FO: Teddy Bear Baby & Toddler Hats

Alright, it's time to talk about Christmas gifts I knit this year. I decided in the summer that all my nieces and nephews would be getting hats and scarves this year and I originally wanted to use my Sentro knitting machines to make them - churning out gift hats and scarves was why I originally justified purchasing those things anyway. So I started out with some samples on the 22 pin and the 48 pin machines. The bigger machine would work for the older kids no problem, but the 22 pin was too small and the 48 pin was too big for the babies. Knowing a baby hat wouldn't take much time to make and also knowing that I was using my knitting machines for all the other kids, I decided what the heck and just cast on the baby hats to knit by hand on my DPNS. I wanted them to be cuter than just a plain beanie, so when I saw a baby hat with teddy bear ears it was decided. I cast on and got going.

I used my go-to hat pattern: Basic Hat by Michelle of Ooo Baby Knits, which is a free pattern and easily adapted to whatever size you want. I needed one for a boy and one for a girl, so I searched the stash and came up with some cute options.

The girl version came first and this is actually the only photo I have of it because I had to get it in the mail earlier than the others. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease in the Dusty Pink colorway and made a basic beanie. Then I hunted Ravelry for free teddy bear ear hat patterns and just added the ears from Bear Ears & Face Hat by Tara Marie, which worked great. The hat itself is a bit long, but that means it can easily be folded up at the brim for now and it will grow with my niece and she can wear it for years. 

For my nephew, I know his mom wanted blue, so when I came across this cool yarn in my stash I decided to go with it. This yarn is I Love This Yarn Colors! from Hobby Lobby in the Morningstar colorway. It gradates from blue top green and has a heathery look. I bought it in 2014 because I loved the colors and then I could never figure out what to make with it. Huzzah! I love using up a long stashed yarn.

I made these hats 70 stitches wide and it turns out that actually can squeeze on my own head, so with the extra length from folding up the brim and the width being what it is, I know these hats can grow with their recipients for a few years at least, and that's always a nice feeling :)

The pink hat was my first gift I made this year before jumping head first into machine knitting and the blue one was made in the midst of the rest. This is my crop of gifts I mailed out to my nephews - just envision the pink one added in there since it was already gone when this photo was taken. This was the most complicated year of gifts I've ever made and I was so happy that I was able to get them all done in time :) Stay tuned for the deets on all these items over the next few weeks. 

Summary:

Yarn: 0.50 skeins of Lion Brand Wool Ease in Rose Heather - $1.50, 0.35 skeins of I Love This Yarn Colors in Morningstar  - $3.66

Pattern: Basic Hat by Michelle of Ooo Baby Knits - Free, Bear Ears & Face Hat by Tara Marie - Free

Time: 3 hours? Ish?

Major FO: I'm So Crafty I Made A Baby!

Guys - this project has been 2 years in the making, so I warn you ... there are a lot of photos, lol. According to Ravelry, I started this on May 26, 2015, and I finished it March 5, 2017. I just kept setting it aside for other more pressing makes, but this past month I really got the itch to just finish it up, so I did :)

I started this at a pretty difficult time in my life. Things were not going well and I needed a project to really get involved in to occupy my brain. I've loved the Baby Doll Set pattern from Itty-Bitty Toys by Susan B. Anderson ever since I bought the book as a newbie knitter years ago. My first project (and reason for buying the book) was for the (Not So) Itty-Bitty Giraffe pattern that I made up in 2013 along with the Craftsy class. This was a huge project for me at the time, definitely my biggest up to that point, and it really improved my knitting. I made that giraffe as a "for my future children"" project, and he still sits on my étagère in my sewing room. Way back when I made that giraffe, I thought how cute it would be to make the baby doll set when I have a kid to play with it. This thought sat in my mind for all those years, and then in May of 2015 I decided to hell with waiting to have a kid - I want to make that baby now! lol So I started knitting. I think I made the head and half the body before I stopped to make other things (I believe it was for the Outfit Along). I would pick it up occasionally, but never really got very far. Isn't it funny how some projects just feel like they can be set aside like that and others just want to be worked on until they are finished? I had finished up all my other WIPs earlier this year, and this one was majorly taunting me. So after finishing a few gifts and whatnot, and being that I was on a real toy making kick, I decided to pick this up. I started in February and had the head, body, ears, and arms (with thumbs) done. So I had to make the legs, hair, nose, belly button, clothes, hat, and face to finish. I worked on it little by little and finished a few weeks later :) Anyway, let's look at this cute baby.

