Happy Happy Joy Joy

For once, I like this Monday morning even if I had a hard time to get up and was too happy to get a coffee to help me open up my eyes. But, with my daughter playing and dancing in my belly I cannot resist to have the most beautiful smile every morning... even on Monday !

Now 31 weeks and 4 days pregnant, my belly is full of life and of love, thanks to life!

FO : Pea Pod baby set

Yes finally got buttons and time to put them on too...

Specs of my new creation

Pattern : Pea Pod Baby Set by Kate Gilbert

Needle : 3.75 mm

Yarn : Cascade Yarns Eco + in kiwi green about 0.6 skein

Cast on November 28th 2009 and cast off May 4th 2010 (doh!)

Size : 6 months

Mods : none except using very cool buttons... :)

Pattern is very clever but once more I think than arms a little strange and makes a bulky seam to attach the arms too. Anyway I'll have my own model to play and make adjustements soon enough now...

WIP : summer knitting is HOT

It's not even summer yet, but it's almost the same with the weather of the last 2 weeks here in Quebec city... it's damn hot and hard to keep a big knit on my lap. So I cast on for a light shawl project with the perfect and adorable Malabrigo lace I had bought back in 2008 when my friend Shannon came in visit from Calgary. Part of my "work in that stash" project in 2010 to reduce my stash it will also be a nice addition to my wardrobe too.

I choose the Haruni pattern by Emily Ross, a free pattern.

I love the colors and again with Malabrigo it's love at first touch... soft and so cool to work with even it's still hot in my hand to work with wool.

Anyway, almost done with Chart A, about 16 more rows to go in it and then the fun begin with Chart B... :)

Secret boyfriend sweater...

No I am not affraid of the sweater curse !!! (I do consider than being 31 weeks pregnant is almost like being married anyway). I did it, finally cast on for the secret project for the 31st birthday of my love : the Cobblestone sweater in the perfect "man yarn" Knitpick Wool of the Andes (worsted) in mist colorway.

So far I did almost 7 inches and I can only knit when he's not here because it's a complete surprise to him I would like to offer him at his birthday which is also my due date for belly baby. So I don't think he will get any birthday party this year and he deserve a sweater to show him my love and appreciation.

Already 2 balls in it, fast and mindless I will be done in time no problems... :)

FO : Flakey socks

Another quick FO in 2010, cast in and cast off on May 21st, perfect to work on my colorwork abilities and quick enough to make a pair in a few hours...

Here are the spec ...

Pattern : Flakey socks by annipurl

Needle : 4 mm

Yarn : leftovers of Cascade 200 from my own Tilted Duster and my daughter's jacket I recently made

Mods : none except using a bigger yarn and it makes me end with bigger socks, fitting a 2 or 3 years old I think... but that's ok she will grow soon enough anyway !

Can't wait to see her now... less than 9 weeks remaining before my due date.............................

Double FO : Baby Jacket and Aviatrix hat

Had this little Cascade yarn coming by the mail 2 weeks ago and I made a promise to myself : use it as soon as possible to make the baby's jacket and also use those uber-adorable buttons receive from South Africa in the favorite thing swap last year. (by the way thanks again to my spoiler if you read this) So mission accomplished and double accomplishment by also making mods on a pattern AND made a second project to match the first one and use the last button.

Specs of the jacket :

Pattern : Seed Stitch Baby Jacket by Elinor Brown

Needle : 4.5 mm

Yarn : 1.65 skein (165 grams) of Cascade 220 Heather in color Aster

Size made : 6-9 months

Cast on May 4th and cast off May 15th

Mods : First of all the most obvious....no hood, I preferred to make a collar instead. Also opted for a regular button placement one under the other one to make adjustments easier and to facilitate my life too with baby girl.... Then I made a little brodery of a cat on the sweater to embelished it.

Can't wait to try it on my girl :)

Then specs and pics for the second part of the show...

Pattern : Aviatrix baby hat by Justine Turner

Needle : 4.5 mm and 5 mm

Yarn : 0.40 skein (40 grams) of Cascade 220 Heather in color Aster

Size : 6 months

Cast on May 15th and cast off May 16th

Mods : I made the worsted weight instructions except that I had a repeat of the 12 rows section because I found that was a little on the short side and I prefer to be sure that the back of the head will be well covered too. The only comment less positive about that pattern was the cast on suggested (cable cast on) not enough strechy for a hat so next one will be in a strechy cast on and cast off.

BUT my overall comments are : superb, cute and addictive pattern ! I am already planning making one for my nephew. :) It was also a very good refresh on wrap and turn too.

FO: Rose Red

Yes another belated FO...

Spec

Pattern : Rose Red by Ysolda Teague
Needle : 4.5 mm
Yarn : Blue Sky Alpacas 100% Alpaca Sport Weight in Red, approx. 1.6 skein

Cast on April 10th and Cast off April 11th

I loved that quick project, was very fun to see it grow before my eyes... Also the yarn and the pattern were both offered to me in swap I did last year so extra happy to use it and enjoy it ! Yarn was from Amy in the Warm Ewe Up Winter Swap. I knew I had to make myself a little treat and my friend Robyn offered me the pattern in Swap on Budget so I only had to knit it then... :) Super super happy !!! Still have another leftover of yarn that I will please to find an use to.

