Caleb Liam - First Completed Quilt!

It's been over a year.  If you've been following this blog at all, you've probably been wondering what happened to The Quilt I made for the new baby.  Well, here it is.

Quilting had been seriously difficult.  Seriously.  I tried to machine quilt in stipple, and ripped it all out.  I tried long arm quilting at the local store, and never really got a chance to try, and finally gave up.  Then, after another few months, I finally decided to give in-the-ditch a try on a sampler hot-pad from stash fabrics.  I gave in a cheater binding, took a deep breath, and began on the quilt.

Over a month later, I finally had the result.  I quilted on my home machine in-the-ditch for most of it, and then made a quick triangle-like pattern for the linking blocks that I repeated in the border.

The quilting ended up being a little bunchy on the edges, but a friend let me use her basting spray for the borders, which I understand is cheating, but it made such a huge difference and I absolutely mean to use it next time!  Besides, it was my first quilt, and instead of ripping it out for the third time, I decided to let it go!


I wasn't sure what to do about the label for a long time, since there are 3 other kids in this generation that I'm making quilts for, in order to catch up for all the new babies, and I wanted to include true birth dates, but also dates of completion.  I eventually decided on the design you can see below, which had the added benefit of fitting on scraps of Jelly-Roll strips.

I also used Jelly-Roll Scraps to make a scrappy binding, and I love that!

Anyway, let me know what you think!  And I can't wait to give this to the little one!

Baby Slippers (& Headband)

 Last week, I posted about the slippers I made for my lovely roommate when we first moved in.  Well, it's been almost two years since then, and right about now that lovely lady will be giving birth to her first baby, a little girl, and I can't wait to welcome her into the world.

Right now, Cindy lives quite far away, so I wanted to present her with something that would ship well, but also show love.  And then it hit me.

Of course.  Slippers!

After much deliberation, I decided on a baby-slipper crochet pattern that was vaguely similar to the one I had made for Momma two years before, and whipped it up so I could get it out in the mail.

But they were so tiny.  And small.  It needed something more.

After some more searching, I found a headband pattern that matched (enough).  After swapping out the flowers so they all matched, I packaged them up to ship off to the lovely new gal!

I hope she likes them!  And I hope they fit!  Everything always seems smaller than it should be when I make baby sizes...

Ravelry Project: Booties
Ravelry Project: Headband

Soft Slippers

Almost two year ago, now, when I moved in to my apartment in the heart of the Inner-City for the last bit of my formal education, my roommate and I began a great relationship.  We had known each other casually before moving in, and had a mutual friend who was to take the third bedroom, but she bailed, and we began a semester where we had far too much space, far too many police calls, and outrageous heat bills, and lots of fun.

That first week, when we were settling in and waiting for the real work to start, I was (as I am now) trying to use up my yarn stash.  I had recently completed all of my bridesmaids shawls, wasn't sure yet what to make for everyone else, and saw a cute slipper pattern on ravelry, so I whipped up a pair for Cindy.

Originally, I had intended to make one for myself as well, but life soon got in the way, and I worked furiously on other projects for the wedding, and never quite got back around to it.

The other day, I asked Cindy to snap me a few pictures of the slippers, which she gladly did, and I decided to post about them.  Don't worry, you'll understand the sudden relevance next week!

Ravelry Project

Linen Skirt

Unfinished Skirt at Stitches

This skirt is not actually made out of Linen yarn, nor does it use the Linen stitch, but it feels like Linen to me, and I like the name and texture, so it stuck.

I started this skirt back in October, after I got some yarn from Nicole in exchange for dog-sitting.  Following the Carnaby Skirt pattern, which is gorgeous, and I had been looking for an excuse to make a similar skirt, and here was this lovely yarn!

I added 4 stitches to the skirt to increase the length by one box-stitch repeat, and did 17 repeats of the pleats, but when I blocked it, it ended up being 6-8 inches too long around the waist.

I tried to fix this by only attaching one button, hoping that it would curve out and work well.  It didn't, but I wore it to the second day of Stitches WEST anyway, because I could, but never wore it again.

Until recently!

With the advice I got from my SnB-ers at Stitches, I decided to add some extra single-crochet rounds to the top to make it fit better.  The pattern had already called for two, so on going back, I started with the third, in which I did a single-crochet-2-together stitch in the center of each pleat.

I followed this with another single-crochet only band.  Then, on the next row, I did a single-crochet-2-together at each end, and also did a chain-1 and skipped a stitch to make an extra button-hole.  Ending on another single-crochet only band, I added the buttons, and I absolutely love the result.  Fits beautifully!

