Tricotine

Animal Baby Set

Here is a cute little set I made during the weekend.  It only took me few hours to make the Top Down Bonnet with Anime Character and about the same for the Mouse Booties.

Those 2 patterns are not meant to be a set but using the same yarn - Wool Ease Sportweight - color Wheat  (discontinued) - they match pretty well, don't they?  And they are both Animal spirited...

For the Bonnet, my gauge was not right (once again, I didn't swatch...) and I got a smaller than expected hat! I intended to make the baby size, I obtained a newborn size hat... But is still fine for a Baby Shower gift... Right?

It fits my electric globe , which circumference is a little bigger than a newborn's head's...

..............[Click on photos to enlarge]

Therefore, for the Booties, I used bigger size needles than instructed in the pattern.  I used #3 and #4US needles. 

What I don't like about that bootie pattern is the way the sole's seam looks...  It is not very flat... Maybe it is just me not being very good at finishing but next time I will try some Kitchener Stitch to finish my booties...

Also, I noticed a mistake in the pattern, Row 10 of the Ears instructions. It should be K2tog, K1 K3, K2tog (5 st). I didn't double my Mouse booties' ears; I thought it would be too thick since they are Garter Stitch knitted.  They stay up and shaped my way too...

Meet Piet

Meet Piet, my latest Knit.

One side awake, one side asleep,
Waiting for Kiki he'd rather sit
But has to be on his feet
Until the day they meet.

Will she be there for Trick-or-Treat?

Yarn:  Red Heart Super Saver
Needles: Dpns #8US

A TV Friendly Scarf

I cast on for Red Scarf Project 2007 and I am about 20% done at the moment I am writing this post. 

For my first red scarf, I chose Kathy's anti-pattern, the Red Scarf At Night, which is as mindless as can be.  I needed some relaxing knit and I like the idea of changing rows when commercials start...  

[Click on photo to enlarge]

I am using yarn from my stash; 1 skein of Caron Simply Soft, color Red (brighter than on the photo though) - and my new plastic knitting needles, size #8US. 

I have found out not long ago that I enjoy knitting with plastic needles a lot! They are much smoother than Bamboo needles and much less noisy than Aluminium needles, which between you and me is a great advantage for a TV Friendly project!   

Baby Star Blanket Completed

Baby Cole's Blanket is finished and it is a little different than the first one I made.

First, I made it crib size instead of bassinet size, casting on 149 stitches instead of 119 and working 13 designs of squares instead of 9;  And second, I added a Moon and few Stars to brighten the Navy Blue color a little, but without overloading the blanket.

Download Moon & Stars Graphics here

When I first saw the WS of the blanket, I thought about adding a cotton flannel backing but then I got scared of sewing something non stretchable on something that actually is.  Besides, I realized that the back of the blanket didn't look that bad after all so I just weaved, hid and secured the ends of yarn veery carefully.

[Click on photos to enlarge]

Yarn:  Red Heart Giant Pounder - color Navy (1 skein 1/4) + some Yellow
Needles: 29 inches #9US circular

Sweet Dreams Baby ... (parents have not decided of his name yet) See you soon!

Clear Clogs

They came in the mail yesterday, my Clear Clogs!  Thank you, Linda, for such a pleasant business!

As you can imagine, I couldn't wait to try them on! 

I am so ready to show my socks off!   it is going to be part of my Socktoberfest celebration! 

As recommended by Linda, and since I want to wear my Sloggers with my handmade socks, I got one size above my shoe size ande the fit is perfect!   

They are very flexible and comfortable to wear.

The only think that bothers me, is the steam that appeared  on the top of the left clog as I was taking the pictures... You see?

[Click on photos to enlarge]

I  only worn them the time of the photo shooting but they are Garden Outfitters so I guess it makes sense that there are no ventilation holes...  Could I make some...?

Are these going to give me stinky feet, kind of like the Jellies in the 80s?

Baby Raglan Sweater + Booties completed

The Baby Raglan Sweater is finished and I am making the matching Booties now.

