Getting my knit on

Ok so after a full year hiatus of picking up my knitting needles, I. AM. BACK. Honestly I was doubting if I'd even remember how to cast on. Turns out, it's like riding a bike. 

I just finished this little sweater/dress for Ellie. It's a size too big but at the rate she's growing I don't reckon that will be a problem soon. Pattern here.

See this flashlight? Goes with her EVERYWHERE! Especially the bathroom where she insists on sitting on the toilet with no lights on. And at night. And all day long. 

Ellie's hat: a pattern

Here is a super duper easy hat pattern that is simply adorable! For the record: I'm sure someone, somewhere has a hat very similar to this as it is SO basic, but since I made it from the lightbulbs in my own brain I'm posting it here. Enjoy! And please let me know if you see a mistake.

1 skein super chunky yarn

#8 circular needle
#8 double pointed needles.

Cast on 66 stitches with the circular needle.Join in round and work in 1x1 ribbing for 1 inch (or desired length for brim)
**Knit 5 rows,
Purl next row**

repeat ** for 4 inches (or desired length to crown)

Decrease: (switch to dpn when it becomes too tight)

*K9, k2tog* (repeat * 6 times). You now have 60 stitches

Knit row

*K8, ktog* (repeat * 6times). You now have 54 stitches

Knit row

K7, k2tog (repeat * 6times). You now have 48 stitches.

Purl row

K6, k2tog  (repeat * 6times). You now have 42 stitches.

Knit row

K5, k2tog (repeat * 6times). You now have 36 stitches.

K4, k2tog (repeat * 6times). You now have 30 stitches.

K3, k2tog (repeat * 6times). You now have 24 stitches.

K2, k2tog (repeat * 6times). You now have 18 stitches.

K1, k2tog (repeat * 6times). You now have 12 stitches.

K2tog (repeat * 6times). You now have 6 stitches

Cut an 8" tail and weave through rest of stitches, close up tight and secure yarn from inside hat.

You're done!

A brief pause for some creative cultivation.

Lately I've shyed away from my somewhat faithful practice of blogging that has taken place over the past couple of years. It's because my good old friend Spring came to town (metaphorically, not my actual childhood friend). And when Spring comes some people clean. This year I was overcome with the overwhelming urge to MAKE STUFF. I had to make stuff! But the thing with me, as you may or may not have noticed, is I have a ton of ideas, but the follow through is more difficult to achieve. But nonetheless I have almost painfully prevailed with finished products, and oh so many more unfinished ideas. This endeavor has literally turned our dining room into my own personal art studio (thanks Mike) which even now looks like this. (Oh, yeah, and disregard the big box of Cheerios, aka God's best way to buy yourself another 5 minutes of baby distraction).




So thanks to a random selection of books that just happen to be at my local library as I scoured the shelfs for some creative ideas, I've decided to try my hand at printing. Which makes up for much of the mess. So far the only things not remotely embarrasing are these: some batik prints and some onesies for Ellie and her buds.



And in between those I made this


and these Vanilla Soakers:

Creativity rules. Seriously. Now I need to manifest some sort of an art studio so I can spread out all my crap for real, not lugging out the old art bins in order to entertain a whim. OMG that would be divine. Not only the spreading of the stuff, but the getting out of the house to do things for ME. Now that I work nights that just doesn't really happen much. Not that I'm complaining, but you know, everyone could use a retreat.

Okay Universe, I've been a good girl. Hook me up!

Happy Birthday Hunter Hansen.

My cuz just had a baby, very sweetly named Hunter from our mothers' side of the family.
Anyway this baby isn't Hunter. This is my little stinker Ellie.
But these are Hunter's new soaker pants which I just made. Modeled by Ellie, who in all actuality is probably stretching them out, but I didn't have any newborn models to use. Anyway, soakers are cool! They are meant to "soak up" the spillage from cloth diapers. Pretty, huh? I got this pattern from my new Vintage Baby Knits book.



Ok you can't even see the soaker in the picture. But I just love that little face!!

