Lil' Peanut

It all began with the need to make the most adorable mini baby surprise jacket: 32 rows of satisfying knitting bliss and a class idea blooming. When I had spent about 2 hours making up two adorable minis, I realized that I really needed a model to display their cuteness.

Some misleading geometric guesses and a couple more hours later, I had my first prototype completed...too big in every way for the sweater. And, he was too long in the torso and in the head (little bit bullet headed). Some very easy adjustments to the original idea and about an hour and half later, I had a much more successful incarnation of a mini BSJ model.

Here is the pattern:
Notes:
*Depending on the gauge that you work your mini BSJ, use the same gauge to knit your lil' peanut.
*You will be placing a marker after the first repeat on needle one mainly to help you recall which needle is Needle one and, thus the beginning of the round.
*When stuffing, it is a delicate balance to make sure that you have enough to form the body body but not too much so that the sts are over stretched and expose the stuffing insides. Take care to find this balance.
*If you would like Lil' P to be a good shelf sitter then you can fill a little baggy with pellets and place it in the bottom of the body on a bed of fluff. If it is for a child, then skip the pellets or sew a well constructed pouch that can be sealed shut securely.

Gauge: 4 sts/in
Needles: 4 US8 DPNs
Yarn: Encore Worsted (get back to you on the yardage, but it isn't much)
Other: a bit of stuffing

With 2 DPNs, CO3.
Torso:
Round 1: With needle 1, kfb. With Needle 2, kfb. With needle 3, kfb. Continue in the round from here. (6sts)
Round 2: kfb, place marker, *kfb, repeat from * 4more times. (12 sts)
Round 3: Knit.
Round 4: *k1, kfb, repeat from* 5 more times. (18 sts)
Round 5: Knit.
Round 6: *k2, kfb, repeat from* 5 more times. (24 sts)
Round 7: Knit.
Round 8: *k3, kfb, repeat from* 5 more times. (30 sts)
Rounds 9-23: knit.
Shoudler Shaping:
Round 24: *k3, k2tog, repeat fro * 5 more times. (24 sts)
Round 25: Knit.
Round 26: *k2, k2tog, repeat fro * 5 more times. (18 sts)
Round 27: Knit.
Round 28: *k1, k2tog, repeat fro * 5 more times. (12 sts)
Neck:
Round 29-34: Knit.
STOP - stuff the body now.
Head:
Round 35: *k1, kfb, repeat from * 5 more times. (18 sts)
Round 36: Knit.
Round 37: *k2, kfb, repeat from * 5 more times. (24 sts)
Round 38-44: Knit.
STOP - stuff the head now. Just very slightly over stuff the head so that the stuffing fills in these last rows for the crown of the head.
Round 45: *k2, k2tog, repeat from * 5 more times. (18 sts)
Round 46: Knit.
Round 47: *K1, k2tog, repeat from * 5 more times. (12 sts)
Round 48: *k2tog, repeat from * 5 more times. (6 sts)
Cut a tail and draw it through the remaining 6 sts.
Weave in ends.
Picking up for the arms:
Find desired arm position. I placed mine on either side just below the shoulder shaping.
Pick up and knit one arm of three v's stacked on top of each other.
V
V
V
When adding the new yarn, be sure to leave a tail that is about 6" long; this tail can be used to neaten this joint later when weaving it in. Work a three st i-cord for 20 rows. Bind off by k2tog, k1, pass k2tog over k1. Weave in the tail. Tie a not at the end ot the completed i-cord. Repeat for second arm.

The legs are worked in a similar manner. The difference being that you pick up and knit one arm of three V's sittingnext to each other in a row. VVV
Work these I cord for 26 rows.

Enjoy.

FIbonacci stripes and STEEKS (or not)

Leo's Stripes: A Tale of at Least 2 Sweaters
Moonlight Stitches Creation by
Anne Lecrivain-Cozzoli

This sweater is a mix of Fibonacci numbers to create
a fun set of stripes. There is both a steeked version
(yes, that means cutting it)and a non-steeked
version (knit back and forth). It is worked top down and
allows you the ability to customize length of the body
and sleeves.

