No Longer a Surprise

It wasn't long before someone guessed the mystery WIP from the other day.  In fact, the second comment from Viki read:

13 projects? 

Blue and white?

Little Sailor Girl?


You guessed it, Viki!  






This is my second Sublime project (the first being the Tugboat Coat), and as someone pointed out,  there was a goodish amount of seaming involved!  I don't mind seaming, given it is something I love and find to be worth all the seaming, and in both of these cases, this stands true. Unfortunately, I was seaming a bit too hastily on my Little Sailor Girl, and I'm afraid it doesn't look as polished as I was hoping.  Maybe redoing some seams and a little re-blocking will help. 






Info:
Size: 6-12 months
Needles:  Size US 3 and Size US 5


Again, I am love with the buttons- funny how buttons make such a big impact. 




What are your favorite baby knits?  I have another sweater on the needles now and will probably have time for a couple more baby projects in November (granted baby comes when it's supposed to). September will be for working on a sweater for myself that will be a new pattern, and possibly another new pattern besides the sweater.  

So, for the month of November, I want to make sure it is filled with the cutest baby knits.  So go on... check your Ravelry queues and fav's- what do you have for me?!? 

Baby Shower Elements




If you have been reading the blog, you have probably noticed that I mentioned a recent baby shower. A couple weeks ago, my family threw my first baby shower and we got to utilize the new space in our basement.  Everyone worked so hard putting it together- everything was just lovely.  Today I want to share some of these lovely elements with you!



My Mom worked for weeks beforehand making all the pinwheels that were in the center of the tables.  She also made matching napkin ring holders with tiny little pinwheels on them.  Yesterday when I told my Mom I would be writing a blog post about the baby shower, I let her know that it would be a great follow-up to do a tutorial on her pinwheels and napkin holders- what do you think?!?


Glycerin soap (in the colors of the baby's room) were wrapped in pages of vintage children's books and tied with a bow  as take-home gifts for guests. 


The poms above the serving table were a last-minute add.  My mom had purchased a couple white tissue paper poms to hang and I fell in love with them.  I went out and found blue and yellow tissue paper in the hues of the room and my sisters and I made a few extra poms for hanging and placing around the room. 




My mom found these great posters at a small shop in Bay City.  I think they are actually supposed to be wrapping paper, but they were up around the room as decor.  Notice what "y" stands for?


At the shower, my Mother talked about the importance of prayer as a Mom, and made up these little booklets for everyone to take home- a guide to praying for Baby Bernardi and other children. 

The verse on the front reads: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." ~Psalm 139: 13-14
Perfect!

Welcome to Fiber Space

Believe it or not, things have finally been moving along on the basement renovations (I know, we've been taking our pretty little time).  I'm getting to a final reveal point, but you'll have to wait just a little longer.  After my baby shower, we didn't clear out all the tables and chairs; they are sticking around until the end of October after the next baby shower. So, a reveal of a newly finished basement with seating for over 50 just doesn't seem right- so it will have to wait.

There is fortunately one corner of the basement set up that I have somehow been able to keep free of baby shower debris- and today is the day for a sneak peek!

That's right, I believe it is time for a stash-sharing photo!  I know, I know- I haven't even been blogging for a year yet, maybe it's too soon- maybe I'm moving too quickly in this online relationship, but sometimes its just hard to hold back. 


In this smaller cabinet (again, thanks IKEA... another great Expedit), you will find my plant fibers- cottons, bamboo, corn.  Although cotton is not my favorite to work with, it does make a nice baby gift fiber. 


And in the larger cabinet, you will find my knitting books/magazines and animal fiber.  I would like to say that this contains all of my wool, alpaca, bison, cashmere, etc- but that would be a lie.  There is also a whole closet filled with Paton's Classic Wool.  I got a ton on sale last year when we were actually manufacturing slippers. 

 Now I realize that I will never be able to knit through all of this, but one of the plans with the knitting studio basement is to teach knitting classes.  I suppose price of yarn will be included in the price of the class and I will have a good supply for a while!

And yes, you have probably guessed by now, but this is another IKEA Expedit bookshelf- perfect for housing yarn and books, a new knitting essential (In my opinion!). 

It may be hard to tell from the pictures, but the wall colors in this area are a soft gray.  Anything I'm leaving out? I am looking around at different posters/charts/frames for this area as well- suggestions?

A New Breed of Baby Surprise?

As knitters, many of you are familiar with Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. I started a new baby knit recently, and although this is not a baby surprise- the construction is so intriguing that it reminded of the famous knitted garment.

I'm not telling what it is- not now at least.  So give it your best shot- anyone have any guesses??  Maybe there's someone out there who's made this little garment (but there's only 13 projects listed on Ravelry... and that's as much of a hint as I'll give you!). 

Fiber Finds

As promised, here are the details of what I walked away with at STITCHES Midwest and the Michigan Fiber Festival:

With a new pattern soon to be released (that happens to utilize just one skein of Malabrigo Worsted), I couldn't pass up these lovely colors.  They are not all for me though.  One will go to my friend Melissa, one to my sister, Amanda, and I'll keep one for myself.  It never hurts to knit up a new pattern a few extra times!
I also acquired 4 free skeins of Malbrigo Worsted in what seems to be the new Garden Gate colorway.  Saturday night at the student fashion show, they ended the night by bringing out a big bag of yarn for each table.  Everyone left with a little something, and this was mine- I couldn't be happier. 

The three skeins above come from one of my favorite local yarn shops, Woven Art. Woven Art is located in East Lansing, MI and you can always count on finding a great source of hand-dyed yarn.  The owner, Nancy, has a variety of yarn she dyes herself, and I love her colorways!  Above is two skeins of superwash merino, along with an 8 ounce skein of merino.  I figure I have a boy color and a girl color, and will save these for after the baby comes.


And speaking of baby, I purchased a hard copy of the above pattern, Little Boy Blue by Heirloom Stitches.  I found it at the In The Making booth with a sample done up with a light blue yarn with bright red buttons.  I love the idea of heirloom knits for babies. 


These three skeins I picked up at the Michigan Fiber Festival from a company I am not familiar with out of Eaton Rapids, MI. It is Davidson's Old Mill yarn- anyone heard of them?  They had a beautiful fair isle sweater knit up out of their fingering weight Domy Heather- how could I resist?


This final purchase is obviously not fiber, but I figured I'd throw it in (and look, I even propped it up against fiber!).  This little guy is made in Cedar Falls, Iowa for Crazy Girl Yarn Shop.  There is a bathroom in our newly finished basement, and since it is my new knitting studio, I thought this sheep soap would be the perfect addition. 

And because I know many are wondering and have been asking, yes, the basement is coming along.  Right now I am working on furnishing and decorating, which in reality will probably happen over a long period of time. I promise an update in the near future.