I love babies!

Okay I admit it, I love crafting for babies and ipso facto I love babies. I expecially love babies that you can cuddle for a minute and then give back. My desire-for-a-newborn days are well behind me. I loved all of my babies but I also love that now they are growing up and becoming more independent. Every phase has its charms when it comes to kids.

Back to the original purpose of this post.....

There seems to be a rash of pregnancy within my friends at the moment. If you recall I have been madly knitting kimonos for all of the impending births and now two of them are here! Two little boys one born on Friday and the other on Saturday. Everyone healthy and well even though on of the little guys was a few weeks early (still nearly as big as my smallest full termer though).

So here are the baby gifts, I sincerely doubt that either Mum reads my blog but if they do........sorry Tania and Lindy.......surprise spoilt!

For the freshly popped Ryan:


And for the high-anticipated Zachary:


I made Zachary's stuff first and there was no way that "Zachary" was going to fit on a bib, hence the giant "Z". After I had done his set I was so taken by the big "Z" that I chose to continue the trend and even though "Ryan" would have fit, he got a big "R" for his. Hopefully their Mum's like their little gifts from me.

I've said it once and I will say it again. I love crafting for babies!

The Joy of a Gift

Some time ago Sam tossed me a ball of sock yarn and said "Here make something out of this" (or words to that effect. It was 50g of Clekheaton Cocoon that she had dyed with a second ball and inexplicably both had come out different colourways (I say inexplicably because as far as I can tell Sam is flawless, just like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way). Anyways, I got one and Tania got the other.

Tania whipped up some socks for her gorgeous daughte Matilda but having no little girls here at testosterone central, I figured I had to make something for myself. Besides, the yarn was gifted to me and so it should be made into something for me in my eyes.

This is where having size 6 feet comes into it's own. I found this pattern on Ravelry and it seemed just perfect for my little ball of yarn. So now my feet are wrapped in the warmth of a gift that I had fun turning into something for me. That is the joy of a yarn gift!


Oh and the astute amongst you would see that my Ravelry t-shirt has arrived! Woohoo. And now just so you can see the side of my socks and I can embarass Jason....

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT!

That's it. I have had ENOUGH! I am sick of my Jo Sharp Dessert Garden tangling and unravelling and then tangling some more and then unravelling some more. I have had it! The only answer is solitary confinement.

I have reballed the rampant little buggers and stuck them all in there own individual zip-lock bags. If that doesn't stop them there will be 500g of Jo Sharp DG free to good home.

Bulky Seamless Baby Kimono

I think this may have become obsessive. I cast this one on pretty much as soon as I finished the 8ply version. This one is knit in 12 ply bulky with a different sleeve profile inspired by the traditional shape of a Japanese kimono.

The Pattern

Size: approximately 6 - 9 months (size 00)

150g (approximately 170 m) 12 ply (bulky) yarn

4 stitch markers

6mm 80cm circular

6mm DPNs

Waste yarn

Stitch holder

Darning needle

A button

Gauge: 16sts / 10cm

Glossary

pm – place marker

kfb – knit front and back

slm – slip marker

yo – yarn over

m1 – make one stitch

Body

CO 28 stitches using the circular needle.

Row 1: kfb, pm, kfb, k3, kfb, pm, kfb, k14, kfb, pm, kfb, k3, kfb, pm, kfb

You have now created the right front, right sleeve, back, left sleeve and left front between the markers.

Row 2: purl across

Row 3: k1, yo, kfb, slm, kfb, k5, kfb, slm, kfb, k16, kfb, slm, kfb, k5, kfb, slm, kfb, yo, k1

Row 4: purl across

Row 5: k1, yo, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm , kfb, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm, , kfb, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm, , kfb, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm, kfb, knit to last stitch, yo, k1.

Row 6: purl across.

