The Next Finished Project!

Okay, you have seen this before, but it is so cute, and it does fit here! Have you guessed? Yes, it is Michelle's Halloween costume, Winnie the Pooh!






Anne came up with the idea, and started things off by starting the hat, in crochet. She was able to use her expertise from crocheting another Pooh project, and did a great job! She got me to knit the top and bottom. I did delay getting to work on the project, trying to decide just what patterns to use for the pants and the sweater. Also, I had an idea of trying to arrange the top so that the "red shirt" had actual edges of its own, so it would all look more "Pooh-like." I spent a lot of time thinking of just how to do it, and actually ended up doing it differently than I had planned. I still hadn't come up with a good plan on the sweater when I went ahead and knit the pants, since they didn't need any special treatment.

To do the top, I started with the sleeves. I knit both at the same time, so I wouldn't have to measure so much and try to get both sleeves the same! I still hadn't finished my plan for the edging of the red shirt, so when the time came, I just made the color change to red. That looked pretty good all by itself! I knit the front and back at the same time too, on a set of circular needles, but using them to knit back and forth. Ditto with the color change. I finished the neck by knitting in stockinette instead of doing the ribbed collar called for. I then went back and brought up stitches with new yarn, along the color change on the sleeves and then along the front of the sweater. I worked those all in stockinette, long enough to curl and add the kind of edge I wanted. It worked out better than I dared to hope. I didn't add the edging to the back of the sweater, as I felt it might be uncomfortable for Michelle.

The top is big, but it actually worked out well, as I think it gives Michelle a bulkier look and gives a more Pooh-like appearance! The sleeves and pant legs are long too---I figure there is a good chance she can wear it next year too.

Dishcloth

So, this is the first knitting project that I started, after years of not knitting, and the second knitting project completed. It went well, was easy to do, and is useful too. Can't lose, eh?

It is done in cotton, and is a diamond pattern, although I don't think the pattern shows up very well in the photo.

I have some little quilting projects that are on the back burner, that need to be finished They were started before the knitting projects were. They were meant to be done for Baby Michelle, before I went to Germany for her birth. That didn't quite work out. I will have to get them back out and finished, and will showcase them here soon, I hope! I did get an Ott-type light at Joann's today, and so there is a much more realistic chance that I will get back to work on the quilting projects too, as I just didn't have enough light before. Now I won't have that problem and my eyes will be happy!

Idle Needles

In the interest of adding something to this, I decided to blog with what I have been reading. I can't always knit or quilt, can I???? I know some people would give a resounding "YES!!!!" to that question. I think breaks between projects are good though!

Last week I was busy catching up on newspapers, from the week of Anne's surgery and the week after, when she was in the hospital. I am still keeping busy enough that I don't generally take the time to read for pleasure during the day, for the most part. I somehow don't consider reading the paper to be reading for pleasure. Go figure?

I do read at night before bed, and that does help to satisfy the reading urge. Somewhat. Enough to get by. Ha ha ha ha!

So, what have I been reading? The current night reading book is Colin Dexter's Last Seen Wearing. You may remember that Colin Dexter writes the Inspector Morse mysteries. Before I started this, I had been reading Orson Scott Card, and, in fact, I have one of his in progress too. It is for the odd moment when I have a chance to read something during the day!!!!! I don't remember the title right off. I have also barely scratched the surface of a book on Osteopenia, which is something that Anne already has at the tender age of 24. I have read enough of the book to know that this isn't as uncommon as we might think. Add that she suffers from lactose intolerance, and her body type puts her at huge risk too, and it isn't a surprise.

Next posting, I will actually show some knitting or quilting! What a concept!

The Blankey

I had not knit in ages. Years, many years. It seemed like eons ago! But, there were going to be Christmas stockings to knit, and I actually found I missed knitting. So, I got out the knitting needles. This isn't actually the project I started with, but I have realized that it is the second started, and the first one completed. So, I will show it first! Only fair, right, since it was the first completed?

I first started knitting a cotton dishcloth. However, Anne put in a request for a knit blankey when she found she had a pituitary tumor. She had been wondering why she was always either freezing cold or broiling hot. We figured that helped explain it, in part anyway! I think when we first got the yarn, she had planned to make it, but before ever even casting on, she asked if I would knit it. I was happy to do it!

Anne had started a basket weave baby blanket and really liked the pattern. We used that pattern, just multiplying all the numbers by 3? I don't remember the exact number now. I think the finished dimensions of the blanket are 50" by 54". Anne crocheted an edging, just single crochets, all around, with a darker yarn.

I started it here in Florida, took it to Ohio when we went for Anne's friend's wedding, and finished it at home, in time for her long ACTH test in a very cold room in the endocrinologist's office! It also spent some time in the hospital with her. It has definitely seen some hard use. Not the least of which are kitty claws. Oh well.

eureka!!!!!

no title? How strange. We will have to see about that.