Space invaders cardigan in progress

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The 5-year old needed a new kindergarten sweater for next winter. Used the chart I used for my Space Invaders Baby Blanket (which is a modified mix of the traditional Norwegian pattern Marius and Arne & Carlos' Cheese Attack). I decided to make a cardigan, so I have added a 9sts steek in the front. I decided to go for a raglan as I couldn't be bothered to modify the chart for knitting in the round, nor did I want to have to sew in the arms because of bulk and lazyness ;-).

I am knitting on 3,25mm Chiagoo needles using Blackhill Højlandsuld (wool) from Garnudsalg.dk. I really like this yarn AND it is affordable - a winner! I am knitting with the following colors: Brandbil (red), Lys Indigo (light blue), Skifer (dark grey), and Kiwi (green)

Space Invaders/Marius Baby blanket

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A new nephew were announcing his arrival so I decided to knit a baby blanket. I have been fascinated by the traditional Norwegian pattern Marius for a while and I really wanted to knit a blanket using that pattern. But, at the same time I have had Arne & Carlo's pattern for Space Invader sweater sitting in my knit list for, like, forever, so it had to be a mix of those two patterns.

See more pictures and read more here.

Snapshot of life

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Progress. The baby blanket is slowly growing.

Impatience 2

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So, I couldn't do it. Finish the sweater before starting on the baby blanket. Big brother's sweater was transferred to a set of 3mm needles (which very seldom are in use as they are awful) and put on hold, and mommy happily cast on for the baby blanket on the 2,5mm needles.

Have just started on the colorwork, and am increasingly worried that the combination of colors will turn out too dark. I was hoping for the pink and the purple to be a bit brighter, and I feel that the grey is very brownish.

Well, I will have to knit a bit more to really see how it will turn out.

Impatience

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Dang, have just received a package of Blackhill Højlandsgarn from Garnudsalg.dk. The yarn is to be used for a Latvian Garden blanket from Pinneguri for the soon-to-arrive little sister. And I so want to cast on straight away. Partly, because I only have about 2 months to get the blanket done, and last time I knit it, for cute nephew, I think I spent at least double that amount if time, and partly to try out the yarn, as this is the very first time I have bought it. But, and here is the dilemma, I only have one set of needles in 2,5mm, and those are already in use. I am currently knitting a new sweater to soon-to-be big brother using those needles. Now, I could put the sweater on scrap yarn and use the needles for the blanket but knowing myself that would mean taking the chance of the sweater never being finished. So, there really is only one solution, which is to at least finish the body of the sweater.

Knitting for the newest member of the family

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Before last christmas we found out that we were expecting another member of the family in august. And now we are halfways there. I had several skeins of Drops Baby Alpaca Silk in my stash which I just couldn’t find the right project for. Well, I found it now. The yarn is so soft and lovely, and it makes the softest fabric for baby clothes.

A pattern I have had laying around in my ravelry-queue for ages is the Pepita by Martina Behm. I just fell in love with the cuteness of the garment, and not to mention the cuteness of the pics featured in the pattern.

I used 2,5 mm needles and about 2 skeins of Drops Baby Alpaca Silk in grey. I alterated the patterns slightly. Instead of knitting straps in the front AND back, and then button them on the top of the shoulder I rather wanted just straps in the back which would button in the front. I made two buttonholes in the straps which allows the overall to grow a bit with the baby. I also skipped the feets, although they looked adorable, and just went for a 2x2 ribbing for 25 rows, which can be folded up when the baby is little, and down when the baby grows. I bought the cutest buttons on eBay a while ago which are now coming into good use.

Then I really wanted to knit a onesie, but couldn’t really find a pattern I liked so this one was largely improvised. I wanted short arms and a raglan sleeve as I think they are pretty and fits well.

I used almost 1,5 skeins of Drops Baby Alpaca Silk in grey on 2,5 mm needles. I am thinking of putting on a pair of buttons a bit higher up in the crotch so the onesie can become a bit smaller. I guess I’ll wait and see when the baby is here.

I have been putting down notes on how I made this, so I guess I will put them out here and on ravelry soonish.

On an impulse I bought some lovely Sublime Extra Fine Merino DK on a sale which have been waiting for the right project. Out of two skeins of this hot bubblegum pink a small overall appeared. I started out thinking I wanted to knit the little one a dress (yes, it is a girl), but midway changed my mind seeing that the little one will spend most of its time on the back or being carried for the first 3 months, and dresses tends to roll up and gather up under arms and whatnot. So, decided to make it into an overall.

