FO: Baby Boy's Striped Knit Hat

As I've said before...this was truly the year of knitting baby hats.  But I can safely say that I am DONE, finally done...at least until another friend has a baby.

Behold...the last baby hat.

 

...For now.

Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Worsted (60% pima cotton, 40% Modal natural beech fiber) in Serrano, White, and French Blue (less than one ball of each).

Needles: Susan Bates US 4 dpns, set of 4.

Pattern: My own, traditional striped baby hat, 72 stitches on US 4's. 

Size: (Hopefully) 6 mos. - 1 yr.

This hat is very late, considering that the bundle of joy (a boy, born to David's cousin and his wife) was born back in early June.  But a baby boy doesn't need a hat in the hot New York summer, so I sized it a little big in the hopes that it would work in the very cold winters that we on the Eastern seaboard are known for.  And since his parents are Red Sox fans, I did the hat in Red Sox (and patriotic!) colors.

I try to attach the hang tag on all my knit objects, particularly ones that are being mailed, so the recipients know how to care for them.  It's an idea that I got from Grumperina's knit blog, and I hope she doesn't mind me copying her.

(Last names censored to protect the innocent...and the not-so-innocent.)

This hat is on its way to New York today.  And I'm going to be very content to work on some socks from now on.

FO: Yet Another Baby Hat

I'm finished with the LAST baby hat (so far) this year, and excited about doing grown-up projects for now.  There's David's sweater, and the Lady Bertram shawl...and a new sock...But today I have the FO entry for yet another baby hat (you guys are going to think that's all I can do!).

This hat started out as a unisex hat, until last Wednesday when we found out that the expected baby was going to be a boy.  There was a little pink in this yarn, but the mama didn't mind a bit when I gave it to her yesterday.

 

Yarn is Manos del Uraguay Silk Blend in color 3019 Dove.  It's mainly a nice ivory tone with a little pink and a lot of green.  I love this color and the yarn, although it is not exactly baby-friendly.  What mom wants to spot clean or hand-wash?  I certainly wouldn't make a sweater or a jumper out of this.  But a hat somehow seems okay.  

As for wrapping, I took an idea from the fabulous Grumperina and made a swing tag for the hat, which included yarn content and washing instructions.  

The hat seemed to be a hit at the baby shower yesterday.  But for now I am done knitting little things.  I have a hankering for a bigger, more substantial project.  Like David's sweater.  But as the sweater is now becoming to hot to do in a place devoid of A/C, I started a pair of socks.

And I can't put Divergent down.  It is becoming a problem.

Yarn Along! June 1st Edition

Happy June!  Memorial Day weekend is throwing off my whole schedule -- in a good way!  I keep thinking that it's earlier in the week than it is (I will totally accept that).  I even forgot that today was Yarn Along day!

The parade of baby hats continues!  This is five of five -- the last baby hat (at least for awhile, thankfully -- I almost wrote "baby hate" and that pretty much sums up how I'm feeling about baby garments right now).  At least hats go quickly.  The yarn is some Manos del Uraguay Silk Blend (70% merino, 30% silk) in 3019 Dove colorway.  I love it, it's so soft and squishy!  Perfect for a baby.

I'm waiting on one of my book clubs to come to a decision about what the June pick is going to be, so after finishing a book last night, I picked up one that I've read quite a few times, but that I love -- Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.  I read this for the first time in the summer of '04, between my junior and senior years of college, and I fell in love with it.  It's a great piece of historical fiction that I highly recommend.

This is going to be a rare two-post day, since I just finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter and want to give it justice with a full review.  Look for another post later!

FO: Simple Newborn Hat with a Touch of Lace

Finally, after what feels like forever, I finally have a finished knitted object to show you.

Pattern: A Simple Newborn Hat with a Touch of Lace by Ginny at small things.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in 03 (Baby Green), less than 1 skein.
Needles: US 3's, circulars and 1 set of 4 dpns.

As I've mentioned before, there will be three babies born this year in my family by marriage, and this baby hat is for one of them.  The green is so soft that it is a neutral color, I have made boy baby hats before of it.  This is also for the head of a newborn boy; I am hoping that the tiny bit of lace is enough that it won't make the parents immediately think "girl baby" -- I know I wouldn't.  It's very small, in that adorable "everything to fit a baby is small" way.  I can't wait to make one for a baby of my own!

It was a quick and easy pattern; I fretted endlessly about not having enough yarn to finish the hat, and I finished with about 15 yards to spare.  I love this pattern and this yarn, and I'll be using both again.

