Monday, September 27, 2010

Progress on baby sweater

It is amazing how much time it takes to knit even a baby sweater. But, this one is as cute as a buttom! I'm nearing the second sleeve (this is knit side-to-side -- see my previous post). Once the second sleeve is completed I need to sew the side seams and then pick up stitches around the bottom. Two knitting tasks I have never done. Time to learn new knitting to-dos. Hope to have this completed by the time I return from NC the middle of next week. Then will block and pop into the mail. The little girl isn't due to be born until middle of November but I'm anxious to give this to her mom.

Had an interesting conversation with a non-knitting friend who saw this sweater. Took me several tries to explain why the stripes in the self-striping yarn were wider in the sleeves than the body of the sweater. She was not getting fewer and more stitches....I love how it looks. Hope baby and mom do, too.

Friday, September 10, 2010

It's a Baby Sweater

Foremost I'm a sock knitter who has a blossoming new interest in knitting shawlettes of various sizes in an array of weights of yarns. But, my newest projects are this baby sweater Phazelia's Ribboned Baby Jacket which can be purchased for a few dollars from Ravelry.

It is an easy, cute and quick knit in fingering weight yarn. The pattern recommends a size 1.5 needle...ummm...don't have one of those and have never seen one. A size 2 would have been a good second choice. However, I chose to go to a size 3 to make the sweater wearable for just a little longer by growing babies. The designer is kind enough to give directions for two sizes -- 0-3 months and 3-6 months. I'm doing the latter.

I have two skeins of this Trekking yarn. No, I won't need them for one sweater but they will enable me to knit two sweaters. I have two colleagues who are expecting babies this fall...one in a few weeks and the other in late November. I hope they like their surprises when the mailman arrives in a few weeks. I will post a finished photo when the first sweater is complete.

Monday, September 06, 2010

Fiber-y Farmers' Market


There is a terrific Farmers' Market at Ard's along Route 45 near Lewisburg, PA. This week there was a new vendor -- my good friend, Libby, who owns the fiber sales website Mad About Ewes. By Spring she will be selling roving and spun yarns all from the sheep at her farm. There was a problem this year when her yarn was processed so unfortunately she is now a season behind her plan for an online shop. She has plenty to sell at the market. Her rovings are so soft, if they were butter they would melt in your mouth. The yarns are beautifully spun, are sturdy but soft and the colors are beautiful.

Friday was her first day at the Farmers' Market and she will be there each Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. through the end of October. Stop by and see what she has. There are other fabulous goodies at other vendors, too. Ard's Market is an interesting place and quite colorful in the fall.