Little Baby Knits!

I've finished up two sweaters for baby (who is due to arrive in about 8 weeks!).

Pattern: Sheep Yoke Baby Cardigan [Ravelry]
Yarn: I used up stash yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton (2 skeins), di Ve Zenith in St. David's Blue (< 1 ball), Valley Yarns Superwash in Green #600 (< 1 ball).

This little sweater came out very nice, though I probably would have gotten better results if I had used yarns in the same gauge. The Superwash is a little heavier than the Wool/Cotton, so the yoke section seems to gather a bit, but once there's baby spit up on it, it won't matter anyway!

Pattern: Debbie Bliss Duffle Coat [Ravelry]
Yarn: Valley Yarns Williamstown, 4.5 skeins

I made several mods to this sweater: Used seed stitch instead of garter, kept stitches for the back and fronts on holders instead of binding off, used these stitches to knit the hood. It came out pretty nice, though it looks a little big, but we'll see how it turns out once baby is here (and bigger) to model it.

At this point, I'm a little tired of the gender-neutral knits. I'm still happy that we don't know if I've got a boy or girl swimming around in my belly, but I think I'll be more motivated to do kid knits once I can pick something really girly or really boyish.

With that, I decided to start something for moi! I've seen some really nice finished Liesls around lately and decided to pull out the Cloud Bolero pattern I made last summer and do a longer-sleeved version.

I'm using some stashed Tahki Cotton Classic and am putting buttons all the way down.

My friend Jen (who taught me how to knit) gave me these little guys as a gift. They are crocheted and boy are they cute! I love the look of the little hand-made toys.

And, lastly, I thought I would share some nice fall sweaters I saw in the recent WEBS catalog. I've never knit their patterns, so I can't say how well they are written, but for $1.99 each, that's a pretty good deal. I loved the Buttoned Raglan and the Lace Coat.

Birdie Sling! 30 Weeks!

I finished the Amy Butler Birdie Sling!

I used prints from Amy's Midwest Modern line: Fuschia Fresh Poppies, Fuschia Martini and Ivory Floating Buds. A lot of people who have made this bag have commented on how large it is. I was afraid I was going to get something like a weekend travel bag, but this bag is perfect for work. It does hold my laptop - but makes it pretty heavy - so I usually just put my usual stuff (wallet, phone, keys, lunch, 2 pouches with computer accessories and pens/make-up, etc). The inside pockets are great for keeping stuff organized.

I love the pleats!

The pattern was not difficult to make, compared to other bags I've made. I did make one small adjustment: I made the strap less wide. When cut as specified, the strap is pretty wide and didn't sit in the "nook" of my shoulder just so. Making it a little thinner overall made this better. I also used less interfacing on the strap but doubled up the interfacing on the exterior panels.

I needed something girly in the midst of all my baby-gender-neutral projects! The photos above also show a sneak peak at the nursery, which is completed except for accessories, curtains, etc.

Since last post's baby bump photo wasn't so great, I thought I'd share a better one. I've hit 30 weeks - just 10 to go! I am hoping for a less-humid-than-usual summer here in the mid-Atlantic :)