The Last Layette for Knitwits- #63

 This is a bittersweet post. I have made the last layette set for KnitWits. I'm done. I joined KnitWits in 2007, about a year after I'd closed my needle craft shop. I remember my first project. I knit a blanket using 2 strands of yarn-one red and one white- from my stash. I used the infamous Beginner Diamond Dishcloth pattern that just about every knitter learns about at one time or another. It's been around forever. It originally was a free pattern put out by a yarn company that came on the back of the label. If you use size 10 or 11 needles and knit with 2 strands of worsted weight yarn, it makes a cute baby blanket.

I'm going to miss having the group so much, but I also see knitting projects for me and my family in my future too. I've already got the patterns and yarn and I'm getting excited about it. But first, here's Layette Set #63.

Cardigan

Pattern: Little Coffee Bean Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith
Size: 6 months

Yarn: Loop and Threads Impeccable Glitter
Content: 97% Acrylic/3% Metallic, worsted weight
Color: 12310 Ultra Violet

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Parakeet

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 9780 Robins egg

Needles: Circular size 7 and 8

Started: October 12, 2023
Finished: October 25, 2023

Comments: I've used this pattern before. It's just been awhile. Instead of following the stripe pattern that's in the pattern, I decided to do something different. I found a Random Stripe Generator online. I fed in the 3 colors of yarn I'd chosen and the parameters of stripe size, 1-3 rows, and used that for the stripe pattern in this little sweater, which turned out to be rather fun! 

I did switch colors on 2 of the stripes in the middle to make carrying the yarns up the side a little easier. I love the result!

I was seriously lacking in fun buttons in my stash, so I settled for these basic pale purple ones. I just wasn't willing to drive into Coeur d'Alene for some buttons. It doesn't show much in these pictures, but the dark purple yarn has a shiny metallic purple thread in it.

Hat

Pattern: Baby Hat by Scarlet Taylor

Size: 6 months

Yarn: Loop and Threads Impeccable Glitter
Content: 97% Acrylic/3% Metallic, worsted weight
Color: 12310 Ultra Violet

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Parakeet

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 9780 Robins egg

Needles: Circular size 7

Started: October 26, 2023
Finished: October 28, 2023

Comments: This was an interesting knit. It was a little confusing the way it's written, but it's a free pattern, so you get what you pay for. I put a pompom on top of it. I used the Clover pompom maker. I think it's an awesome tool.

 

I made cords at the end of the earflaps so it can be tied on under babies little chin.

Booties

Pattern: Seamless Garter Tassel Booties by Karen Strauss

Size: 6 months

Yarn: Loop and Threads Impeccable Glitter
Content: 97% Acrylic/3% Metallic, worsted weight
Color: 12310 Ultra Violet

Needle Size: Circular 7

Started: October 29, 2023
Finished: October 29, 2023

They're knit as written in the pattern. No modifications, except the buttons behind the tassels.

Blanket

Pattern: Shell stitch

Size: 30 by 36 inches

Yarn: Loop and Threads Impeccable Glitter
Content: 97% Acrylic/3% Metallic, worsted weight
Color: 12310 Ultra Violet

Hook: Size G

Started: October 30, 2023
Finished: October 30, 2023

I hope the parents who receive this for their baby like it.

For the last few months it's been a real struggle doing my blog posts, or anything else I've done with my laptop. It became difficult to highlight and copy or cut something with my mouse. I, of course, assumed it was my own fault. Well, I was super frustrated the other day when I was trying to cut and paste and it just wouldn't work. I decided maybe it was an out-of-date driver, but there was no update. My husband, who can hear me muttering and exclaiming in frustration, asked to see my mouse. The left button was broken! My new mouse arrived today. Yay! 

It's not purple. It is pink. The model I purchased didn't come in purple. Function was more important than color this time.

I bought a Logitech mouse, Model M650. It's so nice. Smooth and quiet and actually does what I want it too. I am very happy with it. 

Live long and prosper. \\//

Last Hat for Knitwits

 One of last months finishes. Turned it in Wednesday at our last KnitWits meeting. I'm going to miss that group very much. Anyway, the hat.

