A bag for Mimi

This is my Mama, Mimi. I've mentioned at least a couple times on this blog that Mimi is quite the prolific knitter. (Though the name "Grammy" was quickly relinquished when Ava first pronounced her "Mimi", yes, I am referring to the same woman in those old posts.) I am certain, however, the word 'prolific' does not adequately communicate how productive and generous Mimi really is with her knitting. 

I searched through my photos and gathered the small collection of images above of all that Mimi has accomplished in the 3 1/2 years since Ava was born. And friends, I do not exaggerate when I say "small collection". You can't even imagine how many beautiful sweaters, hats, mittens, booties and blankets Mimi has knit for these (and other) little ones. Let's just say they are in absolutely no danger of ever being cold. 

I was very happy to hear that Mimi has finally started knitting for herself, as she should be able to enjoy her beautiful work too. And I am looking forward to seeing her sweaters in person as I know they will be exquisite. Often when I make a small mistake in one of my own projects I just push forward thinking no one will notice it in the end - and most of the time I am right. But Mimi is exacting and will tear out rows and rows that may have taken her hours to complete just so that her sweaters are *perfect*. 

Given this keen attention to detail, you may be surprised to learn that Mimi totes her creations-in-progress around in plastic bags. Scroll up to that first picture of the lovely Mimi and you'll see the evidence resting in her lap. Now it's no secret that Mimi is a lover of ziplock baggies. (She may even love them as much as Poppy loves Lysol.) If you ever receive a package from her you'll be fully stocked with ziplock bags for the entire next year. And I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill sandwich bag variety. Somehow Mimi finds the most ginormous ziplock bags possible - they're practically large enough to crawl inside of (not that I am recommending you try it). While these baggies are no doubt impressive in stature and most certainly squall-proof, I've been thinking for a while that Mimi should have something a bit nicer and more earth-friendly to carry her projects along in as she knits her way from home to knitting store to Minnesota to everywhere in between.

So for Mimi's birthday in September I decided to make her a Super Tote knitting bag. I got the idea from Ashley's blog a while back. I felt the pattern would work perfectly for a knitting bag with it's large size and numerous pockets - not to mention it's so much more appealing than a ziplock. The pattern was extremely thorough and well made, and I am very happy with how the bag turned out.

The poppy print is a home dec weight fabric I found at Crafty Planet. Unfortunately the selvage is not labeled, so I don't know who the designer is. It struck me as being playful yet sophisticate and I hoped Mimi would like it (it's covered in Poppy's - how could she not!). The contrast fabric is home dec weight glimma by Lotta Jansdotter. The lining is a Kona cotton solid. I lined all exterior pieces with interfacing as recommended, so the bag is solid and structured.

I included pockets on the inside of the bag for stitch counters, scissors, measuring tapes, tapestry needles and any other knickknacks Mimi may tote along with her. After much consideration I omitted the zipper, as I couldn't get the thought of a knitting meets zipper catastrophe out of my mind - and I certainly didn't want to be responsible for such a disaster.

The large external pocket on the super tote seemed perfect for storing knitting patterns. I made and inserted my first piping ever on this pocket and am so proud of how it turned out.

We love you Mimi and hope your birthday celebration with us made you feel as loved as you are. We appreciate the warmth you send us with all of your beautiful knits and hope your new knitting bag serves well for toting your future projects wherever you may wish to take them. 

Three Little Elves, One Big Tree and an Itty Bitty Hat Tutorial

This weekend was one I anticipate for about 11 months of the year - the one during which we pick out our Christmas tree. This tradition is significant to me for many reasons. Yes, driving out to the tree farm and tromping through in search of the 'perfect' tree, taking advantage of the cheesy photo ops, drinking hot apple cider around the fire, visiting the traditional native american teepee that stands on the grounds, these are all fun adventures worthy in their own right of looking forward to. Still, my excitement encompasses more than all this. On this day we clothe our house in it's holiday dress - boughs of fir cloak the mantle and every empty horizontal surface I can find, our menorahs are brought out and dusted off, pine cones strategically placed here and there, the holiday book basket is filled, and of course, the christmas tree in its twinkling, delicious smelling glory stands tall lighting up our house with promise of celebration and family gathering.

