FO: Doll Summer Sets

I have a few more WIP photos to share, but am too excited to do that tonight. So, I'll resume the "regularly scheduled" post a bit later in the week.

I have two little girls and last year purchased a ton of fabric and two patterns and was going to make them shorts. Well, a year passed and I was always busy with something else and never got around to doing anything. This year, for whatever reasons (for which I'm very grateful) I was able to cut into a piece of flip-flop fabric. I had planned to make shorts for the girls and a dress or skirt for me, but instead it morphed into shorts for my girls and shorts and tops for their dolls.

Everything around here needs to be done in two's even though my girls are not twins. They are just two years apart and still at an age where dressing alike doesn't bother them. I started with two doll sets then thought how my niece could use one for her doll. Then my eldest asked for one for her friend. Then...well, I ended up cutting six pairs of shorts and, of course, six tops. I sewed three sets today and posted to my Etsy shop. The other three are patiently awaiting their final assignments, as I ran out of elastic and ran out of time.

 

While all this craziness was going on I came upon the thought that a fat quarter would be enough fabric to make these outfits. What a great idea for doll clothes. I measured and the top would be an inch or two less around and I can only cut shorts or capris, not pants. Still...ideas are churning.

So, off to JoAnn Fabrics and for the first time I let my girls loose on the fabric. I showed them the rows of fat quarters and set them off to pick four each. It was so odd to watch their choices and so rewarding to hear their excited giggles and see them carefully put them back to pick a different one. I thought the youngest would pick some very "girly" fabrics but instead she picked some rich tones with small prints. The eldest shocked with a batik that looks kind of like cheetah markings and one that is tiger print.

This is going to be a fun summer if I can keep this crafting mojo going (knock-on-wood).

What's Up?

I'm surrounded by a ton of "should do's" and "have to do's", but I decided to pick the "wanna do" instead. I honestly was a bit relieved to log on and see it has only been a month since my last post. However, it has been one whole month. Darn! I really need to be better about this.

It isn't that I haven't been crafting, or not taking pictures, but I've just not been in the mood to download photos or write. Tonight it hit me to do them, mostly because the "should do" sitting next to me is uninspiring, the "wanna do's" need washing and are too loud for after the girls' bedtime. So...here I go.

What's up in my world? Well, let's see:

I've been spinning

I think this was the picture of my first batch. Since then I've spun and plied and soaked and dried and now have two tiny skeins. I plan to do more and then Kool-Aid dye it all at once. It isn't even but not bad for a first try. I actually saw the skeins the other day and wondered where I'd got them from, before remembering I did it. That, to me, is a good thing if I can't tell it wasn't purchased or given to me from someone I'd respect much more than myself.

I finished my socks. Yes, I actually started a pair just for me. I started mine before the ones for my girls but didn't work on mine to be done in time for Christmas. I got lucky when I was stuck at a routine oil change for three hours instead of the normal time and I knit on the last of the sock. Then I took it on vacation (to Lancaster, PA) and I didn't have to drive. I was actually pleasantly surprised to find I could knit a bit in a moving vehicle without motion sickness. That's a weird first for me, but I was silently celebrating my good luck. It didn't take much longer once I was back home to finish the last bit and cast off. They're beginner socks and I can see the "errors" but I love them nonetheless. I put them in the drawer to save and gave them their test run just last week on one of my fever days (four in a row). I love having cosy handmade items to wrap up in when I'm not feeling well.

Well, I think that's enough for tonight. I hear thunder again and I'm getting sleepy. More to come...works in progress and a completed baby outfit.

FO: Layla Blanket

This week was such a lucky one. I was blessed to meet my best friend's husband for the first time as she and Chris traveled half way across the country to visit family and friends. The reason for the trip? My BF's cousin had her first baby, Layla. She is an amazingly beautiful little girl and I couldn't resist the urge to make something. So, I spent Easter morning cutting and sewing a 42 inch square blanket to go along with my favorite baby parenting book. The perfect size to swaddle.

The fabric is 100% cotton so it is fully machine washable and dryable. The fabric on the front is school days as both Layla's parents are teachers. The back is a simple yellow.

Welcome to the world and to a wonderful family, little Layla!

