The plan was hatched about a month ago… my mother made a lovely little Easter dress for Baby V.  She found some adorable little cotton prints, and then fancied it up with some lace edging and little button yo-yos across the bodice. Mom is a very talented seamstress, and Baby V seems to have re-awakened that interest (she made so many lovely things for my sisters and I when we were young!) in the sewing machine.  Mom spent the first part of March in California with Mimi and Baby V, where she presented the dress.

While mom was there, we talked about adding a little shrug or bolero for the dress (because Monterey has those breezes off the ocean… *sigh*).  Mom was intending to buy a little something, but I decided to take matters in my own hands… I sent some photos of the possibilities and we compared notes.  I didn’t want to take away from the dress, and I wanted the colors to match well.  Mom directed me to some fabric swatches at her house, which really helped in the color-finding stage.

I settled on the sweet and simple Debbie Bliss pattern, a free pattern that also appears in her Simply Baby collection.  The simple collar would not interfere with the Peter Pan collar and lace of the dress – and it looked like a nice simple style to match.

Baby knits are fast and simple, and I mailed it off last week (after snapping a few model-less shots) – hoping to goodness that it would fit and work well with the dress.  It’s hard to fit a baby by proxy!

So, it was especially thrilling to open up my email inbox and find these photos yesterday!

The dress (!) fits her so well, and my mom’s amazing skills really shine – and the shrug pales in comparison (but is still really cute and it fits!)  I used the Kraemer Tatamy Tweed cotton/acrylic blend that I bought last summer (with intention to use for Baby V!) – it’s lavender with little green and white flecks inside.  Perfect for the dress!  I was a bit nervous about the sleeve length, but it works so well.  I changed the ribbed edging to seed stitch so that it would not take away from the dress.  The pattern was simple and sweet – and easy to construct with only a simple seam under the arms.

She is all ready for Easter and spring with this cheery little ensemble!  Mimi reports that even at six-months she is quite the fashionista   …I have more planned!

And seeing this little “thank you” video from Mimi and Baby V made this auntie SO happy!

And what makes this auntie squeal with delight this Christmas Eve?

Seeing Baby V bedecked in the knit cardi I made her before she was born!

The smile means she loves it!

…and that is the best Christmas present this year!

~~ Merry Christmas dear friends ~~

…

Resurrection day
Hexagon panopoly
Blankie for baby

…

Komb Hexagon Blanket
Pattern: Komb, Berroco book #249 (Keltic)
Yarn: Jojoland Rhythm in M01 and M20
Needles: size US 7

Okay, maybe it was never *dead* enough to warrant a “resurrection”, but it was definitely forgotten and put away out of sight… and all it needed was a resurfacing and a little attention before it had a whole new life and new purpose. 

Started in December 2007, it was intended as a wedding gift for a friend.  Luckily, I anticipated how long this might take to complete, so we got her and her new husband a regular wedding gift as well…  It became clear early on that this was not going to be an enjoyable knit… I tried to practice all of my mindfulness and happy thoughts, but at the end of the day, it just wasn’t pleasant.  Perhaps it was the picking up stitches or the weaving in ends… the yarn was fun because it was a complete mixed bag – I never knew what I was going to get. 

I pulled it out last fall and winter and did a few more hexagons and then remembered why I had stuck it in the closet in the first place… and it went back in, about 1/3 of the way finished.  The blanket calls for 60 hexagons of a larger gauge, and I have 30 here, but I was planning to make 90 for a full afghan. 

The it occured to me that my knitting life would be much happier if I were to just “call it” with the hexagons and repurpose the blanket for a certain new baby in my life – my niece due next month! 

Hexagon blanket will now go to Baby V!  The fun bright colors seem perfect for a baby, and I thought the shape of it would be great for a stroller or car seat blanket. 

The yarn amazed me with each new ball – it is a nice light worsted weight wool – with so much variation.  I only used 2 colorways of the yarn!  Would you have guessed that?  The borders are a blue/taupe/tan mixture, while the hexagons themselves are pink, purple, green, and yellows.  Because I was planning a much bigger project, I have a decent amount left for some other fun things; it seems like a great yarn for winter accessories.  Mitts and a hat, perhaps?

I feel much happier knowing that this knit is no longer hanging over my head, and that it will keep my new niece all cozy.

