I can crochet!

I finally decided that crochet is a skill that all knitters should have, and I gave it a try.  YouTube has been a wonderful resource.  The problem with it, as with most things on the web, is weeding through all the crap to get to the really valuable information.  I have learned three stitches:  single crochet, double crochet, and half double crochet.  I can reproduce these at will, but have not learned how to integrate them into a pattern or alternate them in a row of crochet.  Right now, all my crochet projects are rectangles!  I hope soon to be able to read a pattern and make something besides squares, but at least I can pick up a hook and make a credible item.

The picture below are my two most presentable squares, alternating rows of sc, dc, and hdc.  The towel is the Retro Rib kitchen towel.  All of these are in I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby.  I think it is the best cotton yarn available from any box store.

More doilies -- I keep cranking them out!

I decided to try a doily in Number 3 crochet thread (equivalent to fingering weight yarn) to see how many rounds would create what size doily.  This is the Sternbluten pattern, available on Ravelry.  It is 90 rows deep, and measures 25" across.  So, by my calculations, I will have to find a pattern of about 300 rows to make a tablecloth for my 60" dining room table to have some overhang.  And I will have to put some extra lengths on my interchangable needles!

It is photographed on my stovetop.  Not the most pleasant backdrop, but the best I could do at 11 p.m.

Glad when someone appreciates handmade gifts

I made this jumper for my friend Kim's little girl Maddie for her 5th birthday.  She's the princess of Disney (her mama being the queen and grandma the queen mother of Disney!) so giving her Eeyore only made sense.  We met them for dinner last night, and when Maddie took the jumper out of the bag, she was so excited she asked if she could wear it to school tomorrow.  Then she reconsidered and asked if she could wear it then.  So we pulled it on over her clothes, and she walked around the restaurant modeling it for the other diners!  She's a dear child, and it is so lovely to have someone excited about my handmade presents.

Preparing for the arrival of Baby Boy Bybee

Or as John likes to call him, Arlo.  I hope that Hilary and Kyle like the outfit.  And if not, I hope they are brave enough to say so, and I will donate it to the pregnancy crisis center.

This sweater design is very popular for newborns, hence its name, Puerperium (newborn)
I think the duck buttons are the perfect finishing touch!

Baby blankets .. and more baby blankets

Our oldest daughter Hilary and her husband Kyle have announced that they will be adding a baby boy to our family in March.  This has me in the baby blanket mode, and I have done 3 patterns that are all different from each other and from the normal baby blanket.  None of these are blocked yet because the youngest daughter has not returned my steamer that she borrowed to steam out the wrinkles from her wedding dress.

The pinwheel blanket measures over a yard across, and was knit from 3 skeins of Caron Simply Soft.

The center-out blanket is done with a skein of Pound of Love.  It was the closest to a non-traditional baby color that I could find.  It measures 26" across. (I am not sure what the "best" size is for a baby blanket, so I'm making them how I like.)

The eyelet blanket was done in baby yarn from Big Lots, and $2.50 for 2 skeins, which I did not use all of to make this 24" blanket .  I am told that the yarn that is sold at Big Lots is name-brand manufacturer yarn that Big Lots buys from the manufacturer and re-labels, since they are not allowed to sell it under the manufacturer name.  Whatever the deal, this is the softest baby yarn I have used in a while.  It reminds me of Plymouth, which I used to make a baby sweater for my friend Kim's Madison when she arrived 4 years ago, and I loved the stuff.

Knits for (f)all seasons

I saw the pattern for these cute pumpkins and had to try it.  They were like Lay's potato chips:  I just couldn't stop at one.  The skein of Caron Simply Soft that I had in Mango made 8 of them, so I gave away several.  Then I realized I had some knitted and crocheted pine cones (thanks, Covered in Prayer crocheters) and some knitted leaves, so I put together a centerpiece with all my fall fiber, and added some cinnamon-scented pine cones.

Thanks for the encouragement, knitting group

Although I miss my every Wednesday knitting in Cheyenne, (Cindy, are you there?) I have enjoyed being back to my monthly group in Jeff City.  They have been very encouraging to me in the past few months, and the camaraderie is wonderful.  One of the projects I had started last month was my pink socks.  It is simply a twisted rib stitch, and I used the sock generator guidelines from Liat Gat, toe-up-2-at-a-time.  They are really leg-hugging, so I didn't worry about much of a cuff.   Since the yarn was Lion Brand Sock-Ease, where the label says "one ball makes a pair," I took them at their word and knitted until I ran out.  Less than a yard left from a 438-yard ball.  That's the beauty of toe-up, you just knit till you run out.  Many of the gals were interested in how the stitch worked, so here's pics: