A Fish for Caroline...

A friend of mine is having a baby this fall. She also has a 3 year old darling little girl named Caroline.

I made a Baby Surprise Jacket with matching hat for the new baby and Caroline loved the fishie buttons so much, she just sat down and buttoned and unbuttoned and buttoned and unbuttoned the little fishie buttons on this little jacket.

I thought she might be feeling left out - as she is the youngest of 4 (plus one coming) - and her older sibings are all boys...

So, I decided she needed something of her own! So, I started making this out of her favorite colors (pink, purple and yellow)... I planned on making it big enough to carry around, or in the car, or for naps, (like 30" x 36")etc.. Well, I got moving along and carried away (hard to believe, right?) and it turned out to be nearly 5' long and 4-1/2' wide! Almost big enough for a twin bed! It was made out of Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" and it is so soft and washable too!

While I was working on this, I came across this pattern... Who could resist a little fishie purse with little fishie buttons for a little girl in her favorite colors!

It has little fishie buttons (same as on the little jacket) on both sides.

Our Bunco group met at their house this past Friday so I gave them to Caroline. I think she was a little overwhelmed, but her Mom told me she LOVES purses. She just get hooking and unhooking the loop around the fishie buttons. It was so cute! She is just a doll.

I loved the look on her face as it was like "this is for me"?

Wow.. No knitting pictures in 2009...

I just realized looking back that I have not posted any knitting pictures since Christmas. How could that be? I have knit!

So, this post is dedicated to getting caught up showing the finished objects (all but one that is, since the recipient has not yet received even after mailing 1 week ago today)

So, let's start with socks! We all know I love knitting socks - so MUCH so, that I decided to limit myself to 2 pair a month. I don't think that will kill me - but we'll see. I had my 2 pair done in January before the 15th - so I am very anxiously awaiting Feb 1 to start my first pair for February.

The first pair I made was from Zen Garden Yarn "Squooshy" in the Evergreen color which was the yarn club shipment for the month of December. It was such nice yarn that Mom liked, that I got an extra one for her - which she received in a care package this month.

The pattern is Traveling Vine by Charlene Schurch out of the book "More Sensational Knitted Socks". I love this yarn and the pattern was fun to do as well.

Then I moved on to a Sundara yarn color called "Spiced" - it's a cross between pumpkin pie filling and a golden mustard. The pattern is Ribbed Lace, another by Charlene Schurch but out of her Sensational Knitted Socks book. I was amazed with the yarn listed at only 350 yards (compared to others that are 400+) how this yarn just seemed to grow as I knit. I like these too! >













I had made my Mom a scarf I think 2 years ago and when my folks were here for Christmas, I noticed the scarf was starting to look a little ratty, worn, pilly, etc.. So I decided to knit her a new one! This is called The Prismatic Scarf by Huan-Hua Chye and I used a Mountain Colors Twizzle yarn which is a combination of Silk and Wool! Very soft and nice to work with! Mom received it in her goodie package back on Monday. With the ice storm and cold they are experiencing this week, it was just in time.

I knit this second scarf for myself - it is made with Zen Garden Sock Yarn with cashmere - it is to die for - the brown is called Coffee Bean and the pink is It's a Girl - The pink is really a real, real, real hot pink and I think the brown tones it a bit otherwise you'd need sunglasses! It is the Chevron pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. It's near 85 inches long so it'll wrap around pretty nice!



Then I made a silly, fun project - for those who have seen or actually have a pair of my felted clogs - this is a summer style - these are felted flip flops! They're 'ok' - a little floppy - no pun intended! They are of course, for me - as you can tell by your blue jean yarn.

As one of my knitting new year resolutions, I decided to knit at least one 'charity' project per quarter. So, a group of us are working with Project Linus to knit blankets. Here's a picture of the 'boy' blanket I made. I'm hoping to make another with girl colors! Project Linus is having a "make a blanket" day on Feb 21st - so that's the deadline. Here is a link to their information, if you're interested! http://www.projectlinus.org/

And, I continue to work on my jacket - picture in a previous post - I have finished the bottom charted designs and now am up to around the waistline. It's pretty and I'm really liking it and I am taking my time, enjoying it and making it sure it is done correctly!

Well, that's my January 'stuff' - I have put aside my thrum mittens for the moment, trying to get the guage right so they are not either to big or too small is causing me headaches, so it is 'resting' at the moment.. LOL!

Finished Projects...

I needed to get some photos of some finished objects (which I finally did now that I can stand up without falling down...) and just to show that I have actually finished some things of recent.. This is just a pictorial (not much else going on...)


So, first is a pair of socks called "Raindrop Lace" by Fiber Trends - love the pattern and am actually going to be starting another pattern by the same designer. The yarn is Pagewood Farms with bamboo in it - it is SO soft! in a neat blue-ish, green-ish, brown-ish color way...


Next is a "modular" scarf called Diamond Blossom - this is a whole new "technique" that I've now completed 3 different designs - I LOVE this technique it is SO SO SO "me" as in being "precise", "right-brained" and all that! I need to find some other designers who do similar stuff as this particular designer does not write patterns well nor has them "test" knit before publishing (or at least it doesn't seem so as all 3 have had numerous errors in them which makes for very frustrating knitting) - Too bad this designer doesn't hire me to test knit - smartest thing she could do knowing how "particular" I am on instructions!

It is made with Mountain Colors Wool in some nice gold fall tones and it is actually a pretty neat design. I didn't make it with anyone in mind, so... You'll never know who might end up with it... Another photo close up of the pattern...



Next up is 2 items to be sent (should be mailed tomorrow) to my favorite newest American Citizen... Can you guess whom? Every "cuddler" should have a "cuddle blanket and cuddle bunny"!!!! The blanket is actuall crocheted kind of using the log cabin principle or per Miss Sarah - the "golden rectangle" theory - It is using Bernat's Cotton Tots in a white varigated and 3 solids that are actually yellow, pink and lavendar - colors in the picture are not accurate. It is a fast, fast, fast project (2-1/2 days) and is roughly 36x44". The bunny is by Farmhouse yarns - Dixie Cotton in a bumpy and is SO soft and little bunny is in a peach color! (Pattern free via Lion Brand)!


And the most current pair of socks - Called Pomatomus - Paige - you should know what that means.. being the under water lover you are.. do you know? This is probably the most complex design of socks I've done to date and I absolutely LOVED doing them!!! They are made with yarn called "Socks That Rock" in the Bleeding Heart (like the flower) colorway - they are awesome!!! There's a previous picture in a below post of when I started them!


And lastly, since I loved the socks above - I immediately started another pattern from the same designer named "Cookie A" and the sock pattern is titled "Monkeys" - I am using Socks That Rock yarn again in a colorway called Foofaraw - which I love saying.. Bree spied them today and she has stated she is claiming them for herself.. We shall see....

Bridget who owns Peggy's made me the most adorable stitch markers (for my birthday) with pretty blue jean/ denim like stones and horse charms! They are fantastic! And I'll be eating good at Applebee's thanks to Jilly Willy and Becky and the gang brought a "too die for cake" (marble with FUDGE inside and chocolate icing) and all sorts of snacks, appetizers and the like yesterday and I think I'm still stuffed! It was fun!

Well, that's all to report for now!