Ravelry Project

Sophie's Universe CAL - Part 18

This will be the last official post about the Sophie's Universe CAL.  In her pattern, Dedri ends the "official" CAL at Part 18, and continues with a few other optional add-ons, such as granny squares, surface crochet, and optional borders.  I chose to keep it simple and stick to the basic pattern, as I have so many other projects I'm working on.  To me, it seems that Sophie abruptly ended her yellow side, and so I'll probably incorporate some in a border, perhaps from my border book, but again, I'm using the yarn for other things, so that will have to wait.

So, today, I present to you my completed Sophie's Universe!  (I will probably block this week, but right now I'm cat-sitting for a friend, so there isn't any space.)

I used:

• Round 110: Avocado (21 g)
• Round 111: Sienna (31 g)
• Round 112: Coral (28 g)
• Round 113: Wine (56 g)

Yarn used to date:

• Avocado: 208 grams
• Sienna: 991 grams
• Caution: 105 grams
• Coral: 109 grams
• Cornflower: 101 grams
• Fairy Tale: 102 grams
• Orange: 105 grams
• Solstice Heather: 106 grams
• Tidepool: 90 grams
• Wine: 121 grams

• Total: 2 kg, 38 grams



• Part 1: 20
• Part 2: 39
• Part 3: 86
• Part 4: 125
• Part 5: 159
• Part 6: 146
• Part 7: 139
• Part 8: 150
• Part 9: 113
• Part 10: 97
• Part 11: 79
• Part 12: 85
• Part 13: 109
• Part 14: 146
• Part 15: 165
• Part 16: 89
• Part 17: 153
• Part 18: 136

Ravelry Project
Sophie's Universe CAL Main Page

Vladimir the Aggilator

Meet Vladimir the Aggilator.  Vladimir the Aggilator has a buddy named Rob, who happens to be a good friend of mine.  Vlad takes Rob everywhere he goes and they always have crazy adventures and take pictures together.  It's a delight to see.

Recently, Vladimir had a sad day, in which he fell and broke his leg.  Like a good friend, Rob gave him immediate medical attention, and he is back on his feet and doing well once again, but I decided a get-well gift was in order, and so I knit Vladimir the Aggilator a get well sweater.

I hope he likes his gift (and more importantly, I'm glad it fits!).  Below, I'll write a quick synopsis of the technique I used.  Since it's probably not an exact pattern anyone would ever want to repeat, I'll write it more as a concept, explaining how I created it, in hopes that others could recreate the process.

1. Find your measurements.  I knew that I wanted the end result to be about 8cm in circumference and 4.5cm tall (2.5cm to be below the armholes, 1cm for the armholes, and 1cm above the armholes).  I also knew that I wanted the "back" section to be slightly larger than the "front" section, as far as armhole placement, so I approximated 4.5cm on the back, 2.5cm on the front, and .5cm for each arm hole.  I used these measurements to place my buttonholes and armholes.
2. Cast On and Knit the First Rows.  Using the Channel Island Cast On, I cast on 44 stitches (about 9.5), and throughout the entire body, I knit in a P1K1 rib, following the Cast on ridges.  I chose to do this because the ribbing would give if my measurements were wrong, and the extra 1.5cm could be used for a buttonband.
3. Make a Button Hole. On the fifth row, I k2tog over the 5th and 6th to last stitches, and on the sixth row, I knit 5 stitches and then did a yarn over, making a button hole for my 1cm buttons.  Work 4 more rows.
4. Bind off for Armholes.  On the fifth row after the button hole, work 10 stitches, cast off 2, work 20 stitches, cast off 2, work 10 stitches.  Work the next 4 rows only in the section before the bound off stitches.
5. Create and finish Armholes.  Using the other end of the yarn, attach and work 4 rows across the section between the armholes.  Cut and repeat with the final section.  
6. Create the second Button Hole.  Return to original working yarn, which should still be attached, and work across, casting on 2 stitches over each armhole.  On this row, you should k2tog for the second button hole, and on the following row, yo.
7. Finish Body.  Work 4 more rows and bind off.
8. Make Sleeves.  Pick up 10 stitches around armhole and work in stockinette stitch for 4 rows.  Bind off.  Repeat for second armhole.
9. Finishing.  Weave in ends and attach buttons.

Ravelry Project

(For those of you wondering, yes, I used scraps, so this was a Cold Sheep project, and yes, that's the same Rob I made the cowl for, which he happens to be wearing!)

Doesn't he look so happy in his sweater of love?  <3

Sophie's Universe CAL - Part 17

Having received the shipment of yarn for my Sophie's Universe CAL this past Thursday, I immediately got to work finishing it up.  However, on Friday after work, The Mister and I skedaddled to some much needed time away in the mountains, at Pinnacles National Park.

