Go-Veralls redo.

I did frog and start over on the legs. I just couldn't stand how wide they were. I cast on the smaller size on the leg instead of the called for cuff size, 46 stitches instead of 52. It isn't that many stitches, but looks much better and takes an inch off the width.

This morning I spent about the same amount of time on the legs as I did last night, but have much more progress thanks to the fewer number of stitches. In fact, I am nearly done with the legs. All I have left is a couple rows, then to make the gusset before I get started on the rise.

A little note about the yarn - I love this color! The yarn is the same Wool of the Andes worsted, but the "Sapphire Heather" color is just beautiful! I hope at some point the variations within the blue shows up in a picture.

On The Go-Veralls, started.

I just started this pattern today, and I'm having doubts. My gauge is spot on for both stitches and rows, but the legs look huge! I am pretty sure my little boy would be swimming in the pants with just how wide the legs are. I'm making the 0-6 month size, and the legs are 5.5 inches wide! I'm pretty sure that would fit my 8-year-old daughter's leg comfortably.

The problem is that I've spent about 4 hours working on the pattern so far, and I would hate to start over from scratch. I am torn on whether to start over or not. Also I am having reservations as to how wide the body will be. I guess this calls for some research to see what other people chose to do and if theirs turned out so wide as well.

Here's my progress so far.

Little Girl Leg-warmers, Completed!

My 6-year-old's leg-warmers are done! I didn't use a pattern, just cast on enough stitches to fit around her leg and knit until they were the length she wanted. I made them two-at-time, so despite the picture, they are exactly the same length. She shouldn't grow out of them anytime soon either. When she first put them on, she pulled them up around her thighs, lol

I used most of the free skein of Knit Picks Brava worsted yarn. It is nice for an acrylic yarn, and the color Freesia is pretty.

Braided Longies, Complete!

I just got my yarn for the baby pants today, and I already completed a pair! I'd say I worked for approximately 7 hours throughout the school day and the evening. I used the "Braided Longies" pattern by Raya Budrevich of www.blissfulknits.com (I got the pattern off Ravelry.com of course). Mine didn't turn out exactly like the ones pictured on Ravelry, but I'm fine with that. I do believe the yarn I used was a little lighter, and my gauge was a little on the small side where rows are concerned (next time I make this pattern with this yarn, I will go up to a size 8 needle instead of the size 7 I used this time). The pants still look nice, and I've no complaints about the pattern.

I made the newborn sized ones, and have over half a skein leftover. I used the dark green Wool of the Andes Worsted, called "Aurora Heather." It is a beautiful heathered green, and the pictures just don't do it justice. I am pretty pleased with the amount of yarn used. I guesstimated that I would need almost 2 skeins for newborn longies, but had a tiny bit of a panic moment when I saw just how small the skeins looked!

 The 3 rows of short rows did add a little bit of extra room in the tush. I'm not sure they were needed, the cable along the sides adds a ton of stretch (though I have yet to have experience with the famous cloth "fluff butt" that is supposedly so difficult to fit pants over).

 I choose the braided cable pattern along the side.

 They look pretty long, and I did make the legs half an inch longer than the pattern called for. I do think they will look quite a bit wider and not so stick-thin and tall once I get them lanolized and blocked (or actually on a baby ;).

I suppose that's about all there is to say about my first knit longies. I have a few other projects to get finished before I start another pair. My 6-year-old has been waiting patiently for me to finish her leg-warmers, and I have the bee baby blanket to block still. There is of course that jacket for my husband, and socks for me, but those aren't going to get touched while there is baby stuff to knit, lol

Yarn Haul!

My yarn order came a day early! Most of the pictures show color pretty accurately, except the orange which totally looks like yellow, lol You can click on the photos for a close up to be able to read the yarn color on the label. I used flash on some and not on others. Mainly flash was only used when the color just wasn't showing very well.

Just a comparison, showing they really aren't the same color ;)

Yarn order for woolies.

I ordered a bunch of yarn from Knit Picks today. I got some of their Valentines sale yarn (good on pinks and reds only). I was able to get a couple skeins of the "Andes del Campo" since it was cheaper, but mostly just stuck with "Wool of the Andes" worsted. For about $52 I got enough yarn for 8 wool pants that will double as diaper covers. That works out to only $6.55 each! Those will last the baby through his 1st year, and if I frog and reuse the yarn even longer than that.

Since I was getting cheaper yarn, I didn't stick with just the sale yarn. I don't think I could stand for him to only have red pants, lol I really wanted to get some Full Circle in worsted weight, but they were out of the red : ( That's okay though, because I got a pretty good variety of colors. I should have some leftovers to make a funky stripped pair of pants too, so I may even get 9 pairs out of it.

I saved a picture from my checkout so I don't have to try to list all the colors, so here's that.

I figured two skeins, or 220 yards, should be enough to make 0-6 month sized pants (according to several longies patterns I looked at for reference) and 3 skeins for 6-12 month sizes. I got single skeins of the orange and black, because I plan on those being a super loud pair of striped longies ; )

I'll post a yarn haul with pictures when my order gets here. I should have my order by the end of next week : )

Snapdragon Soaker Completed!

I started a wool soaker over the weekend and just finished it today. I used the "Snapdragon Soaker" pattern I found on Ravelry.com It was an okay pattern and I don't really have any complaints about it. I do prefer the pattern I used previously though, simply because of the ribbing that allows more stretch. I will have to use both on a baby to know which one actually functions better though (if either one is actually superior at all).

This was my first time working with Knit Pick's "Full Circle" 100% wool, and I am quite happy with it. It feels nice in hand and makes a soft finished product. The only complaint is pretty minor, and that is that it tends to untwist a bit as I work with it. I am not too surprised though, as it is single ply. I am a little sad that this yarn is limited edition, because I would love to work with it again. Knit Picks offers this yarn in both bulky and worsted weights, and I would imagine longies knit up in "Full Circle" worsted weight would turn out quite nicely.

I made a few alterations to the pattern, like usual :) I knit this up in size small. I cast on 8 fewer stitches than called for, then increased those 8 stitches back into the soaker once the waist was complete. I've found that using smaller needles for the waist isn't enough, and they always tend to be a bit too stretchy and loose. I am hoping that the little bit of a decrease will eliminate the need for a drawstring or elastic. It is still quite stretchy though, and shouldn't cut in at all. I chose rolled cuffs for this soaker. I thought it would look cleaner with the body of the soaker being all stockinette stitch. I am happy with my choice and think it looks better than ribbed cuffs would have. I also didn't make the raise quite as long as the pattern called for. It seemed like the leg holes were oftly large, and both my other babies have been tall (in the back) and skinny. I took a chance and made this to fit better on a skinny baby; now watch him come out super chunky, lol

The balls of yarn are 100g and 110 yards. I have a little left over after making the size small soaker. I have one more ball of this yarn, and will be making another soaker with it. Maybe I'll have just enough yarn left over to make a little hat for him too : )

Now for the pictures!

Front

Back

Side

Comparison with newborn sized soaker made previously