Fiber Trends Baby Brights: Complete

For Cara Brigid Smith, barely underway---this "easy" pattern is driving me crazy with its bizarre approach to raglan increases.

Fiber: Trendsetter Scoubidu (this is the yarn that I did LaLa's "ice cream" sweater in; I bought some in LA with Tracy and it is just so much fun to knit with. Great feel!). 50% Cotton/50% Polyester

7/25/06
A little more knitting on this the last two evenings (sleeves are boring; sorry Anna). I figured out the (&(%^* instructions for the raglan increases and once I did, I frogged the whole thing to make it look right. So now I'm into about row 20 which is the furthest I've been in my previous *6* efforts to get this sweater rolling. Its going to be so CUTE! A teeny tiny baby cardigan! Unfortunately my progress does not yet warrant a new photo. Stay tuned.

7/29/06
Cara's Baby Brights Sweater

I had to put aside Cara's sweater to get Anna's sleeves wrapped up. You can see I'm getting it going pretty well. Soon I'll divide for the sleeves and then begin the lower half textured work. It is the cutest darned thing for a very very cute little girl.

8/6/06

---the first sleeve took longer than it should have because I misinterpreted the directions early, decided initially that I didn't care, my "reinterpreted" pattern looked good, but only for a while so I ripped back and did it the right way. I'm a reluctant conformist, I guess. But here you go. Its looking so sweet...

8/13/06

I finished the second sleeve tonight. I thought I'd get rolling on the rest of the body of the sweater as welcome relief from the dpn's that were making my fingers sore. I wanted to feel the cool metal of the Addi Turbos for a change. Unfortunately, with this weird pattern you have to sew up the sleeves before continuing the body because you pick up some of the seam stitches going across. I wish I'd read this damned pattern more closely. Its given me fits. True, its cute. But I'm telling you, this is not the pattern I'm going to use to make Lyman and Carrie's baby sweater. I'll modify a more standard raglan/top-down baby cardi to get the texture. Screw this. Of course baby Cara is worth every minute of struggle. I don't mean that..... I got to see her and fuss over her a good bit Saturday night and she is just delicious. Such a happy, funny little girl. I can tell she loves me. Really.

8.17.06
I've really been enjoying working on this sweater these last few days, especially since I finished up the last sleeve and was able to switch back to my Addi Turbo's. Love those needles, love the way the yarn feels as I knit.
You can click on this picture to see more detail; it is really a very sweet little sweater. I'm looking forward to finishing up, maybe even this weekend, and then going shopping for cutsie little buttons. I can't wait to see little Cara wearing it.
On the general knitting news front, I have a class with Annie Modesitt at WoolWinder's this weekend. Its Knitting with Beads and I have no idea what the class project is. I know I have the right sized beads in a number of colors but I haven't picked the project yarn 'cuz I don't know what project we're doing. I'll have to get on that, won't I?

Finished 8/25/06

I positively can not wait to see Baby Cara in these Baby Brights... you ought to zoom in so you can see the cutesie little duck buttons!
I complained a good bit about starting up this sweater but having now navigated the directions once, I think its worth doing again. The texture in the sleeves and the body is so nice and I like that it only buttons at the chest---what baby needs a sweater buttoned around their waist or bootie?

And here they are. Baby Cara, her thumb and the sweater. Delicious.

Debbie Bliss Lara

I knit this project up in almost no time because the yarn just felt so good in my hands. Alas, when it was finished, it didn't fit the way I wanted it to so I gave it to my beautiful neice and ordered another pile of the same yarn for myself. I got one sleeve finished before it was time to move on to lighter weight yarns but I'm going to finish this before December, for sure.

Details:
Pattern:

Debbie Bliss "Lara" from Alpaca Silk book

Fiber: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk in Baby Pink (20)

Koigu: Ballet Cashmere

This project was begun in late November as the principal distraction planned for my hysterectomy convalescence. I had intended to give it to Kelley McL but I can't part with it. I'm nearly ready to cast off the back, the sleeves won't take terribly long. It will be ready to wear on the first crisp day.

Details
Pattern: Sally Melville (Cherry Tree Hill) "Ballet Cashmere"
Fiber: Koigu KPPPM (100% merino wool, fingering weight; worked on US 3 needles)

Ballet Cashmere (Pattern: Cherry Tree Hill; Fiber: Koigu KPPPM)
This has been finished for over a month. When I got it back from the finisher's I wasn't satisfied with the length so oI added additional garter stitch at bottom. Now its absolutely fabulous and I LOVE it. It looks beautiful all on its own but when I put that fabulous cherry pin that I bought myself for my bday, its even better: