Autumn Leaves Cardigan

On my needles: The Puerperium Baby Cardigan

I can't help myself.  I love to knit baby sweaters and have a long list of patterns I want to work.  This one by Kelly Brooker of Knit So Quaint has been on my mind for a while.  It's designed for the newest of newborns - hence the name puerperium.  (The six weeks post birth)

It's a tiny little thing, so it may not be worn a ton.  I view it as more of an heirloom - and something made with love that can be worn home from the hospital!

Free pattern available here.

The Sunnyside Baby Cardigan

I was SO thrilled when I found Tanis Fiber Arts' pattern and beautiful hand-dyed sock yarn at the 2012 Vogue Knitting convention in NYC.  Hand-dyed yarns with a bunch of wild colors are not my thing these days, but I go crazy over hand-dyeds that are sort of monochromatic.  I love subtle color changes and how they vary from slightly to very saturated in color.  Tanis really nails it.  And her free pattern for the Sunnyside Cardigan is exactly what I was looking for.  A simple cardigan with some cabling.  I needed something that is unisex since this one is for a "mystery baby" as I like to call them - my new niece or nephew who is due at the end of April!  As you may have noticed from the placement of the buttonholes, I am guessing it will be a BOY.

Visit Tanis Fiber Arts for your copy of the free pattern, and treat yourself to one of her incredible skeins.  I chose the Purple Label Cashmere blend sock yarn in color Dove.  See Tanis' amazing palette of colors here.

xo -k.

(Featured on CRAFTgawker.com in March 2012.)

Update: Child's Hooded Cardigan Sweater

I worked this one in Berroco's Peruvia Quick - 100% Peruvian Highland Wool in color Olive.
Sizes 2T, 4T and 5-6T.

On My Needles: Child's Hooded Cardigan Sweater

Another Bella Shrug

Since the Baby Janes don't require a ton of yarn, I knitted this shrug with the remainder of the Manos de Uruguay silk blend yarn.  My brother and sister-in-law picked it out for me while they were in Marfa, a wonderfully quirky town in Texas.  If you love the silk/merino blend as much as I do, I bet you can find some at a LYS (local yarn shop) or order some here from PURL in NYC.

The pattern is sized for 3 months all the way up to child size 12(!) and is one of the most well-written patterns I have worked.  I get a ton of compliments on this shrug.  I bet you will too.  The pattern is available here on Ravelry and is WELL WORTH the $5 bucks for the download.

Let me know how it goes!  (Not a knitter, coax that aunt who knits to work one up for you!)

And here is baby Bella herself modeling the original Bella Shrug.  She's just the cutest thing!!  Thanks to her mommy for sharing this photo.


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Meet the Mariner

The Mariner Pullover from Interweave Knits magazine, Weekend 2010 issue.
Sizes 6-12 months...all the way up to women's extra-large!

I knitted this one in Kraemer's Perfection Worsted yarn in color Fauna, a pale grayish-pink.  It's adorned it with mother-of-pearl buttons.  Perfection is a superwash merino and acrylic blend.  Machine wash, tumble dry.  That's perfection in my book!

The stitch pattern running down the front is Half Linen Stitch and requires a technique called "short rows" - something that is common is when knitting socks.  The sleeves are worked as cast-on extensions of the body, so when you bind-off, there's very little sewing to be done.  For those of you who have knitted the One-piece Baby Cardigan, this will sound very familiar.

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Bella Baby Shrug

Knitted in Anzula Luxury Fiber's For Better or Worsted. 
Hand-dyed in color Mulberry.
Made with love for baby girl Kaplan, due in April 2011.

Want to learn-to-knit this shrug?  Baby and child sizes
2 or 3 classes, dependent upon experience = $50 or $75 + supplies

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Happy Valentine's Day!

I Heart You Mini-Sweaters:  Each insanely cute Mini-sweater fits in the palm of your hand. I knitted this set as a gift for my mom to hang at Valentine's Day. They're also adorable when adorned with your loved ones' first initials or snowflakes and hung separately as ornaments for the chilly winter holidays!  

On My Needles: The Chirp Baby Sweater

The Chirp Baby Sweater

Knitted in Kraemer Perfection, a merino wool and acrylic blend in chirp color. This is a great yarn. It is soft and washable - perfect for a baby, or pretty much any project. It comes in a ton of beautiful colors that you can view at kraemeryarns.com

The Chirp is worked on long circular needles. The body is one piece, and then sleeves and a hood will be added. The bottom edge is called garter stitch, the main part is called stockinette stitch, then you can see it goes back to garter stitch for a few rows, and now I'm beginning the upper portion that's done in a bumpy pattern called seed stitch.

If you have an interest in learning this project, just let me know, and I'll do a class. All you need to know to start are the knit and purl stitches!

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