Froggy Days
I’m having a lot of fun knitting Susan B. Anderson’s little frogs. As soon as I complete one body, I cast on for another. I’ve hardly stopped to eat.
Here’s a whole pile of the little cuties. All that’s left is to embroider the faces!
Children
My Children Go, Another Child Arrives
Last week, our youngest graduated from high school and it seems only fitting that one of our nieces just welcomed a baby boy. It’s that whole “circle of life” thing. And the timing is perfect.
Last month I met Susan Anderson at The Loopy Ewe’s Spring Fling. Susan was teaching classes on how to make her adorable Itty Bitty toys. I snuck into Susan’s classroom before class started and fell in love with her String-A-Long animals. Susan gave me the pattern for the frogs and permission to show my progress on my blog. And she assures me that the pattern will be published within a few months (check out her blog for upcoming details http://susanbanderson.blogspot.com).
I promptly ordered five colors of Quince and Company Lark (worsted-weight wool).
And I knitted the first frog the same day the yarn arrived.
This little guy still needs a face and a few friends to hold hands (and feet) with. I envision a long string of them hanging off the side of a crib.
Proof that Knitting is on the Rise
I went to a baby shower last weekend for a soon-to-be grandchild of one of the owners of my local knitting/weaving/spinning shop. Normally I knit a wee sweater for children of good friends but this year I’ve gotten myself a little overextended. Feeling guilty, I purchased a stuffed animal–but I wrapped it nicely in a silk bag decorated with gold thread and sequins. I sat in the back and made myself small.
To everyone’s delight, the first gift the mom-to-be opened was a sweater. So was the fourth. Then again a few packages later and few packages after that. In all, the baby received six (6!) handknitted sweaters (well, one was crocheted), three blankets (again, one was crocheted), three hats, and a pair of socks. I should have known–most of the guests were employees of said yarn shop.
I left feeling smug that I had the foresight to be different and give a toy!
Sock Diversion
As some of you have noticed, I came to an abrupt halt in knitting my way through Sock Knitting Master Class. I do intend to get back to it–Melissa Morgan-Oakes cabled Terpander socks are calling to me–but I’ve had a few diversions.
Besides taping a video of cast-ons and bind-offs for Interweave Press, I’ve been working on some socks for Quince and Company. The More Better Baby Socks were posted last week:
I’m well into the pattern for adult socks, which should be posted later this summer:
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As soon as these socks are finished, I’ll get back to the four socks remaining in Sock Knitting Master Class. My hope is to have them done by the book’s 1-year anniversary in July.
More Better Baby Booties
Check out Quince and Company’s website for the five designs that I’ve added to the Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks, originally published in the Summer 2005 issue of Interweave Knits.
From feminine ruffles and lace to boyish ribs and stripes, there’s a pattern that’s sure to perfectly adorn the feet of the newest addition to your clan.
Bigger Ruffles
I have it on very good authority that expanded sizes for the Ruffles cardigan will be available this week (May 31, I believe) from the Quince and Company website. The original, made available last year, was written for size 9 to 12 months. The new version has sizes ranging from 3 months to 6 years.
I’m working on a pair of booties to match.
Pretty in Pink
The baby sweater I designed out of Quince and Company Tern has just been posted on their website. It’s called Ruffles and is listed on the Baby/Kid page. Knitted at 7 stitches/inch, this cardigan takes from 2 skeins for size 19 1/2″ circumference (tiny) to 4 skeins for size 26 1/4″ circumference.
My oldest son graduates from high school this week. If 10,000 of you buy the pattern, I’ll be able to send him to college for a year.
Sweet Imogene
I’m on a roll with projects for Quince & Company. I just finished this baby sweater out of their Tern yarn (75% wool, 25% silk). I made the sweater for little Imogene, born to Quince’s photographer Carry Bostick Hoge earlier this year. I’ve used Tern for several pairs of socks, a scarf, and a shawl, but this is the first time I’ve used it for a sweater. It was such a treat to work with that I plan to use it for a lightweight sweater for myself.
The pattern will get posted on the Quince website after they photograph the sweater and give the instructions a once-over. You can bet that Carrie will take a much, much better photograph that I did here!
