A Make-Again Pattern

I love new patterns. So much so that I usually can't resist starting something new (or many, many somethings) even with other unfinished projects clambering for my attention.

But I also have a few patterns that I come back to again and again because they just work so brilliantly.

Manda Ruth by Jane Richmond is one of those.

Here's the yellow version I made for the baby last year:

Of course she's completely outgrown it (funny how that happens) so I really want to start on a new one for her.

And right now I'm leaning toward some non-baby colors, such as:

Koigu :: Painter's Palette

Alchemy :: Temple

Madeline Tosh :: Tosh Merino

Most likely I won't be able to choose and she'll end up with three Manda Ruths this year! At least I know it's a great pattern...

Happy knitting!

A Little Luxe

My mom lives in Houston, where I hear it's hot and humid most of the year. But that doesn't stop her from knitting—a lot. True, my kids are the lucky recipients of a good number of her handmade sweaters, but she does knit for herself too.

For a while after she moved to Texas (from the Midwest) she seemed to adjust her knitting style to the climate, focusing mostly on lightweight fibers and straying towards wool jackets only occasionally.

But I think sometimes she just can't resist a pattern—even if it means that she'll only be able to wear the finished sweater when she's visiting me or one of my brothers.

Which is pretty much how she came to make this Chambord Truffle by Army of Knitters. And let me tell you, it's seriously gorgeous.

She says it's a really easy knit, and even though the yarn used by the designer (and suggested in the pattern) costs a mint, my mom swears it's worth every penny (some yarn is like that, isn't it?).

I think it's so great that she made such a lovely sweater for herself—something we should all do more often I imagine.

Happy knitting!

Trying Something New

Do any of you homeschool?

We had to take my older daughter out of her beloved school (on 20 rural, wooded acres, with goats even!) for a variety of reasons, none of which was dissatisfaction of any kind (except perhaps the daily commute). And we've decided to homeschool until we've worked out what to do next.

She's taking it brilliantly. I'm a little more, um, shaky.

Around here we have a sort of relaxed way of moving through the day. For example, a fair number of days this summer the kids stayed in their swimsuits from dawn (ok, 8:30-ish) to dusk (remember, during summer that's around 9:00 pm). And that's cool with me. So I was a little concerned that school would suddenly become, well, a lot of that.

And who knows, maybe it will eventually be a fly-the-seat-of-our-pants sort of thing, but for now, I've devised a schedule. Oh, and let me tell you, that's the kind of thing my daughter really, really likes.

Included in this yet-to-be-tested schedule is...(dum da da dum...) craft hour. Daily. Yep, an hour of crafts, art, projects, what have you every single day.

I figured it would be a good way to keep my sanity.

Here's the best part: what do you suppose my sweet, amazing, brilliant, and fabulous-in-every-way seven-year-old wanted to try first?

Knitting!

Gah! (happy, happy!)

So did I hesitate? Nope. And here she is, concentrating very hard on a scarf for her baby sister. (How cute is that?)

Next she plans to make a sweater for her brother.

Oh how I love this child.
Happy knitting!

What Would You Do?

Handknit throw from Sundance

Scoop it up—on sale for $99—or make your own?

Yep, me too.

Happy knitting!

A Little Simplicity

Sometimes I just love an intricate pattern. Don't you? Something that challenges my craft-ability. Something that really makes me think and demands my full attention. Those are the kind of projects that I imagine protect us from dementia in old age. Workouts for our brains, you know?

And other times, well, other times it's summer. And when that happens I think a little simplicity is just thing.

Or, as my mom is fond of saying, "Sometimes it's nice to let the yarn do the work."

From Magnolia Handspun

Yes, sometimes it is.

Bridget Cowl from Elena Rosenberg

Featherweight Cardigan by Knitbot

So for the weekend, how about putting the fabric and the yarn on heavy-lifting duty? Find something luscious and use it for a really simple project! {Which you can work on while watching the kids run through the sprinkler, sipping your lightly sweetened iced green tea with a touch of lime, and enjoying the dappled shade beneath the apple tree in your backyard.}

Fabric by Nani Iro from Matabai

Double Dutch Skirt by Owly Baby

Grocery Bag by Keyka Lou

Doesn't that sound lovely?