FO: Dawn Dresses

I sighed a giant sigh of relief tonight as I put the finishing touches on the last masquerade ball masks for the commissioned outfits. I had fifteen to make and health issues and life delayed progress much beyond my original due date. I'm so grateful for Barb's patience.

PHEW!

Each dress is hand knit from my own design, using crochet cotton in black and white. The masks are made from sparkly foam with little feathers and strings on each side to tie behind Dawn's head.

I am so excited to move on to the baby dress that is almost overdue (hoping not the baby). Oh, and I've started a sweater for my Grandma. I couldn't find one pattern that was perfect, so I'm making it up as I go. We'll see how it works out. I splurged (HUGE!) on some Addi Turbo circulars, size five in three different lengths. I was buying for the pattern I had picked then read more carefully and decided it wasn't quite right. I want to knit in the round for the majority of the sweater and that's hard to find. Well, wish me luck in my insanity.

Skills

This past year I've explored a lot in my knitting, cables being the most prevalent. I'm still working toward following complicated patterns. I picked out a wonderful one for an aran sweater for my Grandma and will admit that I'm ready to frog it after it has sat so very long I can't remember where I was. The need for a dozen markers and all those different cables is driving me a bit mad. So, in the meantime I think I'll settle for cabling hats.

When I first made one, about a year ago, I was happy with it. However, as time has passed there are widening gaps where the cables are. The newer ones seem to be holding up better and I think that's a good thing. I've even been asked to custom make one for a dear friend and that was the ultimate compliment.

A Tale of Two Yarns

This was "supposed to be" a post about two contradictory yarns, but being a hopeless optimist I've chosen to instead just write about the best.

I learned to knit, as many of us did, using Red Heart acrylic yarn. I chose an emerald green hue and was thrilled. I used that for a long time and branched out slowly into Caron Pound of Love. Then some baby yarns and others. I found along the way Lion Brand Microspun. I wish I could remember what led me there, but it was a fantastic lime green and some in white and I made a cute baby outfit. I love the sheen and the smooth feel as it passes through my fingers.

Microspun isn't overly pricey, but was hard to find locally in some seasons. So, I was happy to find pound bags of mill ends and discovered the Caron Simply Soft line which has a similar sheen and texture as the Microspun. Then, also in mill ends, I discovered Lion Brand Homespun. Mill ends made me a hoarder.

Simply soft has sheen and drape that I think make it good for light, feminine clothing. I also adore the fact that they now have a line of Eco products which contain post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. If I'm going to buy new yarn then this is a top choice. Simply Soft works fantastic for winter socks that can be thrown into the washer and dryer.

Homespun is great for Winter wear. The scarves I've made from it are the simplest of patterns but always get compliments. This yarn also washes wonderfully. It knits into great afghans as well (double stranded on large needles for weathering arctic temps).

I can't decide if I'm too busy or too lazy to hand wash items, but either way these two yarns fit my lifestyle and for that I'm grateful.

Cleaning House-FO, Frogging, and WIP

I'm a single-Mom (divorced, to be exact) and I'll admit it is difficult to juggle it all sometimes. I adore my two little ones but am now learning to love a bit of "me" time while they visit their Dad. So, this weekend I dove into the closet in the craft room and started rearranging. I pulled out a bag full of WIPs and started really looking at them.

1) There was a lovely lavender item. It was two rows of eyelets (K1,YO, K2tog) then a few rows of stockinette stitch. It was maybe 8 inches wide and I'd knit more than a foot in length. I'm guessing I was going to make it into a scarf but I figured if I couldn't remember maybe it wasn't worth the time to figure out again. I frogged it and liberated a circular needle (haven't checked the size yet)

2) The second item out of the bag was a red and blue beginning of a crocheted afghan with star blocks. It was cool and I kind of remembered it, but when I analyzed it I thought I could make a scarf out of it instead if I frogged a few rows then bound off and added fringe. Maybe nobody else will ever want it, but at least I don't feel as let down as I would've frogging the whole thing.

3) Next was a baby blue and white stripped child's hat. Not actually sure of the size on this, but will try it on me and/or the girls later. It was on a piece of waste yarn so I put it on dpns and started working it. I actually feel productive, even though other projects are sitting idly by. I can't wait to dive into some more of these and feel "done" maybe at some point.