Project Specs
Pattern: Pile-able Pups designed by Anna Hrachovec
Pattern Source: Mochimochi Land Shop
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted 50g (105 yards) each Pale Khaki, Dark Earth, and Pink Frost, 24" scrap of Black for face
Needles: Clover DPNs size US 5
Date Started: 5/10/09
Date Finished: 5/17/09
Finished Size: Each dog is 5.5" long x 3.5" tall x 4" wide
See them on Ravelry!

I had the pleasure of test knitting Anna's newest pattern which was just released just yesterday. I think it turned out to be one of her cutest designs yet! The only other pattern of hers I had knit before was Butterfull, but her designs always seem to end up in my queue. Pile-able pups seem like they'd make a great gift for babies or toddlers since they're soft and squishy, just about the perfect size to grip and toss around, plus they're stackable!

The pieces of the pups are easy to knit but make sure you leave yourself time to complete all of the finishing work! Each pup is made up of 8 pieces, the body, two ears, four legs, and a tail so quite a bit of seaming is involved. Usually I'm not a big fan of seaming but I found it to be good practice on honing my finishing skills. I thought it was straight forward as to what should line up and where to place all of the limbs. When seaming the body, I found it easiest to leave a long tail after binding off the final flap, then using that tail to sew the short end of the body closed as well as one of the longer edges. You're left with one long edge open allowing you to embroider the face with ease before you stuff the body. This way you can make sure the ends are really fastened tightly which is something I'm always concerned about, especially if I'm making a toy for a toddler. I also found her seaming tutorial helpful and definitely worth reading especially if you're a beginner.

I made sure to stuff each of the pups really full (it definitely seems better to slightly over-stuff them) to make them super soft and squishy. They really don't have a problem stacking even if they're slightly rounded because the legs keep them sturdy. Yes, I used Malabrigo again but I just couldn't resist working with these colors! I made these with my niece Jojo in mind, wanting to get a head start on my Christmas knitting. Her new bedroom is painted in shades of pink, green, and white so I thought these little guys would go well in there (not that a 2 year old cares about that sort of stuff).

Project Specs
Pattern: Penelope designed by Rebecca Danger
Pattern Source: Danger Crafts
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted held double: 105g Violetas (220 yards), 44g Pale Khaki (92 yards), and 5" scrap of Lettuce for bellybutton
Needles: Denise circular needle size US 9 and same size DPNs
Date Started: 5/3/09
Date Finished: 5/6/09
Finished Size: About 12" tall x 10" wide
Other Supplies: 17 mm safety eyes, 5" x 1" rectangle of white wool blend felt, Aleene's Flexible Stretchable Fabric Glue
See her on Ravelry!

I think I'm kind of addicted to Rebecca's adorable designs! Penelope is one of her newest patterns released, and this little monster is just too adorable to pass up. I really like that there is no gauge requirement for her patterns; you can basically use whatever works for you with what you have on hand. I changed things up a bit from when I knit my Maddox and held the yarn double throughout to create a larger sized creature. She turned out so cuddly and is perfectly sized to sit on a child's bed.

There is a bit more finishing required for this pattern than was needed for Maddox, and I found it difficult to make the bottom seam look nice and neat. However the pattern instructions were very simple and the finished product is adorable. You need to make sure to stuff the body really full and firmly so it will keep its shape. This seemsespecially important if you held the yarn double. Once again I used Malabrigo--a shock I know! It has become my go-to yarn for pretty much everything. Even what I thought was going to be a ho-hum color combination, turned into the perfect mix because of the depth of the Malabrigo colors. I think that it is safe to say that I'm totally addicted to this yarn!

I made Penelope as a going away gift for a friend who is moving to Baltimore. I hope that this little monster makes her smile and keeps her company during her new adventure. She loved it and even named her Penelope without even knowing the name of the pattern! I guess it is a real testament to how fitting the name is for this cute monster. All of Rebecca's designs are so cute and quirky that I think they make good gifts for both children and the young at heart. :) If you haven't seen her newest design, Wasabi the Gregarious Pug definitely check it out! Hopefully someday I'll get around to knitting every one of these cute little guys.

