From Simple to Cute (And a note about baby tummies)

One of the things I love the most about knitting/crochet is how you can let your mind wander and just create. You can alter any pattern (provided you have the skill - and that's why it's so much fun to learn new things) and make all the changes you want. No pattern will ever be executed the same - And the final product will always be something unique.

And that is the reason behind making this baby vest. I knit a lot for charity, and this is what this vest is for. It is a great and easy pattern, good for begginers. But for me, it looked a bit too simple. So I thought, what could I do to change that, but keeping the pattern intact? (The vest pattern is not mine - It's by Marianna Mel. I'm trying to find the link and when I do, I'll uptade this space.)

Crochet was the answer. I have lots of thread in my stash, but I never use them. It feels like such a waste! I had this idea months ago, when I did this baby cardi. So it just clicked - Why not do that again, but with a little more details this time? (By details I mean more work. And by more work, well... Let's just say it can be challenging!)

So I started crocheting flowers. I made a long slip stitch foundation in green - For grass! I made one tiny leaf, and three butterflies with antennae.

The actual work is having to sew all that to the vest. It took me two or three hours to finish, and for me, it's still not "perfect". Still, I'm learning - And I liked what I did so far!

I can only hope one little baby will be happy to have butterflies and flowers covering his/her tummy - Because that has to be the cutest thing to ever exist, after tiny finger and toes. Even puppies come after baby tummies! And gosh, puppies are darn cute :)

Love, Tina

Knitting, knitting, tons of knitting

I honestly don't know how this started. I've been mostly a crocheter since always - Hardly picking up a knitting needle. This last few months tough, it's all I've been doing.

I think it started with the socks. It was a challenge and I wanted to make a few great pairs. Then I started looking up patterns and decided I was going to make a fair isle sock. It all went downhill (?) from there.

To be honest, I am hoarding (What? Me? No, never) yarn for another crochet blanket. I think I want a make another chevron blanket - or maybe one with hexagon motifs. See? No idea just yet. It will get done though - More yarn is needed, that's all. That's hardly a problem, by the way.

So crazy me started a swatch for a fair isle motif I want to use for a sock. Thing is, I am making this much harder than it should be - I am knitting this flat. I just want to have an idea of how this is going to go - after all I'll be using 3 colors, and I never done anything like this before. Yeah, making a few stripes in a hat is child's play - flat fair isle has the power to make you call your mom. Which, for me, it's useless. She can't even hold a knitting needle.

Oddly enough, I find this process amazing. This swatch will be my project for this afterrnoon.

There's also this super cutie cutie baby vest. It's very simple and plain, but I have a few ideas. Actually more than a few, but I need to buy black and yellow crochet thread for it and at the moment, student me has to choose between buying thread of printing all those papers. I'd much rather have the thread, but I need those papers, so thread will wait. (Wait until I can tell mother how much my life depends on that thread. That might work too.)

And then, there's this wonderful, beautiful, mesmerizing Drops Delight that I got from a equally wonderful friend. She sent me a parcel from a far away place - When I opened it felt like my brithday (Again! Remember when Nicki sent me sock yarn and needles? Oooh so amazing.) There were tons of cool yarn, stitch markers and those cute green clover stitch holders.

I want to make a scarf with it - I started one but was not feeling it. Frogged yesterday and I think I found the perfect stitch today... Cannot wait to started.

Actually, I should study. I have a test in three weeks and it's going to be hard, but there's so much yarn in my face at the moment... Lots of distraction, you see. Can't study until I've dealt with it!

Love, Tina