WIPs

I used to hate those abbreviations like the title of this post and still get a bit confused by some. So, for anyone who doesn't knit or crochet or is new or confused, WIP is work-in-progress. If you've been to my home you'll know that I'm one of those many knitters who have far too many started but not complete items. Right now I'm working on the following:

• Doll sweater #1: Blue and white, empire waist, long sleeved
• Doll sweater #2: Thinking this may be an elephant Halloween costume, but I'm undecided
• Doll sweater #3: awaiting frogging (ripping out-rip it, rip it, rip it like the sound of a frog) or trash can. I knit what I thought was a pretty simple pattern until I had seamed everything and knit all the edging to find out that one side was significantly longer than the other. That should be a warning to me to stop knitting so much when I'm exhausted.
• Socks for LexiLoo: Pink with three purple stripes right above the toes-first time toe-up, two circular needles, and no seam. First sock is at cuff and now I'm ribbing 1x1 for a few more inches before I can bind off and begin again.
• Socks for Me: toe-up but seam at heel sides-green and blue striped. First sock is complete but bind off edge is a bit tight around foot when pulling on and off. I really don't want to pull the edge off so I'm working it out (I hope).
• Aran Knit Sweater: Lavender baby yarn to keep my 89-year-old Grandma warm. Only about five inches of the back done so far. Frustrating, to say the least. I wish I'd chosen a pattern worked in-the-round before I committed to this one. Too much money invested in the new needles and too much time on the three inches of ribbing to frog it now. Next time...
• Mittens for Carebear: One is done and the other just has some ribbing. They are two needle items worked from the cuff up. These are wool, some kool-aid dyed, and will be felted. These have a matching hat made completely out of the kool-aid dyed yarn. LexiLoo's set is fully knit. Christmas is approaching fast so I have to finish the mitten and get everything into the washer.
• Socks for Carebear: not yet started. I have new purple yarn, at her request, and think these will be two shades of purple and pink or just pink and purple-I can't decide yet. I'm using Caron Simply Soft for most of these socks as it works quick and will keep our feet toasty warm as the Fall progresses and turns into Winter. 
• Socks for a Friend: purchased another skein of a new favorite colored baby yarn. I think I'll knit some simple, happy socks for her feet to lounge in. Not skinny socks but warm ones for winter wear or around the house.
• Mittens for Family Member: Someone I know has very, very cold hands and I found some wool that I think will do the trick. Soft and fuzzy but warm as can be.

I'm laughing a bit as I typed all that and thought of the afghans sitting patiently in the other room, or the yarn for shrugs for the girls this Summer that never made it to the needles. This is in no way a comprehensive list. These are just the highest priority in my mind, for the moment. LOL!

Ok, time to log off and go wash Carebear's cup for daycare tomorrow. I had promised myself a reasonable bedtime to help fend off this complete exhaustion. Here's hoping. :)

Going Green (FOs)

I am, at heart, a liberal environmentalist. No, I do not compost all my waste and yes, I did use disposable diapers but mostly because of location not will. I'd love to do so much more than recycling and reusing shopping bags and such. Still, all this is a start.

What I have started doing it reusing clothing rather than throwing out items with holes or stains. Instead, I try to find a use for the good parts. It is fortunate that I have two little ones who can always use new items made from larger old ones. I also have been dragged into a world of doll clothes which I'm loving and they are certainly small enough to reuse material.

So, this weekend I put the finishing touches on a four-piece ensemble for 18 inch dolls. I've written a bit lately about trying socks and while I was knitting for my daughters my mind wandered to a doll pattern I'd come across in my stash. I didn't want to get that complicated, but why couldn't I adapt the easy, two-needle pattern from person size to doll size? Let's try. Out came one of our three measuring tapes and calculations began. Then the real trial was keeping my kids occupied for the tiny bit less than an hour it took to knit the pair. I used some green yarn I had sitting on my table from my eldest daughter's socks. I love green so this was added inspiration and the soft baby yarn doesn't hurt.

I finished the ankle socks and put them on my doll and voila! I couldn't resist. Now she had to have something to go with those.

Onto the needles went a sweater in the same yarn. My "normal" go-to pattern wasn't large enough around but I wanted to play anyway so I did a basic pattern, adding a cable to the front plackets and short instead of long sleeves. Then I finished with a crocheted scalloped edge and tie closure.

