One Special Order finished.-----

 Several weeks ago, I did a post highlighting some of my knits and explaining why I knit. A blog reader saw it and contacted me ordering three hats. One for herself and one for her two daughters. She wanted the same pattern for all three, but a different color for the smallest one.

 This week, I finished the smallest hat. The pattern is called Petal Tam. You can see why from this picture. It is knit with sock yarn and on size 2 needles. Since she wanted all three to be the same, and I did not have a small pattern, I went down to size 1 needles and followed the pattern as it was written. (Mostly).

I used one of my favorite yarns. It knits so smoothly. Every stitch is always even and I never have tension problems. It is Malabrigo. It comes in all weights, sock, DK and worsted. I usually use sock as I really prefer to knit with fine yarn and small needles. It is also 100% Merino, machine washable, lay flat to dry.
The darling model is my little seven year old neighbor. I have known her since she was about 9 months old. Of course, she has in and out privileges at my house :)
So, now onto the next two hats. Hoping to have them finished within the next month. I am being generous with my time so I don't have to push myself.
So, how about you? What is on your needles?

Been knitting, knitting, knitting.

Usually I post all of my knit projects on my other blog.  However, I have been working on some headbands that have turned out so cute I will just have to share them here. Also, these are not for sale. I have one completely finished and two knit, but not put together totally.  They all three have crocheted flowers and leaves that go on them.  I just finished the flowers and leaves for the two unfinished headbands.  I need to sew them on and weave in loose threads.  I am sure they will be finished in the next day or two.  I will post pictures then.
I am trying to ramp up my sewing also.  I have a very cute teddy bear downstairs in my sewing room.  All I need to do is finish the stuffing and sew his appendages onto his body.  My original thought was that it would be a Christmas gift for our "Bonus" grandson, but as I worked on it, I decided it was not a baby teddy bear.  It is not soft and squishy enough.  More of a big kid bear that sets on top of a bed or bookshelf and looks cute.  I also bought said "Bonus" grandson a squishy teddy bear this weekend and he does not like it.  He chewed on it for a couple of hours right after I bought it but totally rejects it now.
I also noticed that I have reached the magic 100 followers.  I wonder how many really do take the time to read my blog on a regular basis though.  I have been planning a give away when I reached said number.  However, with the approaching Holidays, I am going to postpone my give away until after the first of the year, so stay tuned.  It will be fun to see who enters.

A new blog

Knitting for Tanzania.
I will be highlighting my knits on this blog.  I hope to have a button for it soon and will be most grateful for those of you who will be willing to post it on your blog.

I knit this little dress this summer.

I absolutely love it.  It cost me close to $24.00 for the yarn.  I had enough yarn left over that I thought I could get another hank and knit some tights to go with it.
I do not have a tight pattern that I wanted to use so I started improvising.  I work on the tights intermittently, between other projects.

So.................I picked them up tonight to work on them.  This is what I found!!!  Some little person, (I am thinking my darling #1419 otherwise unnamed to protect him if he is innocent.  He is three years old though.) took a pair of scissors and cut the yarn.  Not only on the outside of the $12.00 skein, but he put them inside the middle and snipped too!!
I am hoping there is enough yarn that I can finish the project without having to continuously stop and work in loose ends.
I am hearing some of you saying I should not have left it down.  But.......when you are knitting, you want it to be available when you have a moment or two to sit down and knit.  Could have even put the scissors up, but again, they were in my knitting basket.  Available when I am knitting so I do not have to get up and go search.
Guess I just need to be a little more strict when they play in the area that I keep my basket.  Which, by the way is in the corner between my two couches, not right out in the open.  Maybe it should be out in the open, seems it a little to easy to crouch down and snip, snip, snip.

Some more finished projects

This cute little hat is 100% wool and will fit an infant to small toddler.
An infant size hat made from left over wool.
This hat and scarf is a wool blend. I started it to give to Olivia for her birthday, but her head is so big she cannot wear the hat. I need to cast on adult size for her. One thing our family has is big heads:)
This is the back view of a 3 month size coverall. 100% wool.
Front view of the coveralls. I really like these little pants. Especially for winter time. They are made very roomy and will accommodate a cloth diaper.

