Knitting – Page 4 – Thimbleanna

Little Pink Dress

24 Comments / October 15, 2017 October 15, 2017 / Baby Oh Baby, Knitting

Ahhh. Another few slow weeks sped by. That sounds like it should be some sort of oxymoron, but it works like this: Not much going on around here, but time sure seems to fly by — I’m a little scared by the fact that it’s mid-October already. I have been doing some handwork while watching tv with MeMum. We’ve started watching Call The Midwife. I knew it would be a good series, but Oh. My. I LOVE it! I intentionally waited through several seasons before I started watching – hoping the episodes would pile up so we could have some great binge-watching. It’s sure been worth the wait. Aside from scenes that make me cry and BABIES, how can you not love a group of ladies that get together during stressful times and make granny squares to give to one of their beloved group?

I was also cleaning out a few pictures and realized I’d never showed this little dress that I knit for FinallyAGirl. I made it for her last winter (it may have even been a Christmas gift?) but it was a little large. She finally grew into it over the summer and wore it a time or two when we visited over Labor Day.

The pattern is the Mabel Dress from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight. Unfortunately I can’t remember which yarn I used — maybe a Spud and Chloe? I thought I’d made a 12 – 18 month size, but the pattern shows the biggest size as 6 – 9 months, so, not sure what happened there either — FinallyAGirl is 14 months old in these pictures.

I love everything about this dress. The sweet yoke, all the plain stockinette stitch, and the garter stitch highlights. That back hem is a little pesky, but I think it just needs to be blocked a little after every washing. The pattern didn’t have any buttons down the back — just a ribbon at the neck. I looked at the versions on ravelry and I didn’t like the way the opening left a big gaping hole, so I added a little band of extra stitching on the left side of the back yoke and added buttonholes on the right side. Then I took the pico edging on the neckline and extended it down the right side of the opening. A quick, easy way to close up that hole, plus, it added the fun of choosing some cute buttons.

And, just like that, another weekend is over. Back to the dungeon tomorrow haha. I hope you have a wonderful week!
XOXO,
Anna

Tube Socks

15 Comments / August 27, 2017 August 27, 2017 / Knitting, Socks

Well, it’s been too long, but I finally have another knitting finish. Remember this picture I posted in January?

That’s the Mind The Gap yarn by Trailing Clouds and I’ve finally finished knitting the socks that belong to it. The yarn is so named because the colors in the yarn are supposed to match the colors of the tube lines on the London Underground map.

They were a fun knit, but I felt like they took me a lot longer than normal (whatever that is LOL). Usually, I don’t care if the stripes match up on stripey socks, but I really wanted these socks to match. I couldn’t see how to do that using my normal two-socks-on-one-circ method, so I reverted back to one-at-a-time sock knitting on dpns. It was a nice change of pace, but it seemed to take longer.

{Ummm. Excuse Me Paul. I’m trying to take pictures here.}

I’ve been thinking about the UK a lot. I’m right at 2 years since my last trip and I’m homesick LOL. I NEED a trip! I’m thinking I NEED to plan one for next year.

Sounds like a 2018 plan to Me! Have a great week — I’ll be dreaming of UK travel LOL.

XOXO,
Anna

Stripey Socks

27 Comments / January 22, 2017 January 22, 2017 / Knitting, Socks

And just like that, January is almost over. Time is flying by here in ThimbleannaLand, and it hasn’t been very exciting this month LOL. I’m still working on the hand quilting for the baby quilt now and then — boy, is that ever slow work! I’ve also finished a pair of stripey socks — progress mostly due to a little travel during the Christmas break.

I seem to have lost the yarn band, but I think the yarn is an Opal sock yarn. I’m trying to use up the yarn that I have in my little stash and this yarn has been hiding there for quite awhile.

I used my standard sock recipe with no pattern on the legs — it’s nice to just sit back and let the yarn do all the work.

I like the colors in this yarn — particularly the blue which goes so well with my jeans. Here’s what they look like with my shoes — I like that the stripes don’t match. ;-D

I’ve started a new pair of socks now. I definitely prefer to knit two socks at once on a long circular needle, but for this yarn, I want to try and make the striping match on both socks. We’ll see how that works out LOL. Do you seasoned knitters recognize this yarn?

Ok, off to watch Victoria. Are you watching? MeMum and I are loving it!

