Baby Knits
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cherub Collection DK, 3 skeins in lavender
Needles: US Size 3
Modifications: I used a US Size 6 needle to bind off the picot edge at the neckline, which gave it plenty of stretch.

  So, dear little one, even though it is now June and you are getting bigger everyday, I hope you enjoyed your hand-knitted items (I have some photographic proof that you did). Each item was made with love and good thoughts for the exciting years ahead of you and your parents.

March Sewing Projects, Part I

I have done quite a bit of sewing this past month, but I can only show you some of it right now.


I made this crewel embroidered fish for my cousin's 5th birthday. He loves fishing and he is really looking forward to getting back out to the lake this spring.



Someone in my embroidery group brought this pattern in, along with other patterns, when we were working on crewel stitches. There was no stitch guide so I just looked at my copy of The New Crewel and did what I felt like. I used random wool from my stash of crewel wool, some of which came from my great grandmother.


My cousin also loves to cook, and I sewed him an apron to go with the cookbook we got him. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the apron (probably because I was finishing it 20 minutes before we left for his birthday party). I used this pattern, which you should really read even if you don't sew because it's hilarious. It is also really helpful and informative, even though I didn't follow all of the directions exactly. It seem that lately I have just been crafting by the seat of my pants, and if it doesn't work, I just rip it out and go at it again. That's one advantage that sewing has over knitting--ripping out is much faster, although sometimes the fabric doesn't hold up as well as the yarn does.

Next up, more sewing and lots of baby things!

For the Lovebirds

One of my best and oldest friends got married this past December. She is also a crafty person, and I love her dearly, so of course she was getting something handmade. I love to stitch projects for special dates like these--whenever I see examples of historical needlework, it's often a sampler or a piece that commemorates a special date. I like to think that the pieces I make will survive that long. Even if it doesn't, it's a nice memento for people to have in their homes. I ordered a kit from Herrschner's that doesn't seem to be available anymore. (I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I love kits.)

This piece was an adventure because I also learned to frame needlework. A great friend has been framing her own work for years and agreed to show me how. It wasn't as difficult as I had feared. The wedding was in Florida, and I packed it up very carefully in my carry-on luggage. If the security guard thought it was strange he didn't say anything!



I'm very glad I was able to share in this special day, and I wish Jenn and Joey many, many happy years together! Now back to planning my own big day...