New Project

So I've decided what I'm making for baby Kay+Rob. Apparently Rob is a HUGE Pittsburgh Steelers fan, so I'm making a baby sweater that looks like a letterman jacket.

I'm using Carole Barenys's "Top Down Raglan Baby Sweater" -- it calls for sport weight yarn, but I'm actually using Worsted weight. I'm hoping it will just end up bigger. I feel like it's always better to make a baby present too big, rather than risking it being too small.

I was inspired by lifeasstitch's letterman-style color layout (above left). And the buttons she used are ADORABLE!!! I'm going to keep the sleeves white, but the body will be black. The color will be striped with Yellow, Black, and white. I'm using these real jackets as my guide (above right). I'll put the logo on the back, but without the "steelers" letters . . . it's just too small to make the letters look good. I may embroider it later with the baby's name or initials. I'm not sure if they've named him yet (due in April).

I also geeked out with Photoshop last weekend to lay out the logo intarsia along with the increases called for by the pattern.

A Knitter's New Best Friend

So for the last two weeks or so, I have had the worst pain in my right hand, wrist, and arm. I spent Super Bowl weekend designing the Red Sox Socks (starting one pattern, deciding I didn't like it, pulling it out, starting over, rinse and repeat as needed). I also work on a computer all day, and don't have the greatest posture at my desk. So every night this week I've tried to work on my new project, but can't get through more than a row and a half before my arm and shoulder start to burn! I would stop they my forearm would go numb for a few minutes. Not good.

I moved my computer around at my desk at work, trying to limit my need to lean or twist, but I might need to suck it up and call the ergonomic guy and get a keyboard tray. But in the meantime, I got myself a wrist brace.

I've been wearing it all night, and I'm a little surprised at the number of things I do at home that were probably really bad for my wrist. I can't push the buttons on my iPhone, and I'm having a hard time using the DVR remote. I'm loving it while typing and using the touch mouse on my laptop, though! I sit at the couch with the laptop either in my lap or on the coffee table, hunched over it, with my wrist on the table but my fingers up on the keypad . . . very not good. With the brace on, however, I have to sit with my arms in the right place to I can get my hands in the correct position.

We'll see for how long I can knit this weekend . . . I really want to get a good chunk of my new project done.

Baby Red Sox Socks

Baby Red Sox Socks

(click to see more images of finished socks)

Needles: Size 2 dpn

Yarn: Patons Grace (sport weight)

White, Red, and Blue

Cuff

Cast on 32 stitches in White. Divide onto 3 needles (11, 11, 10)

Join and Purl 2 rounds

Attach Red

Knit 4 rounds **

Keeping the joining stitch at the back, divide stitches 16, 8, 8 (for the right sock) or 8, 8, 16 (for the left sock.

The right sock with have the logo on the right, and the left sock will have the logo on the left.

This photo shows the left sock.

Logo Intarsia

(Because we are starting at the cuff and working our way DOWN, make sure to read the chart from the TOP DOWN, always LEFT to RIGHT. This is different from traditional charts. Refer to the written directions below if you have trouble.)

Needle 1 (16 st) (Needle 3 for the left sock)

Row 1: K6 Red, K5 Blue, K5Red

Row 2: K5 Red, K1 Blue, K5 Red, K1 Blue, K4 Red

Row 3: K4 Red, K3 Blue, K1 Red, K2 Blue, K1 Red, K2 Blue, K3 Red

Row 4: K4 Red, K3 Blue, K1 Red, K1 Blue, K2 Red, K2 Blue, K3 Red

Row 5: K4 Red, K3 Blue, K3 Red, K3 Blue, K3 Red

Row 6: K4 Red, K3 Blue, K1 Red, K1 Blue, K2 Red, K2 Blue, K3 Red

Row 7: K4 Red, K3 Blue, K1 Red, K2 Blue, K1 Red, K2 Blue, K3 Red

Row 8: K5 Red, K1 Blue, K5 Red, K1 Blue, K4

Row 9: K6 Red, K5 Blue, K5Red

Continue knitting needles 2 and 3 normally in Red.

After intarsia, knit 4 rounds in Red. **

Redistribute stitches 16, 8, 8, with joining stitch in the center of needle 1.