Yarn Along Wednesday! (3/2)

It's Yarn Along time!  Every Wednesday, I (try, at least) to join in on the Yarn Along happening over at Ginny's blog, small things.  The objective is to take a picture of what you are currently reading and knitting, together, and then post it to your blog.  Then link your post to the Yarn Along, and everyone can see what everyone else is reading and knitting.

Yeah, I feel like a complete follower here...but I'm knitting Ginny's newborn hat with a hint of lace for one of the many babies to be born in the next few months.  Knitting it out of (what else?) Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (too lazy to look up the link today).

I joined the Jane Eyre "Read the Book, See the Movie" challenge on Goodreads, so that's what I am reading at present.  Somehow I managed to avoid reading Jane Eyre in high school and college, and even though some people (like my sister) tell me it's  horrific, I really wanted to read it for myself.  I downloaded it for free on my Kindle, and I'm about 25% through with it, with a goal to finish by March 11, the date of the film's release.  I do look forward to seeing the film, I like Mia Wasinowski (she of Alice in Wonderland fame) and I think she'll do a wonderful job as Jane in the new movie.

Other than that, today is...going to be insane.  David came home last night in searing pain from a wisdom tooth, so we're waiting until the dentist opens at 8 AM to see if they can get him in right away to pull that thing out.  *sigh*  Never a dull moment, right?

Yarn Along!

It's Wednesday, and we're halfway to the weekend!  That's enough reason for excitement.  We're in the midst of another cold snap in CT (brrr) but fortunately, the sun is shining and it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day, even if it doesn't melt any more of the snow.  Even better, it looks as if the snowstorm predicted for tomorrow is going to go right past us, without hitting us.  I'm so happy.  We might get through one whole week without a snow day!

Today, I'm participating in the Yarn Along over at Ginny's blog.  Participants take a picture of what they're knitting and reading, and upload it to their blog.  Then Ginny posts the links on her blog, so we reading knitters can all see what other people are reading and knitting.  Get that?  Good.

I'm knitting (what else?) a baby hat for one of the many babies that are coming into the world this year in my extended family.  It's not one of the hats in that entry; this one's going to be a little more subdued.  I'm knitting it out of a skein of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (55% merino wool, 33% microfibre, 12% cashmere), in what I think is color 002 (as the Yarn Harlot would say, bewitching name) -- I lost the ball band a while ago.  I love this yarn for baby garments; it's super-soft and bouncy.  Plus it's easy on the fingers.

As for reading?  I know you can't get a good idea from just looking at the attractive apple green cover of my Kindle, Annabelle Lee.

After finishing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and enjoying it very much, I downloaded its sequel, Through The Looking Glass and started it last night.  I'm more than halfway done with it.  I like it, although not as much as I liked Alice.  There are more characters (many who don't last more than a page or two) and the settings change quite often, which isn't surprising, as she's now in Looking Glass World (where everything is backwards), so it can be a bit more confusing than the first.  But I'm really enjoying it.

Also, I finally saw the Tim Burton version of Through The Looking Glass last night -- more about that when I finish the book!

Snow day, a baby blanket, and The Pillars of the Earth (the miniseries)

I know it may come as a shock (OMG, there's snow!?) but New England is still in the throes of the ice storm (I think its name is Ella), and I'm home again from work.  The husband, unfortunately, is not -- he works for a hospital and he's considered "essential staff", which I hate, because it means he has to drive in this crap.  So I'm home alone, except for some cats and a guinea pig, iced in, and knitting on a baby blanket.

It's the Big, Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook, which didn't help me learn to knit but has provided me with some good patterns.  I knitted this in summer of 2009, when David had first moved down to Connecticut, for my good friend Kim, who was pregnant with her second daughter, Anna Sophia.  I knitted it of the now-discontinued Noro Yuzen, which was really not suited to a baby blanket, but I loved the colors and figured it was more an heirloom than a practical gift.

This one, I'm making for David's cousin's baby, a boy, out of Mirasol Cotanani, 60% pima cotton, 40% merino wool.  It's in shade #407, "turquoise", which I guess works, I think of it as more of a sky blue though, instead of the normal "baby blue".  It's really soft and the wool keeps it pliable.  I tore out everything I did yesterday.  It was riddled with mistakes.  But it's really all right when the yarn is this comfortable to work with.

And what's keeping me company (besides the knitting, the cats, and the guinea pig)?

The Pillars of the Earth, the miniseries.  My parents watched this last year and my father's been professing his love for it ever since.  I started it on a whim today (since we all know how much I loved the book), and now I'm completely involved.  It's got episodes.  I'll more than likely be done with it today.  I love it when film actually respects literature (unlike with Angels&Demons).

That woman who makes the crazy baby hats

Warning: If you are a member of my husband's family who is expecting a baby this year, and has somehow stumbled upon this, you'd better clear out now.  Last warning!



