Tag Archives: baby blanket

False Starts but Eventual Progress

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I have blogged about my desire to knit Jellybean a baby blanket before. I initially as going to use some Bernat Cottontots (a sadly discontinued yarn) from my stash. I pulled all my skeins from my stash and played with color combos. But given the yardage requirements for each hexagon….I just couldn’t come up with plan I was in love with. False start #1

So I hit Ravelry trying to see if I could grab up some Cottontots solids from other Ravelers. I must have sent out 10 message and got zippo in responses. People really want to hang on to this awesome yarn and I don’t blame them! So I expanded my horizons and took a look at Bernat Handicrafter Cotton. I was able to snatch up three mega skeins from a wonderful Raveler who was de-stashing. I eagerly waited for the package to get here! But once I got the yarn in my hands as wonderful as it was…..it wasn’t the colors I had imagined. And I just couldn’t bring myself to compromise on color. False start #2

So finally I hauled my ever expanding pregnant but down to my LYS. I’m ashamed to admit that despite opening in March….I hadn’t set foot in it yet. The shop is charming in style and the staff very friendly. But I was very disappointed with both yarn brand selection and color options.  The yarn was segregated by weight but it didn’t always have the same brands from weight to weight. But as a businessperson/accountant I can understand keeping stock to a minimum until you get a feel for what sells. Especially given the small space they have. But my inner knitter was a little miffed, lol.

But I digress. I didn’t walk out empty handed. I found some Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme. It’s 100% cotton but has a very soft hand. I ended up choosing a tan, pale green, teal, and bright yellow to match my crib decor. I was in love at first squish!

And it knits up beautifully! Check out my progress:

 

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WIP Wednesday: Catching Up

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Stashbustin’ # 22 still looks like this…

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Chart B is kicking this lace newbie’s butt! I either end up with my stitch markers in the wrong place or the incorrect number of stitches at the end of the row. The good news is that I am REALLY good at chart A, lol. I shall not be deterred by I may put this project aside for a few days to let my brain unmelt.

I have made some progress on my mindless and easy project. I have now tagged it my Stashbustin’ #23 project. This has been perfect knitting for unwinding after long theatre rehearsals at night. I think I can finally say that I can enjoy working with the chenille yarn. It takes some patience and it can really only be used in certain projects. But it makes a great baby blanket and I need to restock my emergency baby shower/present supply!

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I’m still addicted to knitting these cute tutus!! This pattern is addicting. And I found some adorable red, white, and blue ruffle yarn from Premier yarns. I plan on making a matching set for some college friends who have a two year little sweetheart and are expecting another pink bundle of joy in the fall. I am almost done with the newborn size and just need to make the 2-3 yr old size.

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So there you have it, the state of my WIP pile. My WIPitis is in full swing. I’m ignoring my Neon cardigan as it’s in timeout until my play is over.

What’s in your WIP pile this week?

A Special Package

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Stashbustin’ #6 or my Zig Zag Blanket is on it’s way to it’s new home!!

Some friends from college are less than 30 days to baby. I got a bit discombobulated with the new house and my last show so I didn’t get this in the mail as soon as I wanted. But I’m sneaking in under the wire. This blanket’s new owner is a fellow crafter and works mainly with crochet. So I know she will truly appreciate all the hard work that went into this blanket! I can’t wait to see what she thinks of it, and I can’t wait to meet their baby girl when she gets here!!

And I meanwhile am headed back to the big kid job this morning. I had a great week off and got almost all of my to-do list done. I need to grab a strong cup of Joe and hit the road or I am going to be late. It’s going to be a long day adjusting back to the daily grind…

Happy Monday!

FO Friday: Memory Blanket

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I was cleaning out my knitting storage and came across a surprise, my memory blanket I made in 2011! By 2011 my knitting had progressed from scarves to many many garter stitch baby blankets. At the time I had a slew of family and friends all having babies. It seemed that they would never stop. I think I made like 8 or 9 blankets in 2011?

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After all those projects I had a ton of random acrylic baby blanket yarn left over. It was all different colors and yarn weight and I didn’t really want to store it. So on a whim, I just cast on a whole bunch of stitches and started working. I knit until I ran out of one color and then started the next one. I finished the project shortly after Christmas. I distinctly remember sitting at my Grandma’s kitchen table playing dominos with the family and trying to knit the blanket at the same time because I didn’t want the project to run over into 2012.

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It’s not the best or prettiest blanket I have ever made, but it’s special to me. I can look at the various stripes an see all the babies I had knit for: Sofia, Bentley, Devin, Jackson, Orion, and Ely. And it’s perfect blanket to throw on my bed on a cold night or cuddle on the couch with. Isn’t it cool when something you knit becomes more than just FO?

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Happy Friday and Happy Knitting!!!