Materials: Worsted Weight yarn,
US8 – 16” circular, 24”-32” circular,
and 4 double pointed needles, stitch markers,
5 stitch holders or waste yarn, tapestry needle,
G(4.5mm) crochet hook (for steeked version)

Bust measurements: 36(38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50)”

Gauge: 4 sts/inch or 16sts per 4”

Short Sleeved Solid:
615 (650, 680, 715, 750,790, 820, 850) yds
Short Sleeved Striped:
A: 390 (410, 430, 455, 475, 500, 520, 540) yds
B: 130 (135, 140, 150, 155, 165, 170, 175) yds
C: 55 (60, 60, 65, 70, 70, 75,
75) yds
D: 195 (205, 215230, 240, 250, 260, 270) yds
Long Sleeved Solid:
920 (975, 1020, 1075, 1125, 1175, 1225, 1275) yds
Long Sleeved Striped: Additional of A:
310 (325, 340, 360, 375, 395, 410, 425) yds

Log Cabin and EZ's inspirational Force

I did debate on whether or not this was an original enough variation on EZ's tomten as published in Knitting Workshop. I decided that all the work I did in figuring out the sizing for such a wide range allowed me to have a small claim on this version.

This jacket uses Log Cabin blocks as the
foundation to build a tomten jacket, a
sweater formula originally created by Elizabeth
Zimmerman. This project flatters many figures
and uses fun techniques that rely on on very little
finishing for the completed garment.

To Fit Bust Sizes: 30 (32, 34, 38, 40, 42, 44,
46, 48, 50 , 52, 54)

Gauge: 4sts/in in garter st.

Materials:
For ¾ length sleeves: 8 (8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 11,
11, 12, 12, 13, 13) balls of Noro Silk Garden,
110 yds (100 m) ea
For full length sleeves: 9 (9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 11,
13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15) balls of Noro Silk Garden,
110 yds (100 m) ea
5 stitch holders (or waste yarn), 16” and 24”
US8 circular needle (or size needle to achieve
gauge), US8 straight needle (optional), stitch
markers: 1 ring and 6 locking, 6 buttons

TOP DOWN for EVERYTHING

YES! I intended to shout that! Work form the top down just really works for my head whether it be a sweater or a shawl or a hat.

Seedy Topper: A Top Down Beret
Moonlight Stitches Creation by:
Anne Lecrivain-Cozzoli

This beret is worked from the top down
in seed stitch, a lovely way to enhance
variegated yarn.

Sizes for head circumferences: 20”(22”, 24”)
Should fit snuggly in the brim.
Yarn: 160 yards of worsted weight yarn
Tools: four US 8 DPNS, one US 8 16” circ.
Needle, stitch markers, tapestry needle

Long time, no Blog

I have been a busy busy bee - both at mothering/wife-ing and knitting.

For the next few days I am going to post a ton, as I have recently been publishing new pattern (or revamping old ones). I am going to do a few posts a day (this will make my life much easier later).

Let's begin: How bout at the top, with a top down beret.

Nah; I'll begin with a stranded fake isle hat.

XOXO Cap: A Fake Isle Charted Hat
Moonlight Stitches Creation by:
Anne Lecrivain-Cozzoli



This cap offers two designs to try out an easy
approach to stranded knitting. Using worsted
weight yarn in a solid and a self striping
colorway, these charts are inserted into a classic
cap for a stunning effect as the self striping yarn
changes color.

Gauge: 4 sts./in in St.st. with solid color (MC).

Size: One size fits most (20-22” heads)

Materials: 110 yds of a solid (MC) worsted
weight yarn and 110 yds of a self striping (CC)
worsted yarn (the sample was worked in
Cascade 220 and in Noro Kureyon); US 7
16” Circular needle, US 8 16” Circular needle,
a set of US 8 DPNs; stitch markers.

Note: Fake Isle is really fair isle - but it sounds less scary and is a touch easier because the yarn does the hard work.

New Pattern: Baby D Split Neck

I am hoping that this design is the first of a series of Baby D designs.We'll see; I just follow where the knitting muses lead me.

This sweater, worked from the top down, was improvised one weekend and quickly became a personal favorite (yes, I am biased). The design and excecution are very easy and accessible. Both the knitting and the minimal finishing happen quickly. The best part is probably dressing the long awaited recipient in your creation. It is a great place to use half finished bobbins if you have any sitting around from fair isle or intarsia (the exact situation that inspired me).

To fit Sizes: 6 mos.,(12 mos., 18 mos.) or 17"(18", 19") chest

Finished garment:
22", 23", 24"

Gauge: 4 sts/in on US8

Materials: 3 colors of worsted weight
yarn; example uses Plymouth Encore; choose one to be MC (main color), CA (color A), CB (color B). 100 yds of CA and CB each, and 200 yds of MC (there will be extras),US 8 16" circular, US 8 DPNs, Stitch markers, 2 Stitch Holders, tapestry needle, bobbins (optional)

Note: The sweater shown is knitted to six month specs...Baby D is only two months old...

