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February 15, 2007
She is sooo my daughter!
Yesterday I offered Beth Ann two Size J crochet hooks to choose from. Her face lit up and she exclaimed, "I've never crocheted on a Brittany!"
Note that she can not read. She was able to recognize a Brittany needle (hook) by the packaging. I would normally point out the fabulous decorative tooling at the end as a point of rapid recognition, but she had never seen a Brittany hook before. She simply couldn't know that this was unique. She is my daughter. That is the best explanation. She just knows a good quality hook when she sees it.
August 16, 2006
A lesson in top down simplicity
If you don’t know me very well, you may not know that I’m kinda crazy when it comes to cables. Like really, kind of crazy. I cable washcloths. I’m actually that bad…. So I’m making this scary green sweater, maybe a cable or two will spice it up!No, cables did not spice it up. I was stupid enough to pick cables that are wider than the initial front collar. So I’m adding cable stitches as I go. Nope, not a good idea… this is even confusing for me…. **Riiiiiippppp**
I’m on the right track now. Just a plain stockinette stitch all the way. Top-down simplicity. This will be a lesson in less is more. I can do it, yes I can!
August 11, 2006
Dude, that is way too much green....
I totally had a "What was I thinking?" moment when I looked into this pot. Inside was a simmering, stinking (I used vinegar since it’s what I had on hand that day) radioactive mass of fiber.
In hindsight I am very proud of myself. I did not cry. Not a single tear. I just kept stirring (and squinting because of the glare) as I watched over a pound of beautiful merino yarn turn to the color of slime. Remember You can’t do that on television? It was like that.
I guess I should explain. I'vd had the second lesson in the same week on why we don’t let our children pick their own yarn. I decided to make Jack a sweater for his upcoming birthday. He’s always complaining that I don’t knit him enough, and I was looking for an excuse to make something out of the Licorice Twist. So, in my most covert fashion (which isn’t very covert) I take him over to the rack of acid dyes and ask, “Which is the best color here?”
He picks “Bright Kelly Green.” A.k.a. Kermit the Frog green. The color itself is a very nice bright color, but I am sitting here picturing an entire garment in this shade. I’m not liking it. I steer him towards blue, but it ain’t happening... bright green it is.
The yarn dyed up perfectly. The tweed effect from the yarn is very subtle, but provides a nice texture. Of course though, it is still very, very, very green.
May 20, 2005
Monkeysuits Review
You can tell by just glancing at my copy of Monkeysuits that is a well used book. "Dog-eared" doesn't even begin to describe the condition of this poor thing! This book contains loads of great, fast projects. The fast is due to the fact that they are kids' sweaters and often work up in about a month. The "Checkered Past" pattern seems to be a favorite with me. It works up well in cotton and is easily adjusted to a variety of weights and generally customizes well to the size of the child. If you are looking for a super-quick project, almost every pattern include a complimentary hat. The sizes range from newborn to child, with one or two adult adaptations as well.The directions are clear and easy to follow, a trait that is unfortunately so uncommon in pattern books these days. There is an excellent variety in projects to choose from, unlike books that just have 50 hats inside (outside of ChemoCaps volunteers, who needs 50 different hat or scarf patterns?) Odds are you will find at least one pattern that you love. The pictures are excellent, giving you a great idea of what the finished project should look like.
The one down I have is in the yarn selections. It is so popular to list yarn brands (I'm sure the makers kick in a little extra, eh?) but often they are either impossible to obtain, obsolete, or really expensive. I have to give Turner a thumbs up for giving us way more info than her contemporaries in this department. She usually describes the material, weight, and yd/ball information, which is invaluable when it comes to substituting fibers!
Overall I recommend this book to anyone interested in knitting sweaters for young children. There are so many different styles that you are likely to find something you want to conquer! Knit on, Garth!
Monkeysuits: Sweaters and More to Knit for Kids (2001)
by Sharon Turner
4.0 / 5.0
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April 20, 2005
Conductor's Cap (Baby)
Considering the older two kids had hats like these, I thought it only fair that Wendy get one too, right?It's a kind of hippie, conductor's cap that Sharon Turner included in her Monkeysuits book. I'll write a seperate review on the book as well. I did have to modify the pattern down to a baby size. I used some baby-weight yarn that I had from socks for Bea that never got made, and reduced the needle sizes accordingly. That enabled me to use the original pattern to create a scaled-down infant size. I crocheted a little forget-me-not to sew on top instead of the original button and did a little detailing on the bill. I have a sweater in the same colors started (using her bumblebee pattern sweater) but since it is for this fall it has fallen to the wayside at the moment.
I'll try and get a pic of the kids wearing their hats to post!
