One

I can't believe a whole year has gone by already. How fun it has been.

More baby knits to share. This is the last of them for a little while. I've actually cast on for two new fall sweaters for me, bought the yarn and pattern for another one and ordered yarn and the pattern for a fourth. Excessive? Probably, but these are all great sweaters and I'm excited to have such a burst of mojo back.

Pattern: Jasper Diamond Hoodie, from Vintage Baby Knits [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: 3 plus a little of a 4th skein of Knitpicks Simply Cotton Organic Sport

I love, Love, LOVE this sweater. The pattern is fabulous and I made not one modification. The fit is perfect for 12-18 months and the short rows on the hoodie make that adorable little 'elf' look.

I also love this yarn. For the price, you cannot beat it. The quality is great and it was wonderful to knit with. I have yet to wash it, but I expect it to wear well. Definitely the BEST baby knit I have made for Ellie to date in terms of cuteness, wear-ability and longevity of use!

I also recently knit up a little sweater for someone at work who is expecting a baby boy in September.

model: Ellie B.

Pattern: Baby Sophisticate [Ravelry Link]
Yarn: I was hoping this would be more of a stash buster, but I really just have lots of odd skeins of yarn around, so I ended up purchasing a skein of Vanna's Choice (the lighter green) and using leftover Knitpicks Swish (yellow) and Valley Yarns Superwash (dark green). For the price, I really like the quality and handling of Vanna's yarn. I ended up using every last yard of it, too!

I cast on 38 stitches since many Ravelers noted that it was sized kind of small. Now, I'm a little concerned that it's too wide and the sleeves are too short, but bigger is always better for baby knits, right?! The recipient is a short gal, so maybe she'll have a baby with short arms? Yes?

Hope everyone is enjoying the last weeks of summer. Can we have some fall weather, please? I can't wait to show you all what I've been working on.

PS. A new comment system has been activated on my blog and I don't know how to respond to you all by email, so I apologize that I have not answered you. Please know that I appreciate every note you drop! I hope to figure it out soon. Has anyone else who used to have Haloscan for comments figured this out?

FO Parade!

I promised I have been knitting during my maternity leave and am finally delivering the proof. Let's not waste time; here are the goods. First up:

Pattern: Cloud Bolero by Ysolda, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic in color 3214, 5 skeins

Mods: Cast on 74 sts and worked raglan increases for the medium size. Made the sleeves longer and body longer. Added a garter stitch button band as I went along. I like how this came out. Perfect for these cooler days. The big buttons (found at Joann's) cause the button bands to gape a little in the front, but it adds interest, I guess. Overall, a success!

Next up:

Pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton, 2 1/2 skeins

I've made this pattern twice before, once with the same exact yarn. You can't go wrong with this tried and true pattern. It's a little big on Ellie now but she'll grow into it quickly, I'm sure.

Pattern: Berry Baby Hat, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Di Ve Zenith, less than a skein of orange and green.

I made this an October-themed hat for Halloween. Totally cute! I only wish the change over to the green "stem" was further down closer to the ears. It's a pretty skimpy looking stem, in my opinion.

Pattern: Pea Pod Baby Sweater, [Raveled Here]
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Merino DK in teal
You've seen this one before, but now that it has buttons, it's WAY cuter. It's too big on Ellie for a modeled shot right now.

Lastly, I had to show you all this.

This is a sweater, hat and booties knit by my grandmother for my mother. So that makes it over 60 years old. The gauge on this is ridiculously small - about 9 sts to 1 inch. My mom found a box of these vintage hand knits and I plan to share more of them with you as I go through them and as Miss E fits into them.