Is my dress done? Is my dress done? Mommy, is it done?

First of all, see that tiny little baby in my profile picture? ---------->

Could she POSSIBLY be growing any faster??

Secondly, the dress I have been sewing for her is finally done. It's amazing how something so simple can be so complicated, especially because I haven't used a sewing machine in over 15 years, and even then I only made one thing. It wasn't hard once I got the machine up and running (requiring a run to a bunch of sewing stores since I had lost a bunch of parts to MIL's old machine somewhere along the way) and once I got the hang of sewing, but it did seem to take forever!

On the plus side, she loves it. It's a bit big, which is better than too small. Here's the facing (so snazzy, pity it's on the inside!) and the back:

So overall I am very pleased and ready to try a new sewing project!

Fancy schmancy!

These are for my aunt who has helped me out a lot in life and also has helped finance my upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon. She says she likes forest green, so this shade of KnitPicks Parade is perfect!

For the pattern I cobbled together a chevron lace pattern found in Knit Socks! with a sock pattern I purchased that uses worsted weight yarn and slightly bigger double points. This lace on size 1's, no thanks! Size 5's make for a much quicker project. The Parade is close to worsted weight anyway.

You know, this may just be the most challenging thing I've made and I had no problems with it at all, which shows how much progress I've made. Not only did I adapt a pattern to make it more complicated, it was a sock pattern with lace, so the stitch count and repeats were crucial throughout. I'm pretty proud of how they turned out.

The original pattern in Knit Socks! did use self-striping yarn, but I think the outcome on bigger needles is a bit busy. It would be interesting to try these socks in a solid color. They took me only a few days apiece, so I'd tackle them again!

Wait a minute...didn't I say just a few entries ago that I was buying my socks at the store from now on??

Monsieur Petit Lapin du Chenille

First, Lion Brand Velvetspun is evile to knit with. Emphasis on vile. It's fat and yet so smushy that it makes your fingers tired. Plus there is that whole plasticky non-cotton chenille thing going on.

However, in mere moments it can be coaxed into knitting an adorable bunny blankie such as this one. It is very soft and this was so quick and easy, I'd definitely make it again in a different yarn, perhaps. I'm no embroiderer (embroidress?) but winging the face wasn't too hard since at least I've cross-stitched before.

There is a pattern for this at the Lion Brand website, which you can find here except that of course you have to type in a whole ton of personal info now to get to the free patterns which frankly I find freaking annoying and I bet you do, too.

Monsieur Petit Lapin du Chenille is for my sweet friend Gwen and her baby who has been dubbed McScreamy. I tried to make McScreamy a hat and sweater and that was a total fiasco, which will make another blog entry. Tune in again!

Other WIPs at the moment--ribbon tank for Rosie, currently only one row which does not a ribbon tank make, a sock-and-a-half in lace for my aunt, and my endless socks on two circulars in KnitPicks Dancing which is like knitting with string, as well as something I'm SEWING on a MACHINE. Go me! It's a dress for Rosie and I'm very proud of it so far. I haven't sewed since high school. 

Remember ribbon barrettes??

I figured everything else from the 80's has returned, and I have this adorable blond pink-loving, hair accessory-loving (sometimes) kid, so why not make some of those ribbon barrettes we were all obsessed with circa, oh, 1983?

My hair was thin and never looked all that great in the barrettes, but I had a bunch anyway. They were always in that shiny satin or grosgrain ribbon in contrasting colors...

Directions online? But of course! I heart the Internets.

From left to right: traditional, preppy, and experimental (tried some tape yarn along with the ribbon.)

Close-up of preppy style--this is 1/4" ribbon instead of the thinner stuff. If you only use one color you only need one yard-length of ribbon but you'll wind up with two tails instead of four.

On the "experimental" one, that is also thicker ribbon, and that tape yarn was a bear to weave. I need a better method. I recall that in the 80's the process was quite refined. I'll have to think about this and make it easier.

Some notes if you try this: Each of the matching pair of barrettes should have the streamers going in opposite directions. Also, I do recommend the thinner ribbon--it was so much easier! Had trouble finding it at the store though.

Good luck! These are fun!

Never knit after surgery...and buy socks at the store!

So I had my gallbladder out last week, which turned out to be no fun at all. I'm feeling mostly back to normal but my brain function is low, which is extending the extended sock drama I've been dealing with.

Backing up a second...I made a pair of socks (the blue striped ones out of KnitPicks Parade) from the top down a few months ago. One came out a bit too baggy and after repeated washings the ribbed top was totally stretched out.

I wanted to rip it out backwards, from the cast-on edge, decrease the number of stitches and knit it back up to the top and bind it off. I asked some experts if it was even possible to knit backwards. They said, "Huh?"

Bravely deciding to give it a shot, I picked up all the stitches halfway down, then started from the cast-on edge. Got one row unpicked and realized it wasn't going to frog from that direction.

So I went down to a row or two above the stitches I'd picked up and snipped the yarn, then carefully undid the row so the foot of the sock and the ankle of the sock were separated.

I frogged the entire ankle of the sock and balled that yarn, then reattached the right end to the tail left above the needles where I'd cut the yarn (that's why you have to do it a row or two above the needles.)

I knit it back upward and it looked like it was that way all along--no line where I began or anything. I guess knitting goes both ways.

So it looked pretty nice...but then at the top I didn't do enough ribbing. Couldn't STAND that the socks didn't match at the top, so I now have to let every other stitch run down, pick it up in purl all the way to the top, and OH HECK.

I'm buying socks from the store from now on.