The baby itself is really a clever design. The head and body are just round and oval, but the body has a nylon stocking filled with poly pellets inside plus poly fill stuffing, which gives the body a nice weight and she is able to sit up like this unaided. The arms and legs have cute shaping for the hands. I love her little thumbs (even though I kind of sewed them on upside down without noticing and it was so long ago that I didn't want to undo it now, lol, I don't think anyone will notice but me) as well as the little belly button and nose details. They're tiny pieces, but they really make such a cute difference. It was a bit of a challenge to get the legs sewn on at a good angle - the pattern tells you to make them angle, but that's all the instruction it gives and you just have to rely on the few pictures it gives. I got there in the end, but there was much seaming and then unpicking before I was happy.

She also has knees and ankles! Which I think is adorable, and they help her sit like a real baby would. And look at the toes! They turned out much better then I thought they would, I'll be honest. They are actually just embroidered on and cinched in with yarn, but it's a great effect.

Next came her diaper, which sadly ended up a little big, but I wasn't about to redo it, lol. This was odd since I used all the same yarn and needles for everything on this baby. Everything is made in Vanna's Choice yarn. The body is in beige, white for the diaper, chocolate for the hair, wild berry and mustard for the clothes. I remember I picked Vanna's Choice because it was the skin color I liked best out of my stash, so I just followed suit all this time later and kept with the same brand for consistency. The diaper is seamed at the sides and even has darts for the tush. The pattern includes a ruffle as well, but I left that off. I may go back in the future and add it though - we'll see.

Next came her dress. I started out following the pattern, but I made changes as I went. I wanted the dress to be long enough to cover her diaper, so I made it 2 stripes longer. I also was afraid it was going to be enormous after the incident with the diaper, so I decided to start decreasing after the first few stripes. At first I just decreased at the sides, but that wasn't doing much so I started decreasing every 10 stitches every other row, then every few stitches, etc. until I liked the width, then I did the ribbing at the top. I also knew I wanted the straps to be shorter than the pattern, so I just knitted until they looked right - I think mine are 38 rows if I remember right.

I'll admit - my changes might not have been for the best, lol. She looks cute, to be sure, but it's a tight fit in the bodice. It's a bit of a challenge to get the dress on her, but once it's on everything is fine. I'll just have to make sure my kid leaves her dressed, ha ha , when I have a kid, that is.

Next came the hat. Here was another mistake, lol. I started knitting thinking that it seemed like an awful lot of stitches to cast on for a doll's hat, but I kept going. Then when it looked about deep enough for the doll, I looked to see when to start the decreases only to read I needed to knit several more inches... Ok? So I kept going. Finally I knew that any longer and the rolled brim would start to look ridiculously thick, so I started the decreases. It wasn't until I had almost finished the hat that I realized I was reading the pattern for the child sized hat. See, the set includes instructions for the doll's hat, then on the page adjacent there are instructions for a toddler sized hat to match the doll. I accidentally read the child hat instead of the doll, meaning the entire thing was too big - like 30 extra stitches around too big according to the patterns. I was not about to rip out all that work at that point, and the hat still looked cute - just with a more slouchy look to the top, which I could live with. I just finished it off with the child sized loop on the top in the mustard color for contrast and called it good :) I also made the braids a bit longer than the pattern said - I measured 10" strands.

Next I went back and made the hair - again making it longer than the pattern says. I started off with the patterned length, but they just looked too short. I can't remember how long I cut though, lol, I just played with it until I liked the length. This brought back memories of the loop stitch on Spud the Sheep (and my pointer finger gets sore just thinking about it, lol). It is an adorable way to make hair thought. I love this little touch, by the way. I think she is cutest with the braids on the hat, but I love that she's got some baby hair when the hat is removed so she's never bald :)

