Most certainly spring is here! And everytime someone mentions spring I always hear nothing but “Poisoning pidgeons in the park” by Tom Lehrer in my head! Hope, in next life, I’ll have hubby with such irony/sarcsm!

Spring made me go out of my boots and have open toes - finally!

 

Lola can play football outside - finally!

Trampoline is out ready for bouncing - finally!

Started project I haven’t done in long time (custom made pillowcase) - finally!

And for final finally - my hear is finally pinkish as I wanted (though there is a chance I become bold if I continuo experimenting with hair-coloures!) 

Three days ago O bought me expensive sandals! No guilty involved! An early b-day present to me from me (after all I’m the one that should know me the best)!

Pic in next post (I was trying to find any on net but with no luck)

Meanwhile I’ve been knitting in black. And since most of my knitting takes time during nights (rarely I’m in bed before 2AM) - black is not the best choice (take into account I’m shortsighted).

But my cousin/SIL needs black lacey tunic to mask sweat stains on her cotton shirts.

Unfortunatelly I was probably sleeping on my ears when cousin/SIL asked for lace pattern and started tunic with these:

Luckily, I showed WIP to my cousin/SIL before it was too late to make some changes (and avoid ripping). Three rounds of garters were enough to make transition to what SIL asked for - “punctured” pattern:

The same lacey pattern (but with additional knit stitch in patten repeat) I used to make fingerless gloves for one b-day present (custom order). 

Only once before I made mittens with fingers and I did fingers the way I thought it was supposed to be done - but this time I consulted with pro using this video tutorial .

The result:

Love making those gloves but dealing with cotton loose ends was pretty “painful”.

You probably have to be visually impaired not to see the differences amontg those yarn balls:

And yet the label for all 4 of them is same:

That’s Ana by Unitas and we are used on fact that Ana is Ana and that you could have many problems trying colourework with it!

(No matter what I love that yarn and have few boxes filled with it)

I’m telling you that because sometime ago (over a month) I got a request to knit a baby blanket. 
OK, no problem!

Customer bought yarn and sent it to me.

Everything started nicely. A simple purled butterflies on off-white:

Four rows transition from one coloure to another and nothihg but knit stitches in red:

And then I noticed this:

Yep - not the same yarn weight! I checked other balls and every off-white is thicker than red!

Somehow didn’t take me long to decide what to do - instead of worrying I simply turn the transition part into main pattern! See:

Slip stitches rule! 

This way I’m hoping to “neutralize” different yarn weights! 

And the back also looks pretty good - if you ask me - better that the front!

This is a pattern for simple hat without ribbed boreder and with just a few rounds of decreasing. You start with simple stocking stitches and end with *p1, k2* ribbing.

Yarn: “Amelie” (50% viscose, 50% acryl) by AP d.o.o. Majsperk
Needles: 3,5mm (cirs and dpns for shaping the top of the hat)

Gauge: 5cm =11sts (little stretched - I always stretch it when swatching for flattering hat)

k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
sts - stitches
*  * - repeat between stars

Since you will end with 3 stitches repeat - it is important that total number of stitches is divided by 12  (also your pattern repeat is divided by 12)

Recommendation: - for newborn till 6 months -84st
                        - babies 6-12 months - 96 sts
                        - todlers - 108 sts
                        - children, pre-teen and teen - 120 sts

Let’s start!

Cast on certain number of stitches, join and be careful not to twist it.
Knit in stocking stitches for 2 - 4 cm.

 *p1, k11* for 3-4-5 cm

 *p1,k2,p1,k8* for 3-4-5 cm

 *p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k5* for 3-4-5 cm

 *p1,k2* for 3-4 cm

Decreasing
When your hat measures 15 - 18 -20 -22cm from the bottom

*p1,k2tog*
next round: *p1,k1*
next round: *K2tog*
next round: *knit*
next round: *k2tog*
next round: *knit*
next round: *k2,k2tog*
next round: *k1,k2tog*
next round: *k2tog*

Make I cord from remaining stitches (tutorial here)

As you can notice - decreasing is taking only 6 rounds and starts (black dots) so close  to the point where hat finishes:

Thanks to adding purl sts gradually

 there are no puff or slouchy effects!

Make a knot with I-cord the way you like:

And if you get bored of knit sts - you can always turn hat inside out and have “new” one:

Happy knitting!

Let’s talk about bunnies!

Knitted bunnies.

In matter of fact - let me blablabla about Honey Bunny (Revelry link) - two days ago I finished my …. well, I stopped counting, to be honest.

This, last one has an extra large bowl (as requested) - at first sight you could think bowl will give her headache. Will see!

