Purple and White Stripes Baby Jacket

  • September 3, 2010 at 5:12 pm

How many of these things am I going to need? I do not know, but I just feel like making a bunch!

My baby is expected in summer, so I really don’t know how many of these will be worn if at all! I guess if they don’t get used they might make nice gifts for someone else. The jackets I’ve been making are different sizes, so maybe some with fit for the first winter. I’ve already started on my next baby jacket which is white!

This one was easy and boring to do. If I use this pattern again, I’ll try and use a more interesting stitch. I think the stripes saved me from absolute monotony! This simple baby set pattern comes from the Lion Brand Yarn website, to access their free patterns all you have to do is register. This is the same site I got the baby socks pattern from.

I drew up this simple pattern on a square piece of card. This way I could do it while watching tv, when I prefer not to have to read patterns. The square board is as big as the back of the jacket, and I’ve made markings for the sleeves and front sections. This pattern really was very straight forward and easy, all you have to do is make 5 rectangular shapes and sew them together. But instead of making up the sleeves separately, I just worked them right onto the made up vest in rounds.

I used my left over purple and white dimples yarn from Lincraft, I think I used the 4mm hook. I chose some very cute recycled flower buttons, and gave them a quick scrub with Earth Choice detergent and a recycled toothbrush so they came up just like new.

Although this is newborn size, it looks a bit bigger than that to me.

<3 <3

Simple Blue Pouch

  • September 1, 2010 at 7:18 am

This was very easy to whip up, it took me just over an hour using some nice blue wool from my left overs bag.

An internet friend asked me if I could make a pouch for his GPS which measures 125mm x 76mm x 16mm. Usually I don’t sell what I make, preferring to make gifts for family, but I figured that this wouldn’t be too hard so gave it a go.

My pattern for a simple pouch
1. ch 18, treble (US dc) in 3rd ch from hook, tr in ea chain to end, ch 2, turn (16 trebles)
2. treble in each treble, ch 2, turn
3-25. continue row 2 until piece measures 25cm long (about 25 rows)
26. fold at 12th row, making a base of one row, 3 dc (US sc) in ea space down the sides joining two sides together, last space has 1 dc then 2 dc in base row, dc in bottom of ea treble of row 12 to form bottom ridge, dc up the other side like the first side, ch 36 (long enough to be twice the width to form draw string).
27. cut the yarn and thread through first row of trebles, sl st in 1st ch to form draw string, fasten off
LoL! well that’s my pattern as I understand it, I don’t know if anyone else will!

I wrapped it up in some recycled tissue paper with a tiny homemade tag and posted it off to Western Australia! It fit inside a prepaid envelop which only cost $1.40 which I thought wasn’t too bad at all.

Today these fotos came back from my friend in W.A. I’m very pleased to see the GPS actually fits inside. Really, why wouldn’t it? Oh, I don’t know, I thought I might have made it too small!!

I’m glad something I made so simply is a useful thing!

<3 <3 <3

P.S. Thanks to Louis for the fotos featuring the GPS! <3

David’s Fingerless Gloves

  • August 29, 2010 at 9:04 am

I bought another ball of this lima alpaca wool from Lincraft when it was on special to make another pair of fingerless gloves for David, this time I made up my own pattern to fit.

David has been wearing the first pair of fingerless gloves I made, but they are a little small for him, being too short and tight to pull on. It’s his birthday today, so I just had to make him another pair in matching wool, this time longer and wider. And just in time for winter to be nearly over, too! At least he’ll have them to wear all next winter! This longer pair of fingerless gloves weighs over 60g so took more then 1 x 50g ball of alpaca, and I used a 4mm hook.

