Almost everyday we go for a walk and are lucky enough to live by a paved path that does a nice loop around a river and over a dam. Along the walk are parks, crew boathouse, and a little pond teaming with frogs and turtles.
The other day we set out with nets in hand to catch frogs. On the way we got caught in a rainstorm that passed just as we pulled up to the pond (so no pics of our adventure). A bit soggy we got right to work and I caught two frogs. Both boys loved it. After that the frogs got wise and I set about randomly swooping the net though the water. Much to my surprise I got a huge tadpole. I have never ever seen one in real life. It was the size of a small lime with a fishy looking tail and frog eyes.
Why am I telling you all this? Well when we got home Loki asked him I could please knit him a "tagpole". So I did.
The secret to getting your kid to wear what you made without any bribery.
Let them help you. From choosing the colors right down to the buttons. At least that's what I did and I can hardly get the thing off him.
I think I need a new camera
You may notice , since I let him make the choices, that it's not exactly to my liking and the buttons are a hodgepodge. We have a strawberry, train's and race cars Oh My!
Excuse the fuzziness, but I had to show his pouty lip. A result of not being able to look at the pictures immediately.
The Low Down
Pattern: Kinda made it up with guidelines from this pattern for size and cast on.
It's knit seamlessly from the bottom up then divided in 3 for fronts and back and to shape the armholes. I picked up stitches for the buttonbands, armhole ribbing and neckline.
Yarn: The multi colored yarn is from a fiber fair (not sure what vendor) and the red is brown sheep lana loft leftover from Loki's hat.
Recognize the yarn from these? Leftover from Birthday Bear!
Better late than never is really a saying I use too much but it's so applies to many things I (eventually) do. I made these socks for Loki as a result of teaching a two at a time, toe up, magic loop sock class (say that three times fast) this past January at Knit Around Yarn Shop here in Ann Arbor.
The low down:
Pattern: Custom as you go
Yarn: Koigu Kpppm
Gauge: not important, tried on as I went.
Techniques: Figure 8 cast on, short row heal , magic loop
I'll be teaching the class again in May over 2 Saturdays on the 14th and the 28th 10-12 class fee is only $35!
So when I found out that Budgie was not top down I knew that I was going to make two from the start. One mostly as written found here in part 1 and the other "from the top"! I bought yarn for both sweaters at the same time. As soon as I was done knitting the 1st (noticed I did not say "finishing") I moved on to figure out how the heck I would convert it to be a top down totally seamless venture.
NOTE: I totally just "cowboyed" this whole dang thing (which means I made it up as I went. Although when I looked it up on line to see if other people use this term, it has a whole different meaning. Mine is better and I'll stick with it) so don't go thinking I actually know whats going on. Mine turned out really great for me. Sure you can kinda tell where the increases are but I must confess I did not block this sweater. When it was done it went right into use because kids grow up faster than I can knit!
That being said here is how I went about doing the pattern from the top for size 18-24 (both sweaters are the same size)
The down and dirty details: Size: 18-24 months (it's in this post twice because I forgot it in the last post. Oops!)
Gauge: 21.3 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
: US 6 for main body US 5 icord trim Yarns: (Color A)Fibranatura Yummy 1 skein in grey dawn (370 yards)
For this version I played with adding buttons instead of using a zipper. I think I prefer the zipper but those fish were just too darn cute.
With Color C cast on 51 Stitches and knit 5 rows ( 3 garter ridges) Break yarn and join Color A
**Working in Straight Stitch and switching between colors A and B every 2 rows
1st increase Row (RS) K3, *M1, K2; repeat until last 4 stitches* M1 K4 (83 sts) P row in color A. Join color B (do not break color A)
Work 4 rows in pattern **
2nd increase (RS) K2, *M1, K3* (110 sts)
Knit 9 rows in pattern
3rd increase (RS) K2, *M1, K3* (146 sts)
Knit 11 rows in pattern
4th increase (RS) K2, *M1, K4* (182 sts)
Knit 8 rows in pattern
Sleeve row: knit 27 sts, place 36 sts on a piece of scrap yarn or holder, knit 56 sts, place 36 sts on a piece of scrap yarn or holder, knit 27.
Knit until desired length in pattern. I personally prefer to make my sweaters for kids and babies a bit on the long side. This way it covers their back when they reach up and play. I never understood why many store bought sweaters and sweater patterns are short and boxy.
