I've been telling you for quite a while that I've been doing a lot of knitting lately.... but hadn't had much to show for all that talk. Here's something.
Heartbreakingly Cute One Piece Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting.
The more I knit the more heartbreakingly cute it was. And the more in love I fell with the yarn. I used Mission Falls 1824 wool. 100% superwash merino. Soft as a baby. Sweet. Delicious. I hope it doesn't pill too badly with all this softness. It was gifted at a baby shower yesterday evening that I couldn't attend because I was teaching a class at Michaels so I can easily fantasize about the chorus of oohs and aahs that must have been when the package was opened. But then again, maybe it was like a kid opening (store bought!) socks at Christmas and they just tossed the thing into the pile of other gifts without the proper pomp and circumstance that a knitter thinks her hand knits deserve. The whole thing probably plays out in my mind WAY better than reality. It's best that I wasn't there. ha I also get to avoid the potential mental games I play with myself if there happens to be another (rare) hand made gift... me thinking "is their hand made gift better than the knit/sewn/whatever thing that I gifted?" Am I the only one that has these terrible thoughts? Do I only make a hand made gift for the applause?? No. That can't really be it. I show it to YOU GUYS for the applause! hehe Thank goodness for the blog. We all know how much people generally don't care if you knit them something. But maybe this girl will. I don't know her well enough to know. The yarn and knitting happiness was enough for me.
Okay, enough of this conversation with myself. Here are the pictures.
This took exactly three skeins of MF 1824 wool. Like, exactly. Including the i-cord ties. That means it was right at 255 yards of aran weight wool on US6 circular needles. The pattern was a BREEZE.
As awkwardly thick as the i-cord tie looks at the side, the yarn is so sweetly smooshy and soft that you instantly forget it ever looked awkward because it's so easy to tie. I have to confess that I've seen these on other baby knits and thought "I'll never make an i-cord tie like that for anything I make." GULP. I had to eat those words. This is so perfect I couldn't find ANYTHING else that worked as well or felt and looked as sweet.
Another confession is this: the yarn. Where would I buy this? I haven't got the slightest idea. It's not available around here. During the time when I was requesting seaming yarn for the afghan project I got a TO-DIE-FOR box of yarn from Margaret in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Margaret, when I die I would like to be buried in your yarn stash. Can we work that out? Margaret sent this box of yarn that was, first of all, a BIG BOX. The box was half filled with partial balls of every color of Cascade 220 ever made. I swear it. Heathers and regular solids. Oh this stuff is PRETTY. The other half of the box was filled with 20 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 Wool in the light taupe/tan color you see above and a sagey green color - 10 skeins each color. Mmm. Yarn love at its finest. But on top of all THAT... Margaret sent yarn presents for ME. And some awesome hand lotion. Why? I haven't got the slightest idea why Margaret in Canada was so generous with this yarn. And gifts for me. But I'm so glad she was. I've been absolutely FILLED with guilt about this box of stuff because I have hoarded the box during the seaming and everything, hoping to have a special Greensburg-related project to use the Cascade for. So I could knit with it of course. And the 1824 Wool? Umm... I avoided touching it for quite a while because I've been coveting it ever since seeing it on the original DeStash blog when people would list that they had some to sell. Then this baby shower came up. I somehow overcame whatever was holding me back and grabbed a ball of this yarn out of the box. Yarn Heaven. Knitting Heaven. I couldn't stop myself. Then, as I was looking at these pictures and making this post I remembered the sweet letter that Margaret wrote. And remembered that... uhh... I now have 2 skeins of Koigu Kersti and 2 skeins of Hand Maiden Cashmere Laceweight yarn (colorway Vintage!) in my stash from this lady. I really think she's gonna be okay with knowing that I used 3 skeins of the 1824 Wool to make a baby gift for someone at church. I really think so. Whew. Good Bye Guilt.
And the Cascade 220? I've found a use for it too. The "Special Needs" afghan square packet of mitred squares now has a home. Right here at home. As soon as I posted that it was available I pulled several colors of Cascade from the box o' yummy stuff and started making mitres. I have four finished and only need three more to seam the afghan. And I'll be adding a knit border to the blanket as well. I've gotten kind of attached* to this little set of squares and will enjoy seeing it come together.
* Attached: I've bonded with a few other packets as well and can't seem to let them go. Like the small afghan I've already finished (no pictures of it yet). It included the pretty squares from the person in Finland and also some squares that I've made. For some reason I really wanted to put that one together myself.
SO.... everybody have a great weekend. Safe. Cool. Enjoy your football - I know we will. We have the cutest little Oklahoma Sooner fans ever and I've been trying to catch video and pictures of them singing Boomer Sooner and cheering for their team. It's so adorable.
Have a wonderful weekend and take care of every little thing - OH! My GRANDMOTHER is coming from Michigan to visit so I probably won't be posting again until after she's gone next week!
XOXOXOXOX