Continue repeating rows 5 and 6 until there are 40 stitches between the2nd and 3rd markers (across the back)

Create the sleeves: k1, yo, k to first marker, place the sleeve stitches onto waste yarn, pm, knit back stitches, place the other sleeve stitches onto waste yarn, pm, knit to last stitch, yo, k1

Next row: purl across

The lower body:

Row 1: k1, yo, knit to second last stitch, yo, k1

Row 2: purl across

Continue repeating rows 1 and 2 until there are 35 stitches on both front panels (the sections outside of the markers).

Next row: knit across

Make side tie:

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Knit to first marker, slm, kfb, slip first stitch on right needle back to the left, place the next stitch on the right needle on a stitch holder placing the holder to the right side of the work, slip the first stitch back onto the right needle, knit to end

Row 3: Knit to stitch before second marker, kfb, slip first stitch on right needle back to the left, place the next stitch on the right needle on a stitch holder placing the holder to the right side of the work, slip the first stitch back onto the right needle, slm, knit to end

Row 4: Knit

BO loosely

Sleeves

Evenly space the sleeve stitches on 3 DPNs.

With the right side facing, locate the centre bottom of the sleeve opening. Pick up one stitch from the left of the opening and continue knitting the round, picking up one additional stitch onto needle 3 (31 stitches total)

Knit 12 rounds

Increase Round: k1, m1, knit to last stitch, m1, k1

Increase every 3rd round a further 3 times (39 sts)

Alternate purl one round, knit the next for next 4 rounds.

BO loosely

Ties

Side tie: Join yarn to the two stitches on the stitch holder.
*Knit 20cm of garter stitch.

Last row: k2tog, thread yarn through remaining stitch.*

Front tie: pick up 2 stitches from the edge of the garter stitch section of the right front section. Repeat from * to *

Finishing

Weave in ends. Sew the button on the inside of the right hand flap to use the bottom eyelet of the left flap as a button hole.

Want one in a lighter yarn? Click here for the 8ply version.

This pattern is provided free for your own personal use. You may knit it for yourself, as a gift, a swap or for charity. This pattern is not intended for commercial use. Any intended commercial use requires permission in writing.

Seamless Baby Kimono

Another pattern for people to try! This is a completely seamless baby kimono. This particular version is an 8ply but I have plans to write it for heavier yarns. Hope you like it.

The Pattern

Size: approximately 6 - 9 months (size 00)

100g 8 ply (DK) yarn

(feel free to make this in a worsted weight yarn, it will just be a smidge larger. If you don't want it a smidge larger stop increasing a little earlier)

4 stitch markers

4mm 80cm circular

4mm DPNs

Waste yarn

Stitch holder

Darning needle

A button

Gauge: 22sts / 10cm

Glossary

pm – place marker

kfb – knit front and back

slm – slip marker

yo – yarn over

Body

CO 34 stitches using the circular needle.

Row 1: kfb, pm, kfb, k4, kfb, pm, kfb, k18, kfb, pm, kfb, k4, kfb, pm, kfb

You have now created the right front, right sleeve, back, left sleeve and left front between the markers.

Row 2: purl across

Row 3: k1, yo, kfb, slm, kfb, k6, kfb, slm, kfb, k20, kfb, slm, kfb, k6, kfb, slm, kfb, yo, k1

Row 4: purl across

Row 5: k1, yo, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm , kfb, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm, , kfb, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm, , kfb, knit to stitch before next marker, kfb, slm, kfb, knit to last stitch, yo, k1.

Row 6: purl across.

Continue repeating rows 5 and 6 until there are 50 stitches between the2nd and 3rd markers (across the back)

Create the sleeves: k1, yo, k to first marker, place the sleeve stitches onto waste yarn, pm, knit back stitches, place the other sleeve stitches onto waste yarn, pm, knit to last stitch, yo, k1

Next row: purl across

The lower body:

Row 1: k1, yo, knit to last stitch, yo, k1

Row 2: purl across

Continue repeating rows 1 and 2 until there are 50 stitches on both front panels (the sections outside of the markers). 150 stitches total.

