Babies, knitting names, and used book sites!

Hello Knitters!

As seems to be the case lately my week was a tad crazy! My sister Karra's week however has been quite a lot more crazy! She had her perfect baby boys last week, and after getting her permission I get to show off their sweet baby faces! Are they not the sweetest little things! I may be a tad biased on the whole situation, but oh my goodness I just want to kiss them!

Born at 35 weeks, she unfortunately has not been able to take a little loves home just yet. Something I imagine to be one tough situation. While her biggest baby, Grant, is doing perfectly well and is no longer in NICU, her smallest, Bennett, is having a little bit tougher time adjusting to the outside world.

He had finally gotten to the point where he didn't need a heater to help regulate his body temperature when the little man stopped breathing for 20 seconds. That doesn't sound like a very long time in the gist of things, but last night as I lay in bed worrying, as I do, I realized that 20 seconds is a very long time to go without breathing even for an adult, and I presume that it would be even worse for a tiny not even 5 pound baby. This little stunt of his understandably booked him another week at least stay in the hospital.

Karra is one of the strongest people I know. It makes me teary eyed a bit to think about how much I admire my sister. She is my best friend, and a younger sister all rolled into one. We joke about how we are like each others mother as well. We take care of each other. It's what we do.

Any way you may be asking, what Kyla does this have to do with knitting? I swear it does. My sister brought something to my attention while we were talking over the phone.  Apparently in the NICU they provide knitted or crocheted hats to the babies, but there is a clear shortage of hats and blankets for boys!

While I don't see anything wrong with a little pink on a boys hat, if you think about it, even babies have personalities at birth, and some times you just want a little blue hat for your little one. So I felt like I should bring this to the attention to all you charity knitters out there. While yes it's a lot of fun to knit little girl items and boy does it sometimes feel like there are more knitting patterns for girls than boys, lets not forget the boys too! I know I'll be knitting up some boy hats and sending them up there as soon as I can!

Speaking of little hats, my sisters boys are identical and after seeing this picture I was inspired to knit them little hats with their names on them!

Now this is not something I've done before so after some research and a lot of time spent trying to graph out different letters on plain paper.

It quickly became clear I needed some sort of graph paper, so I ran to Joann's and found graph paper that quilters use. It was exactly what I needed.

Let me tell you, It's not always easy to think in squares! It took me quite some time to get it right! However I finally got to a place where I was pleased with the end result. I actually plan on making quite a few more patterns this way. 

As you can see Bennett is missing the last two Ts, I promise they are there, they just had to be added to another piece. While I could have just popped the two Ts above, I'm a very visual person and needed to make sure that everything matched up.


After all that work I was terrified that it wouldn't work out once I actually applied it to real knitting, so I quickly cast on my stitches made a brim and knit Grant's name into it.

Oh my gosh I was so relived when it came out the way it did! I only just got the name and brim done this morning and I'm so excited to finish the hat and go on to Bennett's! I plan on getting these done by next week! So hopefully next week's post will show them finished and done!

Before I end this post, I wanted to bring another awesome site to your attention. It's not exclusively a knitting site, in fact it's a book site. A used book site in fact.

Thrift Books is a wonderful place to find inexpensive knitting books! I swear I have nothing to do with them in anyway, I just wanted to share the good news!

I was able to get five knitting books this last week shipped to me and it only cost me $18. That's amazing! Yes the books are used, however I've never gotten a book from Thrift books in bad shape, and if you love knitting books the way I do, you know that $18 is usually around the cost of just one!

Most of the books I bought were under $4, with one under $5! I think that's an amazing deal, especially if you're like me and love having a book splayed across your lap while you knit away. I have a feeling my knitting library is going to grow by leaps and bounds because of this site!

Until next time! Happy knitting!

  

Knitted Ear Warmer

Hello Knitters!

I'm sorry this week post is a few days late! My sister had her babies this weekend at 35 week along! Two sweet little identical boys came into our lives! i would post a picture, but I'm honestly not sure how my sister would feel about that and nephews or not, I don't think it's my place to post it. Though I do so reluctantly because they are so adorable!

I also had to finish some knitting and sewing for an order I received this week! In all the excitement and being so busy in my free time I simply forgot to post! So again I'm sorry

Since I've been so busy this week, I wasn't able to have time to do very much of my own knitting, which I have a quite a lot of to do it seems.