The overall has extra long straps with two buttonholes. When the baby grows the straps can be uncrossed as well, making the garment last even longer. This overall is tiny, only 45 cm from top to bottom, but I am hoping it will last through the whole first winter because of the long straps and the long ribbing on the legs.

The overall is pretty much based on my Grumpybum Monster Longies pattern with a few alterations to make it more suitable for a newborn. I used 2 skeins on 4 mm needles (20 stitches per 10 cm). This size is about newborn to 3 months, but I guess you could get 3 more months use out of it because of the long straps and ribbing. I will put out my notes on how I made this soon as well.

I am so happy with this overall. Both the color and how it ended up looking are just so darn cute. I can’t wait for the little one to be here so I can dress her up in this one with a white onesie underneath. Ah, the cuteness is killing me.

Pink flying over the mountains

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A tiny lady in the west is soon to turn 1 year old, so a small pink and grey dress is making its way over the mountains. All ready for spring, but made in wool for still chilly spring days.

I’ve used 4mm needles, and about 1 skein of pink and 1 1/2 skein of grey in Viking Superwash.

I am so pleased with this pattern, and I think the dress is so beautiful. I have made this dress several times before. The pattern is called Littlesister’s dress, and is originally knitted on 2,5mm needles.

And big sister who turned 4 years old in January were also getting something. So this hot pink shrug are also making its way over the mountains.

The color is a vibrant hot pink, which is so dark it almost looks red in certain lights. It’s an absolutely gorgeous color, but also impossible to capture on film. It would turn out too red or too dark.

The pattern is Slipped Stitch Kiddo Cardigan, made into a shrug (made shorter). It is originally knitted on 3mm needles, but this yarn begged to be knitted on 4mm needles, so I obliged.

Latvian Garden Blanket

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This has been finished since before xmas, as my younger brother got this for his newborn son as a xmas present. But as many of you know, blogging about things shortly after they have occur are a lot harder than you would think. So, now I blog .

The colors were initially selected on the basis that my younger brother were expecting a girl, and my sister-in-law not being especially fond of traditionally girl’s colors. Which was lucky seeing that my nephew surprised everyone by being a small boy, and not a girl.

I used a sewing machine both to secure the steek and to attach the cotton fabric on the backside. Next time (if there is such a thing) I will try to use the crochet technique to secure the steek, as the sewing machine made the steek grow a lot. And I mean A LOT. Which in turn made it very hard to attach the cotton fabric as the knitted fabric no longer resembled a rectangle.

But, as a first try, both on knitting such a huge and difficult color work, as well as doing a steek, and attaching fabric to anything hand knitted, I am quite pleased with the result. And the newly made parents also seemed pleased.

Sewing thread

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I have started on a haruni as a present for my mum's birthday. As I only have about three weeks to finish this shawl, I decided to go for the simpler version and knit the main body of the shawl in stockinette.
A while ago I purchased some yarn from eBay. This was when I had just started out knitting again, so when the yarn arrived and it turned out it was more like sewing thread than the proper yarn I used on my 4mm needles, it did scare me a tad. Additionally, this was also pure silk, and I do find it hard to use anything beautiful if I don't have the perfect project or purpose for it (thus ending up with a lot of beautiful things lying around gathering dust until they get too old to use or suchlike... Don't even get me started on chocolate which would turn white and uneatable in my drawer while I waited for the perfect time to eat it). Anyway, both these predicaments made for a swift placement of the yarn in my closet where it would wait in peace until I could knit with sewing thread and I'd found the perfect project.
Well, that day is today. Or so I think. The yarn has a lovely mustard color which I think my mum would so appreciate. It is silk, and who wouldn't be impressed by that. But it's so thin! And I mean THIN! It's literally like knitting with sewing thread (this is a lie, I don't know how it feels to knit with sewing thread, I have never tried it, but you know, artistic freedom and all that), and I start to worry that when the whole shawl is finished it will be more like a spider's web rather than a usable shawl. Can a lace shawl get to be too lacey, too spindery?
On the upside, I do see that the amount of yarn I have will probably last me for another couple of years. That's definitely a good thing with very very thin yarn, you do get a lot of yardage out of 400g.