New Pattern: The Ojai Sweater

I made this sweater up ages ago and received enough compliments on wearing it around Anacapa Fine Yarns that I decided to hastily write up the pattern and teach it as a class. Well, haste makes waste, in pattern writing anyway. The class went well, but the original write-up had math errors sprinkled through the sizing. After a long overdue treatment with the fine tooth comb last night, I am now ready to present my nearly perfect pattern to the big bad world. I hazard to say that it is nearly perfect now.

Here's the story behind this quick, cute little number:
The Ojai (pronounced O-Hi) Sweater is aproduct of my spoiled work life, being employed at yarn shops. OneFriday, before I was married and at the previous store I worked at, I was planning to meet my hubby and his brother after work to proceed
to Ojai for a patio dinner with their cousin and her in laws. I put
on a lovely white eyelet sundress with skinny straps. This dress
was a perfect choice for the heat of the San Fernando Valley in the
middle of a steamy summer. However, the whatifs crawled into my ear
as I realized shortly after arriving at work that I had not packed a
sweater for a jaunt to the coastal mountain community. Having spent
time in the surrounding areas, Santa Barbara and Sant a Ynez, I
expected to meet a very chilling evening and to look very foolish
for having arrived ill prepared. With 5 hrs left before departure
and no time to run to Target, I sat down in hopes of quickly
whipping out a shoulder warmer. I came very close, but no sweater
about an hours more work remained. Luckily, Ojai is situated in the
mountains so as to catch morning fog from the west and hot air from the
east. Dinner was amazing and the evening was just the perfect
temperature. The sweater was completed by the next night and soon
warmed my shoulder on other cool nights.

I adapted the pattern to work up in any desired body or sleeve length.

Sizes: 36", (38", 40", 42", 44", 46", 48", 50", 52", 54")
Yarn: For original, 334, (360, 386, 414, 444, 476, 510, 547, 586, 627) yds.
To add 3" to body, add approx.: 23(24, 26, 28, 30, 33, 36, 40, 44, 48) yds.
To add 1" to sleeves, add approx.: 8(10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26) yds.
Materials: US 11 (8mm) 24" circ., Optional: US11 (8mm) dpns, 8 stitch markers, 2 stitch holders
Gauge: 3 sts/inch in stockinette

Price: $5.00

A great sadness

There has been a knitting death that many of you were probably already aware of - magknits.com is no more.

The editors published a letter to explain their exit, which cannot be blamed.

As the home to famed patterns like Jaywalkers, I had always enjoyed their contribution and always looked forward to each new month's issue. I hope that all the treasures that were contained in their archives find safe homes, especially since a lot of those things are still in my ravelry queue (selfish thoughts). If you hear of anyone who needs a digital home to republish, I would be happy to give them some space here.

Oh, Baby!

I have nested. Hello baby - the nest is ready. C'mon child; let's be here already.

I have already shown you a couple of things that I had completed - a wee baby surprise and a tychus cap. Here are a couple more caps in combos of ribs and purls. Do you see the rocket pop inspiration? I made them to coordinate with my
interpretation of Lesley Stanfield's Icelandic Jacket. The knitted body is a solution to my crochet count having been off when I finished working the yoke (a 16 stitch error discovered after a front, a sleeve, and the back were crocheted). The yarn is some stashed Sirdar Snuggly with the crocheted bit done on a D-hook and the knitted bit on a US4.
The buttons are hard to see but too cute regardless - blue fish and white tugboats alternating.


I have been on a top down rampage in all things sweater related. I improvised this little split neck top while I was teaching a class on Top Down Sweater knitting to have an example to work on while my students busily worked away at adult size garments. The green and cream is worked in Encore Worsted. I had tons of loaded bobbins left from an intarsia project that I didn't want to go to waste. So, left over proportions determined the patterning of this garment. The quad colored version to the right is worked in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. It was sized up a little in the cast on and has a couple more increases in the yoke; now, that I invested in another ball of the blue, I am going to add another stripe sequence to the body to make having sized it up width wise make sense (babies get longer faster than they get wider). You can see the sleeve kryptonite at work on this item, per usual.


What is that? A bird? A plane? A strangely shaped receiving blanket? Nope. It's another baby surprise. It just needs its shoulder seams and buttons sewn up. I am probably going to wait till Dante is closer to needing it so that it can remain a magic trick at the store to explain the concept of the pattern. The yarn here is again Encore plus some TLC in my favorite colorway, Surf and Turf. It is easily sized up by being worked in worsted weight on US8. Waiting to see if we will need more sleeve length by the time that the body fits also keeps me from sewing up those two lasts seams. No excuses for not having done the button sewing though.