Little note to myself : buy more of that yarn when I have money to make something else next to skin like a bolero or a scarf...

Also do you like my new hairstyle ? Super short and fun to dry now !!

FO : Daddy's sock of doom...

Finally just cast off these never ending socks for my dad... remind me to choose my project accordingly to my level and also to my taste. I made two important mistake before even casting on for this project : choose a project that I dislike and too easy for me AND choose a project I don't find cute anyway. I knit to make beautiful projects and see my knitting like an art, this piece will be the weird one in my museum, or maybe the piece of conversation... lol.

Spec

Pattern : Basic sock formula

Needle : 2.5 mm

Yarn : Regia sock yarn

Cast on : somewhere on August 2008

Cast off : 2010 May 5th

Mods none, enjoyment factor below zero and satisfaction to finally get myself to finish it : priceless. It's the thing I am proudest about this pair of sock, I did finish them after all...

Best part of my day to finally be zen about this :

I made a little fire with the leftovers of the yarn and the pattern !!!

Now I can truly enjoy my vacations...

Day 7 (umm maybe more like day 10...)

Subject for today : talk about a yarn

Ummmmmmm yarn....what kind of knitter I would be if I wasn't yarn addict ? Since my love for knitting grew with the year, my stash also grew in reasonable proportions I think. I am almost cold sheep now (no yarn bought since a certain time for non-knitters). My last purchase was in October 2009 from Knit Picks when my knitting group made an order and I had some needs, like yarn for the sweater of Zachary, my nephew. I was doing great almost 6 months without any addition to my stash...

but last week end, I was visiting a web site that I like and saw they had a sale on Cascade 220 !!! I argue with myself for about 5 minutes and then decided to go smart and choose projects before yarn. I ended spending 85$ for 14 skeins of Cascade 220, no shipping fees. Not bad huh ?

Here a little proof of my new babies

The 2 others colors are saved for a vest for me (bright pink and dark brown) after I am back to my normal weight, I am too big now with my preggo belly/body to take measurements anyway ...

The green yarn will be for a Central Park Hoodie for me

and the purple for a Seed Stitch Baby Jacket for my daughter

and I know since my last uses of Cascade products why they are loved so much by knitters : they come in many many colors, they are affordables, easy to knit, easy to wash and they stay well shaped and in good conditions even after wash. They are also super good to felt.

Day 6

Subject yesterday was : revisit a past FO

I just think about it for the whole day for then forget to take picture along with my last FO... oops ! So I figure out this morning what to talk about on this subject : it was so obvious that I did not even think about it yesterday when cuddle in in the evening... My Lady Eleanor shawl !

Finish in November 2008, I wore it so many time they are countless... I love to cuddle in it on my couch, wear it as a shawl at work when it's cold, use it as a big scarf a good part of the winter with my brown winter coat. So many uses and so many good comments on it everytime. I had at least 15 persons asking for the same and I always said, ok for 400$ I'll make you one... I don't know why but the order never went further :)

Noro yarn isn't the softest at first but with a few use and a good wash it's soften the yarn and now it's perfect even to cuddle my little one in it...but no I will keep it for myself.

Happy Sunday !!!

FO : Birds in hand

New FO to add in 2010...cast on April 17th and cast off May 1st : a pair of mitten ! Yes you read well, I did a pair of mitten at springtime, why ? Just because I wanted something to play with colors and also because I really wanted to try that pattern for a really long time.

Here are the spec :

Pattern : Bird in hand by Kate Gilbert
Needle : 3.5mm
Yarn : 0.25 skein of white Palette by Knit Picks and 0.75 skein of red Palette by Knit Picks

I am proud to knit those, colorwork is not really my thing usually... I did great when we think that I did not did any since the Endpaper mitts a few years ago. So not so bad and I'm pleased with the results. I need to improve my floating system and learn to keep more length for the contrast color in small section like the thumb. I had to cut some to leave me more space and I block the cut ends. Not the best solution but I will learn as I do more projects of the same type.

I also found that it's a quick project and fun to see it grow before my eyes. It was also fun to see my coworkers eyes growing too when I work on this project... They are used to see my knit before my work at my desk since I'm pregnant and they know what I knit. I got many many comments about those puppies.

I have to admit that the pattern is almost perfect but I have no idea how you can knit this type of pattern with a worsted weight and not ending with giant mittens... ok mine are on the thin side but I made them to walk outside in Spring and Fall time (I'm thinking about stroller ride already with my daughter!). I also needed to had 2 stitches on the inside of the thumb to have more ease and 2 more rows of plain red before diminutions for the same reason. I have pretty long fingers so it's not unusual.

Let just end saying, I love my new mittens and I hope to use them only in about 5 or 6 months...