Now I need to cast something on again. Am vacillating between a skirt or just a pair of longies.

Have been in kind of a knitting slump lately

But I thought I would share some really cute pants I made. I actually made these before I went to Washington DC. I have made a second pair, but do not have the buttons on them yet, so I have not taken a picture yet. Above is the back view.
This is the front view. They are a newborn size. Let me know if you are interested in them. Remember all proceeds go to building the Church in Dar es Salaam

I really have not managed

to get quite as much knitting done this month as I usually do. Might be the weather or maybe the other projects we have had going on. Never the less, all I have to show you are these two pieces.

I really love this little skirt. If you look closely at the first picture, you can get a glimpse of the white panties under it

I made these pants because I do not have much that is specifically boy. I was hoping to have enough yarn left to make a hat also, but once I got the little tie done for the waistband, there was nothing left.

I am also working on a project for a friend who wants 20 Waldo hats for her Halloween party. I am working on the eighth. Hope I manage to finish them in time:)

This weeks knits.

I absolutely love these little longies. They are made from some yarn that Debby sent me. Knit Picks yarn. I had never used it before. It knit up fairly even. The green is some stash that I have had and used on other projects. I am thinking I have enough of the fuchsia to crochet a little flower to put on the side of the hat.These longies are proving to be pretty popular. I get the yarn at my local yarn shop. It comes in huge hanks. When it is wound into a ball there is as much yarn as two smaller hanks of yarn.

I am able to get a pair of large longies and shorts or medium and small longies from the yarn.
You know, sometimes you need a set of needles and just can't find what you are looking for.

One of my friends wants me to knit a hat she saw on another blog. In looking at it, I saw it was knit on needles that were much larger than any I had, so I took a little trip down to Michaels. They did not have the size I wanted, and what they did have started at $12.95 a set. Thinking if I found the size I needed, and based on the price of the smaller ones, I probably would not be able to afford them. So, I went over to the craft side and purchased a package of pre cut dowels for $2.16 including the tax. Gina took them home with her since she had access to a pencil sharpener that would sharpen the ends. Today, I sanded them down a mite and dulled the tips just a little so they will not split the yarn, and walla!! New needles in just the size I needed!!!

Getting much closer to beginning that project Karin:)

Knitting

A little of what I have been working on in the past couple of weeks. In an earlier post I said I had found an amazing designer on Ravelry. I have since purchased three of her patterns. The long pants here are all made from her pattern. She has also graciously given me permission to sell my knits, using her design for my Church Project. I am furiously knitting, trying to stock pile so that I will have them for the Christmas Bazaar season. All are made from 100% wool. Some machine washable and some not. All are hand washable. I made the hat and pants above, with the idea of them being purchased as a set. I will also be willing to sell them separately.
This little skirt and soaker is made from the same designer. I love the knit lace finish to the bottom of the skirt.

What I love especially about her long pant pattern is the gusset in the crotch. It works in very nicely and lies a bit flatter than the first pants I made. The two top pair are from a wool I found in my local yarn shop. The bottom brown pair is from yarn donated to me by my friend Debbie.


I absolutely love this skirt. It looks like a little cheer leaders skirt. It did take more yarn than the previous two skirts I have made, so I will be asking a little more for it than the others.

Being made of wool, all of these items can be worn over a cloth diaper without rubber pants. The wool wicks the wet away from the babies body, yet does not get soaking wet on the outside. This is all my mother used when we were babies. They called them soakers at the time.

Once again, remember all of my knit profit goes to help build my friends church in Dar es Salaam.

I am making slow progress, but I am making progress and pray for much more once the bazaar season arrives.

Right now I am asking God to not let my interest wane and to just keep me knitting.

I do love seeing the finished project, for sure.

On my needles right now is a sweater called the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman.

It is quite involved and I will be asking at least $40.00 for it once it is finished. I will post it as soon as I am done.

