The last RIBBIT RIBBIT 0f 2011

I'm frogging it. Just 600 stitches and about 10 rows. But that's okay. I can handle it. I've got my Christmas Party exchange bobble head on my side.

What this means is that I have made an error. A few rows back. And to fix it I need to rip out a few rows of 200-600 stitches. Happy New Year to me! I can handle it. AND its good practice and fair game when it comes to knitting. I am trying to play with the bigger dogs now (secret project soon to be revealed) and have to accept the challenges!

Happy New Year everyone! See you on the flip side.

Wham Bam Finished!

You may recall I posted about the Wham Bam Thank You Lamb cowl. Well hurrah hurrah! I am finished. Not just one, not two but three! I knit them as Chrissie prezzies so I had to keep on the down low about them.

They were great to knit up. Just my speed. Literally. You can whip one of those puppies up in no time but they look amazing! Thank you to 1funkyknitwit for bringing it to my attention in the first place. You can find the pattern for free download on Ravelry.

They're a straight garter stitch with an off centered seam to give it a cool angled cuff.

 I also made an amazing green one that I did not photograph, but the yarn on the sticks below is it!

I gave them each a quick hand wash and then blocked. Two were blocked already seamed. A tad tricky but I'd been so excited to seam them I forgot they hadn't been blocked! It still worked out and they all kept their shape. Of course I gave these all away but am planning on knitting one up in the blue for myself soon!

Who's Afraid of Cloth Diapering?

I was at Diaper-Eez recently and they had a draw for the cutest lunch box/cooler bag.
You just had to list the 3 most helpful baby things you wished someone had told you about.
I can't remember what 2 of the 3 were but I know the third was "how easy cloth diapering was".

Because it is.

And its so satisfying to see your green bin container going from overflowing to 1-2 bags in it each week of your food waste.

In addition to it being easy... you can put some very adorable diapers on your baby's bottom!

Poops are a bit gross, but you just deal. And as solids start it gets easier. Throw the flushable liner out and soak the diaper in a bucket of cold water. I've very little stains ever after a proper wash.

I have a wide range of diapers since I tried to buy them online whenever someone had a massive sale.

This first one though I bought at Diaper-Eez. A stack of prefolds and some covers. Look how easy it is... if my hubby can handle it, YOU can handle it.

Pre-Fold Method

cloth and cover

3 fold cloth and insert into cover...

Voila! Diaper ready and its cute as ever.

My mom had made a whole whack of flannel diapers for me. Then you just put a cover (as above) over it.

There's also the All In One (AIO)

I have a few different ones but here's an example.

Bamboo insert that you 3 fold. There's a pocket to tuck it into so its not out like this.

 

Again. Adorable!

And then the 'designer' diapers. I got it on sale! I love it. You never need bloomers I tell ya!

So really, why wouldn't you?

Oh right. Because the poopy ones are gross. I can't deny that. But you learn to deal with it.

Washing cloth diapers has been very easy. Except when our washer broke for a week. But otherwise, just warm water (hot now and then for a good zap) and special non-residue detergent and voila! I wash every 2 days, that's usually when the dry bucket is full. 

I'm just sad its not summer to show off these beauties! But they will fit her for quite a while. Another nice thing about cloth is that there is good weight coverage with just one size.

Oh! And I won the draw!
The pink butterfly cooler bag!

Some Wrapping Going On Here

I'm plowing away at my Christmas knitting. I was really far ahead and then I had a wee set back on a few levels. Too boring to share. But yesterday's stomach flu was one of the ugliest I tell ya.

Moving on... I'm hoping I can do this.
GET'ER DONE!

Without ruining any surprises I'm happy to say I'm learning to Wrap & Turn and its not as scary as I thought it might be! And the most amusing part is marking where they are on my needles so I know where to wrap & turn again. Since I'm lacking stitch markers here's what I'm using...

... and you know what? I'm okay with that!
Maybe Santa will bring me some proper ones, though...

Get Me That Headboard

I was just watching the United States of Tara. Season 3 Finale. Woah, nelly.

Anyway, I mention this because in one of the scenes I noticed her sister Charmaine's headboard and I fell in love and had to share. There must be a way I can make it myself.
I mean come on, its straight stockinette stitch!

Glitter Eyelash Earrings

Again, in my email box today, was a ridiculous offer for a free pattern.

Who comes up with these?

Snug As A Bug

In all of my knitting so far... yes ALL of my 4? projects... I knit something for me!
A new online friend of mine posted it on her blog in her Funky Freebie section. And I had to have it! I even had to have it in ivory as modeled.

I popped over to the local shop here Romni Wools and hit their basement. Its got loads of treasures on sale. I have to say, as a rookie, I probably didn't buy the best wool as it has alpaca hair in it which makes it a bit scratchy but maybe a soak in wool wash will soften it? I'm too scared to though. And as it sits on top of clothes and not directly on my skin really, I should be okay.

It didn't take too long to finish. I knit this back over Thanksgiving and finished it in time for our family photo shoot! But what absolutely confuses me is that it took just a little more than half the yardage the pattern called for. So one of two things happened... I have a much looser gauge than I should have... OR I did my math wrong, but I really don't think that's it. Either way, who cares, really? It turned out perfect for me! I am a petite person so luckily that worked out too!

I won't show you the holes... there's only a couple anyway.
*wink*

This was my first time seaming something together and it took a while to find the right stitch to use and a few starts but once I had it, I rocked it. Just look for yourself!

So a little loose on the gauge and a bit snug on the shoulders but it fits! Yay!

Photo by Tied Photography & Video