My blog about knitting, teaching, and being a mother to two energetic young boys.

Showing posts with label BSJ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BSJ. Show all posts

Monday, August 3, 2009

2-Fer

I interrupt this 3-week vacation to present not 1, but TWO FOs:

"Rainbow Sherbet Socks"
Details:

Pattern: Tessuto Socks - The July Knit/Purl Sock Club installment

Yarn: Knitted Wit in "Saturday Market" colorway

Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)

Comments: A great, toe-up, slipped stitch pattern. Very easy & relatively fast to knit. I really like the texture the slipped-stitch creates. The texture plus the colorway reminds me of rainbow sherbet. I'm not crazy about the short-row garter stitch heel - but I think that's more a function of my ability with the short row heel rather than the pattern. For some reason I've lost my heel mojo - I need to go & inspect earlier projects to recreate acceptable SRH. My only real issue with the socks is that they are a bit looser than I'd like. I think either a smaller stitch count, or a smaller needle size would take care of this. Otherwise, a great sock to take (and finish!) on vacation. I cast these on after we took off from Anchorage & finished the foot by the time we landed in LAX.

Next....


Details:

Pattern(s): Just in case you've been out of touch with the knitting world, it's the infamous Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ) designed by Elizabeth Zimmerman. This baby sweater pattern is the work of a knitting genius (EZ, not me!). Again, I'd forgotten to take a photo of the sweater before I'd seamed up the arms - it really looks like an amoeba!

The booties are the Saartje's Bootees. These are just the right accessory for this sweater & helps to use up most of the skein of yarn.

Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock, Mediumweight - "Typhoon Tina" colorway.

Needles: US 4 KPH (Knit Pick Harmony)

Recipient: My dear friend, Hilarey's baby "David Matthew" (at least that's what I've named him until further notice). I hope the weather in San Diego gets cool enough after he's born (he's due in Nov) so he can actually wear a knitted wool garment.

So I guess that's actually 3 FOs! Wow - however, most of the knitting of the BSJ was completed back in May, and the booties were finished during our June Alaska road trip (gee - I still need to post about that!) Only the socks were truly cast on & finished during our recent vacation.

Less than one week of vacation left, but plenty of fun to be had. Sock Summit begins this week! Here's what I'm working on:

Pattern: "Orion's Sock" - the official sock of Sock Summit 09. This was a pattern available through the Sock Summit swag shop. Rumor has it that it's no longer available to download. Perhaps it'll resurface during SS09. Most of the sock (gusset to ribbed cuff) was completed during our 10 hour drive from Las Vegas to Sacramento.

Off to cast on sock #2. Hope to bring the blog up to speed on San Diego, Las Vegas, and Sock Summit.

Ciao!

Friday, June 12, 2009

FO - Surprise!!!

Hooray - another FO & again, not a pair of socks. Now it seems like I'm on the baby sweater kick.

May I present Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket


Completed BSJ w/buttons, originally uploaded by Arctic Knitter.

This is actually the 2nd BSJ I've knit - but the 1st that I've finished. I cast on one earlier for the impending birth of my friend Jen & Steve's baby #2. The original BSJ was knit w/yarn in shades of blue. Then - on June 2 we received word that shades of pink might be more appropriate for the BSJ. Fortunately I'd thought ahead & had cast on during the Alaska cruise. Now that baby #2 had arrived with two X chromosomes, I was inspired to finish the BSJ completely. The original BSJ will have to wait for a baby who possesses a Y chromosome.


I love how it resembles nothing like a sweater while you're knitting & even after you bind off. I love how Elizabeth Zimmerman asks you to trust her. Trust indeed! Once markers are placed appropriately, construction is rather simple. Above you can see the 'amoeba' on the left. I had already seamed the top shoulder before I took a photo. I think I was just too excited to finish!

Inspired by Knitting Nuggets' YouTube video, I decided to also add two eyelet rows for a little pizazz. I added the first right after the increase in stitches to add fullness for the cuffs and then again after I bound off stitches for the neck. I think it looks pretty cute - just right for a little beba with two X chromosomes.



Details:

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock: Mediumweight
Colorway: Faulty Dyer
Needle: Knitpicks Harmony Interchangeable in US4
Mods: Eyelet rows, 3 buttons rather than 5, 3 stitch i-cord bind-off with integrated buttonholes.
Size: 3 - 6 months, I'd guess

I think I'll knit this several times more - great TV knitting. Now to find recipients!

~Ciao