Gramps Sweater: All Buttoned Up!

I'm done with the Gramps sweater!  I finished all the knitting about 2 weeks ago but I didn't have a chance to make the hike out to the fabric store to get buttons until yesterday.  I prefer to go on the weekends so I don't have to bring Drew, but he was a champ!  Such a sweet, patient boy.

It took me a looooooong time to choose buttons.  They just have so many options there and I didn't really love how any of them looked on the sweater.  As I've said before, I think button choice is really important because it can really change the look of the sweater.  I wasn't sure if I wanted a button that just blended in with the sweater or one that stood out.  I ended up going with a dark gray button that has a splash of light gray in the center.  

The good thing about buttons is that they don't have to be permanent.  If I find ones I like better down the line, I can always replace them!  For now I just want him to start wearing this sweater before it gets too warm out!

Pictures of Drew in the sweater to come...

Gramps: Completed, Unblocked

"Just stand there for 2 more minutes so Mommy can take another photo." :-)

Gramps: One Sleeve + Body Done

Sizing has been tricky...I want to make the sleeves and body long enough to allow some growth, but not so long that it looks like a tunic or girls' sweater.  The first time I tried it on him I thought the sleeves might be a little too narrow (maybe I should do less decreases so they stay wider?) but looking at it again I think they are ok.  I want to finish this pronto so he can wear it before summer!  It is so hard to make a sweater for a growing kid before he grows out of it!

Gramps

I'm working on a sweater for Drew now.  I had been wanting to make him a sweater for awhile but just couldn't find a top down pattern that I liked.  My friend Wendy let me know that a designer was giving away 1 free pattern on Ravelry as a New Year gift.  I browsed through her patterns and found one that I had favorited a couple months ago: tincanknits "Gramps!"  It is super cute.  I even saw several very similar sweaters on Gap online the other day!

Anyways, here is my sweater in progress:

The yarn I'm using is Manos Rittenhouse merino 5 ply yarn.  I got 4 skeins of it on sale at fibrespace and wow--is it soft!!  It feels so nice.  I think it is going to be really cozy.  So far the sweater seems like it is going to fit Drew well.  He has let me hold it up to him a few times ;-) and the shoulders fit nicely.  I need to increase the length (no surprise there) before beginning the ribbed edge.  

We were at G Street Fabrics yesterday and I tried to pick some buttons for Drew's "fweater" as he calls it but I didn't really know what look I want to go for yet.  The buttons can really make or break a sweater so I need to browse the project pages a bit before deciding.

Baby Girl Cardigan

In December I started knitting a cardigan for our dear friends, Catherine and Tony, who are expecting their second child (a girl!) this month.  I had favorited the "Maile Sweater" on Ravelry awhile ago although I knew it was too feminine to make for Drew.  I was so happy to have someone to make this sweater for!  

I had read some comments on other people's Ravelry project pages that the sleeves were really difficult to attach to the sweater.  I saw some tips that suggested using DPNS instead of one long circular needle and that is what I did!  When it came time to join the sleeves, I used all 5 DPNS in size 4, as well as 2 circular needles that I had in the same size.  Whenever the stitches got too stretched or difficult to knit, I just picked up a new needle.  I knit that way for about 6-7 rows and then put them all back on the long circular needle.  It wasn't bad at all!

I LOVE the way this sweater turned out.  It is so delicate and feminine.  This was a hard one to give away!  I will have to make it again someday.  ;-)

I went back to G Street Fabrics for the buttons and once again, the women working there helped me find the perfect buttons!  I love how these buttons have a two tone color, much like the variegated yarn.  They look like little tuxedo buttons.  The yarn I used is called "Cephalopod Bugga."

I had some yarn left over so I made a matching hat. I knit a one inch garter stitch edge and then knit plain.  There were a few Ravelry project pages that included a matching hat with a lace border that mimicked the bottom of the sweater but I decided to keep mine simple so as not to detract from the sweater.

Winter Babies

I am behind on posting on my knitting blog!  I've made a few new things in the past two months.  First I made two baby hats for friends that had babies born in November and December.  Both new moms were colleagues of mine at my old school.  I was so excited to hear that they were expecting and had fun knitting these tiny hats.

Woolbur

I discovered an adorable children's book about knitting called Woolbur, by Leslie Helakoski.  I came across it while browsing for books to check out for Drew at the library.  It looked like it was about yarn so after flipping through it I added it to our stack.  It is a story about a sheep who doesn't want to follow the flock.  At school, he is supposed to be carding wool, spinning it, dyeing it, etc. but instead he cards and spins the wool on his own body until he is a big fluffy, knotted mess and dyes himself blue!  His parents keep worrying about him (i.e. "The dye will never wash out!") and Woolbur always responds, "I know!  Isn't it great?"  The grandpa also has wise advice to the parents: "Don't worry."  It is funny, silly, and has a good message, all while telling a story about fiber arts that all knitters will love!  I am going to have to buy this one to add it our collection. Hope you check it out, too!