However when I did get a chance my daughter did her best to help! Miss little is taking off  development wise and is becoming quite the cute handful and always wants to be the center of attention. I have conquered this little hurdle by incorporating her into my knitting if I have too. As you can see this is easier said then done!

Honestly though she absolutely love sitting on my lap and watching me knit. She was entranced by it, well until she wasn't any more. You can only expect a five month old to watch knitting for so long, but I'm secretly hoping that this will some how make her want to knit in her future! My boys already want to know, especially my oldest, but he tends to lose interest pretty quickly, but he has some basics down, so I have hope that he will eventually take off with it. You never know!

Any way, I did get my order finished, a sweet little elephant that I'm pretty please with, however I think I may not want to do made to order orders anymore. I had two this week, one crib sheet, which I won't go into too much detail since this is a knitting blog and not a sewing blog, and that elephant. I enjoyed making both, and there wouldn't have been a problem had life not gotten in the way! However that's the joy of life, letting it get in the way!

This elephant gave me quite a bit of trouble and took a lot of coffee to complete, but he came through eventually and now he's ready to be sent off to the East coast!

I do love how they turn out, they are super cute! All my children have their own and I think except for crib sheets and mittens, I get asked to make these for people more than anything else!



I did also make a headband, I apologize the pictures are not all that amazing. It's a simple ear warmer/ headband, easy and knit in the flat! I made it to cover my ears when I take the boys to the bus stop in the morning when it gets cold! 



It's a pretty simple knit! I'll post the pattern below for you!

This week has been absolutely crazy, but also very productive so until next time knitters! As always feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer them!







  

Cabled Ear Warmers

With US size 7 needles, using bulky yarn of choice. Cast on 20 Stitches in cast on of choice.

1st row- Knit 3, purl 3, knit 8, purl 3, knit 3
2nd row- Purl 6, knit 8, purl 6

Repeat these two rows 4 times ending on purl row

 9th row - knit 3, purl 3, slip 4 stitches to cable needle, leave in front, knit 4 stitches from back needle, knit stitches from the cable needle, purl 3, knit 3

Repeat row 1-9 10 times, or as to fit your own head.

Knit last row once. Do not cast off. Kitchener stitch your live stitches to other end, this creates a seamless look




 

Newborn Hat Pattern

Hello Knitters!

I had promised you finished baby sock, but unfortunately a small little dog decided that my yarn was a play thing and traipsed around the house and pulled it all apart. As you can see he didn't seem to care a lick that he had done it. Though in all honestly he tried to pretend he didn't do a thing, though it's difficult to hide the evidence when it's attached to you!

So instead of finished socks I have a finished hat! My sister is due with twin boys in the next few weeks, give or take one or two, and she is also a photographer, so she begged me to provide her with hats that she could take pictures in before they were born. Well I can't lie, I'm a bit of a procrastinator, and it wasn't until I realized these babies could come at any moment did I realize I needed to get my behind, or um hands, into gear and whip the hats up!

The hat she showed me that she wanted especially was crocheted and I'm a TERRIBLE crocheter if it has anything to do with something other then a strait line, so after scouring the internet and all my many many knitting books, I couldn't find a pattern to what I was looking for.

I pondered if I should just ask my Step-Mom who is a fantastic crocheter if she could do it, or if I could somehow come up with my morning. So over my morning coffee, I finally decided to whip up my own!

I spent a few days trying a few different things and I finally came up with a pattern that works for what I'm looking for! I like it so much I've decided to provide it here for anyone who wants to use it!

Newborn Hat with a Tail and Pom-Pom

Cast on 28 with size 11 double pointed needles using a bulky yarn of your choice

Knit 2 purl 2 for 6 rounds 

Stocking net stitch for 2 1/2 inches 

Next round-knit two together, knit 7 knit 2 together (2 times), knit 8

Knit 1 round 

Knit 2 together, knit 6 ( 2 times) knit 7 

Knit 1 round 

Knit 2 together, knit 5 (2 times) knit 6 

Knit 1 round 

Knit 2 together, knit 2 to end of round, knit 1 

Knit one round 

Knit 2 together to end of round (7 stitches should be left on needles)

Knit in round to desired length, mine is approximately 14 inches

Knit one then knit 2 together to end of round 

Pull yarn through remaining stitches, pull tight and secure.  

Make Pom-Pom ( I make mine with a Pom-Pom maker I bought from a craft store years ago) 

Secure to end of tail. 

Sew in all yarn tails and you have your hat!