The doll I have doesn't look right showing her "skin" so I chose to recycle some clothing for her. I took the pockets off a pair of old jeans and sewed them together for a skirt. Then I cut part of the lace sleeve off an old nightgown to use for a tube top under the sweater.

Put it all together and here's what I got:

Crafting for Kiddies (FOs)

I want my girls to be Gap girls! I can't help it and I don't know why. I was talking to a friend the other day and confessed that I almost spent $50 on a pair of non-waterproof boots after seeing the cutest commercial ever last year and wanting desperately for Star to "fit in". I am so NOT a Gap girl. Our family never had the money to shop there and even if they had I don't know as I would've quite fit in to their clothing or image. In fact, for years I'd wander in and check out baby stuff and get snubbed by the sales associates.


The last few times I've been in have been different and I've actually been helped. I still don't look a thing like a Gap customer, but they treat me nicely anyway. When we were school shopping I couldn't help but wander in. Star oohed and aahed at some jeans and when I asked her what she liked about them, if they were a "must have" she commented that she really just liked the belts. So, we looked around for just belts and they weren't selling any so we moved on and added belts to her shopping list.

So, from my trip to the Gap here is one of the pairs of jeans (hover over the patches) and here is one of the belts. Last night I pulled out the remnants of a pair of jeans that I had cut apart to recycle for a blanket. I took the seam ripper to the back pockets to use them for a doll skirt. When I removed them I noticed these were awesome. The very faded washed jeans had very dark spots where the pockets had been. This got me thinking that maybe I could use the remains as a skirt for Star. We talked and measured and picked patch fabric and today I sewed and tried on her and sewed more and tweaked here and there and then cut and ironed and starched and sewed and so on. Until, drum roll please.........I came up with this (my knock-off of the jeans and belts):

The back where the pockets had been.

Woven belt with D-ring closure. I wish the photo was clearer as it really is cute if I do say so myself.

Saved the best for last...the whole skirt, front view.

I'm usually pretty humble, but for these five minutes I'm feeling pretty good about the skirt. I wish I were young enough to wear it myself.

Back to humble, I knit two pairs of simple two-needle socks. Each of my girls got to pick her colors, so there is no intentional Red Hat Society reference. Unfortunately, even after measuring my youngest's foot and knitting to the "right" length, I got hers about an inch too long. At least she can wear them around the house and look forward to something to grow into that is all hers instead of a hand-me-down. She loves the stripes anyway.

The picot edge was my addition as the original pattern had a ribbed cuff. I like this one a bit more and will probably do more pairs in this style.

Happy Feet!

Both wanted short socks and this is about as short as I can go with this pattern or they start to slip off the back of the heel.

All this crafting was amazing and fun but I'm stuck wondering if I'm just a "too cool" Mom or if I'm sending my daughters down a road of loathing me and being mocked by classmates. I pray it is the former as my eldest is heading back to school with a handmade skirt from last year and a shirt I embellished to match. She's very excited, but I do worry.

Tiny Toes

I know it just isn't the same to post without photos, but I don't want to go too long without writing or I'll forget all I'm up to. Besides, I can always come back and add the photos later.

I've been knitting like a crazy lady. I have a pair of socks for each of my girls...lime and yellow for my eldest and purple and red for my younger (they picked the colors). I also have cast on for a second pair for my eldest, to be slouchy over a pair of cool peace sign leggings. These are simple socks but make them smile.

I looked at their socks and a pattern I'm going to try for doll socks and tried a simple one today for my 18" doll. Zoe (the red-headed doll) is now sporting a pair of lime ankle socks and I'm so excited!

I've also finished another hat and scarf set for the dolls. I have a doll sweater on the needles, from the pattern book my friend sent me and I have picked the yarn for the next two of my own design.

As if that weren't enough, I spent this evening taking the back pockets off the back of a pair of jeans I had recycled most of previously. When the pockets were off I realized how cool the denim looked and decided I could alter it further to be a skirt for my eldest. So I spent a bit longer ripping more seams and planning and getting more and more excited. It was a big night for craftiness.

Well, I guess I'd better hop off if I'm going to have any time to finish these projects before my daughter starts school next week. I also have an unfinished pair of mittens staring at me and I really do want to start some mittens for my Mom and some socks for a friend and I am still staring intimidated at the purple aran knit sweater I've barely started for my Grandma. She deserves it and I need to make that a priority to keep her frail little body warm this winter.