I spent the bulk of today finishing up some knitting

I had started. This outfit is using a pattern I found on Ravelry for soakers. She also includes
a skirt pattern, but I kind of went off on my own after I got started on it.
I really do not think I would do the picot hem again. I have a hard time keeping the stitches even when I am turning the hem up. I finished this skirt and sold it today. If you are on Ravelry, the pattern I used was Li'l Aries Soaker

by Amy O'Holleran. It was a free download. I will probably use it again, but I also found a pattern that I liked and bought. I bought Sheepy Pants and Sheepy Skirt

by Mandie Harrington, who is also on Ravelry. I decided to buy her pattern because I liked the look of her gusset better than the one by Amy. Believe me, though when I tell you I do appreciate the generosity of the designers who spend their time creating and then share their patterns with those of us who have absolutely no idea how to do it ourselves, or maybe we are just to lazy to put out the effort.

I also finished up this pair of tights. It is also a pattern I found on Ravelry. It is by Machelle Salmeen who has a blog called Chopped Tomatoes These are the second pair I have made. I went up a size in my needles this time, but they are still very small. They would fit a newborn baby. They are made from 100% wool. I am contemplating adding a skirt to them too.These longies are made from Amy O'Holleran's pattern also. I found it on Ravelry too. Again, I had some trouble with the gusset. I still think they turned out pretty cute. I do see one thing I need to fix, nah......I will just make the adjustment next time. Like I said, sometimes I can be a bit lazy.

More knitting

I am selling these little socks for $7.50 a pair. The first pair match a hat and mittens I posted a while back, the middle ones are actually purple and the little red ones have hearts knit into the heel. Remember proceeds over and above the cost of the yarn goes to help build the church for Pastor Mwenebolongo in Tanzania. I am making slow progress, but God has assured me that the church will be built and I am to remain faithful to his promise.

Red socks sold, but will take special orders if any one else is interested.

Last night I

Linked up with Today's Creative Blog to show what I have been working on lately. I was a bit late getting my post up though and I hope I have not missed to many of you who may have come to see. Much of what I am showing here is what I have been working on in the past couple of weeks. A couple of things went to my grandchildren, but the rest to my Charity knitting. Enjoy.My Grandsons Ben ( #5113) and Cooper (#5216) who live in Dillingham Alaska wearing the hats I made them. They are 100% wool and my daughter reports they stay very warm in them.
Matching mittens for Ben, going in the mail today. Cooper already has his.
Just some cute little green acrylic socks. I will sell these as well as the rest of what I am showing you and donate the proceeds to my Charity which is to help build a church for my friends in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
This is an adult sized hat made from Plymouth Yarns Boku and Cascade wool. It works up like Noro.

A Noro, Cascade wool hat.
This hat is from Cascade wool and silk.
Just a cute little hat from my stash. This is a very fast knit. Took about two hours at the most to complete.
Acrylic Penguin hat. Still needs a pom pom on the top. I do not usually add them, but I think this one needs it, as well as eyes on the penguins. (Sold the Penguins today, December 30th. $25.00)
This is the Plymouth Yarn Boku again. It is 95% wool and 5% silk.
Cascade wool and silk. The silk in this hat and the blue one is from the same skein. It comes from Nepal. A woman there figured out how to take scraps of silk from a dress factory and spin it together to make yarn. She now receives proceeds from its sale.

This is an acrylic baby hat and mittens.

My thanks goes to my little model, Olivia. She is always so willing to help me.

I have been knitting.

For the past few days. Getting some hats ready to put into my friends Christmas store. If I sell any, the proceeds will go to my Refugee project. Most are running in the $20.00 range since the yarn costs an average of $10.00 per skein. With the exception of the bottom blue one. That yarn was a bit more costly, thus a little higher price tag for it. All are 100% wool. I plan to make some mittens also. Will probably start them next week. I do have a few other hats made, but my model has not been available for a photo shoot.

If anyone is interested in making a purchase, contact me. I will be happy to work out the arrangements. If you want something different than what I am showing, I will be happy to work that out also.