I left her face until the very end. A big part of what I love about the pattern example is the pretty embroidered face that Susan made, and to be honest I was afraid of messing it up. Looking at the other finished baby dolls on Ravelry, the face could really make or break your finished doll. Some of them are knit beautifully but have really strange faces, which just seems like such a shame after all that work in knitting the doll and putting in the time only to have an odd looking baby in the end. I wanted to make sure I got all her features in the right places, so put on the hat and studied Susan's photo intently. I had to pull the eye out a few times because I would start too high or too wide. In the end, I grabbed a pair of 12 mm safety eyes and put them in place like Susan's were, then just made sure to embroider in the same spots that the safety eyes filled. This way I was able to make sure everything was even on both sides because I knew the exact point to start from. The eyes are done with a spider web stitch, which I had never done before, but I really like them. Her eyebrows aren't perfectly even, but I didn't see that until looking at these pictures, so it doesn't bother me in real life. I think her cute little face is really what makes this doll so adorable :)

I love everything about this doll. She is surprisingly real baby sized and with the poly pellets inside she has some heft too, making her really hug-able. I may sound like a creeper, but I like to just give her a squeeze and set her around. I still haven't given her a name. I'll leave that for later when she needs one. Right now she's just called Baby. I'm glad I decided to make her even though I have no practical reason for her. She makes my sewing room a little more fun. She also would be a great doll to make a whole set of clothes for, and if I have a daughter who likes baby dolls someday then I probably will make her more things. In the meantime she will just keep me company :)

I can't recommend this pattern enough! If you don't mind a big project, she's very much worth the effort. Thanks, Susan, for another great design :)

Crochet Update: Magnetic Fishing Game

So, November 1st was my nephew's 1st birthday! Very exciting :) He's walking everywhere now and he is into everything, lol. I've always seen the magnetic fishing games and thought they were so cute. When my planned gift fell through (it is lost in the many boxes around my house somewhere), I decided Luke needed a fish game for his birthday. So I whipped this up!

Isn't it cute?! I just love how it turned out. I used the Wal the Tiny Fish Pattern by FreshStitches, but I modified it a bit to make it smaller. I only increased up to 30 stitches, and I only did 5 rows of plain sc for the centers. I also left off the eye balls and just embroidered eyes, and I left off the fins. But the coolest part is this:

Their mouths are magnetic! I used 5/8" metal washers and just crocheted through the center hole - basically it worked like a magic loop but with metal - and the stitches encased the washer. So the black mouths are another modification, but I still just did 6 stitches around them and that covered them just enough.

See how you can just see a little bit of metal through the black? That made it to where the magnet would still grab tight enough to pick up the fish.

Each fish looks just like this and making them smaller really helped with their overall weight, making them easier to be picked up by the magnet. I only stuffed them a little bit - there is a little ball of stuffing in the body and another smaller ball in the tail, just to give them some dimension. I used all yarns from my stash since these fish only took about 22 - 25 yards each. So some of them are Vanna's Choice (cranberry and radiant orange), some are Red Heart With Love (blue hawaii, violet, and daffodil), and even some Red Heart Super Saver (spring green). The black yarn is Everyday Soft Worsted. Once i got the pattern figured out, each fish took my about 35 minutes - definitely not bad!

After I got the fish finished, I had to make the pole. I bought a 5/8" wide dowel rod and cut it to about 15" long. My dad and I ground down the edges and I sanded them smooth. Then we drilled a hole about 1" down from the top. I played around with several types of magnets, and this circle one worked the best for my quicky project. I took some white sport weight yarn (type unknown - I've had this over 10 years, lol) and I threaded it through the hole in the pole 3 times, then tied several knots and secured them with fray check. I measured out about 12" or so of white yarn, then wrapped through the hole in the magnet, tying several knots and also securing them with fray check. I certainly don't want it coming undone :) It was actually really easy to put this together and now I even have plenty of parts to make it again.

It ended up being a huge hit! He may not understand it right now, but he thinks it's pretty cool that his pole picks up the fishes :) Also all the other kids at the party jumped at it and played around with it, so this was definitely a good idea - and kids of all ages played with it! Even my dad :) My sister has already requested different types of magnetic sea creatures to add to the set for Christmas. And when he gets a bit older, we can use this to teach him his colors. Gotta love a multi-purpose toy:)

I am thrilled with how this set came out. It's cute, quick, and well loved - you can't get better than that!

FO Friday: Another Pumpkin Hat

After my first pumpkin hat came out so cute, I knew my nephew needed on too :) I actually started this project back in August, but I set it aside to finish some more pressing projects ... and just realized that it would be obsolete in a week if I didn't buckle down and get it done. Whoops! So, I've been working on it in my spare minutes this week (including at the DMV, lol). So, here is my new, slightly larger pumpkin baby hat!

