D standing still

Dwight informed me last night that I haven't blogged in a while. Well, I don't like blogging without pictures and I've been lazy in the picture taking department. I was determined to get pictures of D wearing his vest today. I got him dressed and took him outside. Brrrrr. It's cold and very cloudy out there. I took a few pictures and called it done. I have a few other things that needed their pictures taken. It was too windy to try to take a picture of a shawl outside. That will have to wait for a better weather day. *While typing this entry, I did make a mad dash outside for more pictures. This has turned into a huge finished knits entry.*

Back to the vest, this vest is made out of sKnitches syncopation yarn in the Candy color. I bought two skeins of it from Simply Sock Yarn and have a lot leftover. I wanted to make sure that I had enough to match the stripes. The leftovers will probably turn into a hat or wrist warmers for D. I used the Cabled Vest pattern from the Not Just Socks for Kids book. I did change it and left out the cables.

Details:
Vest for D
Pattern: Cabled Vest from Not Just Socks for Kids (size 4-6)
Yarn: sKnitches syncopation in Candy
Needles: size 2 (2.75mm) for bottom ribbing, size 3 (3.25mm) for body, size 1 (2.5mm) for neck and arm ribbing
Changes: left out the cables
Start: December 17, 2007
Finish: December 21, 2007

I have now made a few things from Not Just Socks for Kids and really like it. I've bought a few books on knits for kids, but this one is my favorite. I love the use of sock yarns and the simplicity of the designs to let the striping stand out. I like the use of fine yarns for kids' knits. Using sock yarns with wool and nylon make the knits warm and durable. The mittens that I've made look like they will last through this winter and the next. E's mittens were made using the X-ribbed pattern from this book, but I left out the cabling part on the cuff. Instead, I just did a 2x2 ribbed cuff. I also used a slightly thicker yarn with the small needles to make dense mittens. E has worn these out in the snow and says that her hands stay warm. This is coming from a girl that runs around when it's 65 degrees with out socks and says that her feet are still warm.

Getting D to stand still was one thing. Getting him to keep his hands still for a picture was near impossible. I got his hands to stay put, but his fingers kept wiggling. If you can see in the picture, the stripes do match on both hands. His are fingerless because he doesn't like wearing mittens that prevent him from holding things. He takes those off. With these, he's able to hold things, but he can tuck his fingers in there if they get cold. His were made from the same pattern as E's, but in a smaller size.

Details:
Mittens for E and fingerless mitts for D
Yarn: Knit Picks Parade in Crayon
Needle: size 0 (2mm) Knit Picks Classic Circular
Pattern: x-ribbed mittens from Not Just Socks for Kids (size 4-6 for E and size 2-4 for D)
Changes: left out the cable crossings and just did 2x2 ribbing for the cuff
Start: December 28, 2007
Finish: December 29, 2007

And now some knitting for me. This was my mindless knitting that I've been working on in the car. I've also worked on it this week because I've run out of other daytime projects (more on that below). This is LoveSticks yarn in the Caramel Apple color. While knitting this, I didn't think of caramel apples. I kept thinking of the Grinch and that's what I'm calling them. I used Cat Bordhi's method of wrapping for short rows. I'm not sure if I like it, but then again it's only the second time that I've done it that way. I does make a nice line, but it seems loose compared to the way I usually pick up my wraps on short rows.

Now that my mindless socks are done, I need another daytime project that I can work on. I've been thinking about using my Wollmeise yarn for some wrist warmers, but I haven't found a pattern that I like yet. I may just come up with one of my own.

Details:
Yarn: LoveSticks in Caramel Apple
Needle: size 0 Addi Turbo
Method: magic loop, two at once, toe up with Turkish cast-on, short row heel
Start: December 29, 2007
Finish: January 8, 2008

In other knitting news, the Honey Bee Stole is finished. Pictures of that to come when the weather cooperates.

I do have another project on the needles right now. It's a secret project for E's birthday and I can only work on it at night. That makes it slow going. I'm make a tiny topsy-turvy doll from Jean Greenhowe's Jemima Jane and Friends book. This is my first Jean Greenhowe project. I want to make more of the dolls, but with a few changes. On the next doll, I will make more of the parts in the round to eliminate (what I think of as) unnecessary seaming. On this first doll, I'm using various leftovers that I've dug out of my closet. I've found that I don't like knitting cotton blends such as Lionbrand's cotton ease at such a tight gauge. Caron's Simply soft yarn is soft compared to Red Heart, but Red Heart is less fuzzy looking. I hope to have a finished doll picture by the time I make another entry here.