We don’t see many babies ’round these parts… so when one of my friends at work had a baby a few weeks ago, it was a nice opportunity to experience the quick fix that is baby knitting. I originally planned to make a pullover (I even started it) but after pulling it out again, I realized that it just wasn’t an enjoyable knit. So, I regrouped, and did the simplest thing. I knit some baby booties.

I used a simple T-strap pattern from the Summer 2007 issue of Knit Simple magazine. Matched it up with the cornflower blue cotton (Sugar ‘n Cream) and after one night of hockey, I had some finished booties. The little sailboat buttons seemed like a nice match! Little did I know that my button choice was the perfect match to Adam’s outfit at the baby shower today!

That’s right. His little outfit has a sailboat on it!

They seemed to be a hit. “Huh, Lauren made those?” “Lauren from the Archives?” “How cute!”

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There is another meeting of the DC Namaste Knitters this weekend! We will be knitting, snacking, and doing yoga:

Sunday, April 20th
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Capitol Hill Yoga
SE DC

Join us if you can!

I wanted to have a completely clean slate for knits in 2008, but I didn’t quite make it… although I got close. The only true lingering knit after I finished Kris’s pullover was the Komb Afghan. This is a big project knit, so I am not hard-pressed to finish it tomorrow. However, it does feel nice to see progress on it. I really enjoy the process of making these hexagons. I have professed to love Norah Gaughan’s patterns for years, but this is the first actual pattern I have made by her… and I am loving it. I love the whole “Gestalt”-ness of it: all the parts making up a whole.

I just finished the ninth hexagon of sixty.

I love how each hexagon is unique with the variegations of yarn.

…and because I believe it is good for the psyche of the knitter, I am also working on a few quickie projects…

The Twiggy Bobble Hat, knit in Alpaca Co. DK-weight. It is a beautiful yarn that was a gift from my sister and brother-in-law. The pattern is cute, and includes two things I really like: purl stitches and bobbles. The little stitch marker is a rosebud, and was a very sweet gift last year from Kimberly.

Baby Garter pulli for a co-worker’s baby that is due in March. I liked the little stripes and thought it would be cute for a baby boy. I am making the 3-month size, so it should fit just in time for the summer months. The pattern is from Vogue’s KnitSimple magazine, the Spring/Summer 2007 issue. I am using Sugar and Cream cotton in cornflower and yellow. Thank goodness for Flickr friends giving me advice on baby knits - I am planning to modify the pattern to add buttons on the shoulder to accomodate for big baby heads

The Calorimetries for my nieces were a last minute addition to the Christmas gift pool. Perhaps it was a quickie stashbusting solution or perhaps it was Auntie Lolly’s subversive way of countering all of the rampant consumerism and making a simple hand knit piece… or a little of both. Either way, the little headbands were a success!

M and K’s Calorimetry Headbands

Pattern: Calorimetry, Knitty Winter 2006
Yarn: K’s is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky (ivory) held together with a leftover Opal self-striping sock yarn scrap /M’s is Dale of Norway Free Style (eggplant) held together with a mohair glitter novelty thread leftover
Needles: Size US 6 needles

I modified the headbands to fit their smaller heads by following the notes from NuttyIrishmanKnits. I cast on only 80 stitches instead of the 120 called for, and only completed half of the short row repeats - I think I only did 7. I sewed small mother-of-pearl buttons on the back, and they fit both girls very comfortably. M even wore hers all day! (K is sometimes a little too rambunctious… can you tell by that silly smile?) K’s front tooth was barely hanging on… we thought we may be able to get her to sing “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth”, but it held on throughout the day.

It was a wonderful holiday with both of our families ~ with my family, it was the first time for all of us to celebrate together in many years - with the addition of my brother-in-law who is recently back from his year-long military deployment. It was the first Christmas to spend with him, and it was so special because of it.

~I do hope that your holiday was meaningful as well~

PS - Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband/life partner/best friend/photographer/”sounding board”, Kristopher~

I don’t have too many babies in my life, so the need for a baby knit rarely arises. I have seen many sweet patterns - booties, sweaters, baby pants - but when I saw the Mason-Dixon Knitting Baby Bib o’ Love, I knew that would be a knit to make. It’s the simplest of shapes and patterns, it can be customized with embellishments and fun yarns, and it is garter stitch. Easy, sweet, and a perfect gift.

…and now that I am confident enough in my knitting to actually give it away to people (it took me awhile), I thought this would be a really cute pattern for my co-worker’s baby-to-be. We are having her baby shower at work today, and I finished this right in time.

Baby Bib o’ Love
Pattern: Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Cascade Luna (cotton)
Needles: Size US8

She chose not to know the sex of the baby before birth, so I just took a chance with some greens and blues. I used this same yarn for the scarf I made for my International Scarf pal last spring. It is a great cotton that I bought in NYC at Purl Soho.

I actually chose a different button that the one pictured here. I didn’t get the chance to sew it on until this morning (cutting it close!) I went with a wooden button like the ones used on my Sesame Cardigan.

I hope my co-worker likes this one!

…now I get to work on some socks…