Latvian baby blanket

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Almost, almost half way. I think this blanket is so so pretty, but I wish I had chosen more bold colours. When I went yarn-shopping, they didn't have this yarn in any bold or vibrant colours, so it wasn't bc I chickened out. But, pale and powdery colours nonetheless, I am still very happy with how it turns out. Not to mention that it is like a hundred times quicker a knit than what I thought it would be. I was worried I wouldn't even finish it in time for little niece's arrival in December, and now it looks like I will be finish with the knitting by the end of this month. Yeay me!

Eyes and teeth for Grumpybum Monsterlongies

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Several people have asked me to post a pattern for eyes and teeth for the Grumpybum Monster longie, so here goes :-). The eyes and teeth are sewn on using duplicate stitches. Google it :-).

Eye

Upper tooth

Lower tooth

Latvia garden blanket #2

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This is so pretty, but oh so slow...

Latvian Garden Blanket and 2,5mm needles

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Inspired by my younger brother’s soon to arrive first child I knew I had to make her something awesome! In addition, when I asked my younger brother whether or not they liked knitted stuff, he answered rather diplomatic (or not so) that they liked *insert pause* quality… Which I assume is he’s way of telling me that he do not quite think me able to make something of “quality”.

Which of course just made me even more determined to shower knitted stuff over my little niece as soon as she enters this world. But, I knew that my first gift had to be amazing! IT. HAD. TO.

After researching a bit I decided on Drops Extra Fine Merino, as it is just so so soft and it doesn’t need to be handwashed. Got to love that for new parents. Actually, I can’t really understand why you have to handwash most babywool. I mean, if there is anyone who need to be able to just stuff clothes into the washer it has to be new parents.

Anyway, a while ago I came over this beautiful beautiful pattern, Latvian Garden Baby Blanket. Not to be deferred by the fact that I hardly have ever knitted with multiple strands of yarn, nor have made anything requiring a steek, nor lined any knitting beforehand, I decided that this would be the perfect gift for the newborn.

This blanket is on tiny tiny 2,5mm needles. And I am quite apprehensive about making a whole – WHOLE – blanket using such tiny needles. I love the way the pattern looks when using tiny needles, but the time people, the time! But alas, nothing but the best for new (and only) niece to come.

I have knitted two repeats of the heart pattern and am already feeling bored. I mean, the blanket is going to be beautiful – for sure. I chose natural white for background color, lavender for the hearts, and limegreen for the pattern in the middle. And so far it looks lovely. But it is so boring…

So, decided to cast on something that can be knitted without having to think so much. Because of the different colors and tension and whatnot, the blanket is quite a mental exhausting task for a novice such as myself. So, decided to cast on Steggie in wool for Munchkin. I wouldn’t really claim the Steggie to be a mindless knit, but as I made one earlier this summer I am pretty sure this one won’t take to much thinking on my behalf. Which is perfect.

Late easter chicks

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I am slowly building up a stockpile of decorations and other stuff to put around the house for holidays and suchlike. When you start from scratch and have a limited budget… well, these things take time. But, this year addition towards the easterbasket was crocheted easter chicks. I just thought Eggy – The Cute Chick was sooo adorable.

And if that wasn’t enough, we even got some really cute eggs to hang in the window.

Well, they aren’t really meant to be hanging in the window, methinks, as they have a big and quite unflattering hole in the bottom. But high up in the window was the best way to ensure they would survive small and curious fingers so they would see another easter. 

Grumpybum monster longies - pattern

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I’ve had lots of people asking me for the pattern to these longies. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to help them out as I have mainly just knitted freely from my own head. But, I have finally gotten my shit together and written down what I have done.

This pattern is in two sizes, 6 months-1,5 years (1,5-2,5 years). As the longies are very stretchy sideways, and the little ones doesn’t really expand so much in that direction, it pretty much comes down to the knitting the legs longer to make a bigger size.

This is the first time I have ever written a pattern down, so I am happy for any feedback. If you have any questions, please post them here or email me, and i will be happy to answer as best as I can. However, most of the questions i receive are variations of the same ones, please read:

• I do NOT make these for sale. I would like to, but unfortunately I don't have the time.
• I do not have the pattern in any other sizes than the ones shown here. If i ever get around to make more sizes I will update this pattern :-).
• I cannot send you the pattern. 
• I don't have the pattern for crochet, nor can a make a pattern for crochet as i don't know how to.
• I do not have the pattern for making these using straight needles.
• I cannot translate the pattern to any other language besides Norwegian, which you can find here: Norwegian pattern here.