Yarn:  Red Heart Soft Baby -  color Bright Pink
Needles: as instructed in patterns
Size: Newborn

That little Sweater is an easy pretty knit 

The Booties are made with double pointed needles and seamless.
I had never made booties with double pointed needles before and I like it!

My Irish Hiking Headband

Since I was asked for it and I don't mind to share, this is the pattern for the Headband I made to match my Irish Hiking Scarf.

 

Yarn: Lion Wool, color Winter White or any other color of your choice
Needles: Straight #8us

 

Irish Hiking Cable Pattern:
Row 1 (WS): K2, P2, K2, P6, K2, P2, K2
Row 2 (RS): K4, P2, K6, P2, K4
Row 3, 5 & 7:  As Row 1
Row 4 & 6:  As Row 2
Row 8 (RS): K4, P2, C6F, P2, K4

Instructions:

Provisional Cast On 18 stitches. (KnittingHelp.com Tutorial Video)

Work Rows 2 & 3 once and then Row 8 (Cabling row)

Then, repeat the 8 rows of the IH Cable Pattern for about 19 " or whatever fits around your head comfortably minus 1 inch, ending with Row 5.  I made 16 repeats for my Headband.

Join using Kitchener Stitch. (KnittingHelp.com Tutorial Video)

HINT: Measure the circumference of your head in the area you would wear a headband with a strand of yarn and then measure the yarn.

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This is a free pattern. Make as many copies as you like, for personal use. However, you may not reproduce this pattern in any publication, nor can you sell it for profit without prior permission from the author. If you have any question or comment about this pattern, please contact me. 

*~ More Designs here ~*

Just a little Shopping...

Yesterday, I went to my local JoAnn looking for separating zippers for this project and that one.  Needless to say that I couldn't get in there without looking around, right?  Come on!  Just a bit! 

Of course "looking" always takes a whole different meaning when it is about yarn and Hubby was not around... Besides, there were so many cute things that I was almost forced to buy...  You understand, right?

I was pretty "reasonable" though. I only shopped for my Secret Pal and...  OK, a tiny bit for me also... but how could I resist those Plastic Straight Knitting Needles I was looking all over the internet and didn't find? 

BTW, I have just noticed than those needles are cheaper online than my local JoAnn store, not mentionning the S&H...

I also got a skein of Lilac Microspun, a 100% micro-fiber acrylic yarn that makes amazingly fececloths according to my Dear Friend Betty.
I never had the opportunity to try but I am just about to... Hi, Betty!

 

 

 

 

 

BBC (Baby Cole) Blanket Progress

This past weekend, I have been working on Baby's Cole Bassinet Blanket that I am making for a niece of ours whose shower is on October 28th...  It is getting closer!

Working that Navy Blue at the electric light at night is not easy (I wish they made circular Light Needles...) and I realized 17 rows too late that one of my stitch markers had slide one stitch right - it happens sometimes with yarn stitch markers - making my squares alignment wrong... 

I could have pretended I didn't see it and that is what I have tried to do for about 2 rows but it kept haunting me...  No way, I could let my blanket looking that odd way, but I was not ready to rip off 20 rows either! So, this morning, at day light, I intentionally dropped the wrong stitches and I used the good old Hook Method to repair my mistakes and now my stitches look as regular as if nothing ever happened! 

I am about 40% done... 

Friday Knits

[Click on photos to enlarge and on links for info]

Since, I completed the Friday COW last week, I decided last night to work on a project that could be completed in one evening and to finish  my Irish Hiking Scarf.  As mentionned previously, I didn't have enough yarn to make a Hat so, and to make sure I would be able to complete it, I worked on my Headband using the outside strand of the skein of yarn while I was working on the scarf with the inside strand.  What would be left of the yarn would determine the lengh of my scarf...  A little daring but I didn't want to buy more of that yarn as I am trying to reduce my stash and I have enough of "little-of-this" and "little-of-that"...

I made my Headband about 20" long, modifying this pattern to make the cable design match my Irish Hiking Scarf and Wrist Warmers. And my scarf is long enough to wrap once around my neck (40 repetitions of the cable design) 

I am so ready for winter!