I've Got Knits :: Wet Blocking

In the short amount of time that I have been knitting again, I think I can say that I have moved from beginner to advanced beginner!  I didn't even know about blocking until I knitted this top and even then I didn't really block it or the red and the blue ones I knitted.   But I can't avoid it any longer! 

This hooded vest is also a Harumidori design.  See the beautiful little 'star tweed' on the hood and front?  Just adorable (and easy) but it is a smaller gauge/tighter tension than the rest of the garment and would benefit from wet-blocking.

I googled wet blocking and found that this is pretty much the process:

First step is to soak the vest in mildly soapy water (look at yarn label for water temperature) over night or at least a few hours.  Then roll vest up in a towel to remove excess water.

Lay vest out on towel and preferably over something firm that you can stick pins in (I'm using some foam)

Gently pull vest into shape and pin to the measurements given in the knitting instructions.

Allow to dry and there you have it!  The 'star tweed' is now not so tight and the vest is ready for buttons.

I wasn't so sure about whether there was a correct way to sew on buttons to a knitted garment.  Google, being my new library index, helped me out again by showing me this tutorial.

Sorry about the dodgy photos!

I would also like to mention that all the sales of this knitting pattern are going to raising funds for the designer's family in Japan who were affected by the devasting tsunami.  If you are a knitter please purchase or if you know a knitter who can knit this for you, purchase it.  I bought it before the tsunami because I really like the pattern.  It is so good to know that proceeds are going to a worthy cause as well.

And now it is all finished. I was hoping to give it to the young man I made it for over the weekend but alas that did not happen. It is amazing what one little text message on a Thursday can do to ruin one's weekend. I've been dealing with the fall-out from that message since then and was unable to attend the little man's party!

Gosh, been really feeling like I am letting everyone down lately.  Well, it is times like this that I recall Miss Stacy telling Anne Shirley of her own saying "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it".  I wish I had Anne of Green Gables on DVD! 

xxx

I've Got Knits :: A top for Ella

If you have stopped by here before, you would recognise this knitting pattern. 

I have run out of little girls to knit this for so this is the last one until that changes!  I gave it to Jen's little princess, Ella.  I thought her auburn hair would look lovely against the grey-blue of this yarn.

Ok, so now I am knitting for the boys . . . will show you more soon

xxx

I've Got Knits :: a beret for Niamh

I made a beanie for Niamh's little brother recently and thought that I would like to make one for her too.  Having never met Niamh, I asked her Mummy what her favourite colours are.  Yellow!  But I only had a small amount so I worked what I had in as best as I could (I'm still a beginner!).

My husband doesn't look at my blog, when asked he said: "I don't have to, you tell me everything".  Which is sad but true!  I told him that I can't speak in pictures so he will have to venture into my blog at some point!  And therefore, he doesn't know that I made our son model a girl's beret! Robyn-doll also wanted in on the action so she insisted on posing with it too.

I was recently told by a lovely lady who is teaching me sewing that a sign of a great seamstress is unpicking.  I hope this translates to knitting too. I knitted this beret Friday afternoon, then packed the kids up for a weekend in Forster.  When I came home Sunday afternoon I looked at the beret and wasn't happy with it so I unravelled about one third and reworked.  Now I feel much better.  This project was not on my list so I better stop deviating and get focused!

xxx

I've Got Knits : a beanie for a birthday boy



modelled by Liam


I knitted up this little beanie for friend's 3rd Birthday.  Such a quick knit and fun to do.  I have never done an i-cord and was delighted that it was very easy (don't you just love how it curls over at the top- makes a good loop to hang on a hook!).  And yes, like my other beanies, I got the pattern from this book.

Happy Birthday Ezra!  (Your party was heaps of fun too!)

xxx

I've Got Knits :: A beanie for a little girl . . .

This knitting bug has really taken hold of me.  How easy are beanies?!  Yay for beanies, a knitting-junkie's quick fix.  As I don't have daughters, my long time friend Robyn-Doll said she'd gladly step in as a model (what a good friend! She was a little dismayed at not being able to find her eye lashes though . . )

I got the pattern from this book.

I really like that three different stitch pattern combos, (rib, seed stitch and stocking stitch) make this simple beanie look fabulous.  But the cherry on the cake is the knitted rosette, no?  A very quick knit in the front and then back of the stitch creation.  I am feeling inspired and hope that this little feeling grows into full-blown creativity as I would love to design my own beanies!

I hope the little girl it is going to loves it as much as I do!  I might have to make an adult size version for myself.

Anything taken a hold of you lately?