Savanah in Blue Cardigan

Savanah in her new blue cardigan ~



The pattern for this cardigan is found in Paton's Next Steps Three Create Your Own Cardigan booklet 500838DD. The photo of the cardigan and the instructions for the cardigan don't jibe, especially the collar. If you make the collar the way the instructions direct, it is much, much larger than what the photo shows. Also, while I love the finished product, the booklet is not easy to follow. You have to go to one page for the basic back, another page for the fronts, another for the sleeves, and then back to figure out the damn collar. I goofed up on the number of stitches to do for the front bands, but if it had turned out perfectly, I would have made the knitting gods mad at me.

Hands

Mean, Meaner, Suzan, and Lauri all met today for Knitting in the Park today. The weather was perfect. We got to see some wild parrots, escapees from a long ago wind storm that loosed hundreds of rare birds out of their cages. The brilliant green flitting around was a fun sight.

I decided to just take a few photos of hands at work ~


These are Meaner's hands working on a beautiful claret cardigan.


These hands are Lauri's, crocheting an intricate doily pattern. It was discovered that Lauri is great at crocheting, but bad at math. (Me too.)


Suzan working on a baby blanket for a newcomer to the world.


Notice Suzan's hands reflected off her glasses. I really love this photo.

It was great to see Suzan before she leaves for Europe on Saturday. One of her biggest packing concerns has been which knitting project(s) to take. I understand that dilemma.

Sophie

After just getting out of doggie hospital for eating something that pert near killed her, Suzan's little girl, Sophie, decided to get more fiber in her diet.



Sophie is the darling of our Monday meditation group. She has a unique way of getting ready for meditation that includes a bit of whirling dervish activity before actually settling down. Meditators and knitters alike were devastated when she was hospitalized. We are all grateful she made it through, apparently not too much worse for the wear and still eating things she shouldn't.

Suzan, Yolie, and Mean met for a nice stitch 'n bitch session in the park this week. The weather was perfect. We enjoyed ourselves a great deal, so naturally we are going to do it again next week.

Knitting for Babies

I'm not sure if there is anything more immediately satisfying as knitting for babies. You can create clothing in a fraction of the time that it takes to knit a similar item for yourself. Add in that the baby you're knitting for is a grandchild and you have knitting nirvana.

This adorable little item is a sweater Meaner made for her newest grandchild, yet to be born.



The details can only be fully appreciated by seeing the sweater in person, but trust me, it's all soft loveliness.

Suzan is working on a baby blanket for a friend. Maybe she'll send a photo when she's done. Baby blankets are a whole 'nuther thing. They do take a good while to complete, but they are well worth the effort. Mason, my youngest grandson, still drags around a hand-crocheted blankie he got when he was first born.

Just because she's beautiful

Meaner's Grandkids Get the Best of Her

I've been nagging Karen to bring over some of the finished projects she's made her great-grandbabies in the past. Here are some photos of a few things she made for great-grandson, Conner (who is a chip off the old block and could legitimately be dubbed "Meanerest" or "Lil' Mean").

This first one is just a-fricking-dorable. A little sherpa hat and jacket Karen crocheted for Lil' Mean before we knew how onery he was going to turn out to be (not that it would have made any difference -- Karen would have made them anyway).



The second one is a cool little baby blanket, stitched with a lot of love for the little begger.



And, finally, a flannel cowboy throw that Karen says he still drags around. I love the finishing touch of his name and the date embroidered on the blankie.

Look Ma, No Fingers!

I adapted "Moya's Orpah-Annie Fingerless Gloves" pattern for my granddaughter, Aubrey. The gloves are made using a variety of sock yarns, giving them an eclectic, colorful look.



The work on the needles is pair of adult sized gloves, almost half-way completed, to give you an idea of size.

I seem to accumulate more yarn, patterns, needles and other accoutrements of knitting than I actually end up with in product, but reading this from the Yarn Harlot's 2009 calendar gave me comfort ~

I no longer make resolutions about my knitting. I don't say, "This year I'm going to get the stash in order" or "This year I'm going to alphabetize my patterns," and it's been many years since I swore that I would have fewer projects going a once." It's not that I've given up, since I'm not the sort, but rather that a kind of acceptance has come over me. I am a knitter. This is what it looks like. Anyone who thinks it's too much, or too messy, or too unfinished ... Well, they should just be happy that my passion is for lovely soft yarn and beautiful sweaters. After all, it could be much worse. I could have these same feelings about cabbage.

I was talking to Meaner the other day, though, and we both acknowledged that if we want to give socks as gifts for Christmas, we really need to start knitting them in January, given our lack of ability to stick with a task for long and the fact that we both have several people wanting socks. My other problem in making items for Christmas is that when I'm done with a project, I want to give it right away. I've never been known for delaying gratification, either my own or yours.