Little Twin Stars

Whew - finally finished the toddler cable sweaters for April and Ben. They came around yesterday, and it was baby central for a while. Kittycat enjoyed interacting with the twins, who are 4 months younger than her; the twins kind of watched bemused as she patted their faces and babbled to them. Ben got to try on his sweater; he's 7 months and the sweater is a 12 month size, but with the cuffs turned up it looked not half bad. The contrast colour at the edge (a needs-must-when-you-run-out-of-yarn measure) actually looks cute on him.
Here are the finished sweaters:
They were only lightly steam-blocked, after they were sewn together, but even so the blocking really made a difference.

(not sure why that first part is all underlined - ask blogger, not me)

Lost in Space... no longer

The second and third pictures are of the sweater and pants set (finished back in July) that I sent to little Ethan C. Twighead that I am, I sent it to the wrong address - Ethan's mum called me today to say she'd finally got it. Good thing too, since it only just fits him!

I made the sweater from a pattern in an old baby book - I'd say it's from the late 60s or early 70s. The original pattern has some pretty lurid colours, so I changed those, and knit it in lovely soft 100% wool Lanett. I also changed the neckband slightly, knitting it twice the length suggested, and then turning it under and sewing it down. That way I was able to cast off very loosely without it looking untidy. I sometimes find the necklines on these older patterns come out rather tight, and I hope my adaptation will keep the neckline stretchy enough.

After it was done it didn't feel right as a baby gift unless it had pants to go with it, so I took a Pingouin pattern I'd knit for Kittycat (first picture - she was such a chubby little newborn...) and adapted it. I changed the crochet edging for a neat hem, and I made a little pocket with the pattern from the sweater.

If I were to knit it again, I think I'd add a few cm to the sweater body, too.

I'm pleased with how this project turned out. I hope this very loved little boy is cosy in it!

Ran out of yarn; mousie pants

Here is the toddler's cabled sweater I've been knitting for little Ben F. All was peachy until I realised I would run out of yarn just before finishing the neckband (argh!) I was using yarn from my stash that had threatened to become a scarf, but I'd frogged it and no longer had the ball band. Stress!

I went into Burnaby Knitworks yesterday and not only did the fabulous Freda know what my yarn was (and that it is indeed superwash - hurray!) but she helped me find the perfect yarn to finish it off. I'd decided to do the rolled edging on the neckline in a contrast colour, rather than trying to match it; that way I can do twin sister April's sweater (in cream) with the same contrast edging. However, where I had been envisioning a boring beige or sage green, Freda found me this yummy variegated yarn - 100% wool and superwash, just like the sweater.

I've never been drawn to these bright variegated things before - I'm not into bright and busy. But knitting with it is FUN!

And here is my latest project - started while Ben's sweater was on hold, pending a solution to the yarn issue. I'm using the Lil' Devil Pants pattern from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation, but since Kittycat is not devilish, I'm using white and grey Lanett (from Sandnes Garn) and making stripes (because doing it in plain old boring old stocking stitch will take forever - I'll get bored and not finish it). Instead of a devil tail, I'm going to make a mouse tail for her. Just because. I don't even like mice. But I think she will make a very cute mousie.

Slash and burn (except without the burning)

Here's my latest project, a baby Norwegian sweater in Sandnes Garn Lanett. This is the first time I've cut armholes - a little scary, but it worked out fine. Here's the sweater being modelled by the beautiful Kittycat, and also at the cutting stage :)