Experts say that if you do a task a certain number of times, it becomes a habit… and I have to agree, as I am beginning to feel that way about Socktoberfest! When the air begins to chill, my mind automatically – habitually – turns to socks. So funny! Especially since I have not even knit one sock this year…

The *fifth* celebration of Socktoberfest is just a few weeks away (seriously, can you believe it – we started in 2005 with over 1000 people!) and the buzz is already starting over on the Ravelry Socktoberfest board! People are planning designs, new techniques that they want to try out, talking about yarns… just general sock talk

Initially, I was planning to do a pair of stranded socks for myself… but the more I think about it, the more I want to stick to my theme for the past several months of gift knitting. And it just so happens that I have a little pair of feet that will need to be adequately covered “joining” the world smack dab in the middle of October! SO, why not switch things up a bit and make this Socktoberfest my chance to celebrate the little feet of this world, specifically the ones of my new niece-on-the-way, who we are calling “Baby V”. (By the way, look how cute my sister Mimi looks!)

Baby knits are like a huge knitting well that I only peered in to previously… but now that I am knitting for one on a regular basis, I am finding endless supplies of inspiration.  So many innovative and adorable patterns!  The booties posted above are a wonderful modification of the well-known Saartje’s Bootees knit by saganaga- but seasonally themed for autumn.  Since Baby V will be joining us in the autumn, it seemed just right!  I loved them at first sight!

Other favorites and potentials for my Socktoberfest selections:

• Knit Monster Booties
• Baby Moccasins
• Angel Booties (PDF link)
• Blue Steps (PDF)
• Basic Baby Socks
• Mim’s Baby Socks

…and there is a whole lot more where that came from!  I am hoping to use up some of the leftover sock yarn and make them extra special with little touches.  I especially love the Moccasins with the little embroidery!

So, are you up for another year of sock celebration?  Would you care to join me?

I would love to hear about any plans you have for socks!

My sister’s due date is still a few months away – early October – but I am doing my part to make sure that Baby V is well-outfitted after her arrival!

“Fleecy Niecey” cardigan
Pattern: Baby Raglan (free pattern)
Yarn: Fleece Artist BFL Aran, “Cosmic Dawn”
Needles: Size US 8

I bought this lovely variegated yarn in Nova Scotia last summer - Fleece Artist is made in Nova Scotia, so what better way to think about my trip than to knit with the yarn I bought there?  Now the little cardi will be boxed up and sent to California for Baby V.   I was hoping to have longer sleeves on this, but I simply ran out of yarn – I didn’t want to make it any shorter, so it is a short-sleeved wool cardigan… yeah, I know…  My plan is to find a jewel-toned onesie for her to wear underneath – my little niece will be quite hip with the layered look.  I modified the pattern a bit here using seed stitch in place of ribbing and also turned down the collar.  I may add a button or pick up a cute pin or snap to match this… still deciding.

Using the same pattern, I made this slightly more summery version of the cardigan – little bit longer sleeves too!  I picked up the adorable watermelon button to match the marled pink yarn – RYC Cotton Jeans in “Sierra”.  I did use ribbing, as the pattern calls for, on the neckline, the sleeves, and the hemline. 

The pattern, like all top-down raglans, is so easy to knit and to modify.  Of course the small size of these make them such quick knits, and a great way to bust through some skeins of yarn from the stash.  Planning to make many more like these – perhaps a whole rainbow of them!

Knitting for baby is definitely fun – but I also enjoy knitting for sisters… and I  thought that Mimi deserved a nice garment too!  Her birthday was last week – and I am typically behind in my good intentions – but I started a beautiful Kim Hargreaves pattern for her:  the “Ruby” cardigan from the Breeze collection.  The wide open neck line is definitely the eye-catching factor in this piece.  When I picked up the pattern book a few months back, this (and the corresponding pullover “Rose”) was among my favorites in the book – one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.  When Mimi and I were discussing it recently, I sent her the link for the pattern and she liked this one the most too.  I love the chance to make something for her that she loves as much as I do!  We decided that a belted cardigan would be a good idea right now during pregnancy and after the baby is born - lots of options and easy to remove.  Plus, it is flowy, drapey, and has a nice shape.  I particularly love the frills of picot stitches on the edges. 

I cast on with Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed and immediately started the front left panel of the cardigan.  More progress since this initial shot too.  Garter stitches and simple stockinette – simple and beautiful