WIP: Lilo's Patterned Cami

This is the cami front I started while watching the Federer-Roddick Wimbledon final. Two more nights of tv knitting, and I finished it. There's no pattern - yet. I'll write it up afterwards. I just followed the shaping of one of Lilo's t-shirts with an inch added to the width, so she can wear it up to next year. I made the neckline a V to follow the pattern that just showed itself on the bottom panel.

Here's the back panel started. I ran out of variegated cotton so I had to return to the mall to buy another ball.

Anchor Lifestyles crochet cotton is pricier than my usual brands, Cannon and Monaco, about P52 (USD 1.07) compared to the usual P35 (USD 0.72). Mind you I'm comparing mall retail prices, since I'm not buying in bulk. Anchor, like Cannon and the local Red Heart, is made by Coats Manila Bay, Inc. "The only ISO 9001 certified thread company in the Philippines." This is the very lovely colorway KAM17 / 210783 / 65-PHHT. It's supposed to be a size 10 thread, but it's just very slightly thinner than Cannon or Monaco. Softer than Cannon, with more sophisticated colors.

I'm using US size 2 (2.75mm) bamboo circular needles, which give me a gauge of 9 stitches by 12 rows. I think my Addi or Inox 2.5mm circular needles would give roughly the same gauge. Again, it's all stockinette and shaping. No fancy stitches. It'll expand sideways to accommodate at least 10 months worth of child growth.

Stay tuned, folks, I might finish it by Wednesday.

Modelling Her Coral Top

I totally forgot that I had taken the following photo. My niece and favorite model was about to be fetched by her other grandma for their date to The Playroom:


This was the first child garment I had ever made successfully, which I blogged about here. I'm so pleased with this photo.

Yellow Halter Modeled!

Little Girl: (Excited) Yaya, what's that?

Yaya: It's for your hair, Isabel has one too. (One of her neighbor playmates.)

Little Girl: Okay. (Fidget. Fidget.)

Incredible Joie: Anak, sit still please. Auntie, I can't believe you made that.

Auntie Gravelcat: Neither can I. It looks better than I thought. Thank God!

Yaya Lea: Andyan na ang marching band! Let's go! Baka antukin itong bata tapos mamaya masungit. (She's beginning to look sleepy, we better go before she gets cranky.)

Incredible Joie: Auntie, bilis, I need my sd card. I need to take pix of the parade.

Auntie Gravelcat: Sure Mommy, I've blogged it na.

Oh my darling girl, you make my finger cramps so worth it. I love you.

Lilo's Yellow Cotton Ribbed Halter

There's nothing like an event deadline to make your fingers fly! I just finished the yellow halter for Lilo's Halloween-Hawaiian costume. I knitted roughly 3,000 stitches spread out over 5 nights and a bit of this lunch break. I checked my knitting log and realized that I had been steadily engaged in this top for an average of 4 hours a night since Saturday. The fingers need a break.

Lilo tried it on today... fortunately for me she refused to remove it for 10 minutes straight. That counts as "she likes it". However the ribbing makes the top too narrow. "Kita dede," as the kid would say. I added a bit of invisible elastic to keep it snug until she grows into the actual circumference of the top.

Because it's a ribbed top it looks funny all scrunched up. It stretches to about 12 inches across. I know the neckline looks a little stiff, next time I'll just knit it an inch lower, straight across and sew two separate i-cords on either end to tie around the neck. I was kind of thinking that this way it would still fit in the next 6 months. It looks better on the kid, but no pix available till Sunday morning. You have to see it with the grass skirt.

I am sharing this free pattern with my friends and readers for their personal, non-commercial use. Please acknowledge me if you're publishing your success with it online. I'd love a photo or two, if you manage to take some. Please read carefully before starting the project, there are portions where I provided alternative instructions to accommodate different preferences. If you can improve on it further, let me know so I can make my niece an even better version (whereupon I credit YOU!).

GIRL'S RIBBED HALTER TOP PATTERN
Copyright 2008 Mona Caccam

Materials:

2 balls Monaco crochet cotton shade BUT25 (butter yellow) -- about 1.5 balls used up
2.75mm/US 2 needles -- used my bamboos, love love love them
2.25mm/US 1 double pointed needles for I-cord
tapestry needle

Finished Size: As close as possible to a Philippine children's size 8 (roughly 3-4 yo child) cotton t-shirt, about 12.5" wide x 10" from shoulder down to hem.