Needles: 4mm circular needles                                                 
Yarn: Any yarn for 4mm needles, 100m - 50g. 2 skeins of base color (BC), 1 skein of each stripe color (C2/C3), about 25m red, a bit of white, and a bit of black.                                                                                     
Gauge: 20 stitches = 10cm. 

Glossary:
K = Knit
P = Purl
CO = Cast on
yo = yarn over
P2tog = Purl two stitches together
PM = Place marker
BO = Bind off
BC = Base colour
C1 = Colour 1
C2 = Colour 2

Note: The eyes and teeth are made using duplicate stitches, and are not knitted in. See pattern here: eyes and teeth.
                                                        
Monster longies
Using BC, CO 92 (100) sts. Join the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker at the beginning of the round.
Ribbing. Knit 6 rounds K2, P2. 6 months-1,5 years: start with P2. 1,5-2,5 years: start with K2.
Round 7. *yo, P2tog, yo, K2* repeat ** (1,5-2,5 years: *K2, yo, P2tog, yo*, repeat **) - total 115 (125) sts.
Round 8. *P2tog, P1, K2*, repeat ** (1,5-2,5 years: *K2, P2tog, P1*, repeat **) - total 92 (100) sts.
Knit 5 rounds of ribbing.

K 16 (18) rounds. Change to C1, K 4 rounds.


Change to red color for mouth:

• K 2 rounds
• Next round, K33 (35) wrap & turn                                                 
• P20 wrap & turn
• K 23 wrap & turn
• P 26 wrap & turn
• K29 (30) wrap & turn
• P32 (34) wrap & turn
• K35 (38) wrap & turn
• P38 (42) wrap & turn
• K42 (46) wrap & turn
• P46 (50) wrap & turn
• K 2 rounds

Change back to C1.
K 4 rounds. On the last round PM "A" after 21 (23) stitches, PM "B" after 4 (4) stitches, PM "C" after 42 (46) stitches, and PM "D" after 4 (4) stitches.




Crotch:
Change back to BC.
K to A, increase 1 st before M, K to B, increase 1 st after M, K to end of round. Repeat 5 more rounds. Total 104 (112) sts.
Next round, K to A, increase 1 st before M, K to B, increase 1 st after M, K to C, increase 1 st before M, K to D, increase 1 st after M, K to end of round. Repeat 5 (6) more rounds. Total 128 (140) sts. 

Next round. K to A. Cut the yarn, leave a 50 cm long tail. Using the kitchener stitch, sew the four middle sts from front and back together (the 4 sts between A and B, and C and D) (or knit one round while BO the 4 sts between A and B, and BO the 4 sts between C and D, then sew these together as you please). Place the sts of one leg on a stitch holder.

Pick up 2 sts in the join (where the front of the leg meets the back of the leg in the crotch) to avoid a hole. You should have a total of 62 (68) sts on the leg.
K 5 rounds (1,5-2,5 years: Round 3, K2tog in the beginning and end of round. Round 4: K2tog in the beginning and end of round. Total 64 sts.).
*Change to C1, K 2 rounds. Change to C2, K 5 rounds. Change back to C1, K 2 rounds. BC, K 3 rounds.* Repeat **
Knit stripes until legs are the desired length.



On the last round, decrease sts evenly around to end up with 32 sts. Knit ribbing K2, P2 for 25 rounds. BO loosely. As the recipient is growing this ribbing can be folded up or down so the longies can be used as long as possible.
Work in all the ends. Work duplicate stitches for eyes and teeth.

I-cord
In C2, CO 3 sts. K 3, DON’T turn but slide the stitches to the other side of the needle and continue to knit. Repeat until desired length, about 70-100cm.

©WanderingLady. Please feel free to link to this pattern or to tell others where to find it, but do not distribute copies of the pattern yourself, either electronically or in physical form.
Items made using this pattern are not to be sold for profit, though private use (making the items for yourself or as a gift) is permitted and encouraged.

And more monsterlongies…

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First longies to a small boy who LUUUVS cars…

Then to a small girl who LUUUVS horses…

And last to a little girl who has a little dog at home…

And while we were at it, a small shrug for a small fashionista for christmas. This was adapted from the pattern Confection Baby Shrug, which is a free Ravelry download.

I made the arms shorter, added some ruffles both on the arms and around the edging, as well as an eyelet row so I could add some pretty ribbons.

Monsterlongies

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It’s been a while since last update. I have been busy, with many things. And one of them has been producing monsterlongies. Lots of them…