Last night we had an impromptu knitting hangout session at our regular haunt, Teapouro. It was just a few of us, but we made up for it with our loud mouths. Thanks to the ladies for listening to some of my drama, and thanks to them for sharing some. It definitely makes me realize all of humanity is in basically the same boat.
Oy, where to begin? Well for starters, I’m currently working on a dress for my 18 month old, Veronica. I am doing the two year old size, because I was worried by the time it was finished, she’d get to wear it for two seconds. Seeing how she is on the small size, and what this is turning out to be, she’ll be wearing until she’s three. Which is OK! I made Evie a sweater when she was 3 and she wore it for a month before she got too big. I kept it though. I’ve kept the two sweaters I made for Evie and I kept the baby sweater I made for Veronica (complete with ladybug buttons) just for sentimental reasons. Veronica will be able to wear the Evie sweaters, so that will be fun to see them worn again. I just couldn’t bear to part with her little baby sweater though. It’s made out of acrylic, so it should last forever. Hopefully these two will give me some grandchildren so I can pass it on. Burton and I have already said that we’ll be really hacked off if we don’t get any grandchildren. I don’t think I’ll ever get to be an aunt, so BUMMER. I know I would be a really bad-ass aunt to have.
Anyway, the dress is made from some 3 ply baby yarn from Tamarinda. It is FREE yarn from awesome blogger and fellow knitter, Stephanie. She graciously gave it to me when she was clearing out her stash of unwanted yarn (some of which I used on Blanketa). I never thought I would use it, but one afternoon while at my friend Jeana’s house for a playdate, a pattern was found and a book was borrowed. You can’t get much better than free pattern and free yarn. I love when life works out that way. Not to mention Veronica’s favorite color is yellow. She walks around saying it ALL the time. “Yeh-whoa.” Say it aloud. That’s how she says it. The skirt is lace, and then it goes into a stockinette tank with seed stitch edging. I’m getting very close to being down with the 27 4 row pattern repeat for ONE SIDE. I’m hoping my resolve doesn’t fail me. It’s on size 3 needles and has 156 stitches cast on for the front. Yes. Holy hell that is a lot. Here’s a picture:
Sweet Little Dress
In other news, I finished another pastel drawing probably 2 months ago and just haven’t got it up yet. This one was from a photo of Evie in our back yard with this huge Polyphemus moth I found while raking leaves last May. It really was that big. Burton lovingly referred to it’s body as a “dog turd with hair.” It was pretty freaky looking. Again, the picture in person is huge. It’s 16×20. Hope you enjoy it.
Evie and the Polyphemus Moth
Dee Anna
loloen
holy crap, that is a LOT of work for that lace! I am currently working on a lace dress with a knit top body- but its not going to be ANYthing like that! Those are freakishly tiny needles. I hope you stick it out. I bet it will be gorgeous! Oh.. and to give you an example of my own resolve or lack of it- I screwed up the second row of lace and instead of going back and fixing it (I’m working it in the round- 190 sts cast on) I sat for a moment swearing and then moved on to the next row praying that it wouldn’t look too terrible! ha!! I’m on sz 5 needles- and much thicker yarn, and I still feel like it’s killing me. *sigh* Great picture of moth and evie- you definately have a unique style, love it!
Lora,
Don’t sweat the lace mistakes. I’ve made a few on this project (mainly missing some yarn overs) and when I come around to needing an extra stitch, I just make one. It’s blended in and no one can tell, and even if they could, they wouldn’t be my friend anymore anyway.
I’m pretty sure I will stick it out. I’m really excited to actually complete a project again. And it still would be the same as or less work than a sweater for me.
Would love to see your dress when you finish it! Post it to Facebook and tag me when you’re done.
Glad you liked the picture! Compliments from other artists means the most, you know.
Thanks!
that is exactly what I did- forgot a few yarn overs and ended up with 3 less stitches at the end. I added them in and moved on. I haven’t screwed up since- YET- but I plan on just doing the same instead of ripping back. It’s too tedious to go back!
Yes, I’m really serious when I say I like your style- it is so unique, it is full of movement, the lines have character and life- almost a studied look of implied chaos, even though I know it’s not. Anyway, I’m about as far along on my dress as you are- so it’ll be a while before I take pics. Although, I guess I could take one now just to show the lace I am working on. It’s a ruffled- kind of a round looking kind- scallops on the bottom. Don’t know what to call it! LOL
Hey, another trick you can do, and Dee Anna swears by it, is to add a life line every ten rows or so. Just take your yarn needle and some scrap yarn and thread it through all your live stitches on your needle and keep knitting. That way if you really screw up, you can rip it back to your life line and not all the way back to start, or try to rip out stitches one by one. (Which I have done before!)
Aww, thanks again!
Yes! Take a picture of it in progress!
thats a good idea about the life line. I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks!
Is it just me, or is it freaky to see Lora talking to herself? lol
I’m with you Lisa.
Also, thought I should add how much cooler the Evie drawing is in person. Lora rocks!
Lisa,
To clear up any confusion, the OTHER Lora on this thread is a friend from college, who ALSO happens to be an artist, knitter and blonde. It is freaky when you think about it.
I swear it’s not another of my multiple personalities showing up.
LMAO!!! I didn’t think of it that way before! I actually snorted when I read Lisa’s comment! hehee!! Too bad we can’t add our picture for our comments instead of having a little patch work quilt block show up.– oh and I read the lace instructions and it says I am working on a Fishtail lace. It’s really pretty. I like the pattern you are working on too… very intricate looking.
I know. It was bizarre reading it myself. You can have your own picture if you have a wordpress account. (And then you can start your OWN knitting blog!
Thanks about the pattern, but it is really very easy. Just Purl, Row 1 lace, Purl, Row 2 lace, so I really only have to memorize two rows of lace. Goes much quicker than those 24 row lace patterns. GOUGE MY EYES OUT IN FRUSTRATION!
I will look up fishtail lace pattern. Sounds interesting! Have you tried cabling yet? I love it.