Several FOs

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted in over a month! I have several finished objects to report. The one I am most proud of is Summerbelle, a pattern I have for sale on Ravelry and on my website.

I received a birth notice from a couple that we see only occasionally, but they are friends of family and we have helped them buy and sell their last two houses. I had completely forgotten that she was expecting. I searched and searched for something "girlie" to knit her, and couldn't find a pattern that matched what I envisioned. So, I made one. It took an Excel spreadsheet to calculate the decrease placements, so it was both an intellectual exercise and the chance to knit something pink and lacy, which doesn't happen often for a mother of two boys.



In between and among other projects, I knit another February sweater (aka Best Baby Sweater aka Sweater on Two Needles), this time in apple green Patons Silk Bamboo.
I make several modifications to mine:
1. Move buttonholes to 2 sts from edge (see my other version, “Baby Sweater on Two Needles”, to see why).
2. Used YO increases on first two increase rows to create eyelets: K4, K1, YO, K2, YO rep from * to * until 4 sts remain, K4.

3. Added matching eyelets on cuffs and hem: K 4 rows, eyelet row: K2, YO, K2tog, K1 rep from * to , end K3, K 3 rows, BO.
4. Lengthened sleeves: after the additional sts CO at underarm, work 9 pattern repeats then start cuffs.
Note: body length is usually 9 pattern repeats from underarm join.




Now, February Sweater needed a matching hat to complete the outfit. This time, instead of making my favorite Petal Hat, which I have rewritten for working in the round and make often for quick baby gifts for people I don't know as well, I decided that February Sweater needed a matching hat. So, I just took my Petal Hat pattern and substituted the February stitch pattern. Simple, right? Of course not. February Sweater is worked top down, Petal Hat worked bottom up. The pattern is just YOs and decreases, should be simple to reverse, right? Nope. No matter how I worked it, it did not match.
So, I designed another hat, top down, using the stitch pattern from February. The bindoff was a problem, I couldn't make it stretchy enough, then I remembered bookmarking Jeny's Suprisingly Stretchy Bindoff. Works wonderfully! I didn't want to worry about copyright infringement, so instead of publishing this hat pattern, I just posted the directions for the hat here and on Ravelry:



A Cap For February
(You have to own a copy of the February sweater pattern for the lace pattern.)

US #6 dpns or circs
US #4 dpns or circs

CO 3 sts. Join to knit in the round, Knit into the front and back (Kfb) of each stitch. 6sts.
Purl one round.
Kfb one round. 12 sts.
P one round.
(K1, YO) repeat inside brackets one round. 24 sts.
P one round.
Kfb one round. 48 sts.
P one round.
K3, YO, (K2, YO) repeat inside brackets to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1, YO. 70 sts. (make sure you have 70 stitches here, make any adjustments on last 3 sts of this round.)
Begin Row 1 of Gull Wing stitch pattern as described in the February Sweater Pattern.
Do 8 total repeats of the stitch pattern.
CHANGE TO SIZE US#4 NEEDLES.
Do 2 more repeats of the stitch pattern.
P one row.
K one row.
P one row.
(K1, YO, K2tog) one round, end K1.
P one row.
K one row.
P one row.
Bind off using Jeny's Suprisingly Stretchy Bindoff, modified by only using knit stitches (no purls).

Giraffe Jacket is languishing for want of a zipper, which isn't much fun to sew in. I started a baby blanket instead. My friends are reproducing at an alarming rate.