I used the exact same yarn from the first hat (in fact it is the leftover yarn), Wool-Ease in Pumpkin and Avocado. This hat did take more yarn since the first was the newborn size and this is the 1-2 year old size, but I still have about 1/4 of a skein left of the orange :) 

The only thing I changed about this version of the hat is the stem. The pattern has you alternate between a knit row and a purl row the whole way up - I found this very hard to keep tension with while making the first hat, so it was very cumbersome. So this time around I just knitted the whole way up - done and done :)

I'm really happy with how the hat came out. The only problem - Luke HATES it, lol. He immediately pulls it off if you put it on him and if he can't get it off, he cries. You're welcome, kid. I even brought my nice camera with me to hopefully get a good picture of him wearing the hat for this post and this was as close as I got (and I had to get it with my phone).

He had just gotten a whole packet of sauce from my sister's lunch all over him, so he is wearing her "Bite Me" shirt lol. All the following pictures are of him crying/ripping it off and throwing it on the floor, lol. He does, however, think it's awesome and hilarious when other people wear his hat:

So at least we all had fun with my creation :) Hopefully I can slip it on him in his sleep or something for a cute picture, lol. Oh well, at least it's finished and I can focus on other projects now. Maybe my future children will be better with wearing hats!

Knitting Update: Pleated Cloche Baby Hat

It's done! This is a special baby gift for my friend Heather :) I was really excited when she requested this hat. I've had this pattern for about a year but I've never had any baby girls coming along to make it for! Now I can officially cross it off my list.

This is the Pleated Cloche Hat from 60 Baby Knits. I have to say that I was a little surprised when I read that the pleated section and the color band is done on straight needles and then seamed together. "What?!" I thought, "That's probably just because the writer doesn't like dpns. I'll just do it all in the round!" Oh cocky me! Turns out there is a very good reason you knit it flat first - the color changing. This is my first ever real color changing project, so I really had no idea this was the reason until I started going on it. If I had followed the directions, I would have knitted each color back and forth. Since I did it all in the round, I had no choice but to cut the yarn after each color change. Once I had it all knitted, I went back and had to tie the two pinks together where they meet, and weave in the ends. All. 44. Of. Them. Yeah, that wasn't so much fun and it felt like it took just as long as making the whole hat, lol.

This is the result of my tying - a bunched up middle section. I was able to cover one side with the super cute bow, but this side is out there for all to see. I also had some random issues because the pattern is a little vague. I was able to fix them, but honestly if Heather was a knitter I would be embarrassed to give it to her lol. At least it looks cute from the outside! Oh, and I made this in the recommended yarn for the pattern. This is Cascade 220 Superwash in Aran, Strawberry Pink and Salmon.

I can't wait to give this to Heather and see it on a little baby head :)

WIP Wednesday

So this week has been the week of gift making. I've been on a serious knitting roll lately, so I was more than happy to start on a few pieces I've been planning.

I've been seriously looking forward to making this hat ever since I first saw it in a book about a year ago, but none of my prego friends and family were having girls! Until now :) I sent my friend Heather pictures of all the baby hat patterns I had and I was thrilled she chose this one :) This is the Pleated Cloche Hat from 60 Quick Baby Knits, which I borrowed form my local library. I'm using Cascade 220 Superwash in Aran, Salmon and Strawberry Pink. This is the project that spurned my stash buying fun last week. I'm so excited to get this one finished!

I liked the other pumpkin baby hat so much that I decided my nephew needed one too :) I also happened to have pretty much just enough orange yarn left over from the last hat too - bonus! This is the Little Pumpkin pattern from Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson. He's gonna look so cute as a pumpkin!

I also just finished up my secret project last night and it will be delivered today, so hopefully I can post about it tomorrow.

That's all that's cooking around here this week. To see what others have going on, check out Tami's Amis' Blog!

Knitting Update: Punkin' Head Baby Hat

lol I have no idea what the phrase punkin' head comes from, but that's what I think of every time I see this hat. A friend of mine is having a baby in October, so she requested a pumpkin hat. Of course I was happy to oblige :)

This is the Little Pumpkin pattern from the book Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson. This was a really simple hat to make since it's mostly stockinette stitch. This was yet another affirmation that my giraffe really sped up my knitting. I was able to make this in just 2 nights! I remember it taking me a week or more to make the last knitted baby hats I made last September - granted it has been almost a year since then so it's natural I would be quicker and better by now. At least one would hope lol.

