Lots of Christmas knitting to get done. I'm last minute as usual and am trying out Lion Brand's Fair Isle Snowflake Ornament. I'm using some old Red Heart yarn I've had lying around the house that was meant for an afghan started in 2001 that will most likely never get finished.

I've completed one ornament and have one on the needles.

It's different and it's fun to knit. Try it out!

Looks like something right out of Crate and Barrel:


and one on the needles:


ornament takes a 5-inch styrofoam ball:

Labels: holiday knitting, ornaments

I had laparoscopic surgery on August 4th and have been trying to get some much-needed knitting finished and/or started while on my short-term leave!

I return to work on Monday so I will soon no longer have a lot of time to devote to my knitting; however, I feel I've accomplished quite a bit.

I've finished my tube socks (done in Patons Stretch Socks "Taffy"):







(and have one on the needles for gifts):



Today, beautiful Cascade 220 superwash yarn came in the mail (love when that happens :)) for C's 'back to school sweater.' I'm naming the sweater that to get myself motivated.

It's from the book Kids' Knitted Sweaters & More: "Northern Lights Sweater." Instead of the navy, I'm using Shire (green); instead of the red, I'm using Pumpkin Spice (brownish orange); in place of the lime green stripe, I'm using Tangerine; and in place of the orange stripe, I'm using Ruby. I'm hoping with C's coloring it turns out really nice.





Here's to continued productivity!

Labels: children's knits, holiday knitting, socks

In-between knitting B's sweater (I need to purchase sizes 6 & 8 16" needles before I can begin) and C in her new dress/jumper:

A picture of her jumper (before I've woven a ribbon in the bottom of it):




B will not have his sweater before I take the Christmas picture and may not have it in time for Christmas at all--busy times . . . -- but he'll have it soon enough to wear this winter.

I've started socks for myself with Online sock yarn--the colors are very different but I like them for some funky weekend socks:




I also purchased a Canon Powershot SD1000 Digital Elph camera--hoping these and following blog pics are somewhat improved!

Labels: children's knits, Festive Occasion Jumper, holiday knitting, life in the BerryKnitty household, socks

The back and front are knitted up to C's Christmas dress. The bottom picot hem is done and the edging along the armholes and neck is also done. I have to get a 7/8" ribbon to weave through the bottom yarn-over holes and I also need to tie in some loose yarn ends. Oh, and there's the minor detail that I did the edging to the neck and armholes in a simple chain crochet instead of the picot crochet that the pattern calls for. Not realizing how 'unforgiving' the chain stitch is, the neck and armholes are super-tight . . . so I have the neck hole of the dress stretched over my video camera bag (with the video camera in it) - about the size of C's head. I'm going to leave it stretched this way for another 24 hrs. at least, hoping this helps. Otherwise, I'll have to pull out this edging and try something else. Not being a crocheter at all, I can't figure out the picot thing to save my life. I think it's really simple looking in the "Crocheting for Dummies" book, but to do it for an edging has me confused and the pattern doesn't help hence the reason I consulted the "Dummies" book in the first place. Being in a rush doesn't help either.

C's walking across her dress last night while I'm trying to take a picture of it (this is before hemming and armhole and neck edging done):

my camera takes horrible-quality indoor shots--and sometimes outdoor ones too. I apologize for this. Hoping to get a better camera within the next year.


Yesterday, B's yarn came in the mail from the wonderful Showers of Flowers Yarn Shop. I ordered five hanks or approximately 1200 yards. I only need 600-something yards to finish his sweater so I have two hanks too many. In my haste (and the fact that I think B's pattern is an Australian one), I saw that for his size 4 sweater I'd need 5 balls so I ordered 5 hanks. Later I thought--no wonder the price was so out of whack! But it was too late. BUT, the yarn won't go to waste. It's the beautious S.R. Kertzer Butterfly Super 10 mercerized cotton. I'm familiar with this yarn as I used it before on B's "precious jewel cardi" back when he was only about six months old--awwwwww!!!!

B's Christmas-sweater yarn in the color "Persian." I love this color! I was going to get it in "Crimson" but I'm so glad I decided on the Persian color--lovely.


In other "progress," we got a Schwinn recumbent bike! I am in love with this bike. We had a 30+ yr.-old upright that we borrowed from my parent's that had a huge, uncomfortable seat--we finally burned a hole in the front tire from overuse (between the two of us we put about 1,400 miles on the thing!). We got over a year's worth of use out of it, but the poor thing definitely needed to be put out to pasture so to speak.

new bike!!!!


I'm still getting used to the recumbent position vs. the upright, but I really love this bike--it counts calories, records your heart rate, etc. It plugs into the wall, so no need for batteries, has a space for your water bottle and even something to read! AND . . . it's QUIET.

**next post** C in her dress in (hopefully) some natural light (scarce as it is this time of year) and some progress on B's sweater.

stay warm.

Labels: children's knits, holiday knitting, life in the BerryKnitty household, twisted cables pullover

I've always had the intent to update this blog at least once a week and it's not like I don't have knitting content every week to write about. It's finding time to get on the computer and take pictures of my knitting, etc. that's the difficult part. With a 3-yr-old and a 9 mo. old and working full-time, five days--it's nearly impossible. Why right at this minute I fear I'm neglecting something.

