Junebaby is 5!

I can't believe my Junebaby is 5. Happy Birthday sweetheart! Where in the heck does the time go? I whipped up this little sundress for her last weekend just in time for her party. I completely underestimated the lengths those little legs have grown to so shorts are a must underneath. I can't say enough for this fabric, it's absolute heaven. The weight is just perfect for summery things and the print is adorable to boot. It was super simple to sew, basically just a tube with the smocking at the top. Which, I have to say was a blast to do. It was so neat to see it start scrunching up after a few rows. When it was done I wetted the top down and used a steam iron to get it to "smock" even more. It's so deliciously soft, I really want one in my size. I used every inch of the half yard that I purchased, not a single scrap remained. And B loves it, so mission accomplished!

And no, I haven't started cutting for the color wheel quilt yet. Baby sewing, knitting and nesting in general has kind of taken over, so it'll probably be awhile!

Washed and Pressed

Two years ago for Christmas I received the fabric bundle set from Purl to make the gorgeous Color Wheel Quilt from Last-Minutes Patchwork + Quilted Gifts.

Ever since the fabric has sat on my office shelves looking beautiful with me too terrified to touch it. I've gotten a few quilts under my belt in the interim and I think I'm finally about ready to tackle this one. Last weekend I washed and pressed all of the fabric and I'm hoping this weekend I'll be able to make the leap of faith and start cutting. Wish me luck!

Louise Cardigan

Louise Cardigan from Vintage Baby Knits
3-6 months
Louet Gems Fingering Weight in Cherry Red (2 skeins)
Size 3 Needles

I was so anxious for this book release and I have to say it's one of the first knitting books that completely lived up to my expectations. The book itself is gorgeous with beautiful photography and great layout. The patterns are perfect and it was so hard to decide which to knit first. This baby girl in my belly is going to have a full knitted wardrobe by the time I'm through. I ultimately decided to start with a project I already had yarn for. This louet sock yarn was originally going to be a pair of Baudelaire socks but it seemed like a perfect match for this adorable sweater so I made the sacrifice. I've knit with the louet gems one time previously and I can't say that I'm a huge fan. I think it's got a little bit too much twist in it for my liking, it makes the stitches uneven and bumpy looking. Blocking helps quite a bit but I think I prefer a smoother yarn for projects where there's a pretty large section of stockinette where the uneveness is really obvious.

The pattern itself is so incredibly simple and oh my, so fast! I was a little daunted at first by knitting with such fine a yarn and such small needles but it took less than a week for me to finish, it literally flew off my needles. I love the way it's constructed, from the bottom down, in the round. The only seaming was the underarms and sleeve seams. I made some covered buttons with fabric from a vintage apron that I had in my stash and I love the way they look with the sweater. This is by far one of the most satisfying projects that have come off my needles in awhile and I can't wait to knit more from this book. I've got some yarn on the way for another project that I'll hopefully be able to start this week.

Congrats to Kristen on her first book. In my eyes it's a smashing success... I can't remember the last knitting book where I really loved 90% of the patterns. I hope there's more to come from her.

Birthday Beginnings

Beautiful birthday peonies from my beautiful mother who surprised me first thing this morning. A lovely start to this special day. It's a new month, a new age for me and the beginning of a new blog. I'm excited for what this year will bring.