Spring!

So it's finally Spring - the snow is almost all gone from my yard, and the temperature has been in the 50s. I've been working on some Spring-inspired knitting. First, for my daughter's Easter basket:



Fewer calories than a chocolate bunny, which she's kind of too young for still, but which my husband bought and he and I ate anyway. Hee.



OK, Bunny, you caught us. Free bunny pattern is from HeartStrings. It's basically a sewn-up square!

My knitting group made a wall hanging for the coffee shop that hosts us each Sunday. We each made an 8x8 square and we had a seaming party last weekend. I decided to make a colorful square of granny squares; I had begun the squares thinking I would make my daughter Z the granny square jacket from Candy Tots. Luckily reason set in as the pattern calls for 200 2x2 granny squares. Can you imagine the seaming and ends-weaving for that?? R came along to the party and had a good time, although he looks sullen in the photo.

It was also teacher appreciation month, and the Knitting Room now carries Cotton Chenille, so I made two reverse bloom washcloths for my daughter's teachers:



The pattern is in the book Weekend Knitting. I have one more hank of Cotton Chenille and may make another washcloth for a family member's birthday. Or maybe not, I'm kinda tired of making petals. I'm finishing some socks for my niece, and still working on the cable trim for my sweater, which I now probably won't get to wear until fall. I've also been working on some Secret Knitting, the results of which will be made public shortly.

You've got questions? We've got answers.

My friend Grumperina asked me to answer the following questionnaire. I will do so forthwith. I f you want *me* to interview *you*, leave a comment and I'd be happy to oblige.

1. I know you knit and crochet. Is there any type of project that you would only crochet or only knit?

I would probably only crochet blankets, just because it goes faster. Although the first project I ever started (way back in college) was going to be a knitted version of a Hudson Bay point blanket. I still like the idea in theory, but I got bored of the vast expanses of beige garter stitch and abandoned it. I like knitted fabric better, so would probably not crochet adult size sweaters. I have crocheted baby sweaters though.

2. Do you plan to teach your children how to knit and/or crochet, especially your cutie Z? (R is currently into video games and LEGOs, as far as I can tell). Will you suggest, highly recommend, or require that your children learn?

I won't force them, but I'm happy to teach them if they seem willing and will offer. I don't think my mom ever expressly offered to teach me, and I don't think I ever asked her to. She was thrilled though when I learned and I told her it was because I wanted to make things for my kids like she had done for me. Not sure R would be into it, but you never know. Maybe he'll want to make knitted Power Ranger accessories? I have a feeling Z will want to - she loves stuffed animals and dress up clothes.

3. What is the one yarn that you’ve always wanted, but don’t have? And why don’t you have it yet?!?

Well, I do have a high itchiness factor, so I'd love something like Muench Touch Me or some cashmere. However, as my kids frequently treat me as "Mommy the Human Napkin" I am trying to stick to easily washable fibers for the near future.

4. What is the most unusual or embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at a local yarn shop?

When I took a refresher class at the Knitting Room (after not knitting for like 10 years) the owner eventually determined I had misremembered how to knit - I was knitting through the back loop! Because I knit continental and she didn't, it took her a really long time to figure this out. She even dragged out the Vogue Knitting guide to check, and was trying to figure out how to say nicely "yo, doofus, you're doing it wrong!"

5. What do you do to relax when you’re really tense? And if it’s knitting/crochet, then pick another answer :).

I eat dark chocolate. These days I'm trying to do less of that and instead go to the gym and work out. My husband gives a good back rub when I need one too. :)

OK, anyone else want to be questioned?

Currently on the needles:

-yellow hoodie for Z (back done, front halfway, this week on hold for...)
-pink bunny for Z's Easter basket (trying this pattern. Usually I find knitted toys scary but this seems cute.)
-socks for R (one done, second up to heel)
-slipper socks for niece's birthday in April (seeing if I can get two out of one ball of Classic Elite Star, in teal)
-my cable trim raglan in Due Chine (sweater body is done; did cabling for one sleeve last night, neckline and bottom trim to go. And may make it longer. Will probably bring it to the seaming party on Saturday for group input).

Geez, that's a lot on the needles. No wonder they call me dilettante.

Ma petite clapotis

Elle est ici! (Here she is!)



Done in Classic Elite Flash in Cool Mix. It's not as fabulous as Betsy's but it's pretty and fun. The cotton isn't as drapey as a wool-silk blend, obviously, but I still like it. Hurrah, another finished knitalong. Also finished one kid's cotton sock, one to go. Forgot to photograph it, though.

I'm cranking away on the top-down raglan, hoping that by working on a bulky weight sweater Spring will hurry here. Did most of one sleeve yesterday at knitting group; now on to the other sleeve and then the cable trim. Would I have bought this pattern if I'd known the entire instructions for adding the cable trim consisted of one line saying "Make cable trim to fit cuffs, neckline and bottom and attach to sweater"? No, I would not have. Note to self: next time don't buy pattern from catalog.

My "carry in my purse" project for the week has been a hoodie for my daughter. Couldn't resist the yarn sale at Building 19, don't you know. The yarn for the hoodie cost a total of $3.99. Woot!



Note the creative use of key fob as stitch holder as I finished the back while attending a conference last week. They served a pasta buffet for lunch before we had to sit for 4 hours - had to do something to stay awake.

Z is for Zesty

Here is my 16-month-old daughter Z in her new Weasley sweater. Hi, Z!



I hope I made this big enough to fit her for another year. It's still cold here, so at least she can still wear it this month. (Plymouth Encore in Cranberry Heather with leftover wheat-colored yarn for Harry Potter kit from Yarn Warehouse).

I finished the Schaefer Anne cowl and gave it to my sister for her birthday. She liked! This week I hope to finish my Clapotis scarf and R's cotton sock. He has stipulated that the socks must be yellow with orange toes and heels. Well all right. After that I can start on the raglan pullover for me - like I said, it's still cold here. Oh, and I also have almost finished my square for the knitting group wall hanging. Weaving in ends from multicolor granny squares is a pain.

This morning R wore the red hoodie I made him to school. I am always a little surprised and flattered when he wears this, as it was the first thing I ever knit and I did a horrible job picking up the stitches around the collar. But he's 5, so what does he care about evenly picked up stitches? He loves it, and I get warm fuzzies whenever I see him wear it. He probably gets them too as the sweater has pilled quite a bit.

Because I have posted two photos of R in his Weasley I suppose it is only fair to do the same for Z. Here is an action shot taken after she and her brother have trashed the living room while watching Lazytown:

Socks and a Tart

Haven't had much time to blog what with school vacation week, work, a Kindergartener and pre-verbal toddler, but I have had time to knit (mostly after the latter two go to bed). I finished my husband's socks a few weeks ago:



Note: those are his legs, not mine. The Smart Superwash got really nice and soft after washing. I luckily did not forget and put them in the dryer.

Betsy from my knitting group inspired me to look into my unfinished object (UFO) bag and finally finish the Baby Tart hat. It ended up being too big, but it's cutely too big on my daughter Z. She wouldn't let me take her photo this morning, but my Mac was more obliging:



She looks very adorable in it, trust me. She even scored a free cookie from the ladies at the bakery when she wore it to the grocery store on Sunday. OK, so they give all kids free cookies, but they did admire the hat!

I also finished the Z Weasley sweater, started my son's socks and added onto my Clapotis. Those photos will have to wait til next time...