I read this blog called the blue blog. I love reading it, actually. The woman has twin boys and a baby girl on the way AND she's ALWAYS crafting something and her 'somethings' are not just average, they're incredibly good. Amazingly good. WHEN DOES SHE FIND THE TIME?? I'll be so curious to see once her baby arrives if she's blogging as often as she is now. I honestly HOPE so (I love reading her), but I'll be mystified as to how. Am I a bit envious? Definitely.

I've put down the owl vest for about a month now, but here is the finished front (the back may never get done, we'll see):



I'm now back to my sock addiction, I'm working on a pair with Regia in a nice jacquard with purples and blues. This was supposed to be for my sister Christmas '05--she may get these for her birthday in February '07:


The stockings look wonderful hanging with care on the bannister (with hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be here!).

here I am in the same spot a year ago preggers with my daughter:


Hope everyone's holidays are wonderful! Peace and joy to everyone--I hope I am able to update before Christmas, but I can't promise!

Labels: Animal vests, holiday knitting

I finished this Tuesday night!


It's all ready now for my daughter for her first Christmas.

I've now begun my son's bear vest and it's coming along on the needles:

Labels: holiday knitting

I knit all summer long, but when Fall comes around I really get the knitting bug. I devour knitting catalogs and books, want to go yarn shopping all the time, dream of wearing a newly knitted sweater that I made--hunting for the perfect pattern--fair isle? plain? I want to knit everyone socks and knit for the kids. NOW!

I pick my knitting up much more often when those cool nights arrive.

Here is the progress on the Christmas stocking:

Labels: holiday knitting

I am currently almost halfway done with my daughter's Christmas stocking:

I really like the purple shades. Purple isn't my favorite color, but it's up there as one of my favs. You'd never know it from all the purple stuff I'm knitting my daughter.

Here she is in the hooded sweater I knitted her this Spring:


Today, I got yarn from Patternworks, Plymouth Encore in Cocoa:

to make my son this:

Labels: Animal vests, children's knits, holiday knitting

I've started my daughter's Christmas stocking and am now working the fair-isle snowflake part. This stocking works up just like a top-down sock on a much larger scale--I love making socks so this is a lot of fun.



I tried starting my son's animal vest but the pattern copy I had was missing part of the bear vest section (the animal I chose to make him) and the gauge section. Shame on me for trying to use a copy anyway so I searched the internet for the actual pattern leaflet. Surprisingly, I found it on Vintage Knits. I ordered the leaflet a week ago and there is still no sign of it--paid by PayPal too so it better show up soon. . .

Labels: holiday knitting

I got a shipment this week from Herrschners. I find them to be perfect for this sort of yarn purchase since they offer me free shipping every once in a while.

I decided on purple for her stocking because it's a Christmas color (sort of) and girl-ish. I got purple and lavender.



I think I'm going to make the main stocking purple (darker color) and the toe and heel lavender (lighter color). The snowflake (fair-isle) in the pattern will be in Aran--which I have extra leftover from mine, my husband's, and my son's stockings.

I swore I wouldn't start this until after I finish that darn blanket and I'm going to stick to that!

This isn't knitting-related but I'd share a picture of a Pink Lady Slipper that is growing in the park where I take my walks. It's beautiful.

Labels: holiday knitting

I finished the final sock to go to my mother-in-law last night. Phew. Here is the pair (the sock on the right was the one just finished) ready to be packaged up and given to her tomorrow:

Labels: holiday knitting, socks

Last night, I finished the first sock of a second pair that I'm working on for Christmas gifts.

Labels: holiday knitting, socks

I've gotten to the point of turning the heel on the first sock of the second pair I'm making for gifts. I love this yarn, it's Online Supersocke 100 #734. I got it at a local craft store and it's a really soft, beautiful yarn.

Sock so far:


Picture isn't so great but it was the only flash setting that showed the colors the truest.

I'm now off to put a bag of yarn together that I've decided to donate to a shelter for homeless pregnant women that was more than willing to take it since they offer the women knitting classes. I have such a surplus of yarn, it's nuts. A lot of it was given to me but there's also plenty that I've bought and just will never get to use. I think at this particular time of year I feel the need to give and I think this is just the beginning -- I have to realize that I have so much to be thankful for & to stop taking little things for granted.

Labels: charitable giving, holiday knitting, socks

I finished the other sock last night! Yeah!



I found these cute 'take out' containers at my local craft store and thought they'd be great to put the socks in to give as gifts with some tissue paper:



I want to make three more pair of socks for Christmas gifts. Not happening. I'll likely finish one more pair and the other two recipients will receive IOU's!

Labels: holiday knitting, socks

I finished one sock of the pair. I've already started the other one, but would like to make three more pair by Christmas {I have Regia and Supersocke 100 sock yarns also}--I better get busy! I was happy with myself for figuring out the kitchener (grafting) stitch at the end--it really wasn't that bad.

Labels: holiday knitting, socks

I'm finishing up the foot gusset and now working on the foot. Soon I'll be working on the toe and finishing it up. Then on to the second one.

Labels: holiday knitting, socks

I finally finished this last night. I got the buttons yesterday too at Windsor Button--to me, they have the BEST buttons. I decided from the beginning that I wanted to do a sports theme for the buttons, so I got a basketball, baseball, glove, and football.

The pattern info is in my last posting and I used Tahki Cotton Classic in color #3214 (acorn). I think I used close to four hanks.




I also started a sock! My first--but I can't really say that because I've made Christmas stockings and these are just a smaller version, right?

I'm using Lion Brand's Magic Stripe in Jelly Bean. I love the self-striping yarn:

Labels: children's knits, holiday knitting, socks