Project Specs
Pattern: Elijah designed by Ysolda Teague
Pattern Source: Ysolda’s Ravelry Store
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Damask Rose 65g (136 yards)
Needles: US 3 Clover DPNs
Date Started: 4/2/09
Date Finished: 4/20/09
Finished Size: 10.5 tall
Modifications: used fake grafting to attach ears, omitted plain knit rows before decreases on arms and legs, changed SSK decreases on face to SYTK decreases
Other Supplies: 9 mm safety eyes
See her on Ravelry!

Meet Ellie! She's a little shy and a bit clumsy, but has a heart as big as, well, an elephant! I'm sending her off with the Spiral Yoke Baby Sweater to my cousins for their other little girl who is 3 years old. I never knew what it was like to have a new baby around the house since I was the youngest, but I can only imagine that it is a pretty hard transition. I didn't want her to feel left out so hopefully Ellie will be able to cheer her up if she starts feeling jealous of her new baby sister.

The Elijah pattern is very simple for how shapely it is; well placed decreases make knitting it a breeze. Each piece is picked up and knit saving you from having to graft everything together at the end. I did opt to knit the ears separately though because at that point the legs and arms were already on and it was pretty heavy and unwieldy. It took me forever to get the right placement of the ears though! If I were to knit this again I would probably pick up the stitches for the ears before attaching the body and limbs. I also took Alice's advice from when she knit TechKnitting's SYTK instead of SSK decreases for the face.

I love using Malabrigo Worsted for toys. It is the ultimate cuddle-friendly yarn and works very nicely at tighter gauges, making it perfect for toys. I also love this Damask Rose color. I used it for half of the Malabrigo March projects I've already uploaded! I can't help but be reminded of the Pink Elephants on Parade scene from Dumbo when looking at Ellie, but I think she is way less scary. :) I hate that I'm so late to post all of these Malabrigo March knits, at least I got this one finished in time! I still have a few more things to post, a Thorpe, Opus Spicatum, and Wavy Feathers Wimple. I've also started on my next Non Malabrigo March Malabrigo project that is a bit of a blast from the past!

Project Specs
Pattern: Spiral Yoke Baby Sweater designed by Meg Swansen
Pattern Source: Handknitting with Meg Swansen (the baby sweater instructions are available in Vogue Knitting, Fall 2003)
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Dark Earth, 122g (256 yards); Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Damask Rose, 15g (32 yards)
Needles: US 8 Denise Circular Needles and Clover DPNs
Date Started: 3/9/09
Date Finished: 4/3/09
Finished Size: 6 to 9 months
See it on Ravelry!

I guess this is my first official knit sweater! I made this little Spiral Yoke pullover for my cousin's new baby girl who was just born at the end of February. I was originally thinking that this would be sized to fit ages 3 to 6 months, but it definitely grew a bit with blocking and is probably better suited for 6 to 9 months now. I don't mind at all because I'm sure her parents received more than enough newborn sized clothes. Also this way it will fit her more than just during the summer months. It is definitely a cozy sweater, perfectly soft and snugly for chilly fall evenings.

I first noticed this sweater when I came across bluegarter's Spiral Yoke on Ravelry. I was totally inspired and immediately bought Handknitting with Meg Swansen. However I soon realized that the baby sized version wasn't included in the book and was a modification published in Vogue Knitting, Fall 2003. I was determined not to let this stop me. I basically used the kid's sized instructions in the book, crosschecking the numbers I came up with using the EPS (Elizabeth's Percentage System) with numbers and measurements I gathered from studying FOs. In the end it worked out better than I had expected and barely had to frog and reknit at all! Usually I like to jump right into a pattern, but this time I did a lot of counting and working with the numbers before starting. In the end It really paid off and I'm glad I ventured outside of my comfort zone.

Despite what my start and finish dates say, this is a really quick knit and pretty simple too! I love how it is worked from the bottom up, leaving the underarms as the only parts that require seaming. I'm certain that I'll knit another one of these sweaters in the future, maybe using a yarn like Noro Silk Garden for the yoke or seeing what the traveling stitch version looks on a baby sized sweater.