Have a good week!
XOXO,
Anna

Blue Socks

16 Comments / October 7, 2016 October 10, 2016 / Knitting, Socks

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments on my Aunts’ Quilt — it’s always fun to have a quilt finish! I’ve pressed The Aunts’ (or rather, the back of the Aunts’) into service again to show off my latest sock finish:

I worked on these little socks randomly here and there, and just whenever, and finally they’re done. I started knitting the Drunken Bees pattern (which I can’t seem to find now) out of this yarn, but quickly discovered that I’d really have to be drunk to successfully execute that pattern (I knit waaaay too tightly for that pattern to work for me). Just as I was pondering new options, Bekah posted a new sock pattern that she’s offering for free. So, I used my standard sock knitting method and used the “stripe-y” technique from her pattern for the stripes. I’ve already worn them and they’re super cozy! Thanks Bekah!

Lean to the Left …

Lean to the Right …

there’s a punch line here somewhere, but I can’t remember what it is. Oh well … (btw, all the wood in the background came from yet another tree that we’ve lost on our lot — at this rate, our lot will be naked in 10 years {Sigh}).

I actually took these pictures last week, but somehow I just can’t seem to get back here during the week to write a post. I’m either at Mom’s or, when I get home, I make a hurried dinner and then bury myself in the hand quilting on the baby’s quilt. It’s slow going though — I’m guessing I’m about 1/3 of the way done. I was hoping for a finish by Halloween, but now I’m hoping for Christmas ;-D.

And now … it’s the weekend. Yipee! Have a Good One — and if you’re in the southeast, I hope you’re staying high and dry and that “normal” will soon return.

XOXO,
Anna

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Baby Sweaters

26 Comments / July 1, 2016 July 1, 2016 / Baby Oh Baby, Knitting

Thank You so much for all of your very sweet comments about FinallyAGirl. I’ve been missing her terribly this week and luckily, we’re going to see her this weekend. Yay!

I’ve been busy over the last few months making a few baby sweaters that I couldn’t show you until they were given to SweetiePie – which we did when the baby was born. I love little knitting projects because I can take them to work and knit at lunchtime a few days a week. The first sweater is the famous Baby Surprise sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman. This was a super fun sweater to knit, but boy, the first time, it takes a leap of faith. This is what the sweater looks like when you finish knitting.

Does that look like a sweater to you? Me neither. But, have faith, a little change-o presto and it looks like this:

I don’t even remember how I twisted it to put it together, but I do remember that the only seams are along the top of the sleeves. No side seams, so that was nice! My only frustration with this pattern was that there was no indication as to what size the finished sweater would be — maybe it’s because you can use this pattern for babies all the way to adult sizes, depending on the size yarn and needles that you use. I was hoping for a 3 – 6 month size, but I think this is more like a 0 – 3 month size. For those interested in the details, I used US size 3 needles with a Koigu yarn. The pattern has been published in several books and all the details, along with pictures of other Baby Surprise sweaters, can be found on Ravelry, here. Not included in the pattern is the little picot edge along the front and bottom of the sweater and around the sleeve edges. My buddy Bonnie mentioned that she had a friend who did a picot edge on her baby surprise sweater, so I googled a picot edge and crocheted it when the sweater was finished. I think this makes a really fun baby gift and I’ll definitely be making it again!

The second little sweater I made is the Nouveau-né by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot). This was another fun little knit, and oh, what a pretty little sweater pops out at the end! This sweater is knit in a much more traditional manner — top down on circular needles, so there are no side seams, which I love. I also LOVE that beautiful little honeycomb stitch on the yoke and around the sleeve and body hems. It’s so pretty and and it’s fun to run your fingers along the top to feel the bubbly texture.

The pattern also has instructions for little booties, so I made them too. It only contains instructions for a 0-3 month size — oh, how I wish it also included larger sizes. I’d definitely make it again for when our little miss gets bigger. The booties seem large to me — more like a 6 month size, but what do I know — it’s been a long time since I’ve been around little baby feet.

For those interested, I used US size 3 needles and the yarn is Millamia Naturally Soft Merino. Both little sweaters have flower shaped buttons (sorry, the whites aren’t showing up very well — white is so hard to photograph!). Yarn and buttons for both sweaters were purchased at my LYS, Knitting Off Broadway.

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I LOVE baby knitting and I’ve started on another new project — a few lunch times a week, week after week, add up to some fun finished projects!

And now … it’s the weekend. T minus 2 until I can cuddle that little baby — Yipee!!! If you’re an American, I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!!!

XOXO,
Anna

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