First Honey Bunny I made strictly  following the instructions and making my own notes alongside.

Instructions are about flat knitting and since I really dislike seaming small part of Bunny - I converted some parts of instructions into round knitting. Hands specially!

(magic loop)

Another important thing I learned from previous Bunny knitting was - to knit small part first and then body - since it have been annoying me to knit hands, dress, pants after body had been done (my personal experience). I found it more relaxing that way.

(Also, as you can see - body is knitted in the round also - much easier and faster!)

I also mastered nose embroidery - since it caused the most problems - but I realized if I turned Bunny upside down - nose embroidery was piece of cake for me!

And that’s it.  I promise that I will not bother with any future Bunny.

Now onto some real problems: in two weeks I have to be on cousin wedding. Problem: I’m fat, I’m short and I wanna wear fuchsia dress!

Lola, hubby and myself woke up very early this morning (before 7am) and went out for some grocery shopping and coffee! It was a bliss - not to hot, not to cold, not to many people … adorable!

Of course, older girls were sleeping and I am not sure how they are gonna wake up at 7am when school starts within two days!

All day today was just my kind of day - simple, relaxed and we even ate outside on out terrace:

Hedera made her first cake (chocolate of course):

She also done her youngest sis hair:

And while Lola was napping - I watched women’s high jump final and knitted Lidija’s dress:

Now I  have Sunday to relax more (that’s what I’m hoping for), ‘cause school starts on Monday and I am definitely not mentally ready for it!

Every bloody year we are on summer vacation I bring hell lot of yarn thinking 14+ days will be filled with knitting and nothing more!

Well, finally this summer I decided to go with one project only! Hurray for me!

My beer buddy Lidija asked me to knit her a dress. I am comfortable with dresses but Lidija is seamstress and when she is working on some project she seeks for a perfection! And though I am very skilled custom fit knitter … I wasn’t quite sure about knitted dress (though I knitted some hats, mitts and cowls for her).

But Lidija insisted, she bought 1kg of cotton yarn in coloure of sand … and couldn’t retreat!

I took her body measures, we “negotiate” over stitches but decided to start with this:

And this is WIP therefore - unblocked! And blocking can do wonders! So I couldn’t resist and stretch it a little - looks much better!

I’m knitting dress bottom-up and in circle, ‘cause seaming in not my thing I am trying it to escape it as much as I can!

So far I like the way pattern is showing - little of ssk, ktog, yo and cables looks like nice combination and it looks both rustic and posh at the same time!

I still don’t know will I do  decreasing and increasing for waist and upper body but one thing is sure - I totally enjoy knitting this dress!

I had an intention to write a little sweet post about my latest knitting FO, but the recipient acted like idiot so … just few shoots!

This is Bell-Sleeved Scoop-Neck Top by Stefanie Japel (from the book “Glamknits”) and works perfectly in cotton and child size!

Also, you can see my daughter in puberty (who picked up this pattern) being malcontent refusing to put her hands on her hips:

I totally blew the neck-open but she wanted to stay that way:

Back:

So, why this sore face, you may ask? Well - she forgot to mention she didn’t wanna bell shaped lace pattern on the bottom!!!!!!!

Well, she was pics in my book before I casted on, she saw pics on Ravelry … and yet she expected from me to read her mind!!!!!!!!!

So I gave it to the daughter in the middle! She doesn’t mind the shape!

Two months ago, just the day Lola and I left hospital, I got a package from my elementary school friend (not living in USA) with Sugar ‘n Cream yarn! Yarn I’ve never worked before!  Cotton yarn!

Got some stripes, variegate and solid balls. The moment my kid in the middle (Franciska) laid her eyes on yarn she started asking for a skirt.

Few days ago I casted on starting with the stripes:

After I spent 2 balls of it I turned what was left:

Well, see - I’m not fan of variegate! Not at all! Selfstriping yarn if OK, variegate … not quite! So, to cut my blablabla - here is the finished skirt:

Definitely not my yarn combo for skirt, but Franciska loves it, it’s her choice and that’s the only thing that matters! Plus our skirt inspector (AKA Lola) approved it:

I brought my strength to the Limit (yes, capital L) when my client asked his custom camisole to be finished 2 days before deadline!!! Basically, I faced the dead of deadline!

Wish Guinness were there to record my knitting as much as my persistence to attach my butt (pardon my french) to the chair (my kids made me sandwich and brought me tap water)

But I made it! Really!

Also - I didn’t make to take pic of client with the camisole since she sent her sis to collect it!

And at the end - I have just one, almost blury photo taken in total rush!

(unfortunately I didn’t manage to block it, only little steaming)

(also - this pic doesn’t do justice both to the coloure and shape)