We drove out to Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm where we found our tree last year as well. It is a family farm that strives to grow trees sustainably, respecting the land and ancestors who inhabited the land before us. We headed straight for the fraser firs (consistently our favorite) and found this year's tree. Ava (and Eve, of course) helped Dada cut it down. In my, albeit very limited, experience, nothing beats a fresh cut tree. In addition to the experience of hunting for it and cutting it down yourself, it lasts so much longer than a precut tree and drops so many fewer needles. 

I lived nearly 30 years before I ever had a christmas tree or even celebrated the holiday. And, no, I never missed it - never had christmas envy. Since I met Will, who has always celebrated - and cherished - Christmas, I admit I've come to look forward to this time of year like no other. I've been known to start singing "We need a little Christmas" in the deep heat of summer. Perhaps it is this newness, in part, that brings out a child-like wonder and excitement in me about the holiday and the celebration of it. I still cannot get over the fact that we have a tree in our house! Yes, a live, majestic tree whose woodsy aroma dances straight to my nostrils every time I near our living room. I just love it so.

I decided to knit pointy elf hats for Ava and Eli to wear on our tree hunting adventure and through this holiday season. I used Joelle Hoverson's pattern from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts. This pattern is so quick and easy and so very appropriate for this season. After I ran out of yarn just before finishing Ava's hat and had to buy a whole other skein, I decided to knit Ava's doll "baby Eve" her own pointy elf hat. I modified Joelle's pattern to fit Eve's head. As you may imagine, this was a huge hit with the girl. This was such an easy and hugely appreciated gift for a girl who loves her doll. I'm guessing many other little ones might appreciate matching elf hats for them and their babies, so I've written out my modified pattern for the doll hat in a tutorial at the bottom of this post. The details for the three hats I knit can be found on ravelry.

Last night we lit our first fire of the season, mixed some egg nog and began my favorite part of the tree day tradition - trimming the tree. Every ornament tells a story of another season in our lives. As we unwrap these delicate adornments one by one, we are swept away on a journey of the years we've shared: this ornament is from our first year together; Ava made this wooden star at the Waldorf holiday festival last year; this gourd shaker (which was never meant to be an ornament) was a gift at the Medicine for the Earth retreat I attended when I was living, what feels to me now, a very different life; this one is the official White House ornament from 1999; the Buddah - one of my favorites - a gift from Aunt Leah; the jewish stars that nod to my Jewish heritage; the "I love my black lab" ornament - so endearingly hideous that we traditionally place it at the very back of the tree, hidden among the boughs that brush the wall; the delicate blown glass owl that was Ava's first ornament when she was just barely one week old; and the most special, our Owie dog angel - which is always opened with a moment of silence and moist eyes in rememberance of our beloved Owen who passed away two and a half years ago. The trimming of the tree is a nostalgics dream.

This day signifies that the end of the year holidays are upon us. Our house is dark no more with all the twinkling lights that hang happily from every corner. And the faces of our many loved ones filter in on cherished holiday cards that arrive daily in the mail. We are joyous in these dark days - and warmed by the fire, the lights, the closeness of our dear ones as the weather turns even colder.

 Tutorial: Doll Sized Pointy Elf Hat

This pattern is inspired by and modified from Joelle Hoverson's Pointy Elf Hat in More Last Minute Knitted Gifts - a wonderful book full of quick knits. 

I'll give instructions for a hat that will fit a doll with an 11 1/2 inch circumference and 4 1/2 inch tall (from forehead to crown) head. The hat can be easily modified to fit a different size doll head by using thicker/thinner yarn, different size needles, or by modifying the pattern itself (I will try to post easy instructions on how to do this soon).

Gauge

2.5 stitches per inch. Gauge is everything - check it, my friends.

