Things I've Been Working On Over My Spring Break

Well, I started, frogged, and restarted the Moderne Baby Blanket (a la Mason-Dixon Knitting), and I'm liking it better this time. I'm using Bazic superwash wool, which is changing the gauge a bit, but so far I don't think it will pose a problem. Pics when I get a little further on it. I frogged the Thermis I made a few weeks ago--didn't love it and wanted the Bazic for the blanket. I'm using citrine (an olive green), ancient mariner (Prussian blue), brown, and natural for the blanket's sections, and I think I will edge it in brown (I tested out several versions using the chart, and one scheme has it edged in natural--that just seems dumb, even if it is washable!)

I went thrifting last week with DD#3 at Savers (see her review here), to look for fabric to use as backing or perhaps or quilting. There I found a bassinet mattress cover in quilted yellow velour, probably never used, as well as a crib sheet and some baby blankets and printed diapers (total cost for six items, 5 dollars). Never saw diapers with a pattern before--they turned out to be perfect, matched to the quilted bassinet cover for super thick burp rags. I know that is not the best name for them, but it's what we've always called them in our family. BFF Monica's little squirt, Nicolas, is the spit-uppiest little baby ever, and he is regularly rejecting more than half of his meals--all over whoever is holding him. Now we all have the extra clean diaper or whatever to protect ourselves with, but this last time, let's just say that once he got my shirt, then he got my pants, and for good measure the third time he got my shirt again. I think these double thick soakers might do the trick. One is edged with blanket binding and the other is just sewn together. I'm hoping to find out how well they work for her so I can make a few more if she needs them. She's doing a lot of laundry at their house!

I've been knitting on this 2x2 ribbed camel hat for some time, originally as a neck warmer and the farther I go the more likely to be a hat instead. This is that one precious skein I bought from Nomad Yarns through freshislefibers, and which is 100% camel, spun by hand in Mongolia as a cottage industry. It's nice thick-n-thin, and there are authentic bits of straw in it, and it is knitting up to be a great, warm hat for someone or other. Like my dice stitch markers? Got them (and a few other sets--no one can stop at just one!) from YarnLust, who makes really cool ones, and who can put various sized loops (small, medium, large) on them for whatever sort of knitting you are doing.

Off camping tomorrow with DH in the new mini-camper (it's all set up for one--him--but on the maiden voyage, I get to go along!) for a few days in the Santa Cruz Mountains. OK, they're hills, but compared to some places, they are mountainous I guess. The camper trumpets itself on the side and back with the label "Zoom," which is hilarious considering the speeds he says he got to on the grades between Santa Rosa and here, which are not serious mountain grades. We'll be yabba-dabba-do-ing to keep it going! If you get that cultural reference, you are not a youngster. ;^)

And yes, I'm taking my knitting along. Duh!

2 comments:

Kathy in San Jose said...

Burp rags - super cute, and you have to love a bargain!

Have fun camping!

Susan said...

Is that the truck you were talking about? Mr. Truck's truck originally had the engine it came with in 1954 and would not go over 45mph and at that speed it was screaming. We stayed on the back roads then. And I must be older than dirt, I totally got the reference.