Gauge: 10 stitches by 12 rows per inch

1. Front: Cast on 128 stitches.

2. Row 1 (RS): *Knit 4, purl 4*, repeat * until end.

3. Row 2 (WS): *Purl 4, knit 4*, repeat * until end.

4. Continue knitting K4 x P4 ribbing for 7", ending in WS.

5. Begin armhole shaping: Bind off 10 stitches next row (RS), knit in ribbing until end of row.

* Alternate instructions #5 to #8 (armhole shaping): Instead of the bind off above, at this point it might be easier to decrease 1 stitch at the beginning of every row until you haveknit 2-2.5" or reach the neckline width you prefer (. This will produce a diagonal "armhole" instead of a round one.

6. Bind off 10 stitches next row (WS), knit in ribbing until end of row.

7. Bind off 1 stitch next row (RS), knit in ribbing until end of row. Bind off 1 stitch next row (WS), knit in ribbing until end of row. Bind off 1 stitch (RS), knit until end of row. Bind off 1 stitch (WS) until end of row. (Ribbing should still be in multiples of 4.)

8. Knit in K4 x P4 ribbing, without further shaping, for 2.5" ending in WS.

9. Neckline: Knit in stockinette across for 8 rows, ending in WS.

*Note, instructions #9 to #12: If you find the neckline portion of this halter top a bit stiff, as I did, just knit across. Bind off. Reinforce with single crochet border if preferred. Make 2 separate I-cords 12" long. Sew ends of I-cords to the corners of the neckline.

10. Bind off entire row. Set aside.

11. I-cord: Cast on 3 sts on 1 dpn. Knit across with dpn 2. Slide work to other end of dpn 2, knit with free needle. Continue knitting I-cord for 26". Bind off. Weave in ends.

12. Fold stockinette portion of halter front with I-cord inside, forming a tube. Sew stockinette seam across, as it contains I-cord.

13. Back: Cast on 128 stitches.

14. Knit in P4 x K4 ribbing (reverse of front) unti 7", ending in WS. (Take note, this is to alternate ribbing when front and back are joined.)

15. Bind off entire row.

16. To assemble, align wrong sides together, making sure that a K4 rib connects to a P4 rib at either side of the halter top. Sew or crochet seams together (use your preferred method, I sewed this one because it uses up less thread). Weave in ends as neatly as you can.

Washing instructions: Handwash gently in cold water, with mild bath soap or liquid soap. Rinse well. Do not wring. Roll in towel to remove excess liquid. Let dry flat. You can use a steam iron on the wrong side of the garment, pressing lightly. You want to keep the color and the sheen of the mercerized cotton.

More pictures Sunday morning!

Sneaking In A Few Stitches

Lilo, Incredible Joie's precious little 3yo tyke, is going to the neighborhood Halloween party this Saturday in a Hawaiian dancer getup. The last time she did so, she was way bothered by having her tube top shifting unceremoniously up and down while she did her floor-sweeping "freestyle Hawaiian breakdancing" routine. Which everyone enjoyed amid much hilarity, because she brought the house down and created a fan club among the neighbors. She was also particularly bothered by people commenting that they could see her bellybutton. How refreshing to see a little modesty in today's children (which disappears more quickly than we can register our surprise at how quickly they grow up)! Indeed, tube tops are not meant to be either belts or even miniskirts. Even in toddlers. Martial Arts Daddy isn't mentally prepared to filter her visitors list this early. I decide to help out by knitting a yellow cotton halter top long enough to cover the navel.

I want the item to fit right now, with a little ease built into the K4 x P4 rib for the next 4-6 months (I'll give it 4, unless she shoots up and doesn't grow much sideways). The size is based on a "Kentucky" brand cotton cami size 8. It's my own pattern, with some armhole shaping help from Sharon Turner, she of the Teach Yourself Visually Sweater Master Pattern. By my own I mean I drew myself a schematic with measurements in inches and just knitted to shape.

While waiting for TDM to fetch me for our lunch date I am trying to knit 192 sts x half an inch. To the jazz-rock sounds of the Dave Matthews Band (I know they have a new album out, but I spent my money on yarn... forgive me, Dave).

Oops. I only managed 2 rows, TDM is downstairs waiting in the car.

WIP: Lilo's Cotton Hooded Cardigan

(Account follows Knitting Everywhere: At The Hospital.)

Here's the pic with the finished first sleeve! I am halfway through the second sleeve as I write. I'm surprised that it actually looks like a REAL kiddie cardie already (and I haven't even blocked the pieces yet). Remember, this is my first knitted garment from a book pattern.