You will end as Budgie begins although backwards from working 2 rows in MC to the bind off. You will do the contrast bind off instead of cast on. *NOTE If this does not make sense I'm sorry but I really wanted to be careful not to put the whole pattern up here. I am working on the assumption that you already have the Budgie pattern and are just looking to modify it for top down.
Sleeves:
Working in Straight Stitch in the round and switching between colors A and B every 2 rows
Place 36 sts from hold onto needles Pick Up 8 sts (44sts) from armpit area ( I'm bad at this part but I fix any holes when I weave in ends)
Knit in pattern until the sleeve measures 3 inches from armpit
Decrease round 1: K2, Ktog, knit to last 4 stitches, K2, Ktog. (42 sts)
Knit in pattern for 11 rounds
Decrease round 2: K2, Ktog, knit to last 4 stitches, K2, Ktog. (40 sts)
Knit in pattern for 11 rounds
Decrease round 3: K2, Ktog, knit to last 4 stitches, K2, Ktog. (38 sts)
(Done with decreasing) knit 11 rounds than finish as the sleeves begins but use contrast bind off instead of cast on. (*see note after end of body)
Finish as for zipper in Budgie or with buttons if you choose!
Wow, that was a lot of typing. I hope if you do try following these directions that all goes well. I did knit a second top down budgie and it was also fine. Good Luck!
A soon as I saw the pattern for Budgie on Grumperina's blog I though it was the pattern I had been searching for. Finally a baby item with a zipper! Yippee!
I quickly downloaded the pattern and read through it so I could gather my yarn and needles to start right away and then ... BAM! In my mind it was a top down seamless sorta thing with the amazing addition of a zipper. No, sorry, it is a bottom up patten and the sleeves are knit flat.Ok, ok I am not going to let this stop me because the sweater is too darn cute.
I decided to follow the pattern with one minor exception: I knit the sleeves in the round using the jogless stripe technique from TECHknitting. I felt confident in my ability to pull this off since I used this very same technique during my pant madness last winter.
The down and dirty details:
Gauge: 21.3 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
: US 6 for main body US 5 icord trim Yarns: Fibranatura Yummy 1 skein in grey dawn (370 yards)
Liliy Chin Gramercy 2 skeins in light blue (254 yards) Elsebeth Lavold Cool Wool 1 skein in orange (109 yards)
It can't be! It's not for lack of projects that I have been away once again. I am spending ton's of time knitting and sewing and planning projects. This leaves me with little motivation to hop on the old computer. I also just got an Iphone (my husbands hand me down, but Woot!!! just the same) and, well, it's just so easy to do the basics (email and facebook for me) that my computer has been getting a bit dusty these days.
I whipped up this very basic ear flap hat last month. The weather is only just getting around to being cold enough that it's needed.
"No, no don't eat the leaves Astas!"
The Details of said whipped up hat:
Main Yarn: Baby Alpaca Grande Trim yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Gauge: 3.5 stitches = 1 inch Needle: 10
Ear flaps were knit 1st (at the same time) then I cast on stitches in between for the front and back. It was knit in the round using magic loop. The trim is a basic crochet edge, the leaves are free hand embroidery and the top is a simple tassel. All in all less than a day to make from start to finish!
or how I've missed blogging for nearly an entire season.
Where did the time go?
We Swam. We went to a fair or two.
Have you heard the song by Jane's Addiction from my blog title "Summertime Rolls"? The slow rolling melody reminds me of how my summer floated by. It was lovely and I am in total denial sitting here in jeans, fleece jacket and slippers. This is also my excuse for not blogging. It was so perfectly warm or HOT and well just so darn summery that I could not force myself to sit down and plunk out a few posts.
Even with all this summertime fun and laziness I was a busy crafty Mama. I have so many projects in so many states from just started, needs a zipper to all done that I have lost track.
My older son loves birds and little things he can hold in his hands, so I made him this: Knit Details:
Modification: Instead of knitting the head separate from the body I picked up stitches from the body for the head (if that makes sense?) I also did this for the beak. I made the wings a tad bit wider and longer to account for curled edges.
They have actually been knit for several weeks, it just took me forever to get the motivation to felt them. Of course now that they are done Loki wants nothing to do with them.
I had to bribe him to put them on so I could take a picture:
Mmmmm yummy peppermint JoJo
These were made using a double strand of Lanaloft in the color marmalade . I still have plenty left and have already started in on a pair of mittens. Yes, I am still starting new things without finishing old things.