I brought my Sophie to keep working on her, but I forgot my hook, and when you're in the middle of nowhere, you can't just run to the store.

Fortunately, on our way to the other side of Pinnacles to do some different trails on Sunday, we passed through a decently sized town with a Joann Fabrics, and I jumped in to grab a hook, so Sunday night I was able to finish Part 17.

(However, these pictures were taken before I completed Row 109, because I just had to take pictures with to sunset on the balcony of our AirBnB.  Isn't it gorgeous?!  And can you tell we're in a drought?)


I used:

• Round 105: Sienna (19 g)
• Round 106: Sienna (45 g)
• Round 107: Avocado (25 g)
• Round 108: Sienna (30 g)
• Round 109: Sienna (34 g)

Yarn used to date:

• Sienna: 960 grams
• Avocado: 187 grams
• Caution: 105 grams
• Coral: 81 grams
• Cornflower: 101 grams
• Fairy Tale: 102 grams
• Orange: 105 grams
• Solstice Heather: 106 grams
• Tidepool: 90 grams
• Wine: 65 grams

• Total: 1 kg, 902 grams


• Part 1: 20
• Part 2: 39
• Part 3: 86
• Part 4: 125
• Part 5: 159
• Part 6: 146
• Part 7: 139
• Part 8: 150
• Part 9: 113
• Part 10: 97
• Part 11: 79
• Part 12: 85
• Part 13: 109
• Part 14: 146
• Part 15: 165
• Part 16: 89
• Part 17: 153

Ravelry Project
Sophie's Universe CAL Main Page

Duct Tape Dress Form

Tape Slippage!

I previously alluded to a project I had asked for help with while at the STITCHES cabin, and here is the big reveal!

I decided to try my hand at a duct tape double.  The idea is to make a dress form exactly conformed to your body.  With a base t-shirt, you start applying foundation layers of tape in specific areas, and then layer it on, trying not to squish your body or contort it with the tape.  When you're done, you cut yourself out of the back, right through the shirt, and then tape it back up, plug up the holes, and stuff it.

Here's a few tips I learned while making my own:

1. If, for whatever reason, you need to use colored duct tape, buy extra.  Those rolls are small.
2. When you are stuffing the tape, put teeny tiny bits in.  Slide your hand up the sides and stuff the batting in as much as possible.  Fill out the breasts as much as possible.  If you don't, you'll get to the end and realize that they've gone concave on you, and then have to rip it open and stuff it again.  You'll use a lot more than you think you will.  A lot.
3. Don't use old duct-tape.  As you can see in my lovely examples, it slides off, and suddenly your double is stretching by multiple inches, or even popping at the seams.  Which happens.  You won't realize until you flip it over.  Check.
4. Don't have super high expectations.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  We're at a two-thirds success rate in the Stitchers group.  Live and learn.
5. Whatever you do, do NOT watch Silence of the Lambs right before you make this.  Just don't.  It's a bad idea.  You'll feel the scissors on your back and... just trust me.

Mending (and Not Sophie's Universe)

This week, I will not be posting about the adventures with Sophie, sadly, since I ran out of yarn.  I had to order more in order to finish the last few rows, and waited an extra week to see if I'd need more of any of the other colors, and then, I ran in to a problem.

You see, KnitPicks has free shipping after $50.

So I just had to get my order up to there, right?

A few hours later, and I've ordered well over $50 worth of yarn, and only half of it fit the Cold Sheep Commandments.

Oops.

I'll be back on the wagon this week, though, so hopefully we can make it through the rest of the year without having the yarn singularity occur.

And since I left you with no Sophie to show for it, I present you with a few mendings I've done recently - great for frugality and avoiding consumerism (which I clearly did not do a good job of above).

I have:

1. Re-attached (sloppily) the strap on my Carry on Bag



1: Carry On Bag

2. Mended a few slim strands on the bottom of my Little Bitty Socks

2: Little Bitty Socks

Hot Pad

I still have not gotten up the courage to quilt the top that I made back in May (yes, I do mean a year ago).

In the mean time, however, I have accumulated two more quilt tops and am working on my third.  (I decided not to publish each of those since I am trying to catch up, as I alluded to last week.)

So, with all of these tops stacking up, and the babies all born and growing older, I decided that I had to conquer my fears somehow, and whipped up a one-block sandwich with some scraps to practice quilting in the ditch.  Hey, I had to start somewhere.

I quilted it, did cheater binding, and decided I felt proficient enough to try to quilt for the third time.  (Yes, I have quilted a few blocks and then ripped it out a few times.  Please don't judge.)

We'll see how it goes, but in the mean time, here's out household's newest hot pad!


(Bonus points if you can figure out where the scraps are from!)