I had a lot of fun making this hat and since I used thick yarn it actually knitted up pretty quick once I got the pattern down. I'm going to whip up the second one in another color later today hopefully if the baby lets me, and if a small little dog will leave my knitting alone that is. Then get them out to my sister and soon I will have cute little pictures of two tiny boys in them!

I'd love to see your finished projects and as always feel free to ask if you have any questions!

Happy knitting!

Socks

Hello Knitters!

This week I am talking about socks! I'm not going to lie and say socks are my favorite thing to knit. I know a few people who really enjoy knitting socks, but while every once in a while I get the sock fever, I have a very bad case of second sock syndrome, which for a long time prevented me from knitting them. Both the socks knitted below were victims of this syndrome!

I somehow don't have this same problem with mittens, but perhaps that's because they knit up quicker and it could also be that my family ask me for mittens every year, especially my sister, who gets a new pair every birthday.

Anyway, I’ve jumped off the subject, we are here to talk about socks, not mittens!

As you probably know there are a few ways to make socks. Every knitter you talk to will have their favorite way of knitting them, I actually have two! I always knit two at a time now and I love both toe up and cuff down. I personally think that cuff down ends up with a prettier toe, however toe up is much easier to fit to the foot of whomever you are knitting for and once you finish the foot and go into the cuff, if you start finding yourself in a panic as you watch the yarn disappear and wonder if you have enough, it's not such a big deal to have a sock with a shorter cuff.

I had planned on having a picture of two fully finished baby socks that I am currently working on, however a teething baby girl,as you can see, prevented a lot of knitting this week. Hopefully next week I’ll have it finished so I can show you the finished product! Though even as I type Violet is trying to push keys and demanding attention. If I'm honest it's taking me far longer then it should to write this post!


Baby socks are the perfect place to start if you've never knitted socks before. They are smaller so they are easier to knit up and babies don't care if they aren't perfect!

Socks are one of my favorite traveling project, I can't think of anything more portable to then socks. Plus you can change them up in so many different ways! Though be warned. If you take your knitting in public places, be prepared to be asked what you're making and if you would be willing to make socks for them!

Honestly though it's a great way to make friends you normally wouldn't! I don't know what it is about knitting that draws people to you, but it really does create a great conversation starter!

Did you know you can knit socks in the flat if doing it in a round is not for you? You can! Though it's not my favorite way to do it, mostly because you have to sew them up and they have a seam afterwards and for comfort sake I prefer no seam, but if your uncomfortable with working in the round, knitting them on two needles are an easy alternative!

These little pink lovelies were knitted on two needles and I got a lot of complements on them, though Violet grew out of them quickly as babies tend to do which makes me a tiny bit sad!

The current project I'm working on are baby socks in a round and I'm knitting them toe up.

I'm knitting them on a 40 inch circular knitting needle using the magic loop method, I knit all my socks with that method and I can't recommend it enough! It solves the problem of laddering stitches and it's super easy once you've had some practice!

I included a link below for a great Youtube video that helped me figure out the magic loop method. I always say, aside from my stepmother's help, youtube has helped me learn to knit more than any thing else!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqySdHjIPIc

So far my socks aren't even to the gusset, but they are coming along nicely, hopefully by next week I can show you a finished pair!

If you have any questions feel free to ask! Have a wonderful week! Hopefully it's full of knitting! Until next time!

Scarves

Instead of hats, I probably should have started with scarves. Most knitters began with just that.

Thinking of scarves brings to mind my first ever scarf. I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew, so I think my first knitting project was a blanket. However I never finished.

I was pregnant with my first and desperately wanted to make a blanket for my almost here newborn. I was trying to learn on my own at this point and for some reason my work never stayed strait, somehow in all my knitting, I dropped stitch after stitch and my work became more of a lop sided triangle than the rectangle it was supposed to be. 

I soon became so frustrated that I basically threw it aside in frustration and didn't try to knit again for two years!

Flash forward those two years to when my step mother, sat down with me and patiently taught me to knit. 

She taught me how to pick up slipped stitches, and picked up most of them herself, if I'm honest. Again and again she helped me correct the mistakes I made.

I would like to say that after that I naturally became a knitter, that I just took off from there, that I became a talented knitter over night and began making the most beautiful things you had ever seen!

However that is not the truth. It took me a while and lots and lots of practice. I put down knitting and picked it up again over the next year so often and never finished a thing. Then one day I did. 

This is my first finished project. A scarf. 

