Happy Halloween!

("Little Pumpkin" from Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Hats. Size, newborn. Shown on Baby K at 7 months.)

  

The Baby Buttered-Toast Tank

My mom gave me "Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together)" for Christmas. (It's...cute.) There are a couple of patterns in the back, and this was one of them. I probably wouldn't have ever knit any of them, but I was about six months pregnant (which means I was trying to find things to knit for the baby like there was no tomorrow) and needed to keep my hands busy for a three-hour drive to Flagstaff (six hours of round-trip driving...hmm...the perfect amount of time to make a baby tank!)

The original calls for yellow yarn (the color of butter...thus, the "Buttered Toast" bit), but I don't really like yellow. I was also trying to not knit anything in little-baby-girl pink. Not because I don't like it as well, but because most (read: ALL) of her store-bought clothes were that color already. I guess I was trying to branch out. :) So, I guess this is more of a "Jam-on-my-buttered-toast Tank." The original is also for "big girls," not little baby ones, so I modified it quite a bit, although, the changes I made turned this already simple knit into a super-quick, easy peasy knit. (Ah, my favorite kind!)

I cast on 84 stitches and ignoring all shaping (because what little baby needs waist and bust shaping....of course this is before I knew my baby would have a Buddha-like silhouette, but even then....)worked for about 6 inches and then worked the froofy little scallop pattern for 2 2/3 inches. Then I figured out where I wanted the straps to go and picked up 3 stitches for i-cord tie-them-in-a-bow straps. (I am addicted to i-cord. I use it for everything. There is just something about the way it looks...I can't get over it!)

So, even though I knit this thing just out of curiosity (and too much time on my hands), it has ended up being one of my favorite little baby outfits. She wore it one of her first times out of the house (about a week old) as a little dress. She has worn it as a little vest over a onesie and pants to keep her warm. Now, at six months old, it is a cute little tank. I never could have guessed how practical and versatile it would be. I highly recommend all baby girls have one!

(Even if you don't have the pattern (which I doubt you do), you can probably figure it out from the pictures and my mods and add your own, much cuter trim.)

Bald No More...

My adorable baby girl takes after her grandpa...

and the little hair that she does have, makes her look like she is wearing a little toupee! (Strangely enough, I don't seem to have a picture of the back of her head, and she is sleeping, so you'll just have to take my word for it on this one.) So, when I saw the pattern for the "No-Hair-Day" Hairy Chemo Cap, I just had to make her a baby hat wig. (I realize my cause is much less altruistic...but what better way to use obnoxious bright blue Fun Fur than to bring out my little one's bright blue eyes?)

In order to make the "hat" fit Baby K, I used size US 8 needles (instead of size US 9s) and only knit until the hat measured about 5-5.5" from the cast on edge. Then I worked decreases on every row to finish it up (no "Rounds 2, 4, 6, and 8: Knit," business). I wanted it to be small enough to fit her head now, but big enough for her to play dress-up with as she gets older because what little girl wouldn't want a chance to have bright blue spiky hair?

Happy Birthday, Baby K!

My baby girl is three months old today! (Or 12 weeks...or a quarter of a year. They all sound so different, don't they?) To celebrate, here she is in the latest outfits her mother made her wear (and to wear).

This is her new yellow wrap dress (Blossom). I made it to go with her "gender neutral" yellow onesies...she is proud to be a little girl and wanted to eliminate all gender neutrality. (I know what you are thinking, "So put her in one of those girly headbands! She doesn't need a whole dress!" The problem with the headbands is that they never stay on-not her fault, mind you. Keep reading...) I created the matching headband just for fun. (Translation: her dad HATES matching headbands and is constantly "sneaking" them off her head and threatening to do them bodily harm, so of course I HAD to make one.) I really love how it ended up looking like a little crown (stupid tight bind-off!) Of course, her daddy immediately removes it from her head once he gets home, so she is only a princess from 8am-5pm (excluding lunch time and weekends, obviously).



This is her little blue skirt (Caiden's skirt). Once again, to remove all doubt that she is a little girl...in a completely haedband-friendly manner. Although, look at that smile on her face. One would be led to believe that she likes wearing headbands. (Hear that, Dad!?) (Note: The picture is a bit blurry due to the fact the she moves so amazingly fast and only paused for a second, and has nothing to due with her mom's lack of picture taking skills.)

Here we go...

My husband-being the wonderful computer nerd that he is, with his handful of websites and blogs devoted to his own nerdy hobbies-keeps telling me that I should create my own blog to catalog my nerdy adventures in knitting. Something about how since I read other knitter's blogs, I need to give something back...so, while this doesn't really say anything yet, (I just had to post something to get started!) hopefully I will be able to help/inspire/entertain just as others have for me.