My pattern for David’s fingerless gloves
1. ch 36, sl st to join and form a circle, taking care not to twist the chain, ch 2, treble (US dc) in 1st ch on the right of ch 2 to form a ‘cross-stitch’, (sk 1 ch, tr in next ch, tr in sk ch) repeat to end, sl st in top of 1st cross-stitch (18 crosses)
2. sl st into next space, ch 2, treble in top of 1st cross-stitch (sk top of next cross, treble in next space, treble in top of sk cross) repeat to end, sl st in top of 1st cross (18 cross-stitches)
3-13. repeat row 2 until there are 13 rows of cross stitches
14. ch 2, treble in top of cross to the right of ch, ch 10 (thumb hole), sk 2 cross-stitch, sl st in between 2nd and 3rd cross, sl st 2 up the ch, treble in top of 2nd cross, sk top of 3rd cross, treble, treble in top of sk cross, repeat until end, sl st in top of 1st cross (17 cross-stitches)
15. ch 2, treble in top of cross to the right of ch, sl st in thumb hole, 4 dc (US sc) in thumb hole, treble in between next 2 crosses, treble in top of cross to the right to create cross, repeat cross-stitch pattern to end, sl st in top of 1st cross (16 cross-stitches)
16. sl st 1, ch 2, treble in top of cross to the right of ch, sk 1 dc, sl st in next 2 dc, sk 1 dc, treble in between next 2 crosses, treble in top of the 1st of those 2 crosses, sl st in top of 1st cross (16 crosses)
17. sk 1, sl st1, sk 1, sl st 1, sl st 1, ch 2, treble in top of 1st cross left of thumb hole, repeat cross-stitches to end, last one goes in sl st over thumb hole, sl st in top of 1st cross (16 crosses)
18. sl st, ch 2, treble in top of cross (sk 1, treble, treble in sk) repeat to end (16 cross-stitches)
19, 20, 21. repeat row 18

For David’s birthday, I also bought him a father-to-be book with a cute lovey-dovey book mark to go with it. He’s being such a trooper and so supportive of me right now, I wanted to get him something to help him from a father’s point of view. This particular book comes recommended and it made him laugh in the book store when he saw it, so I got it for him. And it’s good timing too, Father’s Day is a week after his birthday!

Also for David’s birthday, we got him an electric mixer! It might not sound like a good present, but it certainly isn’t for me as I won’t be baking! David loves to bake and is very good at it, so a proper machine will make it even more fun for him! If you would like to see some of the things David likes to cook, be sure to check out his cooking blog @ daves-home-cooking.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday, my darling David <3 <3 <3

Purple Fluffy-top Baby Socks

  • August 28, 2010 at 11:44 am

These are the same as my green fluffy-top socks, except I altered the pattern slightly so the seam is at the sole instead of the top of the sock where it can be seen.

Using the purple big baby wool I got from Lincraft when it was on special, making these cute baby socks were a lot of fun. I changed the heel so I started the rounds in the centre of the heel at the sole instead of the centre of the front. There are only 7 rows that are turned around, the rest of the pattern is the same as before. I used a different fluffy top for these ones, this is some flutter wool with flecks of yellow, pink and purple.

There are two variations of ankles in the pattern, for this one I used the cluster. I thought I had memorised this cluster patternĀ  and was AFK in front of the TV when I did the first purple sock and I totally screwed it up! After I did the second sock (after re-reading the pattern) I realised my mistake and undid the first ankle and did it again. I’m glad I did, now the two purple socks actually match …

Now I have some more cute things to add to my growing pile of baby stuff!!
<3 <3

Green Fluffy-top Baby Socks

  • August 23, 2010 at 7:35 am

I found this pattern for baby socks, and they turned out so cute I’ve memorised the pattern so I can make more!

The pattern for these baby socks is at free-crochet.com, all you have to do is register at the website to login and you can download free patterns. So far, I haven’t received any spam and I haven’t paid anything. For these kinds of things I just give an incomplete mailing address, just in case. The pattern for the socks is in the ‘For baby‘ section. For these ones, I used 4ply baby wool with a 3mm hook.

One thing I think could be better about this pattern is the start of each round should be on the sole of the foot, not the top. For my second pair of socks, I’m going to turn the heel around so the rounds start underneath, not on top. That way you won’t see the seam.

Other than that, this is a worthwhile pattern for me to memorise I am thinking! It took me about a couple of hours to make the pair. I topped them off with an extra row of dc (US sc) in a cheap fluffy craft wool, so I think they look extra cute!