Not as Zippy as I have thought…

So, I have mentioned that after finishing Sourpatch, I started a quick little project as my second project for Very Shannon´s Summer Sweater KAL. It is actually a cardigan for my boy, that I decided to cal Zippy, as it is based on a cute zipper I found some time ago.

I thought it would take me a week at max. After all, it is a toddler´s cardi, on fairly big needles, so what? Well, that was on August  18th and back then, I certainly did not know I was going to knit the thing 3 times. I mean, would you believe it?

I actually forgot that knitting a toddler´s thing with measurements based on what he is wearing NOW may very well mean he would grow out of it before it is even finished. We realized that a good while after I joined the body and the sleeves and made a good progress on the yoke. Grrr.

So I thought, OK, instead of 108 for the body, lets cast 120. Guess what I found when I got to the underarms? That – probably due to my coma-nearing constant state of tiredness – I only cast on 100. So I managed to make it even smaller!

Well, I tried again and this is where I am today.

Won´t take me long to get to the underarms and the sleeves should be fairly quick, so maybe, this time, I will get there and show you the cute thing next week 🙂

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Modifying Sourpatch – Sleevin´ Away

Yes, I am aware I have been quiet for a week. Thing is, we were busy in a non-bloggable way, you know 🙂 However, one thing I may have to review in my Year of Stashbusting project is the goal of having an FO every Monday. Unless I can call a granny square a FO, I won´t be able to keep it up 🙂 However, I will still try to have an FO on Mondays as much as possible.

Now, the Sourpatch is progressing very smoothly. When the sleeves are done, it is just the button band and off we go 🙂 I try to keep detailed project notes on Ravelry, but really, the construction could not be simpler. I am also hoping fro decent pictures when this is finished!

Modifying Sourpatch, row by row

I don´t think I have words to describe how much I love the knit so far! I mean, it is fun to make, pleasure to look at and it is growing like crazy! I mean, look at it! 🙂 Yesterday morning, I was just under the bust darts.

I am a bit further today, but will take more pictures when I am at the waist level. However, it is progressing smoothly so far. A little snug, but that is more than OK, as all my cotton knits always stretch a bit. I don´t know whether it is the material or my knitting and it´s tension, however, I tend to go for negative ease in the making. You can find details on my Ravelry project page.

The KAL forum on Ravelry is really busy and fun. All the talented knitters, all the lovely sweaters and cardigans, so many patterns, yarns and so much progress! Everybody is super helpful and I cannot recommend participating strongly enough 🙂

Anyhoo, back to the knit for a moment. I also have a detail of the yoke.

I am soooo in love with the colours, I decided to use the tiny remnants of the pinks and red for this:

It is the oh-so-pretty Rosie Posie Granny Square by Sandra from Cherry Heart, who provided us with the great tutorial over here. Depending on how many squares I can get out of this, it might turn into a bag. Stay tuned for more 🙂

Now if you excuse me, I have some knitting to do 😉

Modifying Sourpatch

I decided to participate in another KAL (hugely addictive, thanks to the nice atmosphere and support in the Ravelry forums), it is Very Shannon´s Summer Sweater Knit Along. Today is the first day, so guess what I did first thing in the morning – yes, I cast on a new cardigan. I did choose pattern and swatch and everything before. The swatch colours make me pretty excited 🙂

The pattern I decided to go with is Sourpatch, which happens to be a baby/kid top. I am going to make a cardi for me, basically by using the pattern raglan yoke, converting it to knitting flat, rather than in the round, and from the arms down, I will do my own thing 🙂 I am going to keep detailed project notes on the Ravelry project page.

I do hope I have enough of the colours, as actually, they are just half a skein or so, each. Also, two days ago, in a dog-ate-my-homework type of accident, my dear boy spilled my coffee over some of it 🙂 Well, we shall see.

Anyhoo, here is the first day progress (something is telling me it might be a quick knit, although the excitement may wane after I am done with the colour and onto the rows of white stockinette).