Here's another shot (on my mom's shawl):

Am quite pleased. More progress pix as I go along!

Lilo's Coral Babydoll Blouse

Ok, I had to post this already, I took photos without waiting for the blouse to be washed. I couldn't wait! We tried it on Lilo, adjusted the strap length one last time, and wove in the dangling ends of thread you see here. This is a two-sister project: Auntie knitted the body and assembled it, Mommy crocheted the edging and the straps. THIS is bonding!

This is a children's size 6 blouse. There's no pattern, I just made a schematic based on one of Lilo's existing blouses adjusted for size. There are 4 pieces, assembled before adding the crocheted embellishments. It's all in stockinette stitch, with shaped armholes.

Materials:
2.5 balls of Monaco mercerized crochet cotton (P19/ball in Divisoria, P25/ball from Carolina's Megamall)
Addi Turbo Premium 2.5mm 80cm (32") circular needles (P270 from LYS Dreams Glorietta 2)



Here's the crocheted shell stitch hem detail:



Comments:
1. Since I knit Continental, I can see where the purls are looser than the knit stitches. The right side of the bodice shows some stitches bigger than the others, and they slant to the right. It bothers me. Just a little bit. No, it really bothers me. Must purl more tightly next time.
2. I drew the schematic on a piece of paper which promptly got lost. I should make another one to put in my knitting projects notebook, with measurement details like they do in the Lion Brand free patterns, so I can make it in another size for another kid, or in another color when Lilo grows bigger.
3. Must improve finishing techniques so that seams match up properly. My vertical side seams match ok, but am not satisfied with the neatness of the the horizontal empire seam.
4. This is my first project using Addi Turbos. They ARE the fastest knit in the East! [Will compare when I receive my Knitpicks needles later this month.] Best investment ever. I have some more coming in other sizes that I had ordered from Ebay. Lifetime warranty pa!

But the important thing is, Lilo likes it! Mommy and Auntie did a good job!

Handmade is beautiful.

Knitting Organizer Bag from Make Room

This is my Knitting Organizer Bag. I got it from the Make Room branch inside Rustan's Tower in Shangrila Mall, for about P295, just before Mother's Day. It's actually an organizer bag. Women who change handbags often are supposed to transfer all contents from one bag to another using THIS one. The very thing for Nanay, who manages to leave her house keys and senior citizen's id in the bag left at home. I thought I'd get one for myself, since I saw

4 main compartments
2 mesh inside pockets
1 solid nylon inside pocket
1 inside zip pocket
1 zip coin purse attached to main bag with lobster claw hook on a flat woven cord
1 flat woven cord with double coil jump ring for keys
2 outside pockets
and velcro to hold the thing closed if necessary.

The yellow knitting you see there is the bottom of a mercerized cotton toddler dress for Lilo. It has 8 repeats of Feather & Fan border before segueing into stockinette stitch. I have about 5 inches of knitting into this panel. The front and the back will be the same, the dress will have shaped armholes and a square neck with crocheted spaghetti straps. The fiber is a lemon yellow Cannon thread, sold in the malls for about P25 a ball, in Divisoria for about P19. I estimate I'll use about 4-5 balls. And no, there is actually no pattern for this. I made a paper pattern from one of Lilo's existing dresses, but adjusted for a child's size 8 (she is currently a 6). I'm so excited about it, since already it looks so pretty and it's in Lilo's favorite color.

Inside:

assorted circular needles
2 pairs rubber point protectors
plastic knitting gauge ruler
measuring tape
small scissors
tapestry needles
stitch markers
one plastic container of round-headed straight pins
huge plastic coated paper clips (to use as stitch holders)
knitting supplier calling cards
wooden nostepinde (a 9"-long wooden dowel used for handwinding yarn into balls)
clip-on snakehead LED light powered by 3 watch batteries
Victorinox swiss knife
hot pink toothbrush case containing (4) 2.0mm dp needles, 3 crochet hooks
Visual Quick Tips: Knitting handbook

This bag is so handy for carrying work around the house! I do have a Work-In-Progress bag, a cheap P25 Winnie The Pooh zip bag with woven nylon handles (like the kind you put your Divi shopping in, but 7" x 7" x 4", made of waterproofed woven plastic straw). That usually contains yarn, the WIP, needles, scissors, a crochet hook and tape measure.

It's so lovely to know one's knitting paraphernalia are always at hand.