Oh! And don't forget to give the fathers in your life a kiss on Sunday!

Happy crafting!

Oh my.

I've just added some new patterns to the shop from Brooklyn Tweed and I'm finding myself a bit, um, distracted by them.

See, it's (finally!) summer here and so I was thinking I'd focus on sewing sundresses and board shorts (check out Rae's—so cute!), sun hats and beach blankets. Maybe do a little summer knitting with the luvinthemommyhood knit-along. You know, good, summery crafts.

These new patterns aren't particularly summery, but man, do I want to start on them today. Take a look:

Shale Baby Blanket

Celes Stole

Rock Island Shawl

Brownstone

Girasole Shawl and Blanket

See what I mean? Irresistible.

Happy knitting!

A Summer Sweater Knit-Along

The lovely and fabulous Shannon of luvinthemommyhood has put together a very cool summer knit-along over on her superb blog and of course I am all for that!

If you'd like a little cyber-company in your knitting this summer and you're looking for something fun to make, this just might be the event for you.

Everyone will be knitting Knitbot's completely awesome Effortless Cardigan:

Which is a great choice for beginners and experienced knitters alike. Hannah's easy-to-follow instructions and uncomplicated style make it a great project for everyone.

The knit-along will run from June 15 (so there's still time to sign up, get your pattern—which you can do here—and pick out your yarn) until September 1 (giving you just enough time to knit, knit, knit and have your finished sweater ready for the cooler weather).

Along the way you can share your progress in the luvinthemommyhood flickr group.

And I hear {ahem} that there will be lots of lovely prizes at the end. How fun!

Happy knitting!

Technically It's Still Spring, So...

Here's a super cute new Spring Ribbed Cardigan pattern from Knitbot!

And, just in case you're not a speed knitter, or Spring is a bit more like summer where you live, it would make a great Fall sweater too, don't you think?

Happy knitting!

Always on the Sunnyside!

Ok, so how cute is this little cardigan from Knitbot?

Sunnyside Cardigan from Knitbot

Isn't it just the kind of cardigan you could wear almost every day? 

Or is it just me?

I'm not kidding, I love cardis like this one. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am happy to knit up just about any kind of sweater—fancy, slouchy, skimpy, you name it... But this is the kind I would wear all the time.

Especially these days when it's (still!) so rainy. I could take off the late spring chill and brighten up the room. Two birds, as they say.

Happy knitting!

First Let's Talk About Hand-Painted Yarn

...And how much I love it.

Oh yes, I am a sucker for hand-painted yarn. What you see here is Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (or KPPM for short). Which is dyed—by hand, mind you—in small batches for a gorgeous watercolor-y look when knit up.

But honestly, I even love it still in the skein. And what's more, it's finely spun merino, so it's as much a pleasure to knit as it is to look at.

And today I have the perfect pattern to go with this luscious yarn (ok, true, there are probably dozens of perfect patterns for a yarn like this, but here's one at any rate):

Peasant Raglan by Heirloom Stitches

Isn't that cute? It looks so summery to me. Something a lucky kid would wear on the beach or at the lake. I could even see making it with short or cap sleeves—perfect for early summer, late evenings, and back to school. And I haven't made one (yet) but I'd bet it's really easy, which is always nice! Hmm, maybe it would be something to knit from the comfort of your shaded beach chair...

Happy knitting!

New and So Cute

Every time Cécile Levesque sends me a new pattern for the shop I have to stop what I'm doing and dash to the yarn store. Seriously, her patterns are so cute. And here's what had me running over to the Knit Purl anniversary sale yesterday...

Little Biscuits

See? Adorable! And my seven-year-old just needs a sweater like this. Nevermind all the other WIPs. Nope, I never, ever worry about the WIPs.

