What I’m knitting today

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Trying to Find a Balance

I decided this past fall that I simply couldn’t keep up with posting daily–real life had to come first.  Yet, as I was looking through my blog today, I realized I really missed it.  So I guess the answer is balance.  I am going to try to post at least once a week.  This may be crazy, as garden season is right around the corner, but I’ll figure it out.  It might just mean one less thing gets knitted each week.

Speaking of knitting, I just opened an Etsy shop called Sixth Street Knits–just for the extra stuff I make.  I feel a little silly because I’m not sure my knitting is good enough for someone to actually give me money for it, but people seem to like what I’ve been making.  We’ll see what happens.  One thing that I listed is the finally finished “Fiona’s Top” pattern.  (See the post:  The Saga of Fiona’s Top).  It took me two years to get that sucker done–I frogged and reknit that thing so many times I should have at least half a dozen of them now.  It may be a while before I attempt another–small needles + light yarn do not satisfy my instant gratification needs.  Right now, I am making another little sundress for my cousin’s baby–bigger needles and less lace make for a quicker knit.

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 This year I want to find some balance between knitting and gardening.  Last summer I hardly picked up any knitting because I was so into working on my garden plot and yard.

So there it is…a short post to get back into the swing of things on From Michigan to Montana. Feels good to be back!

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What I Knit Today

I stayed home from work today.  I’ve had a headache for days, so I decided to give myself some TLC to see if I can kick it.

One of the teachers at my school just came back from maternity leave, and I had yet to make her something for her new baby girl.  When she had her baby, I was already woefully behind in my Christmas knitting.  After spending a few days trying to decide what to make, I decided to try to replicate one of the little bear ear hats I have seen on Ravelry.

I wanted to use the pink Bernat Pipsqueak yarn I had bought last year when I first started knitting; I still have a bunch of it because it isn’t very easy to work with, especially for a newbie.  It is hard to see the stitches, and the fluff gets everywhere!  Still, the resulting fabric is incredibly soft and cuddly.

I’m not terribly impressed with how this turned out.  My decreases look lumpy–I had to modify the CO because I didn’t have the right needle size for the pattern I was loosely following.  I am not good at guesstimating that sort of thing.  I’m pretty sure the attached ears are uneven.   It looks like it may be a little too big, as well.  When I laid out the hat to take a picture, it looked decidedly like a pink Kermit the Frog.

My colleague is going to get it anyway. I will make it up to her with something else–something I can actually knit with some skill!

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pink kermit

What I’m Knitting Today

photo (15)This will be a hat for my cousin Laura’s baby, due mid April, as long as he stays put. He has been making moves to arrive a bit earlier.

The pattern is called “Fetching Inspired Hat“.

I am using yarn from my stash–Serenity Chunky in Walden Pond.  I’m a little worried it might be too small.  If so, the baby’s big sister Roo can use it with her dolls.

The tightness of doing cables in chunky yarn is making my hands ache a bit.  And although I like using bamboo dpns when knitting in the round, I generally prefer the slippery nature of metal needles.

UPDATE:  Finished!

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What I’m Knitting Today

What I'm Knitting Today

These Baby Uggs are for Bentley, the baby of one of my former students.

These are my go-to gift for baby boys. For girls, I tend to knit up Saartje’s Booties. These would look cute in pink or purple, though!

One down, one to go.
The pattern calls for a Berroco Suede, but it is a discontinued yarn. I think they look just as cute with Red Heart solids. Lion Brand Luxe Fur is what I used for trim. The pattern can be found here.