In 2011, Fiona Goble's Knitivity: Create Your Own Christmas Scene hit our book shelves. In it was this little 2-3" baby Jesus. What we so endearing about the baby was that he had a removable diaper and swaddling! With French knots for curls and little stick arms that could fit inside or out of the swaddling, I could not resist knitting him. When my good friend was going through some hard times at work, I said...You need Baby Jesus!!! And we laughed and laughed at the thought, but I did insist that she take him to work. And she did! She tucked him into her bra. While no one at work could see him, she knew he was there and she tells me just having him with her was consoling.
Now this little guy is painstaking to knit (at least for me) because he's knit with fingering yarn on size 2 dpn's and all his appendages need to be sewn including those skinny arms and legs. So, I never volunteer to knit him for anybody. But when my friend Elizabeth told me she was hiking to and climbing Machu Pichu, I said...oh, you need a talisman and I've got just the right one!
So enter baby Jesus #2, pictured above with Machu Pichu in the background!!! This photo is so awesome you might doubt it's authenticity but I swear to you, Elizabeth got this great shot which has not been retouched. She (yes, Elizabeth said baby Jesus is a She!) formed the backdrop for many a picture in hilarious positions (pointing to a Starbucks in Peru) and places (like at a bowling alley in Lima). Stay tuned for additional photos of Travels with Baby Jesus!
We recently moved and to the chagrin of my husband (and movers) I insisted on taking this nasty old potting table with me that is constructed of untreated wood. "Natural" is usually OK with me because I am all about natural fibers, but it was just dreary looking on our new deck. So on the spur of the moment and with an agreement from my sister-in-law to help me, I picked out a Tiffany blue paint. I stood in front of the wall of color paint chips and let me eyes rest where they would. And this is where they rested! It took us one morning to do the primer, and one to smooth on this gorgeous color. I love it! In fact I like it so much that if I ever get over it on my deck, I may bring it into the shop and fill it with yarn! Wouldn't that make for a wonderful backdrop for our bright Summer yarns?
I am forever searching for new and exciting patterns to knit. I spend just about every morning sipping coffee and studying Ravelry, queing any pattern I see that will appeal to our customer base and work with yarn that I carry. I'm pretty sure this Short Sleeve Sweater (free pattern!) fits the bill! It's got a forgiving shape, meaning it will look good on many body types. It's pretty much an 8-row repeat pattern; all but 6 rows are purled. The other 2 rows consist of simple yarn overs followed by the customary decreases. Easy schmeazy!!! It's knit from the bottom up so the side seams need to be sewn but the sleeves are knitted into the garment by casting on additional stitches at the underarm. So there's no fitting sleeves in!
Oh, the choices I had for yarn...too many! I have a strong taste for deep saturated colors this Summer. And when I spotted Gina on the shelf, I couldn't resist. It's a light worsted-weight wool. Wool in the summer, you might ask? Well, I debated alright but it felt fine and it's in these yummy bright colors. I couldn't resist. And I cannot stop knitting it. After 2 nights I'm almost at the armholes for the back. That's some pretty speedy action which goes to show how easy the pattern is. Every color change spurs you on to the next. So, I'll think...I'll go to sleep right after I get to the citron color. Oh but then there's that beautiful lilac. And so it goes.
Since this would be a perfect first sweater for a newbie to knit, we're offering a class in it this month. If interested, just hit the "current newsletter" image and see if the days correspond to your schedule!
In 2011, Fiona Goble's Knitivity: Create Your Own Christmas Scene hit our book shelves. In it was this little 2-3" baby Jesus. What we so endearing about the baby was that he had a removable diaper and swaddling! With French knots for curls and little stick arms that could fit inside or out of the swaddling, I could not resist knitting him. When my good friend was going through some hard times at work, I said...You need Baby Jesus!!! And we laughed and laughed at the thought, but I did insist that she take him to work. And she did! She tucked him into her bra. While no one at work could see him, she knew he was there and she tells me just having him with her was consoling.