Happy knitting!

More Ammo for the Army

...Army of Knitters, that is.

As a soldier in this particular army, I'm happy to offer more ammo in the way of super cool patterns. Check these babies out...

Howlite

Parfait Tunic

Pumpkin Pie

Rhubarb and Custard

Chambord Truffle

I'm drooling over the Parfait Tunic and have already started on my own Rhubarb and Custard (although mine is being knit up in a brown Madelinetosh Vintage, so it might be more of a molten chocolate cake).

I think all this cold, wet weather has me a bit backwards. I've started so many new projects—I'm knitting like it's fall! By the time the sun comes out I'm bound to have six new sweaters! Oh well, I guess that isn't so bad.

Happy knitting!

No Joke: Three Now, More Later

There are three new Army of Knitters patterns in the shop today, and they are all about warmer weather:

Benodet Cardi

Carnac Sweater

Erquy

So don't let that winter-like weather get to you. Just knit up one of these beauties and have faith that blue skies and sunshine are on the way!

More of the super cool Army of Knitters patterns to come this weekend, so keep a look out.

Happy knitting!

Feeling Inspired!

Alright. So I was on a plane a couple days ago (unfortunately for unhappy reasons, not the sunny Spring break type of reasons most people board planes this time of year) and the most awesome vest walked past me as I sat with a squirmy and generally frustrated one year old on my lap.

If I had thought just a little faster I would have stopped the woman wearing the vest to ask where it had come from. But alas.

So, next best thing—I'll just make one. From memory.

Probably it would have been easier to just write out a pattern myself, but as you all know, I do love other people's patterns, so, to me at least, it made perfect sense to browse nearly every known resource for vest patterns in search of something similar to the one from the plane.

And while I can't say I found it (it looks like I'll end up writing my own pattern anyway), I had so much fun and found so many awesome vest patterns, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

From Rowan's Savannah Collection

Abalone from Hedgehog Fibres

Railroad Vest by Madelinetosh

Rhubarb and Custard by Army of Knitters

From Rowan Studio 20

Wow, they really run the gamut, don't they? Oh well, they all look perfect for spring weather, don't you think?

And, even though I am not even remotely as racy as the model for the Rhubarb and Custard vest, I have decided it's just too cool not to knit (despite the fact that it looks nothing at all like the vest from the plane) and I've already ordered that pattern—and a number of other Army of Knitters patterns—for the shop. So all that browsing was productive!

Happy {Spring} knitting!

Some Last-Minute Sweaters

Playful Stripes by Never Not Knitting

Nana sent us some last minute sweaters this week, which I think is very, very sweet. Let me just say that my mom can knit like no one else (except for maybe my grandmother): fast and perfect.

This one is so super cute that I really, really hope it fits next year too. Otherwise the seven-year-old will wear it for a couple months (at best) and then we won't see it again for 5 more years. It's nice and long, so I just might get my wish.

The pattern only goes up to size 5 (I think) but Alana (the designer) recommended simply adding length, and it worked beautifully.

Happy knitting!

In Need of Labels

Ok. So, raise your hand if you are so organized that you put size labels in your handmade clothing. Gah! I'm so impressed! And, I would very much like to join your very-organized-handmade-clothing club!

Plus, I just think it's cute when mamas (or papas, no need to bow to stereotypes) put mama-labels (or papa-labels) in their kids' clothes. Like Dana from Made:

From Dana's flat front pants tutorial on Made

Another label from flat front pants

In that spirit, I tracked down a tutorial on Sew Mama Sew for making hand stamped clothing labels written by Wynona of Ivy Designs, and it really couldn't be easier. Check it out here.

Hand stamped label in what is clearly an awesome article of clothing

However, if you are overly busy (as many of us are these days, no?) or just don't want to make your own labels, you can also buy them pre-made. Etsy is brimming with creative folks happy to make some for you.

Cute little size tags by The CraftE Girl

Hand knit by... label from Mountainstreetarts

Happy crafting!