Boy, Oh Boy! (FOs)

For the little boy who will arrive at the end of summer, there are warm knits for cool fall nights and early winter. More knits will of course need to be made for winter, as he will pass the three month stage of my knitting pattern.

This adorable little sweater is the 5 Hour Sweater for Baby Boy pattern, by Gail Bable. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease worsted in dark blue, and Bernat Cottontots in light blue. I experimented with adding the color right before the increase rows to get the little dots of light blue peeking through (from the knit back portion of the increase stitch). I added color on the wrong row to get the little ridge of color and then added a few rows on right side (before kfb) to get a more solid line of baby blue). The "Little Lamb" buttons I found at Joann's Fabrics and bought before I even had a pattern to make. Do you do that? Buy buttons without having something knit on which to attach them? I do! Upside Down Daisy from Itty Bitty Knits by Susan B. Anderson. Tried to use colors that wouldn't be so "girly". I actually knit this before the sweater, and decided to give it a matching sweater that was a little more boyish to justify placing a flowerdy hat on a baby boy. (Again, Lion Brand Wool-Ease and Cottontots.)

My i-cord stem got an extra stitch in there somehow, and so it gets a tad bit wider toward the top. Still cute! Didn't realize it until I'd cast off and posed the itty bitty little hat, but decided it wasn't that noticeable and that I would leave it as it is.

The last pumpkin head hat I knit was so freakin' cute, that I figured this little man is going to need a pumpkin head hat too! I believe I used Caron Simply Soft for this hat (yarn band gone from stash). These little grandbaby boys will have loads of hand knit hats, as Grandma S. has a large, large stash of washable yarn in assorted colors!

Le Tour de San (Diego)

In the spirit of le Tour de France, I'm posting my newest love: beach cruiser bicycles. When we arrived at our hotel in San Diego on Mission Bay, our hotel offered bicycle rentals. We immediately rented and hopped on. I fell in love! See the smile on my face?

One speed leisure cruising along Mission Bay's boardwalk. We rode to the ocean (though must admit the man and I walked our bikes up over the bridge). Is it possible to be bicycle smitten? Yes, I am here to tell you, it is! I didn't want to get off of my bike and park it for the night. Though it was a bit chilly by the ocean, I merely purchased a sweatshirt and kept right on riding. When the man asked me how much I liked them, I told him that if the flight home were not a consideration, I would be purchasing one, and that I would most definitely be asking Santa to bring me a beach cruiser come Christmas. He pointed out that internet purchases were all fine and good, but that it wouldn't be from San Diego, where this particular love affair began. How right he was! Definitely, I needed a true San Diego beach cruiser, and here she is, all girly and laid back. She brings a bit of the beach air to my Midwestern town. I've big plans for this girl. White wall tires, pink basket, flowery bicycle bell, pink hand grips with pink and white streamers. Why, I might even clothespin some playing cards in the tires! Isn't she lovely? Le Tour de Ms. Fancy Pants!

Lack of Blogging Does Not Equal Lack of Knitting

Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono

from Mason Dixon Knitting. Used 1.5 skeins of Lily Sugar 'n Cream in camouflage. I ran this adorable baby blue ribbon with brown dots through the eyelets resulting from yarn over increases along the neckline. I went ahead and ran the ribbon across the inside back neck and back down the other front. On kimonos I've made in the past, I've used buttons, but this time I used the ribbon to tie the kimono shut both on the inside and the outside. I believe it came out heartbreakingly cute, as promised by the title of the pattern.

Ribbon tie, and color detail: Inside of back neck:

I return from a blog vacation. The last few weeks of school were just generally hectic, and immediately following the release of school, we went on a fabulous family vacation, the three of us, to San Diego. It was a wonderful time. We ran from sun-up to sun-down (and past) and came home exhausted, just as it should be when one is vacationing.

There was little knitting the final weeks of school and first weeks of summer break, but I'm back on it! There is another finished object, but the parents-to-be have not yet received it, so I'm reluctant to post pics. The above baby knit was sent on the the anticipating parents as a baby knitting teaser, thus the posting of these pictures. However, there is more knitting for the same recipients, so my pictures may not come forth for awhile. These knits are for babies so stay tuned for the typical, adorable baby knit pictures to come.

p.s. my knitting went on vacation with me, but did not make it to the beach, nor into my fingers. Ah well, at least they can say they've been to California.