Newborn beanie

I am getting faster at knitting. I quickly knitted up a cute little newborn beanie last night. Again using scrap baby wool - 3ply Shepard - I now only have a tiny amount of the cream left. The pattern is very similar to this, except I cast on 80 stiches to make a smaller size. The beanie is for my husbands secretary who had a baby boy last Friday. I doubt she will ever use it as she isnt the type to trust homemade over store bought. Plus I know she has spent up big at Pumpkin Patch (very overpriced kids clothes shop). Its the thought that counts and I am quite happy for her to give it away.

The pattern in the middle is a fair isle peenie over 7 rows, 10 stitch repeat:

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Very simple. I also seem to have solved the ladder problem between the needles as the beanie is very neat.

Head in a spin

Thankyou to all those ladies that commented on my last post. Its a wonderful to be welcome into such a unique community - its certainly lonely being the only knitter in my circle of friends.

I must say my head is in a spin over the sheer number of knitting sites there are. I have just bought a pile of wool from Live 2 Knit, and I don't even need it! Am I already an addict? Should I seek help or is it ok to have a sizeable stash. With the sheer number of knitting shops out there I doubt whether I will ever go to a retail shop again. Plus I love the cottage yarn industries out there - so many unique things.

Now I just have to finish a few things. I am nearly finished my sisters socks, then I have to knit another beanie. After that I am knitting some socks for MYSELF. Can't believe I haven't knitted something for myself this year.

Also, I would love a button/thumbnail/pretty picture things for myself. Anyone know how I get one?

Hannah's beanie

Friends of ours had a baby girl on Monday - Hannah. We are off to see her tonight so I knitted her this little beanie modeled by Rowan's Easter duck. I am doing well using up left over baby wool - both Shepard 3ply and I have the tiniest amount of the pink left. The pattern is similar to this, except for grafting the stitches together at the crown I have continued knitting them (8 stitches) to make a stalk eight rows long. I have also placed her monogram and birthdate in fair isle around the middle, starting 8 cm from the cast on edge. Its ~HMK ~ 24-07-06. I used a letter sampler from a cross-stitch book as a guide, the are all 10 rows high. Unfortunately the letters are a little hard to make out as the white yarn has a bit of a shimmer and any light really clouds the letters. I have also just about eliminated the ladders between the needles which makes the whole thing look much better. If the new parents like it, I will knit another beanie for another friend (not very close, but I was going to send her something later) in a similar style. I am really enjoying fair isle knitting. I should have started it years ago!

The good sister

I am a bloody good sister! I am in the process of knitting three pairs of socks for my sister, sister-in-law and cousin as gifts for their "Thelma & Louise" style holiday to New Zealand later this year. I have already completed one, the blue stripe and it has a rather complex rib that didn't really show up amongst the the stiping. The diamond pattern block was a 10 stich repeat. I cast on 70 stiches to start these socks, and did 12 rows of K1P1 rib. Then 18cm of the diamond pattern blocks before starting the heel. I ended up only having a tiny amount of yarn left over - these are socks for a big foot!

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The other is rather simple mix of stockinette and reverse stockinette as the colours change. Much better pattern with this sort of wool.

Both are knitted in Opal "Prisma" on 3.25mm needles. I reallly like knitting with the Red Prisma, the Blue was so boarding school. The next one is a purple and I havent decided what pattern to use for the rib yet. I was thinking mock pleats. I picked up all three balls of prisma for $7 each from ebay. Bargain. Just as well really as I don't expect my cousin to appreaciate them.

Snowflake Fair Isle Baby Beanie

This is the second beanie I have knitted for Rowan. It is my third attempt at fair isle knitting, the pattern is quite tedious but well worth it. Its a really beautiful beanie, but if I was to attempt this again I would knit the bottom of the beanie in double strand as the weight of the yarn in the snowflake pattern distorts the beanie and makes it sit wrong.

Again I used scrap baby yarn and i have just about run out of the purple. The cream is from a 200g ball of baby wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills. They are a great source of quality bulk yarn available by mail order if you live outside of Bendigo Victoria (Australia). The purple is this beautiful italian wool called Grignasco and is extrafine merino. Absolutly gorgeous wool but rather expensive - $11AU for 50g. I bought this in a range of colours and knitted a baby blanket for Rowan and some booties to give away as gifts.

As you can see, Rowan wasn't interested in modelling it for you. Its still a bit big for him as I knitted it to fit a 9 month old baby and he isn't quite there yet. I knitted the cuff in reverse stocking stitch to make a rolled effect. My tension is still a bit off in between the needles, but a vast improvement on my first beanie.

I will post the graph and pattern I used shortly.

South American Waves Baby Beanie

This is one of the first beanies I knitted for Rowan. I used two balls of scrap Shepard 3ply baby wool and why knit straight bands as one ball is running out when you can use a South American Waves pattern? Its a multiple of 8 stitches in circular knitting using three needles and its an easy graph to follow:

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As you can see in the top photo there is a ladder where I hadn't got my tension quite right where the needles changed. Knitting this over four needles should reduce the stress on the end stitches.

Pattern:

Needles 3.25, size 3 (6) months

Cast on 88 (96) stitches

First twelve rounds: K2P2

change to 3.75mm needles.

Knit in stocking stitch until work measures 8cm from begining. Join contrasting yarn and work from above graph in fair isle for six rows.

Continuing in contrasting yarn, knit until work measures 11(12) cm from beginning.

Shape Crown:

1st round: *K2tog, K9(10), rep from * to end ...70 (88) stiches

2nd and foll alt rows: Knit

3rd round: *K2tog, K8(9), rep from * to end ...72 (80) stiches

5th round: *K2tog, K7(8), rep from * to end ...64 (72) stiches

Cont dec in this manner until 16 stiches remain

Next round: *K2tog, rep from * to end.. 8 stiches.

Graph stiches together and cast off.

Thanks to Rowan for modelling it for us.

Cast on..

I am Kath and I have only started to get back into knitting in a big way when my son was born 8 months ago. I used to only knit for myself, usually a cardigan or two a year. Sadly I live in a reasonably warm place and there is only a few days a year that I could justify wearing them.

Since Rowan was born, I have been knitting things for him and socks for others. I have also knitted beanies for friends newborns. I don't really expect these gifts to be worn much as most of the mums I meet only like their babies to wear store-bought things. This doesnt bother me as I know they will one day really appreciate the thought and effort that I put into thier special gift.