Earflap Hat with Tassels

First I want to thank you so much for all the wonderful book selections. Some we knew about and others were brand new. It will be so much fun exploring new books with my kids and re-exploring the ones I read a million years ago! We really appreciated it.

On to knitting....
Winter is just about over in most parts of the country and everyone is gearing up for Spring weather and spring knits. I however am on a quest to ensure we have enough winter accessories for our summer ventures. We camp a lot in the summer. It is either high desert or high mountains and while both offer beautiful daytime weather the nights can get very cold. With that in mind I decided to knit up some hats for my kids with little ear flaps to keep them warm. I actually made my own pattern....

This photo shoot was punctuated with a lot of, "honey can you please stand still so I can take this picture?"

The answer was a "yeah okay but how about I stand up here and show you how I can hang over like this?"
Me: Great, just please hold still. Reply: I am holding still. I just think you'll like it better if I move over here and hang this way.

Many, many photos later we got some that actually showed the hat instead of just her hair whipping behind her. I was also instructed that the paint on her cheeks isn't just paint it's a shamrock drawing for St. Patrick's Day.

I used Cascade Superwash 220 and I loved it! It is soft and easy to work with and will hopefully keep the kids warm. I am already working on one for my daughter (this hat is for my son) in pink and purple because those are her favorite colors.

I have the pattern all typed up and ready to share as soon as I get approved as a designer on Ravelry I'll post the link.

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Bedtime

My daughter has been peppering me with questions about when she will be old enough to read a "grown-up" book. I was very excited at the idea of graduating from the same old books we always read to chapter books. I have been buying up books and setting them aside for when she was old enough pretty much since she was born. I chose this book to start our inaugural chapter a night book. I got the idea for the tote from Soulemama and started out with the directions from her book The Creative Family. I kind of veered off course from her pattern a bit and used inspiration from sewmamasew and this post here.

She is going to store her jammies and book inside so everything is all together.

I also sewed up a little bookmark to match her bag. I cut two pieces the size I wanted and put a layer of double-sided fusible interfacing (the thickest I had) inside. After sewing it up with some ribbon at the top I ironed it, and the interfacing stuck to the fabric.

I realize that the time I have to read to her in bed at night won't last forever. I wanted to make it special for both of us.

What other book recommendations do you have for a four year old?

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Super soft hoodie

Here is the super soft hoodie ravelry link here. Loved knitting it. Love how cute she looks wearing it. I used the the Knit Picks recommended crayon boucle yarn and size 4 circular needles. The yarn is 100% cotton so it will be a great hoodie for spring.
I don't know what it is with my kids but it is so hard getting them to sit still for photos. The minute we got outside it is all running all the time.


A brief standing still while she searches in her "purse" for the frog she is pretty sure she brought out with us. Who doesn't have a frog in their purse when they go out?

We added flower buttons because that is what she picked out. Important for her to have a little ownership don't you think?

This was super fast and I already have another one on my needles for a friends little girl who turns one this month. Have a fantastic day.

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Jack Hoodie

Finished in time for the end of winter here is the Jack hoodie. Aptly named since my son is also a Jack.
First I want to acknowledge that it is too big for the kid but that was done on purpose. It seems overnight my children grow a size in clothing so I knit this one size up in the hopes that he will still fit in it next winter.

I will definitely knit this again. It was very fast and easy. The stockinette was a bit boring but since it's so small it goes quickly. The pattern shows the hoodie knit up in rows of color. Next time I think I'll do that. I did an all blue version this round because I had the yarn in my stash and wanted to use it up.

Last summer when I first started blogging I got a teensie bit obsessed. I found so many beautiful blogs full of beautiful knits that much like the first flush of any new love I went out and immersed myself in it. I bought patterns, magazines, knitting books, and yarn. Mind you my yarn stash is probably hysterically small to someone like the Yarn Harlot but I don't want a lot of 'extra' lying around. I have enough to clean and keep track of with my kids so I really only want enough yarn around to work on a few projects at a time. So the first part of 2009 will be whittling away at my stash until the baskets I have on a shelf in my closet can contain it all.

I want my knitting in 2009 to teach me new things. With this pattern I stitched in my first zipper and I learned that I don't like doing it :)

I knit the hoodie with Nashua Handknits Creative focus superwash, the key word being superwash. No way am I knitting a hoodie for a toddler that has to be hand washed because it would never get worn.

The pattern is the Jack hoodie and can be purchased here and raveled here. I used size 6 circular needles and made the size 4. Knit all in one piece to the arms the hood is knit separately and attached after (would alter this next time).

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Mardi Gras

Living in the west as I do we are not celebrators of Mardi Gras. Be that as it may it is still a good excuse to make some masks and a King Cake. I found this quote on a website for Mardi Gras

"Mardi Gras is a time for families to celebrate and spend time together. A mask and costume allow a masker to transcend his or her everyday life and construct a new self along with a lot of other people doing the same thing". More or less being trapped indoors with two small children who wouldn't want to celebrate and possibly transcend his/her everyday life?

I found the download for this mask at Skip to My Lou here and although my daughter didn't feel like modeling one for a photo we had a lot of fun with glitter, markers, stickers, and crayons.

Now being that we are a G-rated household there will be no Mardi Gras beads :) but we did make a King Cake (link to the complete history of King Cake). Recipe found here

We mixed and kneaded and came up with this dough that had to rise....

We rolled the dough and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar......

The dough was then rolled into two tubes and wound around together where we then hid the baby. Whoever gets the piece with the baby will have good luck for the next year.

After it was cooked and icing was liberally spread it was decorated with as many colors of colored sugar I could find. My daughter wanted it to be a rainbow cake so a rainbow cake it was.

Even if you don't celebrate Mardi Gras where you live I think it is still a good excuse to make a cake and some masks and escape your everyday life a little bit.

I have also officially cast on for some socks....

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Sweet hearts

Last night we decided to add a little something to all of the valentines that are being taken to school. Something full of sugar with no nutrients :) I found the recipe for these little treats here.

A few simple ingredients and some time to let them dry out and you get these fun little heart candies.

Thank you all for your encouraging comments about the cardigan. I was so upset when it shed and pilled all over the place but it sounds like I'm not the first nor the last knitter to find herself in that situation. I am going to go to my local knitting store right away and find a stone or razor or something and then curl up on the sofa tonight and see if I can't clean that sucker up. I hope you all have a fabulous day!

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Neckdown Hooded Cardigan

I finished this cardigan right before Christmas. I have been waiting and waiting for the one armed man (my husband) to be able to photograph me in it. Alas it isn't to be for a little while longer and I wanted to post. I attempted some photos outside wearing the cardigan by myself using the timer and they were bad so we'll have to make do with these.

Let's talk about the pattern for a bit shall we? It is knit from the top down which is fabulous as you can make it as long or short as you want. It is knit in all in one piece and you pick up the sleeves at the shoulder and knit them from the top down in the round. The not having to seam anything is really great. To finish you sew up the back of the hood and sew in all your loose ends. The stockinette stitch is repetitive but soothing and is great for watching movies. It is really comfortable and warm but I have a problem.

The yarn.......see this? What the heck?

It sheds and I think the term is pills all over. I used berroco ultra alpaca yarn in a brown and I am not pleased with how it is wearing. What do I do? Is my only recourse to never use this yarn again? Any suggestions out there?

Pattern: Neckdown Hooded Cardigan ravelry link here
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca
Needles: size 8 circulars

One last thing, The Craft Crow is having a giveaway so head on over here to check it out :)

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