Tag Archive: baby

The Probable Destiny of All Future Sock Yarn Scraps

February 8, 2012

Do I need to say more or is the photo enough?

This little cutie is one of the booties I made with the famous Saartje freebie pattern. I think I may be the last knitter on the web to join the love fest for these, but believe it or not, this was my first time making them. What took me so long?

I used my scale and some math to determine that these took only about 50 yards of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock yarn.  This means you could squeeze about 7 pairs out of a skein. That makes them a very inexpensive gift.

These booties were made to go with the hat I made for the same newborn and blogged about earlier this year.

I spent about 90 minutes making the booties from the time I cast on the first shoe to the time I wrapped them up to deliver to their recipient’s parents. Finding and attaching the buttons took longer than the knitting. I was grateful to Ysolda for writing up such a great tutorial on sewn button loops, which made those a piece of cake.

Can you handle one last photo or is the cuteness already killing you? More? Ok, here you go.

Project notes on Ravelry

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Baby Boom

January 5, 2012

Something was apparently going on with my friends in 2011 because I know at least 4 friends and colleagues having babies in the January-February time frame. That’s a lot of baby gifts, people! Not yet a mother myself, I’ve been investigating some classic baby knitting patterns, and one thing has become abundantly clear to me this week: I have no idea about the size of babies!

Here is a case in point. On Sunday, I had the pleasure of meeting Baby Keegan, who was born last week. She weighs something less than 10 pounds (read: she’s a tiny little bug!). Remembering a post where the Yarn Harlot raved about this magic baby bonnet pattern, I fished out some Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock—the softest and most durable superwash yarn in my stash—and went to town.

Soon I had this:

After a little bit of sewing, it turned into this:

But, friends, this thing looks so much bigger than little Keegan’s newborn baby head!

Check out the dimensions:

Am I wrong, or is this thing not going to fit her for weeks? Should I save this for later and make something else?

Even if it is more than newborn sized, it sure is cute. Next up, booties with remaining yarn. Baby knitting is great for instant gratification!

My project notes on Ravelry

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Five for Friday: A Few Ways to Help Children in Need

December 17, 2010

A gentle reminder: there are only two weeks left to enter the Charity Challenge I kicked off this fall. Gasp! Where did the time go?

Just to refresh your memories, any handknit or crocheted items that you donate/have already donated to charity between October 1 and December 31 earn you at least one entry in a drawing for some great prizes (must have a US or APO address).  For full contest details and entry form links, see the contest page.

Want to enter but stumped about who needs your items?  Here are a few fresh ideas to inspire you:*

1. Knit a Square to help AIDS orphans in Africa

This non-profit organization collects knit or crochet squares (8 x 8 inches) to be sewn into blankets for children in Africa who have lost their parents and guardians to AIDS.  The group’s helpful website has detailed information on patterns and materials as well as a US address to send your handiwork.

2. The Hat Box Foundation helps kids with cancer

Love to knit hats? The Hat Box Foundation collects handmade (knit or crochet) hats for children undergoing chemotherapy and others in need.  Their goal is to distribute hats to kids in all 50 states (a map on their website indicates they are almost there!).  Hats can be whatever materials and patterns you like, but they ask that they be long enough to cover the child’s full head. Also, this is probably not the time to haul out the scratchy tweeds, no?

3. Knitting for Ninos helps orphans in Guatemala

This group collects lightweight handknit and crochets garments of all sorts to be distributed to orphans in Guatemala.  According to their website, they most need hats, socks, and 3×4 foot small blankets.  Other items are welcomed, too.  The mailing address is listed on their website.

4. Save the Children Caps for Good help newborns

Save the Children and Warm Up America are teaming up this winter to collect baby caps until February 28, 2011.  Caps will be sent to babies in Africa, Asia, or Latin America via Save the Children’s newborn health programs.  They ask that volunteers use easy care yarn and that the baby hats be 12″ in circumference.  Find free patterns on their website.  C’mon gang….even the slowest knitter having the busiest Christmas can still find time to crank out a baby hat with some stash yarn in two weeks!!

5. Need more ideas? Try Ravelry’s Charity Knitting Group

Nothing on this list getting you excited?  Head over to Ravelry and check out the forum boards of the Charity Knitting Group. There is something to inspire even the biggest grinch among you, I promise.

Time is running out! Don’t miss your chance to win one of the awesome prizes I have on offer.  Many thanks to Berroco and Magpie Patterns for their support of the contest!

* Just FYI, I’m not affiliated with any of these charities…I admire what they are doing though!

Five for Friday is a series of (mostly) weekly posts to highlight five favorite fiber-related links or items I’d like to share with my readers. Got an idea/request for a future feature? Email me or post to the comments.
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Completed Hippo Toy

August 23, 2010

Welcome to the world, pink striped hippo!

This girl is from Susan B. Anderson’s terrific book of patterns for knitted toys, Itty-Bitty Toys. You may be familiar with Susan’s work from Spud & Chloe or from her blog at susanbanderson.blogspot.com. The toy patterns in this book are just adorable.  Most of them are fairly easy, too.  I found the knitting on this hippo to be very easy.  The sewing and embroidery (on face) were somewhat fiddly for me, but that is sort of what you sign up for when you decide to make a stuffed animal.

To make this hippo, I used less than one skein of Universal Yarn’s Bamboo Sock, a self-striping fingering weight yarn that I got for a huge bargain at my local Tuesday Morning shop. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn held double and to facilitate this, I divided the yarn into two equal balls using my handy kitchen scale.  I love the way the stripes look, especially on the back of the hippo:

The yarn was nice to work with and I think it would make fabulous socks, though I’m not sure if socks in this colorway would really be my thing (I bought this yarn with a toy project in mind. . .).

I can’t wait to make other toys from this great book, especially since this one is a gift for a baby who lives far away.

See my project notes on Ravelry

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Five for Friday: Baby Gift Projects

July 2, 2010

I recently learned that some good friends of mine have adopted a baby girl from Kenya. Of course I want to knit something for the baby! The question now is what to knit. Here are the top five projects that I am deciding between. It is a tough choice! If you have an opinion about any of these, please post to the comments. I’ll be happy to take votes, advice, and feedback.

1. Hippo Toy from Itty-Bitty Toys book by Susan B. Anderson

{source: Susan B. Anderson}

Seriously, people, look how cute this guy is! Doesn’t it make you wish that all knitting was gifts for babies?  I think the hippo is the front runner in this list, but check out the other four to see how tough this choice will be.  Hippo calls for fingering weight yarn, by the way, but Ravelers have successfully made it in various other weights.

2. Elijah by Ysolda Teague

{source: Ysolda}

Another very cute toy. This one calls for DK weight yarn and is worked entirely in the round.

3. Princess Squares Blanket by Pam Allen in Early Fall Vogue Knitting

This is a very cute worsted weight blanket made up of modular mitered squares. The pattern was a freebie as part of an advertisement for Classic Elite yarn and is not available online (and thus it was impossible to find a shareable photo for you! Sorry!).   I love this blanket but I am not sure I can take on another blanket project at this point. One blanket at a time is probably enough for me.

4. February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman

This is an old standby. The one pictured is one I made as a gift last year and by all reports it was a huge hit.  This works up fast in worsted weight and is almost seamless, so when I’m done, I’m really done.

5. Budgie sweater by Grumperina

{source: Grumperina}

Amazing knitblogger Grumperina has been cranking out these adorable sweaters for gifts since this fall and she has graciously made the pattern available to the rest of us too.  Who wouldn’t love those cute stripes?

See why this is going to be a tough choice?  What should I make here?

Five for Friday is a series of posts that feature lists of my top five favorite fiber-related items in a specific category.
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