Heel

Knit across the 16 stitches on needle 1 with some waste yarn in a contrasting color. Then go back to the right side of Needle 1 and knit across the waste yarn with the Red yarn. Work as usual in Red for six rounds, then place ALL stitches on a stitch holder.

Remove the waste yarn while placing the 2 rows of live stitches (top and bottom) on 2 needles. You should have 32 live stitches. Pick up 2 stitches in each gap between the two needles.

Divide stitches 9, 9, 9, 9.

(Needle 1 runs from the center of the back to the first "hole")

Attach White.

Knit 1 round White, K2tog at the end of each row (8, 8, 8, 8)

Decrease every other round as follows:

Needle 1: Knit to 3 stitches from the end, K2tog, K1

Needle 2: K1, SSK, Knit to end

Needle 3: Knit to 3 stitches from the end, K2tog, K1

Needle 4: K1, SSK, Knit to end

Continue decreasing every other row until you have 16 stitches. Combine stitches onto 2 needles, with the reduced stitches on the ends.

Use the Kitchener Stitch to fasted these 16 stitches.

Instep

Pick up your Red live stitches on 3 or 4 needles. Work for 9-10 rows. **

Divide stitches 8, 8, 8, 8, lining up needles with the heel edges.

Toe

Switch to White yarn and knit 1 round.

Decrease every other round as follows:

Needle 1: Knit to 3 stitches from the end, K2tog, K1

Needle 2: K1, SSK, Knit to end

Needle 3: Knit to 3 stitches from the end, K2tog, K1

Needle 4: K1, SSK, Knit to end

When you have 16 stitches remaining, divide the stitches between 2 needles (will need to k4 on the last needle).

Use the Kitchener Stitch to fasten off.

Weave in all loose ends.

Outline Logo with white embroidery thread.

** to reduce the look of a "seam" between needles:

When you get to the end of needle 1, knit one extra stitch from needle 2 directly onto needle 1. Repeat at the end on each needle as you go around. If you tend to have a tighter or looser stitch at the ends of your double pointed needles, this will disburse them around the sock and keep it from making a seam.

Babies, Babies, Everywhere - Update

I have two and a half baby projects done.

For baby Rosa+Joe, due in March:

Yankee Booties

For Baby Caleb, due in late April:

Red Sox Socks (ok, only one sock is done so far)

3.5 more to go . . . please no one else get pregnant for a while, ok?

Yankee Booties

Yankee Booties

These are for baby Rosa+Joe, due any minute now! Rosa is a HUGE Yankees fan, and claims that Derek Jeter (#2) is her boyfriend. Now, I am a die-hard Red Sox fan, so pouring my creative juices into something so Bronx-Bomber-y was quite difficult.

I'm going to note some of the changes I made to my original pattern (Baby Converse Booty).

Part 1, Row 10:

Alternate Blue and White to make stripes, wrapping the yarn each time so it doesn't leave a gap.

Part 1, Row 17:

With the SSK and K2tog decreases, use the Blue yarn.

Part 1, Row 18:

On either side of the Blue section that you made in Row 17, increase 1 Blue stitch (41 st). This will make it possible to continue the White and Blue stripes up each side.

Part 1, Row 19:

Cast off the same number of stitches in the center, but leave 14 stitches on each side.

Sides:

Leave 2 Blue stitches on the "laces" side and continue alternating White and Blue along with the decreases. Sometimes there will be more than 2 Blue stitches OR 2 White stitches in a row, depended on which color you use during the decreases. In the picture below, the booty on the left used the White during the decreases, and the booty on the right used Blue.

I altered the top of the sides and the tongue on the second booty (on the left).

Sides, Row 15 (WS): Using only Blue, Purl all

Row 16 (RS): Purl all

Row 17 (WS): Knit all

Row 18 (RS): Purl all

Row 19: Cast off Purling

This makes it curl inward, so you can't see all the inside stitches (you can see the difference in the pictures below)

Use the same pattern for the top rows of the tongue.

Finally, instead of the Converse Star, I added the Yankee logo and a #2 (for Derek Jeter).

Knitting Quote of the Day

"Oh No She KNIT-N'T!"

~ lady on the bus to Springfield

Ok, in all seriousness, she might have been saying "Oh No She DIDN'T!", but I like what I heard better. :)