Don't laugh. All right you may laugh, but just a little.

I have kept this ugly thing for five years now. When I first finished this thing, I was so proud. I proudly showed it off and was even praised for it. It just goes to show how nice people really can be! There are even stars in that pattern if you look closely. It was the fist thing I ever finished, and the ugliest thing as well! Though there is still a small part of me that loves the thing. My oldest loves it as well, and while I cringe internally now when he insists on wearing it in public, I let him, because as ugly as it is, it's my first knitting success!

Once I finished that contraption, the knitting bug took hold of me. I began knitting every single chance I could, and now I'm pretty sure I couldn't live without it!

Why did I tell you this story you ask? Well it's because we all need to know, that even the most accomplished knitter out there, started somewhere, and they probably have a scarf like this hidden away in a closet. 

If you are a beginning knitter, I highly suggest starting with a garter stitch. It's simple, easy, and the very first stitch you should know. 

This one probably should have been my first project I bet it would have turned out a lot better in the end. 

This pattern is what I like to call, a perfect no think pattern. 

This one in particular was cast on with 14 stitches with a bulky yarn on size 13 US needles and I'll just keep knitting until desired length. Then bind off.

When I first started I had a love for stockinette stitch.

As you can see here, it's really not the best stitch for knitting scarves. The stitch tends to roll up on the sides creating more of a funnel, than a scarf. 

However, if you don't mind knitting twice as much, folding it over can make it flat. Blocking will be needed, but honestly, I love the look of the scarves when they are done. 

Obviously that is still on the needle so this is far from blocked or sewn together, but you get the idea! 

The next scarf I would recommend to try, if you are beginning is the ribbed scarf. 

A ribbed scarf gives the appearance of a stockinette stitch, but stays flat, and it's reversible! 

This scarf was made with size 8US needles, with worsted yarn. A yarn I picked up in a little shop in Stevensville, Montana on a whim. If you even get the chance to go to Bitteroot Yarn Shop do it!It's the strangest little store, full of old antiques and books in front, with a small yarn shop in back. When I last went, they had a group of ladies huddled together around a table, knitting and chatting away. I had just enough room to wander around and pick out my selection, while the ladies happily conversed with me in the usual friendly way people from Montana have. It's well worth the visit if you ever find yourself in that area!

This pattern is just Knit, purl all the way across, then following the pattern on the wrong side again. You can play around with the size and the number of stitches. It's one of the reasons scarves are so much fun. 

The last stitch I love for scarves is called the fishermen stitch, is my all time favorite for scarves. Though a little more tricky.

It's very similar to the ribbed scarf, except that you knit into the knit stitch on the row below. It makes a tighter and warmer scarf. 

This particular one is made form 100% wool, it's a light worsted yarn and not one my son will ever wear because it's slightly itchy. However I really wanted to experience knitting with wool.

http://newstitchaday.com/how-to-knit-the-fishermans-rib-stitch/

This stitch is more of a show not tell stitch, so that link above will help you work it out nicely!

One of my biggest tips with scarves to make them look neat and professional when you're done, is to slip the first stitch. I purposely didn't slip the stitches on the fishermen scarf, and you can tell the difference. Compare to the garter stitch where ever stitch is slipped, and you get a much neater line and a more rectangular shape. 

Slipping a stitch is super easy, you literally just pull the first stitch onto your needle and ignore it, knitting the next stitch. 

I hope you enjoyed the basic scarf tutorials. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer! I'd also love to see pictures of your first knitting projects! 

Knitted Hats

Today we will talk about knitting hats! One of my favorite things to knit!

It's a safe bet that if you knit for boys, you have knitted a hat. You can't go wrong with a hat, most boys or men for that matter will wear a hat at some point in their lives. Plus it's a rather easy place to start. A hat can be so versatile as well, once you have a basic pattern, it's pretty easy to change it up and you can let your creativity run wild. Hats are also something you can experiment with as well. So if you want to learn a new stitch, a hat is a great place to start!

As the mother of a very active young man, Jack, who is seven, and also a young man who is nine, Logan, who HATES scratchy things, as well as a four month old Violet, who is already a little mess maker, I try and find soft yet durable and let us not forget washable yarns!

I love Carson Simply soft. I am not affiliated with Carson or any yarn company for that matter, I just love how the yarn washes well and how soft it is.

It also knits up really nicely! This hat with the mittens is knit in Simply Soft, I can not tell you how much I love those colors.

