Poppies for Remembrance

The Canadians and the British are two countries that use the Poppy as a symbol for Remembrance. I find that very fitting in my life, as I have also always associated this beautiful, natural flower with some very important people in my life. 

Just recently we lost someone very dear & close to us. I knit up a few of these poppies for people very close to me...to help them remember others in their lives as well. 

I plan to attach pins to the back so they can be worn as a lapel. This simple pattern turned into so much more once completed. It was an easy challenge as a knitter, but a wonderful outcome!! This is what knitting is all about!!!

-m

Maggie's Robin Hood Jacket

I set out with a pattern in mind, actually it was more like a challenge in mind...I didn't think I could pull this one off, but a friend of mine at work made me promise to at least try. The pattern: Zoe Mellor's Robin Hood Jacket! The task was not going to be easy...it's riddled with cables, a skill I had so far, not learned, and it was not my usual pattern. By that I mean, each line wasn't written out for me, telling me what my next step was...that was hard for me to get over. But again, that friend, was able to write out every step of nearly the entire pattern! And she's only been a knitter for a number of months!! I was totally impressed and ready to go.
Eventually I hit a snag in motivation, when I realized it would be ages until I had a little person to wear such a garment. Until...my sister's friend, Megan, asked if I could make her 3 yr. old a cardigan. I was so happy at that moment, I knew that the Robin Hood Jacket would be perfect for Maggie!! It gave me a whole new reason to finish the piece and a thrill and excitement I wasn't even ready for. It may sound cheesy, but when I first saw the picture of little Maggie smiling away, wearing the cardi I made just for her, it lit me up inside!! I've never felt such a rush of accomplishment before now, especially when it came to my knitting. Pure Happiness!! I don't want to sound overly confident, but I think it turned out pretty dang cute for having only just taught myself most of the necessary skills for the pattern. But in honesty...cabling sounds intimidating, but it's actually really easy, and kinda fun!!!
Hope you like it, too!!

mab

Storm's New Sweater

It's been quite some time since last I posted any projects that I've done. Well, as the time has passed, a few projects have come and gone, but most recently my project was to knit a new sweater for our recently adopted friend, Storm! She is a blue doberman with very fine blue/gray hair that reflects light with a bluish tint. I made her a quick knit sweater from the Lion Brand Yarn website, but I used a "stash" yarn meant for blankets/afghans...needless to say, it stretched out so fast that she can't wear it anymore, and I needed to get her a new one fast! I found this pattern on www.ravelry.com, a site that I'm a member & huge fan of. It is called the Side Button Greyhound Sweater, and fits Storm perfectly...I almost hope, not too perfectly, I want her to be able to move well enough, you know. If I knit her a back up, I think I'll go a size up on the waist band just to be sure it has enough breathing room. But now our little girl #2 has a new blue sweater to match her blue body!! Isn't she lovely??!!

Teddy Bear's Picnic

I found this pattern on Lion Brand's site and had to knit it up! It was composed entirely of garter stitch knitting and whipped up rather quickly. At first I was a little hesitant to make the project since there weren't any posts by other knitters for it. However, I jumped in anyway, and loved the final result so much, that I made a Polar Bear version for my sister who is pregnant, and happens to love polar bears. For that one, I used a thick, downy Homespun yarn in an almond sort of color and some black yarn that I double crocheted for the ties. I've thought about toggle buttons for the closer of the hoodie, but didn't have any on hand. Oh well, I thought...it still looks quite cosy and warm! My only problem with knitting so many baby clothes, is not having a model to try them on yet!! The hood looks rather large to me on the pattern, but I haven't a model to test it out on...not for another 7 months, at least! The multi-hued hoodie is for a 3-6 month old, while the Polar Bear hoodie is more for a 1 year old. After all, the baby is due in July, and I wanted to make sure it had something that would definitely still fit by the time the cold months came around. I rearranged the pattern a bit the second time as well. I made the two front panels to fit a 2 year old, because I didn't think they closed close enough together. The final result should fit around a 1-2 year old just fine, and hopefully will be able to be warn at least 2 seasons...in SLC!
All in all, it was a fun, simple pattern that turns out quite adorable! I can't wait for that model to arrive!!!

We all start little sometimes!

This is the very first garment I have ever knit...I gave it as a present to an expecting mother. It was such a tiny sweater, fit for the tiniest of persons, to keep them warm out of the womb, and comfort them. We all start little sometimes, and I would like to think there was a little "Naturally Nice" sweater there for me in the beginning! I got this pattern off of the Lion Brand Yarn website, and started right up...with only a little trepidation on my part. (I had never knit anything in real 3-D before...only scarves and blankets), So this was a new undertaking for me. Intimidating to say the least!! However, the plans are written out so nicely, and easy to put together, that I couldn't help rush through it and make another right away! I changed the called for "seed stitch" border to a knit 1, purl 1 ribbing, and I think I like the result much better. It gives the sweater a sort of collegiate feel, almost like it would look more suitable with suede elbow patches as well!!
This was my "starting little" project, and I hope to follow it up with several projects that make me twist my brain into difficult positions and really make me think! I hope for good things this year with my knitting, and with my new blogging adventures to boot!!

Down the Rabbit Hole

I just finished him...I don't really even have a name set for him yet, but tomorrow he will begin a new adventure of his own, with Grandpa! This past Christmas I received a knitting book that changed my life, so to speak, it was a how to knit toys book...one that I've been wanting for ages, too. "Itty-Bitty Toys" by Susan B. Anderson is the exact book. I love every pattern on every page, and when I saw the bunny...I just couldn't wait to try it! I even made him with a size UP in double pointed needles (size 6 US) because I didn't have any size 5 US dpn's. I found my stash of white yarn and went "to town". I must say, making this bunny was one of my first adventures outside of regular scarf/hat/afghan territory, and it felt amazing!! For the first time, I was jumping in to a new pattern needles first, not knowing what to expect, but hoping for the turn out to look somewhat presentable :) He did!! Perhaps, I will name him George, after Grandpa...
Anyway, I highly recommend this knitting book if you have any interest in starting to knit toys. The patterns are very well written and make complete sense. And if you're anything like me...if you can't figure it out, there's always youtube!!! Happy knitting to you all!!