For those of you still here -- I have a question for you all.

As I mentioned in this entry, three very special ladies in my husband's family (and now, of course, my family) are expecting babies this upcoming spring and summer.  Two of these babies are going to be boys; the sex of the third baby will remain unknown until s/he makes his her or her appearance.  Since they are going to be special babies indeed, and since one of the mother's has hinted that she'd like a handknit baby article, I've been searching online for cute and memorable baby patterns -- namely, hats.

One baby is already getting the pumpkin hat I finished earlier this month.  That set the bar.  I could always make rudimentary baby hats, you know, the traditional cast-on, knit-until-it-covers-Baby's-ears, decrease-and-bind-off sort of hats.  I've done it before, they've been well-received.  But I want to do something a little different.

Please, tell me if these ideas I've found are crazy.  I won't be hurt.  Please tell me know, before their mothers do (or don't, and try valiantly to look happy while inwardly wondering what they did to deserve a psychotic cousin-in-law who knits weird baby garments).

Option 1: Dinosaur Hat
This could easily be a girl's hat as well as a boy's, but the colors and the dino theme scream "boy" to me.  So this would probably go to a baby of definite boy characteristics.  I think it's cute and different without being too over-the-top.  Most children go through a dinosaur phase at one point or another in their lives (I did, for awhile, and so did my sister -- there was a time when she would drag our old Childcraft book on dinosaurs out, toss it into my lap, and demand that I read her the goriest stories in it every.  single.  day).  If I were to make it, though, I'd make it with a boy in mind -- and probably stick to the green and orange color scheme, although I might pick a rustier shade of orange, closer to red (but not so red that people would be reminded of Christmas).  What say you?  Too weird?

Hell, if you think that's weird, you'll think I'm completely off my rocker when I present you with my second (and favorite) baby hat idea.

Option 2: The Baby Sushi Roll Hat

I know.  I KNOW.  But how freakin' adorable is this?  It's a little roll of sushi!  This I think would be an excellent choice for the baby of unknown sex, since I plan on knitting and sending the hat far in advance of the birth.  Everyone likes sushi, right?  Well, except me and the husband -- neither of us are huge fans of the taste of seaweed (in my defense, I have to say that I have never taken a mouthful of sushi and spat it out onto my own plate immediately afterward -- classy, dear).

Is it weird to knit a child headgear in the shape of a raw fish delicacy originating in Japan?  Or is it, as I believe it to be, cute?  And if it is cute, and I'm not completely off my rocker here, is it unisex?  Can a girl wear this hat as well as a boy?  Are the colors okay for both?

...Am I a lunatic who is going to spend the rest of her life in this family branded as "that crazy knitting lady who knits weird hats for babies and shouldn't be allowed near infants anymore?"

Help me out here!  Click on the poll below and let me know your opinion!

What should a crazy knitting lady do?

FO: Baby Pumpkin Hat

It's been a rough weekend here, unfortunately.  I've been laid up all day with a sharp pain in the center of my spine, which is probably going to require a trip to the doctor (on the advice of a good friend who is an EMT).  I've been intermittently reading, watching my favorite TV show (The Tudors), and knitting.  But it's not all been a complete loss...today has brought me my first FO (finished object, in knitting lingo) of 2011, thus bringing the title of this blog full-circle.

There's going to be a whole bunch of babies born into this family this spring and summer -- not ours, not yet!  David's three cousins' wives are all pregnant, and due in April, May, and June.  There will be two boy babies (April and May) and the one born in June will be a surprise, since Mom and Dad are choosing not to find out in advance.  There's something so delicious about baby knitting -- it's quick, it's (relatively) simple, and you're left with a finished object that you just can't help squeeing over.

Exhibit A: the Baby Pumpkin Hat.

I started this yesterday -- Saturday, January 8 -- and finished it today, after knitting sporadically on it.  Using worsted weight, held double, with US 9 needles, and considering that this is a project that is already tiny to begin with, this thing flew off the needles.

And it is so adorable!  I can't wait to give it away.  One baby knit down, two more to go!

Specifics:
Pattern: Pumpkin Hat by Susan Esser
Yarn: Cascade 220 in 7824 (burnt orange), 2429 (irelande), and 2431 (chocolate heather) -- less than one ball of each
Needles: Takumi bamboo needles, US 9
Modifications: None, with the exception of the leaf.  I didn't like the directions given with Susan Esser's pattern, so I used the pattern listed here.

My feelings?  Obviously I think it's precious.  Knit baby hats are freakin' adorable to begin with.  I'd knit it again, but probably not right away...there are three babies to knit for and I'd like to knit them all something different!