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Archive for the ‘gifts’ Category

Pea Pod Baby Sweater and Hat

April 4, 2011

I just found out a short time ago that a food blogger I know, Maria, who writes “Two Peas and Their Pod” is having her first baby. I knew I would get to visit her in Utah on spring break, so how could I resist knitting her a little baby gift? No way! I love this cute little baby sweater from the Knitter’s Book of Yarn and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make it.

I sewed a little hat to match from this pattern on Ravelry. I’ve made it before in different colors and I thought in greens it would look adorable and keeping with the “pea pod” theme:

I knit the sweater in a “pea green” color – how appropriate – and it’s good because it’s gender neutral. I used Berroco Vintage, which is a great blend that is machine washable and very soft.

I sewed a little label into the sweater. I got these cute little labels at this Etsy shop.

There is errata for this pattern, which I didn’t learn about until after I had knit for a while. For the smallest size, you need to cast on 36 stitches instead of 38. It didn’t seem to make much difference for me – I just took in the back seams a little when I assembled the sweater.

Pattern: Baby Soft Cardigan
Pattern for Hat: Berry Baby Hat
Needle for Sweater: US#9
Needles for Hat: US#8
Yarn: Berroco Vintage Fennel & Douglas Fir
Ravelry Pages: Sweater, Hat

Posted in baby stuff, finished objects, gifts, knitting | 9 Comments »

Spartan Mittens

March 28, 2011

I’m trying to knit everyone in the family something for next Christmas and I’m starting now! There will be about 15 people that I want to knit something for and I hope I can do it. These Spartan Mittens are for my mother-in-law, who is going to get two pair of mittens – one lined and one not. She likes mittens. She is also an Michigan State fan and the colors are dark green and white.

These mittens are knit up with a yarn that is made right here in Michigan, Shepherd’s Wool at Stonehedge Fiber Mill in East Jordan. It’s a worsted weight and comes in tons of beautiful colors. The yarn is very soft and so nice to work with.

This particular pattern, Tweed Mittens, by Nichole Reese is a great knit – it looks like you’re stranding, but you’re just slipping stitches. Love that! And the mittens are lofty and thick. I knit these using my beloved Magic Loop technique.