Pattern: Two Color Hat by Andrea Wong
Size: Medium Adult

Yarn: Assorted Leftovers
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Black, Dark Sage, Purple, Royal Blue, White

Needles: Circular size 7

Started: October 4, 2023
Finished: October 7, 20223

The pattern calls for just 2 colors. I just thought I'd use more. It's an interesting pattern. After the ribbed cuff, there are a couple rows of purl. Then it's stockinette for the patterned part, then purl after the patterns are done. It needed to be blocked harder than usual because the purl sections made the hat kind of wonky.

I have finished my last layette set for KnitWits too, but I'll do a separate blog post for that.

We've got a new resident in our yard hanging around the buffet. Isn't it beautiful? The beak is such a pretty shade of pink. This is a very rare bird! We are so lucky to have seen it.

It's a House Finch with Leucitic, or perhaps Albino, coloring. It showed up a couple weeks ago with a few normally colored finches. We thought they may be passing through, but seems like they're going to stay awhile.

We had an absolutely frigid week last week. Got way below freezing. The Marigolds are thoroughly dead. Now it's warmed up a bit and we're getting lots of rain today. Might get as much as 3 inches.

Early in October (or was it late September?) I saw my regular doctor. My feet and ankles have been in a lot of pain for months now. X-rays were done and we found out I have arthritis in my foot joints and ankles. It's making it very hard to walk. Sometimes the pain wakes me up at night. I've been using Tylenol. It helps. I probably need to take something stronger. I should make an appointment about it.

I have an update for the sick kitty, Merino. He did not get better after the vet visit a month ago. So I took him back to the vet and spent an enormous amount of money for tests. Everything showed he was healthy as a horse. So X-rays were ordered. Found out the problem! He has arthritis in his lower back and it's been so painful it's making him hold his pee and poo in an effort to avoid the pain of going. Unfortunately, he can only hold it so long, so he lets go where ever he happens to be at the time. 

We put him on pain killers. Wow! What a difference. He's his old lovey dovey self again. He's stopped peeing outside the box. He is eating again and starting to gain some weight. He hasn't stopped pooping outside the box yet. I replaced all three litter boxes with new ones because we thought he might be associating the original boxes with the pain. He's been trying to poop in them, but is still dealing with constipation. I praise him when he's trying, and scold him when he uses the dining room floor. Hopefully, this will change. It's probably just going to take time.

They have a new pain killer for cats that is just one shot a month. I asked the vet if I could have some of it in my ankles. She laughed, and said no. 😞 It's not been approved for humans yet. Yet! That gives me hope.

Now that KnitWits is done, I can get serious about the Christmas knitting. I've got 3 pairs of socks to do. I'm going to give each sock a week. They all should be done in time if I do that. I better get busy, so until next time...

Live long and prosper. \\//

Another Hat For KnitWits

 Finished this a few weeks ago. 

Pattern: Basic Norwegian Hat by Cara Jo Knapp

Size: Medium Adult

Yarn: American Thread Company Dawn Sayelle
Content: 100%  Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Bluebell

Yarn: Joann's Big Twist
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Black

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Saffron

Needles: Circular size 7

Started: September 6, 2023
Finished: September 9, 20223

Comments: Trying to use up some of the yarn leftovers from Layette sets. By the way, this is a great pattern for a beginner in stranded knitting.

Not real happy with the above picture because I took it with the join line in front. I usually put it in the back, out of sight. I was in a hurry. Oops. I need to learn how to knit in the round without the jog. The inside looks good though.

I've already turned it in, so no new pics.

It's raining today, after having a glorious 75F sunny day yesterday. I took most of the chair cushions in for the winter, but two were wet so I left them figuring I'd let them dry out and put them away today. I'm wishing I'd checked the weather report. Now they're really wet! The day has been very dark and dreary. I've been doing house work and laundry. Blech.

My Marigolds on the deck are still going strong.

I was looking as some old pictures and found they were still in bloom in the beginning of October last year too. Maybe this is going to be a more permanent change in our weather. I would like that because I could grow tomatoes.

Live long and prosper.\\//

Layette Set #62

Another set for KnitWits. 

