Shop Sample #1

This is the Knitting Pure & Simple pattern #9730 knit in Queensland Rustic Wool in color #28 (green). I knit this in size 2-4 with five balls on US 10 (6mm) and US 7 (4.5mm) circular needles. I actually used about 4.5 balls. As you can see, this pattern runs big. Alex is 3 1/2, and tall for his age (typically wearing size 4 clothes) and this is big on him too. I think if you wanted to go down a needle size you would still do well, or you could knit it just as written at the suggested gauge, and know that your child will be able to wear it for a while.

The yarn is nice to work with, washed up pretty soft, didn't pool in any strange ways, and it machine washable. I chose green to knit this pattern in, because the photo shows the sweater on a girl, and I wanted to show that it works for boys too. I might actually make one of these for Alex because it was very simple (great tv knitting) and he seems to like wearing it (at least for the photos, lol).

We're all hunkered down here waiting for the snow that hasn't come yet. Aaron had to go to school, but Dante's school was canceled. I got out today before it picked up, hit the bank, the post office and my rental office in 30 minutes! It helps when other people stay home. I have school work to do today, and I'll be making soup with a recipe from Bees Knees (which I love). Last night I made veggie broth for this soup from a simple recipe that Natalie told me about, involving some carrots, celery, onion and garlic, a bay leaf or two, and a crock pot. I added a few mushrooms and some time leaves to it, set the pot for 10 hours, and woke up at about 6am to stock. I have about 3 quarts for the price of 3 cups! Now that I know how to do this...I'll be doing it more often. Who would ever have thought to use a crock pot for stock?.. (obviously someone did, because there's a recipe...but I think you get it.)

I'm getting ready for the Ravelympics which start on Friday and I'll be knitting a sweater for Dante. I had to pull out of Team Twilight, as I'm captain of two other teams and I don't have a lot of time. I'll be knitting Aram from Berroco's leaflet #284 family comfort in Berroco's Ultra Alpaca in Lichen heather #6299 (dye lot 801). I have five balls all wound up and ready to go. I never knit a sweater for The Boy, and I believe I promised him one, a long time ago. He's approved this sweater and yarn combo, and this will be my first Aran-ish sweater so it's certainly a challenge. I also have to try to get this in while still finding time for school work, and work-work. I guess if it was easy, it wouldn't be an Olympic inspired event :)

Currently, I'm knitting the Elizabeth Zimmerman February Baby Sweater from my newest book The Knitters Almanac in Ultra Alpaca Fine (a beautiful heathered-tan) for a friend who will not be named here as they sometimes read this. I'm using sock weight yarn with 3mm needles to scale this down small enough to fit a newborn (according to advice from the EZ group on Ravelry). I bought some Cascade 220 superwash paints (#9867) in a worsted weight (the most beautiful shade of pink with some lilac, very baby) for a baby surprise jacket, but I decided to go with the FBS because of the delicate lace. This sweater will need to go on the back burner starting Friday, if I don't finish it before then.

The kids are well again so we should all be at church on Sunday. I've missed the last two weeks with Alex, but his cough seems to be gone, and he's starting to sleep again so I think he's over it. He seems to like the bed, even though he hates sleep. Eddie likes it too, and Aaron's caught him asleep on Alex's bed a hand full of times. At least someone likes it!