Yarn

Bulky - one skein will make several doll hats, depending on your yarn and yardage. I used about 20 yards of Malabrigo Aquarella.

Needles

One set of four double pointed needles - whatever size gives you the proper gauge. I used size 11 double pointed needles to achieve the right gauge for the yarn I used.

Stitch Marker

You'll need one, unless you use your cast-on tail to remind you where the beginning of the round is.

Doll Hat

Cast on 30 stitches. 

Divide stitches evenly over three double pointed needles. You should have 10 stitches per needle.

Place marker (if you intend to use one) and join for working in the round. Alternatively, you can use your cast-on tail as a reminder of where the start of your round is.

Work in stockinette stitch (knit all stitches) until the hat measures 3 inches from the beginning with brim unrolled.

Begin to shape the crown:

Decrease Round: [K2tog, knit to end of needle] 3 times (27 stitches remain).

Knit 1 round.

Repeat Decrease Round every other round 5 more times (12 stitches remain).

Repeat Decrease Round every round 3 more times (3 stitches remain).

Break yarn, leaving a 6" tail; thread tail through remaining stitches, pull tight and fasten off, with tail to wrong side.

As always, I'd love to see your doll hats! Please link to them in the comments. Enjoy!

Baby's Surprise and Last Minute Longies

Knitting, or any creating really, for little ones who haven't been born yet is so extra special to me. Every stitch is an opportunity to imagine what that being will be like, to send a wish for a beautiful, joyous life, to imagine that little body filling out the folds of the fabric as it is created. The sweater grows stitch by stitch, just as baby grows day by day. And as the knitting grows it lays gently on that swelling belly as if already keeping the little one inside warm. The other beautiful thing about knitting for new little ones - if your gauge isn't quite right, well, they'll grow into it at some point, won't they. Such instant gratification. So forgiving.

I felt myself a tiny part of a long tradition of knitters as I made this sweater for baby Eli, my first Baby Surprise Jacket. So many thousands of knitters have created their own version of this garment created by the inspirational, and so so funny Elizabeth Zimmermann (I read Elizabeth's books like some might read David Sedaris - laugh out loud in public funny. Who knew knitting could be this humorous?). I was fueled by the thought of these knitters before me as I worked on this sweater; just as I was fueled by the thought of the countless women who have given birth before me as I birthed baby Eli. There is a richness that comes from such a legacy.

I worked from Elizabeth's original 1968 newsletter instructions published in The Opinionated Knitter using Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage hand-dyed wool. Not only do I love the colorways of this wool, I love the soft structure it lends to the garter stitch in this pattern. The buttons are porcelain "stencils" from the turn of the century that I found at Becky Lyon's vintage and antique button and clasp sale at Linden Hills Yarn this fall. Ravelry notes for the sweater are here.

Turns out those last-minute longies were not so last-minute after all. I whipped them up (with plenty of time to spare) using my leftover yarn from the Baby Surprise Jacket and some random blue from my stash for the i-cord. Once again, I sing the praises of the sheepy pants pattern I used to make these and several gifts for friends' babes. So easy, well constructed, and with lots of options to customize. These are about as simple as they could be, but I wanted to ensure they'd be ready in time to keep those tiniest legs warm during the Minnesota winter. Here are my notes for the longies.

There's nothing cuter than a little one in hand-knits, don't you agree? And given how fast this boy is growing, I better get those needles up and running again - just as soon as I figure out how you find time to do that when you are mama to toddler and newborn...

Preparing

There is so much to be done in preparation for someone so surprisingly little. Those early day needs are simple: hold me, feed me, let me rest, keep me dry, just love me. And, yet, I know how such a little being and his little needs can fill a room, a house, fill a family so that is brimming with - everything. I await this first introduction with the humbled experience of a mama. It is a heady, expectant feeling, but one seasoned with awareness of the hugeness that lies ahead. And there is some trepidation, for having  finally reached a point in my parenting that feels so easy, where Ava and I have eased into a rhythm that calms and enriches us both, in transitioning to family of four we must all start over in a sense. How long until we all find and settle into our new, ever-changing but comfortable sense of daily rhythm and ease? 

