the knitting buzz

another baby blanket

Enjoyed knitting the Building Blocks Reversible Baby Blanket so much,that it was just the motivation I needed to begin a pattern I have had in mind for a couple of years.  

All it takes is a little spark...... to change ones direction. Spark!

So yes, another baby blanket has been started.  

Another baby blanket instead of my periwinkle lace wrap. I really want the periwinkle colored wrap to coordinate with my earrings (yikes! this sounds so whiny).....BUT.....the baby blanket should be a quick(er) knit and then onto the lace. 

This blanket is a girly girl blanket, especially when it is knit in pink.  This blanket can be knit it any yarn weight and in any size, which might make it less girly. But this one is pink or better know as Cascade 220 Superwash Sport Yarn in the color Strawberry Cream.

Going forward, I will refer to this pattern as the Posy Baby Blanket.  This pattern has only knit stitches (except for the very last row).  So those of you who are anti-purl stitch. This pattern may be for you.

More soon once this pattern has been completed.

Happy Knitting! And keep the spark and sparkly on your mind.

more puppets

Rainy days make the perfect time to create puppets out of one-of-a-kind socks and mittens. 

At my house, the matching sock and/or mitten can get lost or damaged or suffer from SSS (second sock syndrome) or I guess it could be SMS (for second mitten syndrome).  All the same, these lovely cast offs are the perfect base for some rainy day fun.

Our puppet creations are pretty motley looking.  

They were created from scrapes, pieces and odds & ends......you would be surprised what you can come up with.  All you need is a darning needle, scissors and some fabric glue. Voila!  Puppets!

And they don't look any better close-up. Right?

However unconventional looking these seem.......... they created hours of enjoyment to create and.... later starred in multiple puppet shows. Our puppets had many different voices, danced and sang.  Punch and Judy had nothing on our motley crew.

It was hilarious!

the baby is here

Building Blocks Reversible Baby Blanket is my first baby blanket. It was inspired by my best friends request..... which turned into a fun project and quite a pleasant diversion for me.

The pattern is completely reversible, utilizing knit & purl stitches to create the illusion of stacks of blocks. A timeless heirloom perfect for any young prince or princess.

I chose to knit it out of Cascade 220 Superwash Sport in the color Aran (color#817). Its 100% superwash merino wool and has 136 yards or 125 meters.  Its comes in a 50 gram hank.  

Overall its very nice to knit with, its so soft, but can be a little splitty if you're not careful. I will definitely use this yarn again on other projects.

The pattern is available on Ravelry or can be purchased at your local yarn store.

This project was originally requested in the color Blaze, which is a very very very bright orange.  .  

Since I have some time before baby's arrival and there is no rush..... I have an instant license, to start a new and different project.  BUT.... Blazing Building Blocks is started and can be easily be picked back up.

Baby blankets and knitting with the 220 Superwash Sport yarn was so much fun, that another baby blanket sounds like the perfect double diversion.  Maybe in pink.....sweet!

More later on Baby #2.

Happy Knitting!

new tool

With any craft or hobby..... its's all about the tools.  For me its the needles, the scissors, the stitch markers, the row counter and NOW....... the YARN BOWL.

The Yarn Bowl is not new........ just new to me (that is, one to call as my own).  

A yarn bowl is a device to contain the yarn you are working with on a given project; it protects the yarn from rolling around the floor, keeping it from the toddler or from the kitty. It has a smooth finish, a J slot to pull the yarn through effortlessly, a "committment hole" and two holes to hold needles.

Loopy Yarns carrys beautiful yarn bowls handcrafted by a local artisan, Barbara Grunewald. I have admired them for months, they are all so beautiful, which does makes it quite hard to choose just one. 

Barbara is constantly experimenting with finishes and firing techniques.  Her work is gorgeous.  Loopy Yarns offers a choice of 40+ different Yarn Bowls by Barbara Grunewald. If you are in Chicago, you must check them out.

I am seriously thinking about having one for the family room and one for upstairs.......AND THEN THERE WERE TWO.....maybe......

Enjoy each and every day.

Happy Knitting.

time for baby

Time for a baby blanket.....that is!  Did I scare you?  

I gladly volunteered to make a baby blanket for my very best friend to give to one of her collegues.  She chose the color Blaze, a very bright orange in Cascade 220 Superwash Wool Sport.  The yarn is very soft and lovely to knit with...... and very very bright.

I am working on a design that is just knit and purl stitches that resemble building blocks.  I started it in Blaze.

 

Since I plan on selling the pattern, I decided the bright orange may be hard for some to look at....... Soooooo, I started a second blanket in an ivory color.

 

The great thing about this pattern is that it is completely reversible and is easy to knit. You just have to know how to knit and purl.

My goal is to publish the pattern next week.  I will certainly let you know when it is available.

I'm not worried about getting the second blanket finished, since I have nearly 9 months..... lucky for me.  Right?

Seriously......Who wants to take a wager that I will still be burning the "midnight oil" to make it in time for the baby shower.  Yikes! (This could so happen).

Until later..... happy knitting and enjoy each and every day.

inspired by need

Usually my inspirations come from my surroundings; nature, architecture, fabrics, etc. However, my latest projects have come from pure need.

I need a periwinkle-colored knitted lace wrap to go with the Swarovski Crystal earrings I got on my cruise.

I need (or rather volunteered) to knit a baby blanket for a friend.

That..... is how it starts.

 I found the perfect color of yarn from Alisha Goes Around. Its her Marmalde Lace yarn in the color Actium or periwinkle, for my purposes.

 A good match, don't you think?

All wound up and ready to go.  Let the lace knitting begin.....

Now for the baby blanket.

Since I don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl, I decided to design a unisex pattern that ideally is reverible.  I know I want to use a sport/dk weight yarn that is both washable and baby soft.  

Cascade 220 Superwash Sport is a perfect choice.  My friend chose the color Blaze or a very very bright orange.  For my purposes, I thought a natural color might photograph better.

 

Its clear to me now, how I get in trouble.

I am up to knitting 2 baby blankets.  One to photograph to for the pattern design and one for baby.  But I am completely okay with this, because its always good to have a spare baby blanket on hand, right?

More soon on my "inspired" project progress.....

Happy Knitting!

puppets

Yesterday, I found a stray one-of-a-kind-mitten.  It was a test mitten that I didn't care for the shaping, so it never had a mate.

Upon finding it, it made me laugh and I wondered why I hadn't thrown it away.  Then it occured to me....

 

THIS ISN'T A STRAY MITTEN.........IT'S A PUPPET.

Xander loves crafts and he loved the idea of turning the one-of-a-kind mitten into a puppet.  So he picked out the hair and selected some leftover eyes from the monster making and before you know it.....

We created a PUPPET!

Its a fun way to use up odds and ends, scrapes,  buttons, bows and even some silk flowers......to create the craziest puppets ever.  The crazier the better is my motto.

Our puppet is the first of many.  I am pretty sure I can find some single socks and perhaps some other mittens.  

We will have a very fun & unique puppet show.  We'll be sure to send out invitations.

Aside from turning our trash into treasures......

Puppets are also a very useful way to get kids to tell you whats on there mind.....they can talk thru the puppet when there words or feeling are difficult to express.   Of course, this can work for adults too.

Puppets are fun to use when reading and acting out a story.

We can't wait to make more puppets.

Happy Puppet-ing!