Project Specs
Pattern: Fiona's Top designed by Sanne Bjerregaard
Pattern Source: Rasmilla Etsy or Ravelry Shop
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Sock in Violeta Africana, 79g (350 yards); Malabrigo Merino Sock in Boticelli Red, 5g (22 yards)
Needles: 24" Addi circular size US 3 for neck band, 32" Addi circular size US 4 for body
Date Started: 3/21/09
Date Finished: 3/25/09
Finished Size: 11" from neck to hem, to fit 2 year old.
Other Supplies: 2 12mm buttons
Modifications: I was working with the second version of the pattern I was sent (there have been 6 new versions sent since) and could not make sense of the instructions for the front. I just made sure that the front lace repeats matched those on the back, after 3 lace repeats (counting down from neck band) joined the body of the tunic in the round and continued until a total of 11 repeats were knit. Used the jogless garter technique for the bottom edging.
See it on Ravelry!

I'm so proud of myself for actually being able to get a jump on some birthday knits this year! You might remember earlier in March I knit a Maddox for Jojo's birthday, well I also made her this little top which I can't wait to see her wear. Since Jojo's birthday is in the Spring I wanted something she could wear immediately and not have to wait all summer to be able to enjoy her present. It was a bit of a challenge finding something that would work for spring or summer, be knit out of wool (I decided I wanted to use Malabrigo sock before I had picked out the pattern), and not weigh her down or cause her to overheat. I think this little tunic accomplishes just that!

First off I should state that the design is really cute. I love the garter stitch collar and the lace pattern is uncomplicated and creates a sweet and simple top. However the pattern is another story. Quite frankly it's a mess and since I first purchased it on March 19 I've received 6 different updated versions. I had put off buying the pattern for about a month because $9.00 is definitely oh the high end of pattern pricing, but since the pattern had been around for a while and quite a few other people had knit it, I thought it would be a really well done and worth the money. Sadly it just seemed unfinished, so if you decide to knit this pattern be prepared to frog and reknit portions until you figure out something that works.

The pattern is knit from the top down, and everything was going well until I started knitting the front, this is when the pattern stopped making sense and the instructions felt rushed. There were a few conflicting numbers such as where to make the arm holes, the instructions for the back of the pattern say after 4 repeats, and the front says after 3 (I went with 3). At this point I just threw out the instructions and just matched the front pattern repeats to those on the back, making sure the number of plain knit rows between the lace pattern would be consistent and match up once I got past the armholes. I also modified the pattern to be knit in the round after the armholes. I had to place a few decreases under each armhole to get the numbers to match up with the lace pattern but it was simple enough and a major time saver too. After knitting 11 repeats in total, I worked the garter stitch edging used the jogless garter technique I learned from Alice a while back. I should note that I knit this top using the second version of the pattern I received so all of this could be moot. I haven't really looked through the newest version very closely, but it does appear to be clearer and more detailed in places. I plan on knitting another one of these tops for Camdyn sometime this summer with the current version of the pattern, so I'll be sure to update you then.

This was my first time knitting with Malabrigo Sock and I absolutely loved the yarn. Like all of the other Malabrigo yarns, the colors are amazingly vibrant. I was so pleased to find that the purple resisted pooling, since this was a concern of mine before knitting this top. I know my sister will apperciate being able to machine wash it since it is bound to get dirty and spilled on (bascially normal the 2 year old wear and tear). I handwashed the top in warm water and a bit of Soak wool wash to see if the colors would bleed and I was surprised to find no trace of dye left in the water. I did have one problem with this yarn, and that was winding the purple skein into a cake was an absolute nightmare! It almost immediately became a tangled mess on the swift. If my husband didn't volunteer to untangle it for me I would have probably lost my mind! Fortunately the second skein was a breeze to wind, but I've read that this is a common problem with Sock so beware!

I'm sad to see Malabrigo March gone. I didn't get everything I had planned finished but I have quite a few FOs and WIPs laying around here that I need to post so keep an eye out for them! I'll also get a few photos of Jojo modeling her new top once I send it off to her this weekend.