Well I fear that I have been remiss in my blogging. A lot has happened since last time. The most important one being that I am pregnant, and due to deliver in November! Hooray! Another boy on the way, so I'll get to see my handknits worn on another baby before they go in the heirloom chest - excellent!
After a long slump in knitting, characterized by endless slogging on a traditional offwhite aran sweater for Alec's daycare lady (Auntie Betty), I am finally inspired and energized -- mostly by Ann and Kay's new book, Mason Dixon: Knitting Outside The Lines. After several failed attempts at a baby blanket for the new baby (mitered -- didn't like the way the colors were going... diagonal garter -- too boring and the yarn turned out to be handwash -- even though synthetic!!), I'm inspired by Baby Dotty (ravel it here), but since I'm doing an Eric Carle themed baby room, I'm doing some fruits instead:
I'll be using a combination of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Bulky and Dream In Color Fatty, for bulky varigated awesomeness! I'm so excited to do fair isle on size 10.5 needles, I can't even believe it.
But the fun doesn't stop there -- I've gotten super juiced! Alec is almost 4 and, shall we say, extremely focused (*ahem* obsessed) on the Solar System. My friend challenged me to make him a Solar System sweater, while he's still willing to wear things with things on them, if you know what I mean. I proposed this to him, and he was super excited. Here's the picture I came up with, it's a circular yoke sweater based on EZ's percentage system:
I'll do a contrasting garter ridge for each orbit, and embroider/applique the planets on. When Alec saw this picture, he was so excited! "And my neck will be the sun?" He took the picture to bed with him last night, he was so excited. *Sigh* - it does a knitter's heart (ego) good to have the positive regard of a preschooler. This sweater will be out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. More updates soon.
welcome back to blogging and congrats on the new baby in progress :)
Posted by: Sarahbee | September 26, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Congrats! And good to hear from you again!
We're well into dinosaurs and trucks here, and trying to convince N that the sun is not a planet.
Posted by: Arianna | October 01, 2008 at 08:27 PM
Congratulations on the new little-one-to-be! How exciting! (and how fortuitous that he will get to wear your fantastic hand-knits once more!)
Aaron (5) has been obsessed with all things space for a year & a half, now. So, now I have questions about the sweater--will the planets be embroidered with thread/yarn, or will they be made of some other material and appliqued on? Also, will the sun be intarsia? Can't wait to see how it turns out! (oh, plus, we love the Hungry Caterpillar and I have to say how inspiring all your knits are!) Can I use any more exclamation points? :)
Posted by: Amanda | October 03, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Love this idea! But geeky minds need to know - is Pluto included as a planet?
Posted by: Laura | October 07, 2008 at 05:44 PM