Next row: knit across

Make side tie:

Row 1: Knit to first marker, slm, kfb, slip first stitch on right needle back to the left, place the next stitch on the right needle on a stitch holder placing the holder to the right side of the work, slip the first stitch back onto the right needle, knit to end

Row 2: Knit to stitch before second marker, kfb, slip first stitch on right needle back to the left, place the next stitch on the right needle on a stitch holder placing the holder to the right side of the work, slip the first stitch back onto the right needle, slm, knit to end

Row 3: Knit to first marker, slm, kfb, slip first stitch on right needle back to the left, place the next stitch on the right needle on a stitch holder placing the holder to the right side of the work, slip the first stitch back onto the right needle,, knit to end

Row 4: Knit

BO loosely

Sleeves

Evenly space the sleeve stitches on 3 DPNs.

With the right side facing, locate the centre bottom of the sleeve opening. Pick up two stitches from the left of the opening and continue knitting the round, picking up two additional stitches onto needle 3 (40 stitches total)

Knit 2 more rounds

Decrease Round: k1, k2tog, knit to last 3 stitches, ssk, k1

Decrease every 4^th round a further 8 times (22 sts)

Knit next 4 rounds

Alternate purl one round, knit the next for next 4 rounds.

BO loosely

Ties

Side tie: Join yarn to the three stitches on the stitch holder.

*Knit 15 cm of garter stitch.

Next row: k2tog, k1

Last row: k2tog, thread yarn through remaining stitch.*

Front tie: pick up 3 stitches from the edge of the garter stitch section of the right front section. Repeat from * to *

Finishing

Weave in ends. Sew the button on the inside of the right hand flap to use the bottom eyelet of the left flap as a button hole.

Alternatives

If you don't like the eyelet trim use an increase other than yo such as kfb or m1. If you want the kimono to cross the other way simply make the side tie around the other marker and switch the front tie and button.

Check some of the other great modifications that people have made at Ravelry.

Approximate finished dimensions

After a Bulky version? Click here!

For patterns in additional sizings click here.

This pattern is provided free for your own personal use. You may knit it for yourself, as a gift, a swap or for charity. This pattern is not intended for commercial use. Any intended commercial use requires permission in writing.

I must have tried to blog these things a dozen time...

Somedays Blogger is not kind. I have no idea why but there are some days that I just cannot get a post to happen. Either the pictures won't load or there are buttons missing or the other day I just kept getting a stupid nonsense error message. So let's see how we go today...

I FINISHED MY SOCKS!!!! The colourway is just gorgeous and they do just fit so snuggly. I feel like a "big girl" knitter now that I have done proper sock-yarn socks. For some reason that I can't really explain, the 8 ply International Socks of Doom just didn't feel like real socks. These socks feel like real socks.


I have started knitting OSW for the girls for Christmas (that is of course if I can wait until Christmas to give them to them). I added a small sleeve to the pattern because I just thought that it made them a little more "little girlish" and a little less womanly. Here is the first one (Keisha's) ably modelled by the lovely Big Ted. I am using the yarn that I dyed a few weeks ago.


Lastly in today's show and tell exercise is the Halloween stuff that I knit for my dear friend Beth who has a spooky birthday on the 31st. The bag is Jack by Kate Gilbert done in Cascade 220. It was great fun and looked really fab when finished. having looked at a number of them on Ravelry made in other yarns might I humbly suggest that anyone thinking of completing it stick to the suggested yarn (the Cascade). It felted superbly and had no bleed at all, even where I had been lazy and stranded across the thinner parts like the teeth.

The dishcloths are Pumpkin and Punkin great fun little knits that used up some left off Knitpicks shine worsted and complement the Halloween tea towels and hand towels that I gave Beth last year. Sometime soon she is going to get sick of handmade Halloween birthday presents.

Here are the cloths and the front of the bag.....


And the scary back of the bag.....

I am now working on a new pattern that is working so well. Stay tuned for details....