dino is done, blue beret begun

The felted dino jacket is complete & ready to gift.  I tried it on my 3 yr old for a couple of pics before we say goodbye to it.  I used a set of 40" circular needles to pick up stitches along the entire right front, hood & left front for the edging & button hole band.  It was a lot of stitches, but only for a few rows of garter stitch.



I always like to add a little something to the gift box.



New on my 16" US #4's is a blue beret.  I am using Reynolds Soft Sea Wool yarn & following Rose Window Beret by Anne Kuo Lukito.  This pattern begins on only 9 stitches cast on to double pointed needles & quickly grows until it can be placed on circulars.  I feel like a cobweb is growing from the center of my needles.  It is shaping up nicely and I can't wait to see it after blocking.

blast from the past!

So, while preparing for this summers annual family camping trip I decided to change things up a bit.  Instead of packing each person their own duffel bag of clothing, I thought that it would be a huge space saver if I packed everybodys clothes in one big suitcase.  Up I went to the 'above the garage' space in search of our only large suitcase, and once it was opened I discovered this little gem!  I was most likely in high school when I knit this purse.  Knit completely in garter stitch, the side seams were sewn together using thread & needle with no regards to the mattress stitch what so ever.  There is a wooden bead for closure & decorative beads adorning the purse strap.  Just lovely ; )

Next I have a snapshot of what is currently on my needles (well, my US #5's anyway).  I am knitting up one more childs size honeycomb hat before I send this pattern off to be test knitted.  I have used a test knitting group on Ravelry before, and one thing that I learned is how important it is to dedicate ample computer time once your pattern has been sent out to it's test knitters.  When these knitters get moving on your pattern & find themselves needing further explanation, it is nice to give it in a timely fashion (especially when you have already given them a deadline to complete the pattern).

Special project & what else is in the works...

I received these skeins of yarn in the mail a few weeks ago.  I am super excited about the finished pattern & project, but for now it must be kept top secret, to be revealed at a later date.  I can say that I love this yarn!  It is a wool/cotton blend that has passed my girls' test of not being "too itchy".

I am also working on editing my honeycomb hat pattern so I can load it up for sale.  It will be available in 3 sizes: infant, child & adult.



Lastly, I am knitting a hooded dinosaur jacket based on the pattern by Zoe Halstead for the Grandson of a good friend of mine.  Just when I'm thinking that I'll give my brain a break & follow a pattern written by someone else, I have diverted and decided to knit this jacket differently than the pattern states.  Instead of knitting it in pieces and then sewing it up after it's been felted, I'm knitting it in one piece from the bottom up, sewing the shoulder seams and then picking up stitches for the sleeves and the hood.  We'll see how it goes!

My original knits used as photography props.

Just weeks old, these twin boys are fast asleep weighing in while wearing my gray pixie hats. 

Photography by:

Moonlight Photography - Kristin McCullough

The color of the hats were changed to appear blue during the photo-editing process of this picture.

I used Nashua Handknits: Natural Focus Ecologie Wool, 100% wool, naturally dyed.

Same style pixie hat, using the same wool, just a different color.

Photography by:

Jillian Williams Photography

Baby Luca is sporting the very first honeycomb hat that I ever knit up!  Come to find out, her Grandmother just loves bees & this sweet girl wore this hat all fall & winter long.

Photography by:

Sweet Whispers Photography

have to start somewhere.

My mini's modeling some knits.  This photo was taken a while ago, but blocking can do such amazing things!  Lay flat to dry on a towel, smooth away & presto! there's another inch made for a growing child!

The cabled sweater is one of my absolute favorites.  I have knitted it more times than I can remember really.  It's the aran pullover in the book Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas.  A great knit for boys & girls.

The fair-isle sweater is of my own creation using the EPS (Elizabeth's Percentage System).