I’m furiously trying to finish this little baby jacket before the big baby shower next Saturday. I made the same jacket, from the pattern Easy Baby Cardigan, for another baby not too long ago. This time I’ve added the hood and it’s for a girl. I know it’s not the color we normally associate with baby girls but the expectant mother specifically requested that we all go easy on the pink. As it turned out, I happened to have a ball of my favorite sock yarn, Jitterbug, lying around, and that’s what I used.

This may very well be the last thing I ever knit – sadly. My fingers are stiff with arthritis and I’ve also got tennis elbow. Years of overuse from manic knitting and computer use along with advanced age, have created quite a bit of pain in my right hand and arm. I don’t think I’ll give it up altogether, but I’ll probably slow down significantly.

So what else shall I blog about?

It was a beautiful rainy day on Saturday. One of those days that just makes you want to start project after project after new project and what should arrive for me at the Orinda library but the new More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. This book is a keeper folks. I may even have to go and buy it for my permanent collection. It’s that good.

Flipping though the pages of the book I saw the big lace scarf pattern. Of course I had to start it, as if I had nothing better to do. I do. Instead I dug through my piles of stash and found a ball of Crystal Palace Mochi (Mochi plus I think but I have long since lost the wrapper) and with one ball the end result is about 36 inches long. Not bad. A little something to wrap around my neck on a cold morning.

It’s done. Over the weekend. In between homework and school work and baking and walks in the park. A little gift to myself.

I presented expectant mother Maggie, the finished baby layette one week ago but I confess that I have been slow to post the finished photos – for a variety of reasons. The jacket was inspired by one I saw on the blog of EarthChicKnits. I thought it was so cool that I immediately cast on and it turned out to be a fun little knit.

I loved that she knit the cardigan from sock yarn so I used the Jitterbug I had left but was a little mad at myself for using one ball to knit the sleepy hollow socks (I originally had two balls). What was I thinking? I ordered more but of course the dye lot didn’t match up. Major lesson learned here. Like they say, make sure you buy enough – MORE than enough!

The other pieces of the layette were improvised and my intention is to post the patterns. Soon. This is where I’m stalled. The socks and hat are simple enough, and I’ve made them both numerous times. But the little leggings were a bit of a challenge to say the least.

I was originally inspired by a pair I saw on BrooklynTweed’s blog but the pattern was nowhere to be found. There really aren’t any baby pants patterns written for magic loop much less for circular needles.

So I will try and overcome my writer’s block and get these patterns to you post haste. After all, I can count on you, dear reader and fellow knitter, to point out any  mistakes to me – and I hope you will!

Homework, homework, homework! That’s all I do these days. It’s pretty dull, I tell ‘ya, and the knitting has been next to nil. Hang in there folks. There’s only four more weeks to go (of the summer session) and then I should have more time for the things I love most. Summer is the slow season for knitting anyway, right?

Before I forget, I just wanted to leave you with a pic from the Oakland Art Murmur. Good times, good times…and there wasn’t a riot after all. Hope to see you there next month!

A year ago I was felting like crazy, crafting mostly oven mitts but also different sizes of bowls. I was asked for instructions for these nesting bowls from a woman a couple of months ago and so I wrote them up for all the enjoy. The bowls make sweet little candy holders for this time of year.

If you haven’t tried felting before, this is a wonderful easy way to start. You will soon become addicted.

For the bowls pictured, I used Lion Wool and size 10 dpn (double pointed needles) (or 10.5 or 11…whatever big dpns you have on hand) (*but* if you’re going to go out and buy some, get size 10).

Make sure that whatever yarn you are using is 100% WOOL!

Approximate Finished measurements (diameter across top):

Orange: 6.5”
Purple: 5.25”
Yellow: 4.25”
Pink: 3.5”

INSTRUCTIONS FOR Felted Nesting Bowls:

Orange (Large) – cast on 72, knit 30 rows

Purple (Medium) – co 63, knit 25 rows

Yellow (Small) – co 54, knit 20 rows

Pink (X-small) – co 45, knit 15 rows

Decrease (bottom of bowl) for all sizes:

Round 1: [K2 tog, knit 7] continue around

Round 2: [K2 tog, knit 6] continue around

Round 3: Knit

Round 4: [K2 tog, knit 5] continue around

Round 5: [K2 tog, knit 5] continue around (this helps flatten the bowl’s bottom

Round 6: [K2 tog, knit 4] continue around

Round 7: Knit

Round 8: [K2 tog, knit 3] continue around

Round 9: [K2 tog, knit 3] continue around

Round 10: [K2 tog, knit 2] continue around

Round 11: [K2 tog, knit 2] continue around

Round 12: [K2 tog, knit 1] continue around

Cut yarn and with needle thread through remaining stitches and pull tight.

Felt as normal. I recommend a top loading machine, hot water, pair of old jeans for agitation and mesh bags to hold bowls.

Please let me know if you find any errors in this pattern. I’m a neophyte pattern writer and I welcome your feedback.