The pattern for both the hat and mittens are unfortunately not free. However if you want any knitting book for babies and toddlers, The Big book of Kid's knits, by Zoe Mellor is one to own!

Seriously I have gone to this book more than any other, and was very sad when my older grew out of the sizing. However I now go to it a lot for my newest and this time I get to knit the girl patterns! It's also a book I go to for gifts for friends and family. Almost everything is made on two needles, so if knitting in a round makes you nervous, but you still want to knit, hats and mittens, booties, sweaters, and jumpers, this honestly is the book for you. Again I am not affiliated with anyone other than myself, but I can not rave about this book enough. Everything in it is not too complicated, however a lot of it looks as though it was.

Now if you are looking for a more sturdy yarn, and one that also knits super quick, I highly recommend a Lion Brand's Thick and Quick Wool Ease. I seriously love this yarn more than any other. It's one Logan doesn't complain about and it knits up incredibly fast. I use a 10.5 US needles and it's usually my go to for quick gifts I need fast,  as well as the first of the season hats for my kids. it usually takes me a day to knit one up if my day is pretty busy, or a couple hours to knit it if I just sit and knit.

I found this pattern on Raverly, Her picture shows it on a women, however you can use any color, or more than one color, and I have, and it's perfect for any person.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/big-chunky-comfy-hat

This pattern if for adults, but for my boys, I just used my smaller needles, the 10.5 US and it was perfect for them. Plus the thick and quick is stretchy, so it works for a lot of sizes. In fact I think I have made more of these for my kids and family than I have anything else. I have so many hats that soon I'm going to have to start just handing them out to strangers on the street. It's a simple and easy pattern, and a perfect knit for someone that would like to start knitting hats. It's also the perfect basic hat pattern that you can change up very easily, which I have also done a lot!

I would recommend finding a circular needle you like. I use a bamboo 16 inch set that works wonders. I think I purchased it on amazon, but you can find them almost anywhere. It just makes things easier if you are new to knitting in a round, When I first started hats, and socks, I got so frustrated with run on stitches that I gave up! I came back eventually and figured it out, but I always like people to want to knit, not want to throw it across the room and stomp on it!

 

 All the hats in the pictures except the grey pompom one are knitted in some way from this pattern. I wish I had better pictures, especially of the blue and grey, but it was such a hit with my sisters, yup all those girls accept the smallest one, are my sisters, that it's now owned by sister two, so I don't have a better one. However that is the point of knitting if you ask me. Giving it away, having people want your projects. Though if I'm honest I love to keep some of my projects that I fall in love with.





Over both the patterns I have included today are pretty easy and a perfect addition to your pattern collection. If you knit them up, I'd love to see your finished project and hear what you have to think about it. I hope you have as much fun knitting them up as I did!

A wonderful website

I'm going to mention a wonderful site called Raverly.com.

You can find quite a few patterns for both knitted and crocheting and while I don't crochet very often, because I'm terrible at it, the knitting patterns I have found have been great! 

While you do have to pay for some of them, you can find quite a lot for free. I have found Raverly a absolute staple in my knitting journey and you can find everything from children knits to knitted rug patterns, to dog sweaters, to socks, It really is one of the best sites I have found so far to find patterns made by others as well as patterns that are published. You also can publish patterns if your so inclined to do so.

Here is a lovely link to one of my favorites called Recipe For a Rustic Jacket pattern by Mona NicLeoid, and it's free too!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/recipe-for-a-rustic-jacket

I have a real and immense love for cables, as you will see in my knitting, and if I can find one for my boys I'm in heaven. 

I do believe this can be for both boys and girls and it can be fitted to anyone, which means if you are the daring sort, you can create one for everyone in your family. 

Can anyone say family pictures!

The pattern is quite detailed though nothing like any other pattern I have encountered, and is in fact is a tutorial with detailed pictures and it walks you through every step, and includes pictures and very detailed instructions on how to create the perfect jacket. 

You do need at least basic knowledge of how to knit and purl, as well as how to cable, (Which if you have never done a cable pattern, is much simpler than it looks) I think a beginner with that kind of basic knowledge under their belt shouldn't have too much trouble with it, and it gives you room to experiment and create the perfect jacket for the little boy in your life!  

 I hope you enjoy this pattern as well as ravelry.com, and if you are any thing like me, I apologize in advance for the many hours you will waste discovering new patterns there, though not for the many projects you will enjoy creating!