Cardigan

Pattern: Baby Striped Hoodie by Me (Not available)

Size: 3-6 months

Yarn: Carons Simply Soft
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Robins Egg

Yarn: Main Street Yarns Shiny + Soft

Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Deep Purple

Yarn: Unknown Metallic Yarn
Content: Acrylic with Metallic thread worsted weight
Color: Teal

Needles: Circular size 6 and 7

Started: September 12, 2023
Finished: September 26, 2023

Comments: Glad it's done. I've written down lots of notes on this in the hopes I can write it up and reproduce it.

The buttons are just plain pale green.

I am very proud of the hood. I figured out how to pick up stitches along the neck edge and knit it from the bottom up. Doing it this way just gave me one seam, which I joined with the 3-needle bind off on top.

All the edge borders are done in Seed stitch.

Booties

Pattern: Seamless Garter Tassel Booties by Karen Strauss

Size: 3-6 months

Yarn: Main Street Yarns Shiny + Soft

Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Deep Purple

Needle Size: Circular 7

Started: September 27, 2023
Finished: September 28, 2023

They're knit as written in the pattern. No modifications, except the buttons instead of tassels.

The Blanket

Pattern: Shell stitch

Size: 30 by 36 inches

Yarn: Carons Simply Soft
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Robins Egg

Yarn: Main Street Yarns Shiny + Soft

Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Deep Purple

Hook: Size G

Started: October 3, 2023
Finished: October 3, 2023

This fabric features very cute Narwhals, considered the Unicorns of the sea. They are a real animal in the ocean. Their horns are actually a front tooth, which I find fascinating.

I thought this was going to be the last set for KnitWits, but it turned out I had a whole yard of the blanket fleece. I get two blankets from one yard, so one more to go. 

KnitWits last meeting will be in November. It will feel so weird not doing it anymore after that. I joined the group in February 2007, I think. Might have been March, but definitely in 2007.  All I had at home with me was my dogs and cats. It had been over a year since I'd closed my store and I was longing for human contact during the day. 

When I joined there were over 70 members. We supplied much needed clothing and blankets for about 14 different organizations, and our output was over 2000 items a year. Sometime along the way, I was put in charge of the fair entries for the group. It was a pretty big job at the time. I remember taking 6 huge plastic boxes full to enter that first time. Then the gal who was doing the monthly newsletter had to stop coming so I volunteered to do it for awhile.

I'm going to miss it a lot, and now I'm going to have to figure out what I'm going to knit.

Our weather has been nice the last couple weeks. Just a tad cool most days, but it's going to be in the 70's this weekend. Everything with leaves are changing color. Autumn is in full swing.

Winter is coming.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Layette Set #61 for KnitWits

 This is the second to the last layette set I'll be making for KnitWits. I'll be making one more and that will be it because we are in great need of adult hats, so I'll be going into hat mode. Here's set number 61.

Hoodie Cardigan

Pattern: Bee Hoodie by Me (Not available)

Size: 3-6 months

Yarn: Big Twist Value by Joann's
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Pale Yellow

Yarn: Big Twist Value by Joann's

Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Black

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Saffron

Needles: Circular size 6 and 7

Started: August 15, 2023
Finished: September 6, 2023

Comments: Glad it's done. I do like that shade of yellow.

I decided to do the hood striped. I love it! It's so darn cute!

I love the way the stripes meet on the center back seam too.

Of course, I had to go to Joann's and get another package of bee buttons. Got the last one.

There are two shades of yellow, though the difference doesn't show much in the photos.

This is how the back looks when all put together.

Booties

Pattern: Seamless Garter Tassel Booties by Karen Strauss

Size: 3-6 months

Yarn: Big Twist Value by Joann's
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Pale Yellow

Needles: Circular size 7

Started: September 3, 2023
Finished: September 3, 2023

Comments: I made a whole pair in one day. Took about 4 hours.

Thought I'd post a pic of what the soles look like. You start with Judy's Magic Cast On which makes it look seamless.

The Blanket

Pattern: Shell stitch

Size: 30 by 36 inches

Yarn: Big Twist Value by Joann's
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Pale Yellow

Hook: Size G

Started: September 4, 2023
Finished: September 4, 2023

Well, I'm done with the bee fabric. Next one will be Narwhales. I have half a yard to use up.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Norwegian Mittens Have Something To Say

Pattern: Norwegian Mittens for Mimi by Anna Mazzarella

Size: Ladies Small/Medium

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Brights
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Tapioca

Yarn: Everyday Worsted Prints by Premier Yarns
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Carnival

Needles: Circular size 5

Started: July 5, 2023
Finished: August 12, 2023

Comments: I'm not happy with the results of using a variegated yarn for one of the colors. There was a shade of white in it that kind of messed things up a bit. I've learned something, so that's good.