I made this hat using Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn in the Pumpkin (of course) and Avocado colorways. I love how the ribbing creates the little puffed out sections like a real pumpkin. I wish they were slightly poofier, but I think if they were it wouldn't fit nicely on the head, so I really do like it just as it is. This is my first time working with Wool-Ease and I really liked it. It's nice and soft, but since it has a percentage of real wool it's also nice and warm.

I love the little leaf on the top. The way the pattern is written it comes out a little asymmetrical which I think makes it look more realistic. That stem was a pain in the butt though, lol. I could not for the life of me keep tension on so few stitches since they alternate between knit and purl rows. There aren't any holes or anything, but it's not as tight as I usually like. At least it looks cute :)

This is the hat in its natural state. I put a ball of yarn inside it for the other photos since i no longer have a baby model with the correct size head now (my nephew is 9 months and has a head the size of a 1 year old lol).

So that's one more baby item done :) I love making baby stuff! It's quick and fun and always turns out cute. I can't wait to see this on its new owner in October!

Free Kirkland Signature Diapers Sample

Go here and click the link to the Free Diaper Sample to request a free pack of 2 diapers from Kirkland Signature :) This is through Costco, but you don't have to be a Costco member to grab one.

Free Lansinoh Sample Pack

*This does not work in Google Chrome. I had to switch to Internet Explorer and it worked fine.

Lansinoh has a great sample available - go here and sign up for a sample kit that includes their HPA Lanolin, Disposable Nursing Pads, Milk Storage Bags, and Clean and Condition Baby Wipes. This is a great opportunity to try a bunch of new products, so hurry and grab this one while it lasts!

Free Sample of 2 Kirkland Diapers

Go here and click 'Get a Sample' to sign up for a 2 pack of Kirkland Diapers courtesy of Costco. You do not have to be a Costco member to get this :)

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'Like' Ergobaby on Facebook and enter their sweepstakes :) They are giving away one of their baby carriers each day, so you have pretty good chances.

Knitting For Babies - Project Update

Well, I got it in my head that I should make booties - I guess since it's the biggest stereotype in knitting plus my sister is having a baby (she's due in November). Kelly's bébé is a boy and he will be my first nephew or niece. Since I've got the knitting bug something fierce lately, I thought it only right that I make my nephew-to-be a little something. I was browsing through sewing blogs and K-Line showed her set of these she just made as a gift. I knew I had to make some too so I got this Caron Simply Soft yarn in Ocean 9759  - I love the simply soft yarn line because it's easy to knit, feels great, and is washable and all that. The bootie pattern is in French, but it has the basics translated on the bottom. Unfortunately the booties are way small - like maybe a doll could wear these. I don't think I've ever encountered a non-preemie-baby whose feet were that small. So, needless to say I will be making another pair just gauging up a bit to fit a human baby.

The hat is my first hat ever! Yay! It was a challenge to start having never done anything like that before (plus you start with a basket stitch for the ribbing and I only just figured that out), but once I got going it was really easy. Now I'm in the home stretch with it - I have about 1.5" left to do in just a basic knit stitch so no biggie, then I follow the pattern to decrease and finish off. I did the booties on Friday night and I just started the hat on Saturday night (just got it cast on, divided and 2 rows knit) and I spent a few hours on it yesterday. I find I am more excited to finish it the closer I get, so I'm sure it will be hacked out really soon.

So, if you want to try your hand at these super simple baby gifts, follow these links:

• Chaussons Mignons (Cute Slippers) - Remember these are very small! If you size them up, just add the same number of stitches to the top section as the bottom so they will work out right (you'll see what I mean - it looks like a big T so just keep the T proportional). Scroll down to see the English translation and then just follow the diagram to stitch them together.
• Basic Baby Hat - No changes to this so far. The pattern is very straight forward :)

Free Kirkland Diaper Sample

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'Like' MarilynJean on Facebook, than send an email to support@marilynjean.com with your name, mailing info, size of onesie you need (0-6mo or 6-12mo), and whether you want the blue or pink one :) I'm sure this will not last long, so hurry!

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