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.

Christmas Is Coming

Yes, that dreaded term has popped up on other blogs and I thought it must be my turn. Close your eyes and turn your head away and scroll down or click off the site if you don't want to think about it, but Christmas is coming. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe you're all much faster or more committed knitters than I am, or maybe not. For me the thought of September makes me panic that I'll never finish all my gift items in time. This year I'm doing much better already planning and I think I'll be ok...yes, positive thinking...I will not over-commit, I will not stay up until midnight each night, I will not...

YEAH RIGHT! Who am I kidding? I'm already over-committed and there is no end in sight. LOL! Well, at least I have two cute doll items to ship off to my friend. That's at least something. :)

The white is, I think, Lion Brand Homespun (the same as the earlier "cloud" outfit). Although you can't really tell from the photo, the red is ChaCha and is one of the softest things I've ever knit with. I carried it along with Caron Simply Soft so the sweater and hat would not be transparent or hard to get on the doll. I did make the sleeves a bit too narrow so maybe she'll use it for Bitty Baby instead. I'm just happy it is cute and fuzzy and fun. :)

Mondays

Let me start by saying, I'm sorry for the quality of the photos. I often think to take pictures only after the kids are in bed and my lighting is great for relaxing but not for photography.

I know almost a week has passed already, but I've been meaning to chat about Mondays. I'm a single (not-by-choice) Mom of two marvelous little girls, ages 6 and 4. So, as you all probably know, that leaves very little "me" time. I work a normal "9-5" job and then at night I try to keep up the house and knit custom orders as much as I can to "make ends meet".

I have tried, however, to keep a bit of time for me and unfortunately it is due to tv. I found that I like the PBS show, Antiques Roadshow. Then, over one summer I discovered History Detectives and now I'm hooked. I am disappointed when summer ends and that show disappears from my Mondays. I therefore make time to just relax on Monday nights during the summer. It is strictly observed for me, and me alone.

I was in the middle of a knitting project this Monday (a doll sweater for order) when I thought I'd really make it a night for me. I had recently finished a pair of simple, two needle socks for a dear friend. We were chatting one day about my knitting and she mentioned she liked the ones I had photographed on my feet as they reminded her of ones her Grandma had made her but were now getting holes in them. Her Grandma (Alice) is still alive and relatively well, but carpal tunnel syndrome has made it so she doesn't knit anymore. So, I started a pair of red and white striped socks for my friend and finished them over the weekend. She was thrilled.

When Monday rolled around I was eager to translate that simple pattern to toe-up socks on two circular needles, two techniques I've only read/heard about. It can't be that hard. Well, so far I'm loving it!

Don't get me wrong, these will still not be the best darn socks ever, but for me it was a foray into self-value. I put down my work-for-hire item and concentrated a whole evening just on me. What a wonderful feeling! The yarn is Caron's Simply Soft and it feels fantastic on my feet and in my hands as it slides through my fingers and over the needles. The colors, as they don't show very well here, are a bright lime type green and turquoise. Oh, and these yarns were ones I had purchased for a custom order so I'm helping ease my stash as well. Win-win!

That glee ended quickly the next morning when I made the mistake of showing my little ones and they promptly whined about not having any of their own hand-knit socks. So, the rest of the week was spent staying up late knitting the two needle type for my eldest...a picot edge and stockinette stitch instead of the rib that was the cuff on the others I've made.

I've just begun the mate to this one but should have it done well before school starts and hopefully the littlest one's pair as well. I didn't want to get too far into the second without having my daughter try it on first...read on...

The first night I tried socks for my eldest I looked at my own sock and figured my 6-year-old's foot should be about 2/3 as wide as mine (size 7 but wide). So, I cast on and knit striped goodness until midnight. The next day I brought them to her foot only to discover that, with quite a bit of stretching, the sock might just fit my 4-year-old (who vehemently refuses to wear those colors). I was too exhausted to begin frogging that sock and figure maybe I'll finish a pair and donate them to a toddler somewhere who can tolerate yellow and orange.

Ok then. It is Friday night and my weekend is full to the brim with tasks and knitting. So, I can just now click on a show and relax for a few minutes before I fall into bed and dream of Monday night, when I can pick up and work on my sock again.

Meow! (FO)

I told you how I've been obsessed with the yarn I received on Saturday. I knit the cloud outfit and immediately cast on for another. This black Lion Brand Homespun was calling to me...well, actually purring and meowing a bit. Last night my eldest daughter was up coughing until after midnight so I took some time till about 1 am and knit most of the hood. Then tonight was able to draw the ears, knit, seam, and finish this.

I also received a book of patterns from the same caring friend. I had already planned my hooded kitty sweater when I saw that the book also had a hooded one (not for a kitty or other animal). I promised to cast on a few sweaters for my friend, from that book, but I've got another idea first. The holidays are coming soon enough and I'm preparing.