More baby knits

Just what a July baby needs - a woolly hat. Knit on the hottest day of the year so far, what was I thinking?

Swirl Hat, 0-3 months size, in the left over Koigu KPPM from the Garter Yoke baby cardigan. It is quite stretchy, so I am hoping it will fit Baby H when they actually require a hat later in the year. If not, then I have a ready made baby present! The pattern is rather like Odessa without the beads.
Next up, I seem to have an obsession with light blue and red at the moment. In fact, it has been brewing for some time, ever since we went to Norfolk for the Lucy Neatby workshop in November 2008. We stayed in Barsham Barns, where there was lots of light blue and red furnishings.
I recently found this playmat in Mothercare - the combination of elephants, red, light blue and polka dots was a winner with me. I must have been looking at this when I chose the colours for Surtsey.

Knit in my favourite Baby Cashmerino, it is soft and snuggly. I like the ribbed raglan - hopefully this means it should fit well for a few months.
The fair isle section was a good reminder that I can knit with two colours.

I even remembered how to catch the strands about half way through. Plus I found a video showing me how to purl portuguese style which meant the purl rows were not a complete nightmare! My fair isle is remarkably even, and it hasn't even been blocked yet. Yipee.

Now I think I may be ready to tackle Ella Funt or maybe Bellyphant or even be brave enough to steek and knit Pod of Cetaceans Cardigan.

Knit Love Club Part III

I am managing to keep up with my Knit Love Club Knitting.
The beads for the third installment of the club were threaded onto the yarn using a beading needle on 31st May 2010.

And the socks were finished and blocked on 25th June.
The pattern is called Caretta Caretta by Alice Yu. It is an interesting mix of beads, yarn overs and rib.

I only beaded the leg of the sock, as I thought the beads might be a bit uncomfortable in shoes. They add a wonderful sparkle.

Knit on 2.5mm needles in Sunna, a Spirit Trail Fiberworks yarn - 75% Merino, 15% Cashmere, 10% Silk.
The yarn is a heavy fingering weight, a little thicker than what I usually use for socks, but has knit up beautifully. It is deliciously soft and the subtle semi-solidness of the yarn is just perfect.
Another success, thanks Alice!

A Blanket for p/hop

After the success of the Barn Raising blankets raffled for p/hop last year we have decided to branch out. As well as another Barn Raising blanket, various Ravelry members are helping to make a Lizard Ridge

I have been collecting squares, here is the assortment so far, along with a few skeins of Kureyon that have been donated.

If you have a skein of Noro Kureyon, or similar, lying around and you'd like to join in and knit a square more details can be found in this thread in the p/hop ravelry group.
If you haven't got any Noro Kureyon and you'd like to knit a square for the blanket, drop me a line on Ravelry or alternatively leave me a comment here and I can pop one in the post to you.

Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan

Otherwise known as "Possibly the easiest baby cardigan in the world"
Knit in one piece (a standard raglan construction) from the top down. The pattern is available here.
Started on 31st May and finished today, 10th June.

I was a bit worried about the yarn pooling on the stocking stitch section, so I did a round of K1, S1 4 rounds past the yoke. This seemed to break up the pooling on the front, so I didn't do it again.

Knit in the gorgeous Koigu KPPM I bought at All the fun of the Fair a couple of weeks ago.
It took approx 65g and it measures 8.5" across the front.

I decided against adding the button bands down the front, as they would have made the cardigan too wide; I want the bump to be able to wear it soon!

Instead I had my first go at an applied i-cord. Starting at the bottom right front I applied i-cord up the front, leaving buttonholes, around the neck and down the left front. I am now worried I will want to apply i-cord to everything!
Now, what to knit next?

12 in 12

Over in the Yard Yard group in Ravelry we have been challenged to knit 12 pairs of socks in 12 months, starting on the 1st June 2010. The rules are very simple:

"Knit 12 pairs of socks in 12 months, or 24 odd socks if you have lots of WIP socks you want to make into pairs.

This challenge starts on June 1st. You could have seven pairs by Christmas.

We might have prizes too!

Some of the socks to be knit in theyarnyard yarn"

Seeing as my maternity leave starts today and lasts for upto a year, I figured that having a goal of a pair of socks a month might be something just about do-able (even with the distractions of a small baby!)
I spent the long weekend thinking about what I wanted to knit this month - knowing that June is probably going to be the most productive month of the whole year for me (no work and no baby - fingers crossed). I decided to wind my favourite ball of Clan - the purple and green one on the left and found that it seems to go well with the January 2010 club yarn (right). Perfect for a slip stitch pattern like Prism

I also threaded the beads onto my Knit Love Club yarn, I'm eager to finish these too before the baby arrives.

However, instead of casting on any socks, I wound the Koigu I bought at All the fun of the Fair when I was in London and cast on for a Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan!

Then, on Monday evening we got a text from our friends in Paris to say their baby had arrived, a little girl. So I spent Tuesday and Wednesday knitting them the promised pair of baby socks - in some left over Yarn Yard Bonny to a completely made up 2x1 rib pattern. So my first pair of socks for 12 in 12 is complete!

The socks are made even better when you can find matching dungarees in M&S.

Off to pop them in the post!