My "People to never knit for again" list now has a name on it.

And that name is Christopher, the boyfriend.  I put the stupid hat on him that he has begged me for for two months, and did he say thank you? No.  Did he say something nice?  No.  Did he instantly bitch about it?  Yes.

Theres' nothing wrong with it.  It's perfect.  Despite the yarn being ugly, it's a nice hat.  Now to find a home for it.

A year in pictures

So, my baby is no longer a baby.  He is a toddler!  A one year old toddler.  He doesn't toddle quite yet, but he can give kisses, and hugs (my two favorite things.) He can yell pretty loud, and blow bubbles in the water.  Best of all, he says Mama!  

The day he was born: 

One Month:

Two Months:

Three Months:

Four Months:

Five Months:

Six Months:

Seven Months:

Eight Months:

Nine Months:

Ten Months:

Eleven Months:

One Year:

Who knew someone so tiny could be so hilarious and awesome?  I love this little boy more than I could ever explain.  He is my whole world, and I thank God everyday for the opportunity to be his Mommy.  

A hat and mittens fit for a First Birthday

This hat was a pain in my butt!  Mainly because it required immense amounts of speed knitting due to the fact that I started it Wednesday, and finished it tonight, and tomorrow is his birthday!  Talk about waiting until the last minute.  Anywho, here it is!

 

'
Thankfully it fits him perfect, pattern to come soon!

Wordless Wednesday

Best New Ravelry Patterns

I decided this week I'm not going to stick to only free patterns.  There are so many amazing patterns out there that are more than worth the few bucks the designer charges.  I've been working on creating patterns, and it's a LOT of work!  Especially since you have to word them and explain enough so that anyone can recreate what you did, exactly as you did it.  Anywho, here we go!

This week in place of a scarf, I'm featuring a stole by my favorite manly man designer, Jared Flood aka BrooklynTweed

How amazing is this?  

Autumn Leaves Stole ($6.00)

BrooklynTweed aka Jared Flood

Worsted weight, 600yds

He of course used Brooklyn Tweed SHELTER (can't wait to get my hands on some of this yarn!  It's American grown and spun!)

Mittens?  I love these:

Vanilla Frappe Fingerless mittens

Fingering weight yarn, free pattern

Socks...yes...do these count?  I want some!  

Christmas stockings for boys and girls

How cute are these?  They require 230 yds of DK weight yarn.  So so so stinking cute!

Sweater!  My favorite part...

This is the Shadow sweater.  It's $5.50.  I'm not sure why, but I love this.  It's totally not something I'd usually go for, but I'd totally knit this and wear it!  

Hat:  I must knit this hat.  It is $5 for the pattern.  Oh my word is it lovely!  

It's even made to be knit with Malacrack!  I mean Malabrigo!  How beautiful is this?  

Hollywood Boulevard hat.  Love <3

Toddle Mittens Pattern

You will need:
Worsted weight yarn, I used malabrigo worsted merino in vermillion and pearl
40"+ circular needles, US5 and US7
yarn needle

CO 26 stitches with US5
Rows 1-8 K1tbl, P1
Switch to larger needles

Row 9 K1, M1R, K to 1 before end, M1L, Repeat on second needle
Row 10 Knit
Repeat rows 9 and 10 until you have a total of 38 stitches.
Knit to desired length.

At beginning of next row, increase one stitch using M1R.
Knit one row.
Knit 9, pm, knit 10, pm, knit 9, pm, knit 10, pm.
Ssk, knit to marker, slip marker, repeat around, for a total of 4 decreases.
Knit next row
Repeat decrease row and knit row until you have 5 stitches, 6 stitches, 5 stitches, 6 stitches.
From then on, repeat decrease row every row until you have 1 stitch, 2 stitches, 1 stitch, 2 stitches.
Break yarn, and using a yarn needle thread the yarn through the remaining six stitches, and pull tight.  Weave in ends.

Repeat for second mitten.

Notes:  I played with some colorwork with this mitten.  For 5 rows I alternated red and grey, then I did a red row, then a grey row, then continued in red.

Toddle Sock Pattern

You will need:
40" circular needle, US1.5, 2.5mm.
Fingering weight yarn, I used Knit Picks Palette in Almond and Grass
Yarn needle

Gauge:  9 stitches and 12 rows = 1" in stockinette

CO 44 stitches.  Join in the round, careful not to twist your stitches.
K2P2 for 3 1/2 inches.  At some point during these rounds, you'll want to rearrange your stitches so that your yarn tail is in the middle of the stitches on one needle.  This will eventually be your heel.

You should have 22 stitches on one needle, and 22 stitches on the cord (for the purpose of this pattern, we're using magic loop.)

K2P2 across the top needle, place on cord, ready to work heel stitches.

Slip 1, knit to last stitch.
Turn, Slip 1, purl to last stitch.
Turn, Slip 1, knit to last two stitches.
Turn, Slip 1, purl to last two stitches.
Turn, Slip 1, knit to last two stitches.
Turn, Slip 1, purl to last two stitches.
Turn, Slip 1, knit to last three stitches.
Turn, Slip 1, purl to last three stitches.

Turn, Slip 1, knit to last three stitches. 

Turn, Slip 1, purl to last three stitches.

Continue this (next will be knit/purl to last four(only once) and then knit/purl to last five, etc) until you have seven live stitches.  

