A year ago I was knitting like mad for this little boy, wondering what the little face might look like that would wear these knits one day. In my wildest imaginations I never imagined how beautiful this little boy would be. My great-nephew is one year old today and with every passing month he just gets sweeter and sweeter. I know that he will soon be choosing the clothes he wants to wear (and it won't be hand knits from me) but I have loved wrapping him in warm cozy knits through this first year of his life. Happy Birthday... Continue reading

If you are absolutely sick of seeing adorable babies wearing adorable knits I apologize, but my adorable "greats" keep showing off their knitted gifts and the pictures just get cuter and cuter so I can't resist sharing. This was a professional newborn photoshoot and the only thing Kase is wearing (chest puffs with knitterly and familial pride) is the little hipster hat I knit for him. I'm casting on for another baby knit as we speak.... Continue reading

“Let the wild rumpus start!” I knit this cotton cardigan for my great-nephew, Finn. It was a perfect pairing for a "Where the Wild Things Are"outfit I bought him. But even I could not have predicted how perfectly adorable he would look wearing it on his outdoor adventures. The pattern is my go-to sweater for baby knits. I love the top down construction and the color changes make it a fun and addictive knit for me. I'm a fan of the i-cord edging and tie too, no fussing with buttons which is good for little boys on the move. And... Continue reading

Yesterday I showed you the little Fox Baby Hat which was just so cute -- but if you really want to see cute, here it is on the head of my newest great-nephew! Is he not the cutest little foxy fella? If I was to knit this hat again I'd add about 3 or 4 more rounds before decreasing as at only 6 weeks it is already a little on the small side. Guess I'll just have to knit him another fun hat. What's your favorite baby hat pattern? Continue reading

Pumpkins are appearing on the streets of San Francisco these days. Kip is all over them. A few pumpkin hats have been dropping off my knitting needles as well thanks to Susan B. Anderson's "Little Pumpkin" hat from Itty Bitty hats. And if you happen to have some Bernat Softee chunky orange yarn on hand then you might be just as tempted as I was to whip up a "Woodland Fox Baby" hat from this pattern by Honey Nutbrown. I think these hats will look adorable on my great-nephews this fall. Anyone else seeing orange these days?! Continue reading

Kip looks so sweet and innocent here, doesn't he? You'd never know he's a little weapon of mass destruction chewing anything and everything he shouldn't. Hence my yarn, needles and project bags are all safely stored away. There has been little time to sit and knit anyway as puppies need to be fed and walked and played with and trained and bathed and.... But he is so cute and it won't be long until he's ready to watch me knit without getting into trouble (she says hopefully)! Hope you are making more progress with your knitting these days. Continue reading

Last month we took a drive up to Bremerton, WA to pick up a little something and on our way back we made a brief stop in Portland, OR. I just had time to check out one of the plethora of yarn shops in that city and I chose, "Yarnia" because it's been on my "yarn stores to visit" list for a long time and it is a pretty unique place. Yarnia is the only yarn shop where you can design your very own custom yarn blend. You choose the fiber, color, thickness, and amount, and they’ll create your custom... Continue reading

We have another great-nephew on the way and I've been busy knitting newborn things again. We had a shower for the mom-to-be last week and I thought I'd share a few of the "knitted" highlights. I asked my Mom to knit some bunting as part of the shower decor. She used this free pattern and some acrylic yarn in shades of teal and gray and it turned out really well. It's going to be used in the baby's nursery now too. My Mom also knit a baby shawl --so beautiful and such a treasure to have from Great-Grandma. I gifted... Continue reading

Today we said good-bye to our faithful and loving companion, Duke. For 9.5 years his little face made us smile every single day. He had such a HUGE personality for such a tiny dog. My knitting chair feels very empty without him sitting beside me. It's going to be a very different world with him gone but we are so thankful that God blessed us with this wonderful model of submission, grace, unconditional love, and instant forgiveness. He was truly one-of-a-kind. Those ears, that tongue.... Continue reading

My great-nephew, Finn, has definitely got this knit-wear modeling thing down pat. Here he is sporting the Ribby Flying Helmet. Gosh, don't those eyes just melt your heart. He is also modeling the 50's lounge jacket. Both were knit by his own "Auntie Joan the great" a.k.a "me". He likes to think of himself as an "action figure" these days. So much more fun than laying still for the camera. It may be the hottest day of the year so far, but with the air conditioning on he's not complaining. Fortunately the hat is going to fit him for awhile... Continue reading

One of the challenges for the wool-free knitter is finding good alternate wool-free yarns. The problem is that no sooner do you find a yarn you think you'd happily use again then you discover it has been discontinued. Novelty yarns seem to have an even shorter shelf-life than other wool-free yarns and so it did not really surprise me to learn that Berrocco Suede has been discontinued. I had several balls of Blue Suede in my stash and I just used most of it to knit up this Ribbed Baby Jacket. I'm disappointed that this yarn is no longer on... Continue reading

The Football hat fits our little man now! Looks like he's an open receiver of all things hand knit! Continue reading

It's hard to believe that he is big enough for the little honeybee romper suit, but he is! And he looks so, so, precious in it. Good timing since he's getting to be a busy little bee himself these days! And, best news ever, he's going to be be flying out here for a visit in May. I'm SO excited. But first I'm going to fly home for a few snuggles at Easter. Can't wait to hold him again! Continue reading