This blanket out of stashed Homespun is hopefully something that Dante will snuggle prodly in since it goes onto a very short list of yarny blankets completed by these hands. I think that it may only be the second ever. I never did finish Xander's started nearly 8 years ago. I think that one is even lost and gone to the sands of time. Not to say that my children will go cold; they are blessed enough to receive quilts and yarned blankets from loved ones. Xander received something that would never ever come off my short attention spanned needles - an adult size seed stitched blanket in sport weight.


Baby D is lucky enough to have received two gorgeous blankets from good friends Charlie and Kate. Charlie, my coworker, made him this, gorgeous and still masculine, yellow lace number in any mother's favortie yarn (at least, this mother's favortie) - Encore. Kate, a woman who has only been knitting and crocheting for about 6 months, hooked him this aborable giant grany square cuddler that happens to coordinate very nicely with both the bassinette and the stroller. Wish he would get here so that he could enjoy these generous spoils with me.

There is one more gifted knit that I want to share with you but it is packed in the hospital bag so you will have to wait to see 'em on his little tootsies.

In the end, I didn't really need to wait for the bassinette to photograph those things; it simply made for an awkward setting. Oh well.

Next time, I will show you some of the UFOs that await the babe.

Obsession Continued

I have been knitting on this baby almost constantly - at least constantly during the hours that I can stay awake (which are morphing more and more toward ungodly hours). This project and an unreasonable amount of napping is all that is keeping me sane as I impatiently wait for the wee one to arrive already. (I am still two weeks away from my due date but he is also full term as of this last Friday). Anywho, I finished the body yesterday afternoon and went right into my first steeking of a thing so that I could try it on as I knit the sleeves.

I wanted a reminder about where to place the stitching lines, so I went on a google quest for quick pictoral. It seems that I chose the quickest and dirtiest plan for involving steeks; the first two pages of links all showed work that had more than 4 stitches set aside and all favored crocheted steeks rather than machine sewn steeks. C'est la vie. This way works and it would be too late to be a-changin now.

I did do the attached i-cord edging already, before continuing on my sleeves. I'll show you that and some finished sleeves asap.

A Finished Object and an Obsession

I would really like to show you all the baby knits that I have finished and that I have been gifted, but I want to photograph it in the frilly bassinette that is set to arrive some time during the next week.

Instead, I will show you a lovely finished object that needs to be wrapped up and sent as birthday gift to a lovely woman - my hubby's grandma. It is a Lily Chin pattern, Charlotte's Easy Lace Shawl, made from 4 balls of light pink Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk. I had two laying around from other projects and only needed to make a further investment in two more balls. I was quite impressed with what 284 yds on US13's could produce. I haven't done a ton of lace knitting and this is the first shawl that I have made; on both counts, this pattern proved very satisfying.

It was really easy to block; I just hit it with some steam as it draped over a towel on the bed. Though I finished it in plenty of time to have it ready as a birthday present, my Acheles Heal awaits conquering - getting it packaged and sent out of the post office. I am really tempted to hook up with Fed-Ex's pick up service but I don't have any of their envelopes either getting set up would take just as much effort as getting my butt over to the USPS that is about a block from our home. My PO issues are why I am self forbidden to ever attempt to participate in any swaps. As much as receiving and sending well thought out goodies, I am the worst at keeping on the ball.

Now for my obsession: I am calling it Not Kaffe. I bought this season's VK without even looking at the patterns because I had been looking forward to Lily Chin's article on waist shaping. I haven't seen much of anything that I could really care about making for about 2 yrs from this publication, but this issue has at least half a dozen things that I am having dreams about making. The first thing is pattern #14 which is a classic Kaffe thistle fair isle number. After cogitating on where I could get the eight colors of DK wool for the cheapest, disillusionment began to set in, nearly cemented by the fact that he designed it in pieces. Hope came with empowerment - It simultaneously occurred to me that I could make use of some of the tons of Noro Kureyon that I was stashing to make Interweave's Sunrise Jacket (though I think that jacket is too lovely, it doesn't light me up the way that it once did) a la Three Tam style and I could put this chart into a steeked top down cardigan in a larger gauge. The math and the chart worked out to be a perfect match. At 2:30pm yesterday afternoon, I cast on. At 2:30 am this morning, I finally set it down with about 5 rows to go before the split for sleeves and body. I am having a fine ole stranded time with this project and am having tremendous separation anxiety when I have to set it down. I charted the first 15 increase rows to make sure that I increased within the chart without compromising the design and fter that, for the reaming 8 increase rows, I have been able to fake it following the original chart.