Outside Geese

Flying Geese outside

Child's Ragan Cardigan from Cabin Fever. The Top Down for Toddlers is a wonderful book, easy patterns, knitted top down and very little finishing. If you hate the finishing part of knitting this is a book for you, once you weave in the ends and sew on the buttons and block you are finished.

I knitted this in Frog Tree Silk/Cotton, the yarn is a Rosy Pink colour. I was very disappointed to find that it had no care instructions on the ball band. I blocked by hand, it bled a little, I popped it into the dryer for about 20 minutes, shaped and finished dryer on top of the dryer. I had the yarn in stash, my LYS had a sale last year and I bought about six balls, the cardigan used almost four balls.

Yarn: Frog Tree Silk/Cotton (from stash)

Needle: size 5 US

Size: Toddler 3 to 4 (for grand daughters birthday in May)

Buttons: Joann's ($1.50 for a card of 3)

Up a tree..........

What happens when you combine 4 dogs, 3 bird feeders and one very hungry, young racoon!!!!

He spent most of the morning trapped up a maple tree, yearning for a free breakfast. Mid-morning he silently slipped down the tree and waddled off to the woods.
The last time this occured the poor raccoon spent the entire day sound asleep up the tree and slinked off at sunset.

The Geese Have Landed

The Geese are Blocking!!!

Mason Dixon Flying Geese Lap Rug.

These pictures don't show the true colours, I'll take some pictures outside after blocking as they really are vivid.

Yarn: Rowan Harris DK (10 balls from stash, 3 extra had to be purchased)

Needle : 6 US

Resting (not grounded) Geese

On Sunday I came to the terrible conclusion that I had miscalculated on the amount of Brilliant Pink I had in the stash. No matter how hard or where I searched I could not find that ball I thought I had. I went online and quickly ordered from Two Swans Yarn, 2 Pink, 1 Lavendar and 2 Peat, just in case I run out of these before I finish. I sent Karen an email yesterday and she said the yarn would be in the mail by the afternoon. I am hoping to have it soon so geese knitting can commence. I choose not to finish off the section with the geese band but to use it to knit another block, hoping that this will save time in the long wrong (am I grasping at straws). I think I will pick up the Peat stitches on the bottom half for the mitered border, more straw grasping. The blanket has to be finished by May 1st for it's arrival in Minnesota on May 3rd. I have one more yarn store in the area that stocks Rowan to check today to see if they by any chance have a ball in stock that I can start on before the yarn package flies in, until then the geese will be resting.

To aleviate some of my anxiety I do what every other knitter does, I knit.

I am working on my gifted Monkey Sock Swap 4 socks. The yarn is hand spun and hand dyed the colour is Majesty, the dyers tag is upstairs but will give her full credit when I finish the socks.

I am also working on a quick baby cardigan from Lopi 26, knitted not quite all in one, sleeves are knitted seperately and then 5 stitches are grafted under the arms. I have had this green baby yarn for years (really), it's Shepherds 4ply from Australia. I am using the large size (1 year) measurements.

And last but certainly not least I have almost finished a baby set using Bouton d'Or Baby. I will post more on this in the next few days, listing patterns and yarns. I still have to finish the button loops on the jacket and buy a yellow ribbon for the elephant.

The Geese are Flying

The second instalment of the Flying Geese Blanket from Mason Dixon.

Flying Geese

Flying Geese Blanket: Mason Dixson

Yarn: Rowan Harris Scottish Tweed DK (from stash)

Needle: 6 US (2 dpns, + 1 circular 24")

Progress: 1 of 6 blanket squares

Colours: Lavendar, Bright Pink (borders), Apple (corner squares), Thistle (3 of 6 squares), Sunset (3 of 6 squares), Thatch (outer border).

I need a special gift for my oldest step-daughter Sandy, who will graduate in May from the University of Minnesota Veterinary School. I had been looking online and searching through books for a special afghan blanket pattern. While flipping through Mason Dixon, trying to decide if I had enough time to complete the Log Cabin or the Mitered Squares, my eyes fell upon the Flying Geese. I have love the Harris Scottish Tweed yarn and patterns, for the last couple of years and each time I visit my LYS I pick up one or two balls and pop it into stash, ($10.00 a ball - not the most economical buy), knowing one day I would be using it for a large project. I only needed two more balls to complete the Flying Geese, one ball of Sunset (rust/terra cotta) and one of Apple. The pattern says it takes one ball of Thatch (chocolate brown) to complete the outer border but I'm not sure of that so I will probably pick up another ball of Thatch before all is said and done. Since taking this picture I have a Sunset square completed and attached, that means I am one third completed and have two thirds to go before the begining of May.

I used Publisher to complete a colour template for the blanket design, using my colours and switching them around until I had a colour templete that pleased. It's a very easy blanket to complete (save for the picking up of stitches pain on the fingers), very little finishing, as I am sewing in all the yarn colour changes on each section before I move on to the next, less overwhelming at the end I feel. I have a pact with myself that I cannot start another section until all the ends are darned in.

I am also knitting a small baby jacket and a toy lamb to give respite to the picking up of stitches which can as I said be a little difficult on the finger tips.

Happy Easter

Monkey Swap 4

Monkey Sock Swap Questionnaire

The Measurements
Shoe size: 8
Foot length in inches: 9-1/2 inches
Circumference: 9-1/2 inches

Yarn Preferences
What are your favorite colors?
Anything but pastels.
What color clashes with your wardrobe?
Yellow
Do you prefer solids or variegated yarns?
Surprise me.
What are your favorite brand sock yarns?
Yarntini, Woolmeise, Fleece Artist, Dream in Colour
Is there a new sock yarn you really would like to try?
No

Cookie A. Patterns
List the patterns you do not have but would like to receive:
I have all the patterns except Mingus, Gothic Spire, and Marilinda

Allergies
Do you have any allergies that your pal needs to know about? (animals, fiber, sensitivity to smoke etc.)
No
Will you knitting be exposed to animals?
Yes
Will you knitting be exposed to cigarette smoke?
No

Shipping
What country do you live in?
USA
Are you willing to ship outside your country?
I would prefer not to, but if you need me I will.

Easter Elephant

This lovely little fellow is on his way to a sweet little girl who adores elephants. Why a bunny for Easter, why not a elephant? The pattern is from Ysolda, and is available for sale via pdf download, you can buy it today and be knitting him tonight.

He is knitted in the round, no seams, you pick up stitches from his arms, legs and ears, stuffing as you go. Once completed you add his french knot eyes and he is finished. I knitted him/her (after all that will be his new owners decision to make), a scarf for the journey. I slightly overstuffed him, next time knitted I won't be so generous and his legs won't be so puffy.

The Details:

Yarn: RYC Cashsoft Baby in Imp (from stash)

Needles: 3mm (4 dpns)

Stuffing: microfiber/silk blend (because the don't make the microfiber/cashmere anymore)

Time: pattern can be knitted over two nights, or on a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Baby Mary Janes

Pattern: Baby Merry Jane (pdf) by Bekah.knits from Etsy

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Colour: Chocolate and Fresh Cream
Needle: 2.75mm
Buttons: from the button stash
Size: 6-12 month

Knitted over two evenings (one "merry jane" per night). Shoe is knitted on straight needles, sock is knitted in the round after picking up stitches.

Changes I made: I knitted five more rounds of the sock in st stitch before starting the cuff, I also changed the rib of the cuff from k1 p1 to k2 p2.

I am working on the Toddler Moc-a-Soc at present, I have dropped down a needle size as the gauge was off. Next time I knit the Merry Jane's I will drop down to 2.5 or 2.25mm.