Ready for a knit row, Slip 1, knit to one before gap, slip 1, lift bar from back with left needle, place onto right needle, and knit the slipped stitch and the bar together.  Turn.  

Slip 1, purl to one before gap, slip 1, lift bar from back with left needle, place onto right needle, and purl the slipped stitch and the bar together.  Turn.  Continue this until you've closed all gaps. 

Working in full rounds again, your heel stitches will be worked in stockinette, your top stitches will continue on in K2P2 ribbing.  Work for 2 3/4 inches.  

Starting at the beginning of your top stitches, 

K one round

K1, K2TOG, K to last 3 (on top needle), ssk, k1.  

K1, K2tog, K to last 3 (on bottom needle), ssk, k1.  

K one round

Repeat until you have 14 stitches on each needle.  Use kitchener stitch to graft toe.  Weave in ends.  Repeat for second sock.  

New things in the works

I am working on opening an Etsy shop.  It will of course, be titled Cloud Nine Knits as well.  One of the first products I'll be featuring however, will be hand sculpted polymer clay stitch markers.  Some designs I'll be featuring will be Mickey, three leaf clovers, mini skeins, bluebirds, owls.  I'll be doing "coffee break" sets, flower sets, and much more!

After that I'll be working on hand made play food, crocheted, knit, and sewn.  It will come in sets.  For example, breakfast, fruits, vegetables, dessert, drinks, etc.

I of course will be also working on knitted accessories, and maybe the occasional sewn item.  I also will occasionally put up custom slots for socks and such.  How much I list will likely depend on the response.

After seeing what people are charging for these items online, I am honestly appalled.  One of the many advantages of buying from me is that I will not charge you high prices.  I will not charge more than I myself would pay!

Ravelry

Just for the record, if you'd like to find me on Ravelry, here I am:  My Ravelry Page

KnitPicks delivery!

So my knitpicks came today.  A day early even!  Score!  Here's what I got...

A small clear project bag
"The Sock Knitter's Workshop"
Size 1 (2.5mm) knitting needles, wood, 47"
Palette, beige, 1
Palette, light blue, 1
Palette, green, 1
Stroll, blue, 2
Stroll, purple, 2
Stroll, green, 2
Stroll, red, 2

The palette (3 skeins on the left) are for Parker socks.  Should get at least 6 pairs out of this, I'm guessing maybe more.  The Stroll (4 skeins on the right) are for Mommy socks.  I'm so excited!

Time flies when little ones are involved

In eight days, my little baby boy will be one year old.  A year old!  It seems like it's only been a few months, weeks even, since I went to the hospital.  I have a few patterns in the works to make for him, and a blanket on the needles for his birthday.

In the works pattern wise, is a little "big boy" sock pattern, and a sweater pattern as well.  I've spent so many hours on Ravelry and other internet sites trying to find what I want, and it doesn't seem to exist.  So even though I'm not super experienced, I'm going to try my hand at designing.  I hope it works out, it seems to make sense in my head!  So it should work right?  I can only hope!

On the needles is a log cabin blanket which will be just his size.  We are moving to New York very soon, and when we do his new "big boy" room will be done in Mickey Mouse.  So, his new log cabin blanket is black, red, light grey, and dark grey.  When the knitting is done, I'm going to put a Mickey print fabric on the back, and of course a "hand knitted by mama" tag as well.  Pictures to come later, promise!

I've also been working on some sweaters I got from Goodwill the other day.  One red Jcrew sweater, 100% wool, and one white Petite Sophisticate cotton sweater.  The cotton sweater is all balled into center pull balls, and seems like nice yarn.  Soft too!  The red sweater is half skeined, but it's not soft, and I'm not sure what'll happen when I try to knit with it.  My plan is to try to knit a sweater with it.  I might end up having to line it with something soft,  It's that scratchy.  We'll see what happens I guess.

Wordless Wednesday

My favorite new *free* patterns on Ravelry

Every Tuesday I'm going to post my favorite new *free* patterns on Ravelry from the last week.  My goal will be one sweater, one hat, one pair of mittens, one scarf, and one pair of socks.  Here goes this week!

HAT

Pattern: Brambles Beret
From: Knitting Deep Fall 2010
Designer: Amanda Muscha
Yarn Weight: Worsted
Yarn Requirements:  220yds
Yarn Used: Cascade 220 

GLOVES

Pattern: Pt Reyes Mitts

From: Classic Elite Yarns Web-letter

Designer: Stepanie Tallent

Yarn Weight: DK

Yarn Requirements: Not given

Yarn Used: Classic Elite Yarns Wool Bam Boo

SOCK

Pattern: Double Wing "Agate" Socks

From: Linda Z. O'Halloran Designs

Designer: Linda Z O'Halloran

Yarn Weight: Fingering

I realize these are very similar to Cookie A's Monkey's.  Maybe that's why I like them?  

SWEATER

Pattern: Effortless Cardigan

From: Knitbot

Designer: Hannah Fettig

Yarn Weight: She states dk, but also says the yarn she used is closer to a worsted, and suggests using a worsted if you're going to substitute.  

SCARF

Pattern: The Dudester Scarf

From: HipKnitizer

Designer: Jana Pihota

Yarn Weight: Worsted

Yarn Requirements: 435yds

Yarn Used: Moda Dea Bamboo Wool

There you have it folks!  Tomorrow will be Wordless Wednesday, but later today I may share with you what is being knitted up in the Cloud Nine household, and what I have my eyes on next!