On the brink of uncertainty, I prepare for this little one by doing what I know how to do, and what I know will be helpful in those early glassy eyed days...

the diapers, the burpcloths, the blankets, the booties, all washed and ready to envelope soft sweet-smelling skin.

the space, calming and serene, that speaks welcome, you are safe here.
the freezer stocked tight from weeks of double-batch stews, muffins and breads.
the oh-so-tiny sweater knit by my mama when she was preparing for her own arrival, worn first by me, then by Ava, now waiting for you, little one.
and maybe one more pair of warm woolies (if you'll give me just a bit more time to finish them), because it turns out Minnesotan winters really can be cold.

There is still more on my list to do than will ever get done. And all these details will undoubtedly fall by the wayside when this so little, so big one enters our lives. So now we cherish these last, sweet moments, days, weeks together as a family of three - and we wait...

A handmade halloween

It's official...the season of celebration has begun. Do you love Halloween as much as I do? I'm grateful that as a mom I have even more reason to get into the Halloween spirit. And, to me, Halloween is the ultimate excuse to get creative, jumpstarting the season of handmade.

Our weekend began at Two Pony Gardens with a horse drawn carriage ride, delicious brick oven pizza, and a much welcome spirit of community. We are so grateful to Katherine over at Kitten's Lost Her Mittens for letting us in on this little secret. The farm, the farmhouse, the horses, the people, the food - all so beautiful. And reminiscent of some of the community revelry we left behind in Ann Arbor. 

Then it was time for the little lion to don her costume and practice her roars at the Hay Day celebration in downtown Linden Hills. I knit Ava's lion hat and tail using a combination of three different patterns and some of my own innovation. I'm so happy with how it turned out! And after just a tad bit of fretting that she might not want to wear her hat for trick-or-treating, the girl has been insisting on wearing her hat ever since. This is the ultimate success. Notes for the hat and the tail can be found here on ravelry. I found the yellow velour sleep outfit at a local consignment store and modified it only slightly so Ava could wear her shoes underneath. I don't think I could have found anything more perfect to clothe a little lioness!

Mama got to do some trick-or-treating of her own at Becky Lyon's vintage and antique button sale held at Linden Hills Yarn that afternoon (oh, but that's a whole other post!). 

Ava helped carve our pumpkins and make our annual batch of pepitas. We've recently been roasting all of our squash seeds (acorn, sweet dumpling, butternut, etc) with just a touch of tamari as recommended by Ava's Waldorf teacher, Ms. Kerry (why didn't I think to do this before?). They are smaller, a bit more tender than pumpkin seeds and oh so yummy. But for the pumpkin seeds I've gotten into the habit of using this recipe - seriously yummy, addictive little things. Cut back on the spicy cayenne and they will be more palatable for the little ones - Ava goes nuts for them.

When I was a little trick-or-treater I had a giant orange plastic pumpkin treat container; I wanted to create something similar for Ava, but from felt instead. I made her treat bag by sketching a pattern and sewing it all together just in time for Halloween eve.  

We culminated our weekend with trick-or-treating on Halloween night. "More house, More house" the little lioness repeated, even as Will and I had each taken her through the neighborhood and bedtime was approaching. Us big kids enjoyed cozying up to a warm bonfire, libations and eating an occasional treat from the abundant leftovers. Will's 11th hour urging that "we don't have enough candy, we're going to run out!" spurred me to stock up - way up. He says this every year - maybe it's his ploy to ensure ample stash that he can munch on in the days following Halloween eve.

I hope your weekend was festive, just the right bit of spooky, and filled to the brim with sweetness.

