Another Surprise

I'm doing another BSJ, this time for T. I adore this pattern. Such fun! Here are the fruits of two days of on and off knitting. I'm three ridges into the first set of increases:



The knitterly details:

Yarn: WOTA bulky in navy, emerald, and bare
Needles: US size 9 Knit Picks Options
Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket
Mods: crochet provisional cast on for sleeves so I can make them longer. I also added 9 stitches to each end of the cast on, since I'm not doing the increase above the cuff because of how I'm doing the sleeves.

This yarn and needle choice is rumored to yield a toddler size sweater. We shall see!

Forward Motion!

I finished the black merino mittens! Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture of them before I gave them to my mom to give to her friend. Ah, well. Not much to see anyway. Just plain vanilla black mittens. That's one WIP checked off my list!

Here's what I'm currently working on:


A Baby Surprise Jacket (from EZ's Knitting Workshop). I'm just trying out the pattern, so I'm using some baby acrylic I have on hand for charity stuff. It'll probably go to the local hospital if it turns out cute. (So far so good.) I'm loving this pattern. It's really easy, and it's intriguing trying to figure out how the shaping will get you to a sweater in the end. EZ is just the most brilliant, clever knitter ever!


Crochet sampler baby afghan for friends who are expecting their second child. I have 4 squares to go, and then I have to decide on an edging.

On deck:

Refined Raglan from the Winter '06 IK. I think I'm going to try it in some Pistacchio Cotton Ease I have lying around(for me!)

A scarf for me from 100Purewool (stitch pattern yet to be decided)

Stocking cap and gaiter for DH for Christmas (probably EZ's Watch Cap, with the gaiter in the same stitch)

Play food and market bag for DS and niece and nephew for Christmas

I better get busy!

My Sweater Dilemma, and Other Knitting Tidbits

Several months ago I bought eight skeins of Cotton Ease in the pistachio colorway, thinking I'd make myself a sweater out of it this fall. (I found an insanely good deal on this yarn online--pistachio normally isn't my thing.) I've been searching for appealing sweater patterns, and I keep coming back to the Dollar and a Half Cardigan in the Spring 2007 IK. I really, really like it. But I also really, really like how it looks in the dark brown (I think grey, navy, or any other dark color would be nice too). So would this sweater look totally wrong in pistachio (light pastelly green) cotton yarn?

I also like the look of the Green Tea Raglan from that same issue, but the thought of all that seed stitch doesn't really turn me on. I have some other yarn that I'm planning to use for an EZ raglan or yoke sweater, so I don't want to knit one of those with this pistachio yarn. Any other ideas?

I have been knitting (and crocheting) quite a bit recently, but I don't seem to be making much progress. Well, at least I'm not cranking out too many FOs. Here's what I've been working on:


plain vanilla mittens in black merino


lamb softie for my little T man (I plan to add facial features and a ribbon bow), acrylic scraps


mistake rib scarf for the Red Scarf Project, Caron Simply Soft autumn red

I'm still plugging along on my denim stripe socks (working on them quite infrequently, a few rows here and a few rows there)

I recently made some crocheted play food and sent it to a mama I know on Diaper Sewing Divas as a little surprise for her little guys. My pics are awful, so I won't bore you with them, but I made the food from the Dandelion Dreamers patterns. Very, very fun! I plan to make T and the like-aged nieces and nephews sets for Christmas. I hope to have some better pics to share once I finish the Christmas gifts.