My continuing adventures in knitting for our local NICU, creating special holiday hats (and more!) for our little Littles in celebration of the major holidays and for their parents to take home as souvenirs.
What have I been up to the last several weeks? Knitting up this adorable Easter dress for Niece Myia.
I really love this pattern: Shades of Summer Dress designed by Elena Nodel, a free download on Ravelry for sizes 3 months to 6 years and worked in sport weight yarn. It's an adorably light little spring or summer dress. However, since we live in southwest Missouri where Mother Nature is Bipolar....we added a little turtle neck top underneath for some warmth on this very cool spring day.
I'm pretty sure Myia likes it too, from this face which tickles me pink (or aqua):
Summery head kerchief, inspired by my friend, Estera, whose hair always looks so pulled together in kerchiefs and scarves without the severity of a pony tail or bun. One size fits school-aged girls, teens, and adult women.
Knitted in butterfly stitch lace, using two colors of Be Sweet Bambino 70% cotton/30% bamboo, hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn. Requires 1 ball “dark peach” and less than half one ball of “lime” color. Techniques used are knit, purl, K2tog, YO, PSSO, slip stitch, K1P1 ribbing on band, and knitted on two straight needles.
Pattern available for $2.95 as a instant download on Ravelry and Etsy.
How cute is this Sweet Pea?! Yup, THAT cute! This is Lauren, sister to Chef Samuel I featured on the food blog for his Taco Dogs lunch at the R Family Cafe. Lauren provided the entertainment that day for her family by showing off her ballet skills. A dancer this cute and talented needs the perfect hand-knitted leg warmers to keep her pink tootsies pink, warm, and cozy, and this was one set I created for her.
Easy care, hard-working ballet pink leg warmers for girls, sized 4-8, knitted in worsted weight Berroco Comfort "Ballet Pink" yarn that can be machine washed and dried. One stretchy size for girls' sized 4-8. Pattern worked from the bottom to top.
Size:
One stretchy size fits most girls sized 4-8
Abbreviations:
BO = bind off
CO = cast on
K = knit
KFB = knit both in the front and back of the stitch to increase.
Materials:
1 skein Berroco Comfort #9710 "Ballet Pink"
Size 8 double pointed needles or needles needed to accomplish gauge
Optional: Size 10 double pointed needles or two sizes larger than needles used to work the piece
Yarn Needle
Optional embellishment: 18" of coordinating 1/4" coordinating fabric ribbon
1 sewing needle
Sewing thread matching the ribbon for bows (sewn to leg warmers)
Gauge:
18 stitches x 24 rows = 4 inches
Pattern notes:
Using the larger set of needles to CO and BO creates stretchier, more comfortable openings for the leg warmers.
Directions:
With larger needles, CO 28 stitches. Place marker between last stitch of first row and first stitch of second row. Join to knit in the round.
Change to smaller needles.
Row A: *K1, P1*. Repeat from * to * around row.
Repeat row 1 until piece measures 2 inches from CO edge.
Change to stockinette (knitting every stitch) and knit until total length is 4 inches.
Increase:
Row 1: KFB, K13, KFB, K13 (30) stitches .
Rows 2-6: Knit all stitches
Row 7: KFB, K14, KFB, K14 (32) stitches
Rows 8-12: Knit all stitches
Row 13: KFB, K15, KFB, K15 (34) stitches
Knit all stitches until length measures 9 inches.
Row A: *K1, P1*. Repeat from * to * around row.
Repeat row A until piece measures11 inches from CO edge. (Two inches of ribbing.)
BO in stitch (knitting the "v"'s and purling the "bars" as you BO). Cut tail. With yarn needle, draw tail through last stitch. Secure tightly and weave in all loose ends.
To accent. Tie two equal sized bows (double knotted). Sew one to top of each leg warmer as shown in photo above.
Got this note and photo on Facebook from a friend recently:
Glenna, thank you SO much for the wonderful gift! Jack wore it all night. Who wouldn't love a boob hat?!? You're the best!!! :) --Ryan
Thanks for the note, Ryan! And below is the pic that started it all. Ryan, along with several others with the same fun, twisted sense of humor I have, posted this hat to my Facebook page saying "Please, please, please make these for the NICU!" LOL! I haven't gotten that brave yet but I have created a pattern and knitted a couple for friends, including Jack and his Dad.
Thanks for the photo, Ryan. I just LOVE it--it's way too fun!
Since the last pair of house slippers I knitted for myself (about 2 years ago) now look like this:
I think I deserve some new slippers. This time, instead of getting the ultimately warm but a little clunky and sometimes too hot Aunt Maggie's slippers, not that there's anything wrong with them, I simply chose to knit something a little lighter, a little prettier, a little more dainty.
This sweet ballet slipper is from Red Heart, although I knitted it in Michael's worsted weight Loops & Threads "Ruby". Don't tell. I also skipped the roses for me and added a simple pre-made satin ribbon bow but as a gift I would have knitted the pretty roses and leaf.
They're beautiful on the beautiful, thin, rested feet of the model so I included this photo from the web site. I can say that they feel sweet, tender, and heavenly only my tired, swollen, post 12 hour nightshift footies above. The only reservation I have about reccommending this pattern is that because my feet, like the rest of my body are adorably chubby, I had a little problem keeping the heels of the slippers on until I tied a satin ribbon (simple double knot) onto each side of each slipper so I could tie a bow to make them into Mary Janes. I don't even have to retie them every time, I just slip my feet out of them and back into them with the ribbons still tied. Problem solved. Eventually I may adapt the pattern but for now, the ribbons work well.
After we ran the previous photos of Corbin still in the NICU modeling his hats, Mom Sarah took a new photo showing Corbin. This is him "attempting" to wear his reindeer hat eight months after his discharge from the NICU.
Look at those bubbly blue eyes and cute chubby cheeks--so darn cute! He's the reason we all do what we do.
Thank you, Sarah, for letting us post this pic for everyone.