Another reason to knit

As if I needed one in this craft-dense time of year...but this is the best kind of reason. As mentioned in my previous post, we are expecting another little one come winter (which isn't quite around the corner yet, is it?). I am amazed at how the time has flown really, and how present this little presence is becoming in our lives - with my obviously growing bump, but also with his not-so-little kicks and nudges we are beginning to witness through the wall of my belly. Last night our littlest one had Will laughing out loud as the two of them played a game of 'poke me and I'll poke you' - you know, where you give one of his tiny limbs a nudge and he gives you a whopping kick right back. I can already sense there may be increased physical rowdiness in our more gender balanced home. Will breathed a slight and subtle sigh of elation when we found out the scales would be tipped a bit less steeply towards princess in our female dominated household.

As for me, I am back in full swing of my prenatal knitting frenzy. It happened when I was pregnant with Ava, but it is even more intense with a couple extra years of knitting experience under my belt. So among the knitting and crafting for the upcoming season and celebrations, some knits to keep this little boy warm when he decides to join us in the cold of Minnesota winter...

Before we knew whether this littlest one would be a boy or girl, Grammy and I found this super-soft yarn while exploring a new (to us) yarn shop in downtown Minneapolis. I fell in love with the color and the subtle sheen, which I think will add a bit of glam to the babe's early wardrobe. I wanted to make a pair of sheepy pants for our babe after using the pattern to knit gifts for some of my favorite little ones - I find knit cargo pants to be rather irresistible. I knit a quick, simple hat with the leftover yarn to keep his precious noggin warm. See my ravelry notes here.

The day or so after we learned the sex of our little boy, I impulsively turned to my stash basket and my other tried and true pattern - the milo vest. This is another simple, reliable pattern with so many possibilities for variation. I could probably make it a hundred times and not get tired of it - and I'm already counting. Here's Ava's milo from last spring. No doubt, gender color palettes these days are so much broader than simply pink or blue (or yellow and green for that unisex look) - and we try to keep Ava outfitted in a wardrobe that doesn't always immediately scream "girl!" (though I admit she is becoming rather picky about wearing only her purple sparkly shoes). At any rate, I felt particularly excited about making something that was clearly 'boyish', so I dug through my stash and found this trio of blue, brown and beige tweed yarns - don't quite remember what they are. My ravelry notes are here.

I am so loving this pint-sized instant gratification knitting! What's on your needles these days?

Babies and their Bonnets

Apparently the stars were aligned in just the right way last fall when nearly everyone I know who could become pregnant did. And how exciting for me in my current state of knitting frenzy - so many little bodies to knit soakers, sweaters, booties and bonnets for. 

And knit many bonnets I did. I found Joelle Hoverson's pattern for a simple baby bonnet in More Last Minute Knitted Gifts. It's a quick, cleverly constructed, seamless pattern. In an effort to do some spring cleaning I used yarn I had leftover in my stash, and unraveled a hat I had knit years ago that I never really liked (though I loved the yarn - see picture below). Some of these yarns have been sitting in my knitting basket for years, so their origins are mystery to me at this point. 

I envisioned knit flowers affixed to the sides of the bonnets, framing the precious pudgy faces of all the girl babies. And wouldn't you know it, every single baby due to be born (including one born last week) is a boy. Not a single girl. Hmm. Any ideas for boyish embellishments?

No doubt you'll be seeing more baby knits here as late spring approaches. And I'll be enjoying near-instant gratification knitting for the next while until all those little heads are toasty warm in wool.

Anticipating Spring

There comes a time in late winter when I simply decide it is time for spring. (Ah, if only my desire held any sway on the actual weather.) Once I pass this point of no return it becomes almost impossible for me to don my winter gear before leaving the house, regardless of the mercury reading - because it should be spring, you know. This makes for some uncomfortable days when I leave the house inadequately dressed for the elements - but, really, low 30s with a wintry mix is uncomfortable no matter how prepared you are. I suppose it is like my stubborn prayer to speed this turn of the seasons - to bring on the unfurling of leaves, the yellow splash of forsythia, the warmer winds that lure neighbors out to greet each other once again after the long hibernation.