Happy Birthday, Hunter! Congratulations mama Lindsey!

random collection of various unimportant items

I'm still reeling from our fabulous weekend getaway in Salida, CO. Reason for said getaway was our anniversary, and really what says romance more than packing up your family car to the hilt with child and various accoutrements? And timing your dinners and outdoor excursions with a napping schedule? And sleeping on the pullout couch because you don't want to wake up your child who is sleeping in the master bedroom in her pack and play? Ah, young lovebirds we are. No but seriously it was really fun. Mostly because it wasn't here, and we really do have a grand time together.

ice cream silouhette on purdy mountains? Yes please!

Ellie never looks like she's having as much as we are.

In other parenting related news, breastfeeding has become an "at your own risk" sort of venture. This is largely due to the perfectly formed, and sharp bottom and top teeth lining Ellie's oh so sweet little mouth. And the fact that when given a bottle she scrapes these pretty teeth all along the length of the nipple. She's loving these teeth, has even started to bite our shoulders when we pick her up. Uh. Oh. She's been good so far regarding being gentle with poor mom's milk producing nipples, but I won't tell you that it doesn't feel like I'm sticking my boob in a little tiny guillotine because it DOES! It just takes once, but so far we've risked it. Truthfully I'm feeling ready to end the book on breastfeeding but the little gal just won't allow it. So we continue, and the risk lingers on....Isn't she just perfectly plump? I just love her little baby chubbiness!!

I've been such a knitting fiend lately. I could literally spend hours just looking through pattern books, or touching my yarns, trying to envision what my next creation will be. It sounds dorky as all heck but all I know is it makes me feel more creative, and I am SOOO much happier when I'm creative. But I can see the addictive nature of this beast. I know when my baby is trying to crawl up my legs and I don't go to her because "I just need to finish this row" that maybe I should chill out. Or when I drop a very large chunk of change at the yarn shop when I clearly have more than enough yarn in my repetoire.I stinking love it. This is my newest finished product. Isn't it purdy? Pattern found here.

Well folks the sun is out! Which is kind of funny because last wednesday it looked like this.It's all gone now and we've busted out the shorts. But spring is nuts around here. Colorado is wacky I tell ya. Just wacky.

Um, yeah I meant to do that.

So I just made the Felicity hat (pattern by this very cool lady), and I think it looks pretty stinkin cute on Ellie. So, like, here ya go Ellie. A new hat for you. That I, um, sort of meant to make for me. Guess that's why you're supposed to [nasal voice] "check your gauge". Doh!

Baby legwarmers

These will keep any baby's cute little leg fat rolls nice and toasty in the winter months. And they are a breeze to make! I made up the pattern, and I don't write patterns but I will try. Even if you are a super beginner knitter, you can bust these out in just a few hours.

BTW, don't you just want to eat up this little boy's thighs?

Cast on 22 stitches. (I used a size 6 needle)
Rows 1-5: knit, purl, knit, purl etc
For the next 3 inches: get a larger needle (I used a size 10) and knit one row, purl next row.
For last 5 rows: knit, purl, knit, purl.
Bind off. Sew up in mattress stitch.
You're done!

hats off to easy knitting!

So in efforts to make some homemade gifts this year I've been busting out the ol' knitting needles, constantly searching for the perfect pattern: quick, easy, and a good result. And I have found it! These hats are so super easy to make, and you can finish them in about a movie and a half. The instructions are simple. Thanks again Martha!

babies

Babies, babies, babies!

I'm so blessed to be able to share this pregnancy with friends who are also pregnant. These little baby hats are so fun and easy to make. I can't wait to see the little heads that are going to fill them!

Success!

After that terribly pathetic first scarf that I actually had the nerve to publish on here, I have to say that I'm pretty happy with this scarf. And thanks to Martha Stewart and a weekend tutorial from my mom, I actually knit a hat! It took me about 4 hours but I bet a super good knitter could breeze through this tutorial. And thanks mom for teaching me how to make a pom pom. Pom poms are beautiful ways to handle your decreasing deficits at the end of the hat! As you can see, Mike got a huge one.


And oh look, here's Mike again. He's reading my first ever bottle of antacids because my newest pregnancy symptom seems to be painful, searing heartburn!

But I digress.