Stashbustin’ #9

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Digging through my stash turned up a bunch of Bernat Baby Blanket big ball. I purchased several colors of this super bulky polyester blend thinking it would make great baby presents.

I chose a sand brown color and CO on The Addictive Baby Blanket by Renee M. A few rows in I realized this yarn was not suited for this pattern. So I frogged it. Then I cast on an improvised checkerboard style blanket with seed stitch border. I really tried to make it work, but about 25 rows in I was getting perturbed!

This yarn is extremely hard to keep gauge in! And it’s mostly likely my issues. I knit pretty loosely and on top of this the yarn kept grabbing and sticking to itself. This created bumps and ugly sts in my finished work. It also lacks stitch definition in my opinion. It is super soft, washable, and bulky yarn knits so fast. I’m determined not to give up in this yarn! So I once again frogged my work….

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I am doing another improvised design. I cast on 100 stitches and worked a simple K1, P1 row followed by P1, K1 row to create a seed stitch pattern. I also stop every so often and give my work a little tug (downward) to pull the stitches into place and avoid “bumps” or “lumps” in my work.

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This blanket is destined for a dear friend I grew up with. We have literally known each other our entire lives. Her baby shower is in April so I need to get cooking. Hopefully this super bulky on large needles and no brainer pattern will speed along!

Happy Knitting!

Progress Update

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Plugging along on Stashbustin’ #6!

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My Zig Zag Blanket is coming along nicely. The baby for this one isn’t due until June so I’m on a good pace. I’d say I am about half done? I’ve used two skeins and have 2-3 more to go. I’ve had a lot of time to work on this blanket for a very sad reason.

My grandmother passed last week and the hubs and I hopped into the car and spent the weekend with the family at the funeral. Grandma had been very sick for a very long time. She was 90 years old and had battled five different types of cancer. She was an amazing special lady and I’m glad she is pain free and at peace.

She was a crafter herself! I can remember working on everything from blankets to paper projects. We would bake, play dress up, and spend a lot of time in the sand box outside. She will be greatly missed but not forgotten!

On to happier news! I have a couple new WIPs to show this week, progress on my second chevron blanket, and hopefully a finished test balaclava!

Happy Knitting!

Progress Update

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No FOs yet, so I thought I’d share some progress on my current WIPs.

First up, Stashbusting project #2!

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I’ve only managed to complete the border edge and three pattern repeats on my Waffle Blanket. I like this project but it’s not really holding my attention. Don’t get me wrong it’s a cool project, it’s just that I like my other projects better right now. I’m not a monogamous knitter so it doesn’t really bother me. I pick it up every now and then otherwise it’s safe and sound in a project bag.

Next up, Stashbastin’ #6!

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I LOVE THIS PROJECT! It’s just so pretty and the cotton is so soft and yummy to feel under my fingers. I just started my third stripe on my Zig Zag Blanket. I plan on alternating the cream and brown back and forth until the end. I altered the pattern to make it a bit longer than the original design. I like my baby blankets to big enough to wrap around a kid and not just lay over them. The second row is a purl row and slows me down a bit, I really don’t mind purling but I’m slow at it. But the first row is so fast and easy. I have already committed it to memory. This project is my go-to couch knitting while the husband and I watch TV and movies.

Finally, Stashbustin’ #7!

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I’m on my third stripe of my second Chevron Blanket. I decided to add grey into the color mix. I altered the pattern and added extra stitches (original by the Purl Bee) to be a bit wider. I liked the original, I just wanted it to be wider and more of lap blanket. However, in doing this it’s throwing the yarn yardage off more than I thought and attempted to calculate. After the first two stripes it was clear I was not going to have enough blue and gold to finish. I had enough gray in my stash to augment is blanket and get to the necessary length with the added width. And I think the grey is going to add a lot of color interest!

This blanket is all garter stitch with easy increases and decreases so it’s crazy fast with the bulky yarn. This project lives on my nightstand next to my bed. I work a few rows every night before I go to sleep. It’s a great way to unwind after a long day.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Stay tuned for more knitting progress and new projects this week!

Happy Kniting 🙂

 

Stashbustin’ Post #1

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A few years ago I made a couple electronic device covers from the Premier Yarn pattern.. It was a nice knit that was easy to memorize and visually pleasing. That stitch pattern has been bouncing around in my brain for awhile. I thought an adaptation of it would make a lovely crib blanket…

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I pulled some Brava Bulky from Knit Picks from my stash in cream and white. I modified the pattern to 134 stitches and alternating color stripes but otherwise using the same two row repeat pattern.

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I shall call it my waves and ripples blanket. It’s a little curly right on the needles but I think a little blocking in the end will go a long way. I’m not sure which of the five spring baby showers this will be for but it’s destined for a new bundle of joy! Follow my Rav notes here.

Happy Knitting!!!