Parcel

Very good friends of mine have just had a second child. Mr and I are going to be godparents.

I’ve been knitting away all year on and off little baby things. The first baby had a big parcel of knitted clothes, so I’ve been trying to match it this time.

There isn’t quite as many things as last time but I have been enjoying making them.

I didn’t know until quite late on, whether it was a boy or girl, so I do have quite a few girls knits squirreled away. Luckily I know someone who is expecting a girl in the new year, so she’ll get quite a few too.

I love the colour combination of them all together. The colour of the peach one in Mr’s opinion isn’t masculine enough but well I thought it was fine, so it’s gone in the parcel.

There are two wee envelopes by Ysolda in the parcel. One of them I blogged about here.

Yarn: Malabrigo Arroyo

Wee Envelope #1 Ravelry project page.

The other I made recently.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

Wee envelope #3 Ravelry project page.

The green one is Hygge from Loop, London and I was playing a bit of yarn chicken with this one. I only had one ball and it was only just enough.

Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool Worsted in grasshopper

Hygge Ravelry project page.

This one was my favourite. I just love the yarn with this pattern. It’s a Bergere de France pattern. I bought it in the Creations 2013/14 book but you can get it as a single pattern.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply

There a literally loads more photos of this on my Ravelry project page.

This one is the cutest.

Tiny Lion Roar Bonnet by Mimi Codd

Yarn: Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK

Lion Roar Ravelry Project page.

I loved them all and hopefully baby will too.

Baby Ravi

This one didn’t take long to knit at all. It’s a fabulous knit. Quick because of all the garter stitch but lots of interesting construction too, making it fun. The pattern is Ravi Junior by Carol Feller. The yarn is Millamia Naturally Soft Merino in Forget-Me-Not. Ravelry Project Page.

The yoke is worked from edge to edge with short rows to give the shape. I used German Short Rows which made the whole process quite mindless – no picking wraps up when working back. It’s a great technique if you haven’t tried it.

There are short rows at the bottom edge too, which makes it a lovely shape for a baby.

The yarn is just perfect for this (and most things really). I’m a big fan of Millamia. The stitch definition in this yarn is beautiful and so lovely and soft too. It blocks really well and I think this soft blue is just gorgeous.

The buttons are from Textile Garden. I thought a contrast worked nicely here and it zings it up a bit.

There’s something very satisfying about applied i-cord against garter stitch. Probably something to do with the clean lines next to each other. It can be a wee bit tedious but more than worth the effort.

I used the recommended yarn for the pattern. The yarn is worked at a looser gauge than is recommended by Millamia. Naturally Soft Merino is a sport weight yarn and normally worked on a 3 / 3.25mm. This is worked at a similar gauge to a standard DK. In garter stitch, this makes a nice draping and soft fabric. The only downside is my knitting looks a little uneven in places… This does mean that you could possibly use a DK yarn if you wanted to.

Stripes

Sirdar’s Heart & Sole sock yarn is really lovely. I’ve made a pair of socks before. They’ve just brought out a new colour palette and the stripes aren’t quite as thick.

I used the Clever Clogs colourway (love the names of the colours – there is also a Pigeon Toes colour! I may just have to knit this just for the name).

I made a Puerperium by Kelly Brooker quite awhile ago from the free DK version. This time I used the Beyond Puerperium pattern, which covers 4 ply, DK and worsted weight and up to 2 years. I made it in 4 ply and size 45cm / 18” chest.

Again I used the mismatched buttons, which I think works wonderfully with striped yarn. It’s a great pattern and I definitely see another one in my future! Ravelry Project Page

I’m doing Woolly Wormhead’s Mystery Hat Knitalong this year. I particularly like this KAL because each clue is in bitesize pieces and doesn’t take up too much knitting time from other things. Anyone else doing it?

I’m using the Deeply Wicked by Easy Knits that I bought at Yarndale.

I’ve done my swatch. I went up to a 3mm and I’m very close to gauge - 30 1/2 sts x 42 1/2 rows. In the introduction, there is a very useful chart provided just in case your gauge is off – to guide you to the correct size.

The other project on my needles – or should I rephrase that “one” of my other projects – is another shawl in Fine Donegal. A friend saw the one I made here and wants two making – so that’s going to keep me busy for awhile. I just love the subtlety of colour in the yarn.

Aren’t those big dumpling balls of Fine Donegal just gorgeous?