It's been a little over 3 years since I first set up my knitting room in this old house. It all seemed just perfect to me at the time and as far as the knitting goes it worked well. But we discovered that we like using this front room for so much more than just knitting. And the little office space stuck over in the corner ? That wasn't working for me at all. I've started there, replacing the old metal file cabinet and tiny desk with some nice tall bookcases. Plenty of room here now for all my knitting... Continue reading

"I do, I do, I do like your hat!" The beautiful hand-knit shawl in the background is the work of his great-grandmother (my mother) one of many heirloom knits he's received. "Oh, oh, is it washable?" The hat is just another one of the 11 or so hats I knit for him. You can see the details here. "Eleven hats? What you talkin' about?" Get used to it little buddy, it's gonna be a LONG winter and you'll need every one to keep you warm! Continue reading

So I made a pair of matching booties for the Christmas nightcap. Just your standard bootie knit up in red and white cotton and,with the help of my eldest niece (who made them), some cute little red and white pom poms. You can see them there on the sides. But the real genius is the little personal touch I added to the bottom of one of the booties -- 'cause you know I love this little guy more than words could say. His momma pulled out his soother to get him to kick up his foot for the photo so... Continue reading

I knit up a few hats for gifting over the holidays. Two of my beautiful nieces were happy recipients of these slouchy hats. Chels is sporting the Rikke hat using Sirdar's Snuggly Baby Crofter yarn (color Hazel 177). From the back view you can see how this yarn works up in an informal self-striping pattern. Pretty hat for a pretty lady! Cait is wearing the Bulky Hat which I knit up in Schachnmayr's Bravo Big Colors (Ocean Mix color 00087). If you are looking for a wool-free Super Bulky yarn, this is a great one. I love the feel of... Continue reading

T'was the night after Christmas and baby lay sleeping with his new Christmas stocking cap with pom-pom streaming! A special hand-knit gift for this new little bug --so perfect for photos on the soft sheepskin rug. Then up went the eyelids with little brown lashes and off went the cameras (without any flashes) For there's nothing more special than a look from this boy -- he's a wonderful gift that has brought us such joy! We'll leave him now to a long winter's nap but there's lots more new knits so you know we'll be back! Continue reading

Weighing in at 7 lbs 8 oz (just in time for Christmas) my great-nephew, "Finn", is a perfect little bundle of joy! I don't think there's a more satisfying moment for a knitter than seeing your knit worn by the recipient and when the recipient is your newly born great-nephew it is even sweeter. He's already gaining weight at a steady pace so he won't fit this football cocoon for much longer, but these photos his uncle took yesterday will last a lifetime. So worth the time spent knitting it. Continue reading

With his due date a week away I'm jumping every time the phone rings now wondering if this will be the call to say my great-nephew has arrived. Meanwhile, I'm plugging away on the second-quarter knits (size 6 months). This little pair of overalls turned out even cuter than I'd hoped. The yarn is Patons, Grace, 100% mercerized cotton in a robin's egg blue (color 62140). The pattern is from the Sugarmice Trilogy. I used some scrap brown cotton for the accent. And added dark brown buttons. I paired it with this adorable little onsie from Janie and Jack. I'm... Continue reading

I've been knitting lots of hats for my "soon to be born" great nephew. They are a wonderful stash buster and one of those baby knits you know will get lots of wear. First in my starting line-up: "A star is born" pixie hat. This is a free pattern I found at Pixie love here and I used the Webs' Christmas star as an appliqué, pattern found here. Every December baby needs a Christmas nightcap in candy cane stripes don't you think? I used this pattern. And since we call the baby "little cub" at the moment... A baby bear... Continue reading

More knitting for the upcoming great-nephew. I thought this hat would be perfect for watching football games with his mommy and daddy. The pattern is from Itty-Bitty Hats: cute and cuddly caps to knit for babies and toddlers . I knit it up in a soft blue Filati Carezza cotton which has (I think) been discontinued. And used some brown of the same for the football and the crocheted edging. Bit by bit my stash is getting knit down this year. I've been pairing my hats with store-bought onsies. Think we have a touch down here! Continue reading

This is the 50's lounge jacket pattern from Sublime, knit up in Rowan's 4-ply cotton (gray). I added this iron-on puppy dog appliqué I found at Joanne Fabrics along with some complimentary bones sticking up out of the pocket. It's just so dog gone cute, is it not? Baby knits for my upcoming great-nephew are finally starting to pile up and not a moment too soon since his anticipated arrival is just about a month and a half away. I'd better get back to it! Continue reading

I'm a little late to the party as Sirdar's Snuggly Crofter Baby Fair Isle Effect DK has been available for awhile now, but yesterday we met for the first time over at Atelier Yarn store. One of the challenges as a wool free knitter is finding self-patterning yarns and so I was super open to Crofter the moment I was introduced to it. I snatched up a ball of Scottie 152 blue and pattern Book 377 (Code C) and quick as a wink I knit up the Slouchy Pull On Hat just to see it all come together for myself.... Continue reading

It was a real honor to have been interviewed by Knit Today UK for an article, "I'm Allergic to Wool" in their August 2015 edition. Thanks to journalist Kirstie Sleight for giving wool-free knitters a nod! I honestly never expected to get a center page spread in mid-life featuring my knitting. Life is just full of surprises! Continue reading