 

Rondeur II – a row here and a row there

We were quite busy over here, in the Berries and Yarn household, with family visits, the lovely birthday celebration and also with Pip growing his first two molars. We have been lucky so far, his teething was almost unnoticeable, but the molars do seem to be giving him a hard time. All should be fine fairly soon though 🙂

He also started to reducing the amount and length of his day naps and the weather is so lovely we try to spend as much time outside as possible. I am enjoying every moment with him, especially considering that I will be back to work part-time in just over a month.

This all obviously means that I haven´t been speeding through Rondeur II as much as through his predecessor, however, we do seem to be getting somewhere.

Philip´s Fruit and Veg II

Remember the set of amigurumi fruit and veg I started to make for our boy´s first birthday? Well, I added some to it.

This is pumpkin, lemon, tomato, carrot and corn hanging around on the window ledge while Pip is napping. I really like making these, but I am running out of ideas and patterns I can make with colours I have. I would like to add a melon slice, cherries and a green apple, and then I don´t know anymore. However, his birthday party is this Sunday, so I will probably not have a chance to make any more than that anyway. I can always add something to the collection later though.

I will post the whole collection with link to Ravelry project page and respective patterns, once I am done with it completely 🙂

Rondeur II

As you may have noticed, I did not give up on Rondeur after the bamboo disappointment and cast on another attempt. This time I chose ice blue cotton, same yarn I used for Surry Hills. I managed to knit some on our little holiday, as it is a summer knit after all 🙂

At the moment I am almost reaching the point of waist shaping.

The cotton is of course pleasure to work with, so hopefully, this time it will turn out well. The yoke lace cable seems to suggest so 🙂

I am still knitting this as part of the motivating Knit and Nice KAL and you can find the Ravelry project page here.

Lessons in Rondeur

Oh dear me 🙂 What an epic fail!

Last night, I finished Rondeur. I tried it on, it fitted like a glove.  I washed it gently, like I do with knits before blocking, and to my shock and horror, out of the washing machine a monster emerged! It went down to my knees, or rather, it would, if it did not fall off my shoulders.

Apparently, bamboo yarns are quite well known for growing and stretching. I do consider myself an experienced knitter, but this was my first time with bamboo and this idea did not cross my mind at all. I learned my lesson – when working with a completely new fiber or unusual yarn, I should look online for others´ experience and hints and also make a large swatch and make sure to wash it.

However, I am going to carry on with the KAL and remake the great pattern in a very unsurprising cotton 🙂 Also, I may use the lovely but unpredictable bamboo in a project where the stretch would not mind – a lace shawl or scarf comes to mind.

Today we are leaving on a family trip, so it will be quiet here for the rest of the week. Enjoy the lovely days wherever you are and please, come back on Monday 🙂

Philip´s Fruit and Veg

Well I certainly don´t need another project, with Rondeur in the making and Mitered and Chequered almost finished. But with Pip´s forthcoming first birthday, I obviously had to make sure he has a handmade gift from me 🙂 I thought about it for few days. Clothes are not very gifty. He has tons of animals already (will make a post on his playroom menagerie at some point).

And then I though I could make different fruits and vegetables. They will be great not only for learning about the fruit and veg themselves, but also about colours, shapes, later for playing shop and everything 🙂 Also I always found them cute and wanted to give them a go but did not see a real purpose for them.

So far I have this:

Pear, apple, strawberry, banana, tangerine and mushroom, all from here. I have lots more planned and will definitely list the final list once I set this up as new project on Ravelry. I also plan to crochet a basket or crate, but we will see about what time I have.

I really cannot wait for him to have them 🙂

Nice and Knit Knit Along – Rondeur coming around

As I mentioned last week, I started knitting Rondeur by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark as a part of Nice and Knit KAL. It is growing and growing and I find the pattern very nice and also relaxing, as it involves a lot of stockinette knit in the round 🙂 Here it is, already down to the underarms 🙂