Oh, baby!

Knitting continues to happen all around Dunwoody. From the Atlanta Knitting Guild that meets monthly at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church on North Peachtree and my favorite knitting circle at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church to knit-ins at Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, a sometimes surprising (to others) cross-section of knitters gathers to enjoy their craft. Some of my favorite knits come from twenty-somethings who consider knitting part and parcel of the whole self reliance/sustainable movement. (One posted on her blog that she refuses to wear anything she hasn't sewn or knitted herself. Her clothing creations are unbelievably beautiful and detailed ... fashionistas would be very, very envious.)

I've been knitting for babies lately ... organic cotton frocks, richly hued hats and sweaters in all-season cotton, soft blankets, and felted jester boots. It's fun to play with color and texture in creating these gifts and custom orders. I prefer natural fibers for most of my knitting, though sometimes I have to compromise with cotton. By itself, cotton has a tendency to stretch and sag; with a little manmade fiber or wool twisted into the yarn, it can stand up to wear and tear. I've found some amazing organic cotton yarns that hold their own, so I'm busily acquiring hanks of the yarn whenever I find them.

Felted jester booties for a toddler ... when I knit these with wool yarn, they're twice as large as they are when they come out of the hot water felting bath.

Organic cotton ... I love this pattern so much I'm making several more in various combinations of natural beige, cream, and tan

Those little leaves at the waist continue around the back.

A round blanket to wrap around a darling baby. Soft cotton yarn will be easy to wash.

I love Elizabeth Zimmerman's magical Baby Surprise Jacket pattern. I'm pleasantly surprised every time I knit one and love how it fits on babies and toddlers.

I'd still like to knit a custom lace shawl for a follower ... it may take awhile, but when that 100th follower signs up, I'll choose a winner at random, let them choose a color, and knit like crazy to create a lovely shawl.

Dunwoody knitting continues ...

The fruits of knitting labor

Few things in life feel better than the afterglow of hard work. Maybe the physical labor is thanks to a hobby or volunteer project. Maybe it's a matter of paying the bills. In any case, a long shower, good meal, and deep sleep are never better than when you're deeply exhausted, the job is done, and there's nothing to do for the next few hours - or days.

My kicking back from community special eventing has involved much knitting. I cast on and finished the Bold and Bulky Mini-Cardi from Fitted Knits, finished my Baby Surprise Jacket and Boxed handbag (a new custom design I'll share soon), and gathered materials for a bpt for my daughter. I'm on a roll - several things are in the queue and I'm thinking Christmas gifts at this stage.

Details:
Baby Surprise Sweater: Araucania Multi with size 4 needles
Bold and Bulky Mini-Cardi: 3 skeins charcoal and 2 skeins black Lion Wool Ease Thick & Quick
bpt: 10 skeins Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in a light pink