WIP Wednesday: Knitting Machine Go Brrrr.......

Guys, my knitting machine has been going and going this week. I've managed to churn out 2 full length scarves and technically 2 hats (I made it once but it was too big so I had to do it again, lol). I've been working on my Baby Lock knitting machine (which is a Bond Knitter) and while there has been a learning curve, YouTube videos have been the true heroes of this endeavor. It seems like everytime I start a new project, I forget something and I can't start without watching this video. Cheryl Brunette made a mail in video class on using a Bond Knitter back in the late 80s and she very nicely has the entire series up on her YouTube page. It's a lifesaver, guys. If you have one of these machines - Bond Classic, Baby Lock (rebranded), The Ultimate Sweater Machine, etc - then you absolutely should watch this class. 

I started with the scarves because they are just a really long rectangle and I made each one in an evening even with the random snags I created by doing something wrong. Then for the hats, I found this video by Diana Sullivan that outlined a fancy hat from start to finish. I didn't make the cabling detail she shows, but I followed her tutorial other than that and it turned out great. So even with learning something new, I have no problems getting all the projects made that I wanted to before Christmas and that's a nice feeling.

The first scarf went so well that I pulled out this scarf I made on my Sentro machine and re-knit it on my Baby Lock. SO much nicer. The Sentro left a section of these weird tucked stitches and I really wasn't happy with it. The Baby Lock gave me completely smooth and even stitches with no issues. When they come off the machine they are extremely rollie, but steaming it gets them nice and flat. I haven't steamed this one yet, so it looks pretty tubular, lol. 

In hand knitting, I finished my first baby hat and started the second one. It's amazing how quick these are when you're used to making sweaters and shawls. I made this in just a few hours over the course of a week and then popped it in the mail. I'm hoping it fits - I'm always worried about making baby hats fit because I made several too small when I hadn't made so much stuff.

No sewing this week - I can't get to my machine because I have the knitting machine set up right in front of it, lol. I need to churn out these gifts before I start doing anything for myself anyway, so it's all fine. My New England dress is still sitting there all cut out and ready to go. Hopefully next week I can start putting it together.

FO: Blue Agathis

Last Christmas, I wanted to make my boyfriend a hat. I knew his favorite color was "Carolina Blue", and I didn't really have that color in my stash at the time. I had this "soft blue" and I was very unsure if it was too baby colored, but I showed him and he said he liked it (*I still think he was just being nice, and it's too light, honestly). But since I had showed him the yarn, I also offered to let him pick his pattern. He found several cabled hats he liked, so I had a selection of 3 different patterns to surprise him with the final product. It worked out great.

This is the Agathis pattern by Agata Smektala, which is a free download. I liked the texture and how the cables swap in each column, so this is what I went with. The yarn is I Love This Yarn in Soft Blue that I had leftover from the Chill Pill-ow. I really like this yarn for hats because it's so soft and durable, but it also can be thrown in the wash so I don't have to worry that the recipient will felt their hat.

It turned out great - a nice comfy size. The boyfriend said he loved it. Hopefully he actually did lol. Always the fun parts of gift making, amiright? I really did enjoy making this hat - it was a quick and satisfying pattern to knit up. Hats as gifts are just the best.

 

FO: Girly Gramps Cardigan

My sister, Shannon, had her first baby last year and of course I had to make her something :) We knew it was going to be a girl beforehand, and given that she's in a colder area and the time of year the baby was born, I decided to use this as an opportunity to finally knit up a baby sweater. I searched my pattern stash and yarn stash and settled on this ADORABLE sweater and I'm so pleased with the results.

The pattern is gramps by tincanknits. It has a huge array of sizes, going from 0-6 months up to adult, and it was just so cute. I made the smallest size and it honestly still is a bit large for a standard sized infant. She was still swimming in it at 4 months, but that worked ok because it fit for the coldest time. I decided to really girl it up and make this little old man style sweater in Strawberry Cream colored Cascade 220 Superwash with the same in Cream for the accents. This way she gets the warmth of wool, but it's still easy care for washing. I've had these yarns in my stash for years from a different baby project for a friend's baby, so I was happy to use it for another little babe.

The knitting on this was pretty straight forward - it's knit seamless and then you have to add the adorable pockets and elbow patches. Are these frivolous? Absolutely. But are they the cutest thing ever? Of course. 

I used some of what I call my Magic Tube of Buttons for this. I got an entire tube of these buttons for $2 a few years ago and they have worked for SO MANY projects. I think I've used them for a few sweaters for myself as well as a button down shirt and possibly something else. I still have a bunch left, so they will continue to show up from time to time. They are just the right touch for a lot of things.

So that was it - an adorable sweater for an adorable baby :) 

Summary:

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash - 0.85 skeins of Strawberry Cream, 0.58 skeins of Aran

Pattern: gramps by tincanknits

Notions: 5 Buttons

Time: just shy of 1 month