I like doing mittens with different patterns on the front and back. The front is a statement.

"Look at me! I'm pretty!"

On the inside: "lets not waste our time with something fancy because hardly anyone will see it anyway. Besides, this is the side that will get dirty."

Close up so you can see the detail. Simple diamonds.

Then there's the thumbs. "Ah ha! Lets draw some attention to the thumbs! How about flowers?"

Yay for Norwegian mittens!

Live long and prosper. \\//

Layette Set No. 60

A couple of months or so ago I was at Joann's looking for something (I forget what) and came across some bee buttons. They were so cute I had to get them. Well, then I need fleece with bees on it, and some yellow and black yarn. I made The Bee Set.

The Hoody

Pattern: Bee Hoody by Me (Not available)

Size: 3-6 months

Yarn: Big Twist Value by Joann's
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Pale Yellow

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Black

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Saffron

Needles: Circular size 6 and 7

Started: June 5, 2023
Finished: July 22, 20223

Comments: I wanted to make a cardigan with a hood, instead of the usual cardigan and matching hat. I watched the bees visiting my flowers in the yard to get an idea for the stripes. We have at least a dozen different bee species living around here, from very large to very tiny. Some are very aggressive, and others don't even have stingers. It's fun watching them buzzing around gathering nectar and pollen.

The buttons that started it all.

I put a couple antennae on top. Just a couple i-cords sewed on. I wish I had a model to put this on. You could see the antennae better.

The Booties

Pattern: Seamless Garter Tassel Booties by Karen Strauss

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft

Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Black

Size: 6 months

Needles: Circular size 7

Started: July 24, 2023
Finished: July 27, 20223

Comments: I actually knit this as the pattern is written. I had 2 buttons left over from the cardigan, so I put them on the booties instead of tassels.

The Blanket

Pattern: Shell Stitch Edging

Size: 30 by 36 inches

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Black

Hook: Size G

Started: July 1, 2023
Finished: July 1, 2023

I like how it came out. I plan to write the pattern for the hoody.

Fire season has begun. One started east of us yesterday near Hayden Creek. Today two fires have started in Post Falls on the south side of Spokane River, and one started in Coeur d' Alene near 4th and I-90. There's also one that started a few days ago just a bit northwest of us. Authorities are speculating there might be an arsonist running around setting them because we haven't had any natural events, like lightening, to start them. It's pretty scary. I hope they don't decide to start one on the Parkarosa. It's super dry and it's been in the 90's all week. Doesn't take much for a fire to get out of control in these conditions.

A fire started in Rathdrum last Sunday in the brush beside the railroad tracks behind Bi-Mart. We drove by it just as it had started and I could not believe how fast that fire grew. Fortunately, people immediately started running toward it and worked to put it out. The fire department showed up very quickly and it was dead within a couple hours.

Which reminds me, we had a small structure fire in Lakeland High School yesterday too. I've never seen so many firemen in one place before (they were all gathered in the parking lot). They got it out quickly. I guess it was started by faulty equipment or something of that nature.

My biggest fear is a fire starting on our place. We have rain in our forecast for the weekend. I hope it happens cuz we really need it. We could do with a day or two of cooler air too. 

I worked on the new cross stitch, Flamingos, all week. On Sunday I worked on it for a few hours, only to discover I'd used the wrong shade of pink. There are two symbols: \ and /. I didn't notice and did both symbols in one pink. Took me just as long to frog as it took to stitch it in the first place. I have now colored all the squares with one of the slant lines in pink colored pencil so I can tell them apart. There's two other similar symbols, < and >. I should color one of those too.

Now I was worried I wouldn't have enough of that pink because it was so hard to get it out without it shredding and they only give so much in a kit, so I hauled myself to Joann's and found the matching DMC color. Yay! Now I've got a whole skein of it, so no worries.

Live long and prosper. \\//