Knitting Update

Hi Everyone ~

Thanks for all the nice comments about Carter!  We seem to be enjoying him more and more all the time.  His little personality is starting to show and he is always looking for someone to interact with him.  He did pretty well at the quilt retreat that I went to this past weekend.  He didn’t get scared of anyone and he napped really well.  It’s a good thing I brought my sewing machine after all!  I got all the blocks done for another “Galleria” quilt, which I hope to share soon.  In fact, I am teaching  that pattern at another retreat this weekend.   This is a working/teaching retreat for me and it will be my first time away from Carter.  I will be gone two nights, so right now that seems like a really long time.  I am trying not to think about it, as I fear that it will make me dread the retreat.  I teach at this retreat every year and I really enjoy everyone there, it’s just that I don’t want to leave Carter.  Last night he had a crying fit at Applebee’s and I am worried that that is what he will do the whole time I am gone!

Enough of my worries, it’s time for a knitting update.  I am way behind on sharing my knitting, so there will probably be an overload of knitting projects in the next couple months!

First up is a project that I finished last winter.  I never got to wear it, as I was too pregnant for it to fit.  Now nine months later, I could finally get some pictures to share.

The pattern is called Nautical Notes and can be found in Knitter’s Magazine, Spring 2011.

The design of this sweater is fun and different.  You start at the bottom of the sleeve, work your way up to the neck, make the neck opening, and then work your way down to the bottom of the other sleeve.  Stitches are then picked up along the yoke and worked in the round down the body of the sweater.  There is minimal seaming and you can try it on as you go for a nice fit.

I absolutely love the yarn from this project.  It’s called Provence and is made by Classic Elite Yarns.  It has the most beautiful sheen, which I don’t think is captured very well by these photos.  It has been really durable so far, so I am happy about that.  It is my pet peeve to wear something just a couple of time and have it pill or look worn so quickly, after all the work of knitting it.

 My Ravelry link can be found here.

My next project is called Homa.  The pattern is designed by Kristin TanDyke of Caterpillar Knits.

This pattern is constructed just like the previous sweater – going side-to-side with the yoke, then knitting the body in the round.

It went super fast.  I cast on the yoke on labor day weekend and had it finished by the end of the weekend.  I finished up the body of the sweater in just a few weeks.  I worked on it pretty much during my nursing time with Carter.  I usually got two rows done during each session.  I’m sure I could have done more, but we needed some cuddle and talking time too.  Carter also likes to hold onto my hand while he eats (and I’m sure that won’t last much longer), so we had to hold hands too.  (Now I am staring to sound like the movie Elf – “first we will hold hands, then we’ll eat sugar plums, and then we’ll cuddle!”)  But hey, with a little knitting and a little cuddling, it was my favorite times of the day!

There was no way I could do the yoke without more concentration.  It is full of counting and short-rows.  See that area by the arm?  That is all short rows.  I am not a huge fan of short rows, as I wish I could get them to look a little neater, but this pattern was good practice. 

This shot shows off the lace detail.  It was only a 6 row repeat, so it was really easy to memorize.  I really enjoyed it and I like the end results.  It has kind of a lacy-cabled look.

The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy.  The whole sweater only took two skeins and it blocked out really well.  The pattern calls for a much heavier yarn, so it was a bit of a risk.  I think it worked out fine.

You can find my Ravelry link here.

That’s all for now.  Carter is getting sick of the exersaucer, so I think it’s time for more cuddling 🙂

 

4 months

It’s that time again – Time for me to gush on my baby for a while!  He is technically almost 4 1/2 months, so I wanted to quick squeeze this in! 

Get ready for too many pictures –

One with Daddy

and one with Mommy

and several to capture just a few of his ever-changing expressions

 

This last picture shows his current favorite hobby – sucking and gnawing on his hands.  (Time will tell if this is actually teething or not.)  His other favorite things are watching the fireplace, listening to animal noices on the ipad, chewing on his toys, seeing what’s going on around him, standing, smiling, and being loud.  He seems to be getting over being scared of people, so that is nice.  He is regressing a bit on the sleeping, so I hope that changes by next month.  But, overall, things are going great.  He just had his 4 month check-up and he is still in the 90th percentile for height and weight.  His head size has gone from average to almost in the 90th percentile, so he working on being nicely proportioned.  Everything else checked out good and we are so grateful for a healthy, happy baby!

This weekend I’m off to my first quilting retreat with a baby.  It could be interesting . . .  Not sure if I should bring a sewing machine or not?  We’ll see how it goes.  Wish me luck!

Winners of the New Patterns

Thanks for all the pattern love and to everyone who participated in the drawing for the new patterns!  The drawing is now closed and three names have been randomly drawn, that will each get a set of new patterns.

The first set goes to:

Carbonated Creations, who commented on 10-16 at 7: 59 am.

 

The second set goes to:

Ruth B – who commented on 10/15 at 6:33 pm

 

And the last set goes to:

Cindy of http://hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com/.  (Btw – I love Cindy’s blog and many times I have wanted to make the exact quilt that she is making, with the exact fabrics from her stash)

To claim your patterns, just e-mail me your shipping information.   My e-mail is:  hmulder@wecnet.com

 

Several of you commented or questioned on how I got the quilts finished with a new baby.  Three of them were just runners, so that wasn’t too bad, but the real story is that I made the Galleria quilt last fall.  I finally got around to quilting and binding it this fall.  Took me long enough, didn’t it?  Then for some reason, I thought I needed another one made out of my new Seaside Cottage fabric (below).

Before Carter, starting another quilt would be no big deal.  I would probably be completely finished by the end of the week.  Now, it took me a week just to piece the quilt.  Then another week to get the applique done.  Then another to get the quilting and binding done.  Then another few weeks just to get some pictures done!  (That is why there are only two new patterns – and not four or five, or a new book.)  I am trying to learn to adjust my expectations, which  is easier said than done.  Sometimes, Carter likes to “supervise”, while I sew.  It helps me get my sewing fix, while I get my baby fix.  You can’t get better than that!

So, long story short, my Seaside Cottage option is finally finished.

I like the side view on this quilt too – it really makes the flower pop!

I’ve put a few limited kits of this quilt up on our BigCartel site, if anyone is interested.  You can request what color you would like for a border fabric (cream, brown or the grey).  We have now adjusted the shipping fees on our site to charge by total amount, not per item.  So, for those of you who were scared away by a huge shipping fee, that little problem is now fixed.

I hear Carter waking up now, so I better wrap this up.  See you again next week . . . . .