I am encouraged, egged on really, by those days when the sound of water trickling down gutters and puddles on the ground suggest we may be done with this perpetual white. And yet there is no denying the blanket of snow that gently and repeatedly covers the newly thawed ground; like a mother covering up her restless toddler who threw the blankets off themselves in the middle of the night again. I suppose I could just try to stay focused on the present and find beauty in the ebb and flow of this transition. But instead, I choose to knit and dream of spring.

In my effort to stay warm while rejecting winter wear, I wanted to make a hat that would provide enough insulation during these final stubborn days of winter, but breathe enough to carry me through into spring. I found a lacy pattern called Foliage on Knitty, which, of course, by name alone was irresistible to me in my state of spring fever.  It seemed lacy enough for my purposes and seemed a perfect use for that orange bulky yarn I found in Colorado. Ravelry notes can be found here.  

Upon finishing my new spring hat and seeing how much yarn I had left over it seemed natural to make some mitts, fingerless of course, to go along - warm, but not too warm - fingers peeking out like groundhogs surveying spring's progress. I look forward to the chilly day I get to wear them while preparing my garden for planting. 

I wish you all creative ways to channel and harvest your spring fever!

3 Little Owl Sweaters

I had done some knitting in my pre-mama years (an unfinished scarf or two, maybe a simple hat), but the knitting bug hit full force in the months before my little babe was to arrive. I hear this isn't uncommon - women picking up needles for the very first time when baby is on the way. While my belly was incubating the little one, my hands were racing to churn out little hats,  booties, and knit toys.

The first sweater I made for Ava was inspired by this project on ravelry. It's foundation was the Offset Wraplan by Sara Morris. The cabled owl pattern (hard to see, since in my I'm-the-mother-of-a-newborn frenzy I never did affix those tiny buttons for its eyes) came from a Penny Straker baby owl and bonnet pattern I ordered online.

Months later while looking through my own baby pictures I came upon this classic:

I'd seen this picture so many times before I almost blew passed it. But as I was about to move on I looked a bit closer and gasped. That pink sweater, knit by my grandmother, was the exact sweater from the Penny Straker pattern I'd ordered, and the owlets were the same ones I'd inserted into Ava's sweater! I thought this was an amazing and very touching coincidence. Excited, I called Grammy, perhaps the only other person I know who would get as excited about this as I was. Unfortunately, my mama didn't know where that sweater I wore in the picture had ended up - hopefully handed down and on the back of a little tot somewhere. So, as you can imagine if you've read my previous post on Grammy the prolific knitter, she had to complete the trilogy by churning out her own version of the Straker owl sweater in a matter of weeks.

A hand knit sweater - hand knit anything, really - is a precious thing. You put your love and thoughts of the person who will wear it into every stitch. These sweaters, knit from a pattern passed down through three generations, embody even more - a richness and connection between mothers and their daughters across time. I love that this pattern became an unwitting heirloom, made new with each generation's take on it. What treasure from the past have you transformed to reflect your current vision, while maintaining its connection to those who touched it before?

A Growing Angel

In the course of the last year or so since Ava was born, Grammy has turned into the most prolific knitter I know. Not only does the quantity of her creations amaze, but the skill and beauty of Grammy's sweaters are awe-inspiring as well.

One of her first sweaters was what we now refer to lovingly as 'the angel sweater' because so many people have commented how much Ava looks like an angel when wearing it (true she is angelic without the sweater, but it only augments the quality).

The pattern is simple, but with such a unique criss-cross closure. The yarn she used is soft beyond belief, with an aura of fluff that makes it look like Ava is wearing a cloud.

As happens all too quickly, Ava is growing out of the angel sweater, and I found myself wanting to make something she could grow into that would create a similar effect. I decided to work with Melissa LaBarre's Tiny Tea Leaves Cardi pattern and Classic Elite Yarns' Giselle.

A strange combo perhaps. I've never worked with a yarn like this and I'm half excited, half anxious to see how it turns out. I also opted for the chartreuse (actually called olive amber) colorway instead of my original intention to use off-white again (those who know me know I have a hard time resisting green of almost any shade). So she will be a chartreuse angel - those exist, right?