The Zozos

Pattern: Zozo
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport
Needles: US 2

2010 was the year of the baby. Okay, I’m not sure if two babies warrants a year dedicated to babies, but I was blessed with both a niece and a nephew towards the end of 2010. Of course they needed a knit something. My nephew received two Zozo–a brother and sister named Bluelien and Greenly.

Waiting to go to their forever homes

I felt that since the Sister lives in a place where it’s generally warm, a hat would not be the way to go; however, since my niece received both a turtle AND a hat, it wasn’t fair to knit my nephew one little alien. Plus they can keep each other company or help each other escape the terror of an infant.

I brought the toys with me on Christmas day, when I went to help the Sister (and her husband) with their new little boy.

Blulien enjoying a parfait before his flight.

Greenly needs a Chai to get through the next few hours.

The nephew seemed to like them from the first. One would think that a 9 day old doesn’t understand such things at just over a week, but he is a genius so he really does know.

He held onto them right away and not because of the grasping instinct.

Send Help! Bluelien is going to be eaten!

It’s a really easy, albeit multi-step, pattern. I finished Greenly in less than a week. If I ever make another one, I’d be curious to change how some of the pieces are put together. Each finger is done separately and then combined to make the arm, for example, but maybe it would be easier done in the other direction so that the arm is made and the fingers come out from that. It would probably make the fingers have less personality, but it would make it all one piece so there’d be a lot less ends to weave in. Still, I really liked the pattern and recommend it.

Snuggling. Greenly thinks she'll like it here.

Baby Ruffle Hat

Pattern: Baby Ruffle Hat
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport
Needles: US 2

After making Sheldon, I decided it was important for my little niece to have a hat to match. Not a hat that had turtles on it, because that’s just too overt, but a hat that was the same color. Really, I just had a lot of yarn left. So, on the plane to visit my new niece I began to knit. Technically, I casted on the night before. A few days into the trip, viola! A lovely little hat for a lovely little girl.

The pattern is SO easy that I’m kicking myself for not knowing how to do it on my own. I think if I were to do it again, I’d knit it a smidge longer. Not too much, because then it would be in her eyes, but just a couple rows.

Sheldon the Turtle

Pattern: Sheldon
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport
Needles: US 2

When the Husband and the Sister-in-Law were young, they had a turtle. At least, I think she had the turtle and he just resided in the house with said turtle. They liked the turtle very much, but one day, the turtle climbed out of his cage and onto the table whereupon he fell onto the floor. His shell had cracked and the family took him to the doctor where they used superglue on the shell, but to no avail. The little guy did not make it.

So, when I asked the Husband which of the dozen of patterns I liked should we make for the Sister-in-Law’s little daughter, he said, “The turtle.” And thus, Sheldon was born. As was an adorable little girl.

This was both an easy pattern and an extremely complex one. If you are thinking about making a Sheldon, do it. You won’t regret it. Just trust in the pattern. I didn’t trust in the pattern and ripped out areas only to realize that I should have kept them. In the end, I think it turned out well regardless. There’s a LOT of steps and I’m not sure I ever want to make it again. Of course, much like childbirth and the first few weeks with a newborn, I suspect I will forget the pain and suffering after a few years.

To see more Sheldon photos…

Sheldon’s a Jet’s fan.

Charity Hats

Made by Hand ran it’s last charity drive this year and I made 5 chemo caps as my donation.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK
Needles: US 6

The first hat is a pattern that’s been bouncing around in my head for years. I thought I would take this opportunity to start figuring it out and see if I like it action. I’m not 100% in love with it yet, but I’m not hating it. It’s very floppy, which I’m pretty sure is due to the cotton. Next time, I try it in wool. I also ran out of the white yarn so I had to pick another color from my stash. In my head it’s a monochromatic hat. I don’t plan on leaving the top half plain garter stitch. My intent is for that part to be a different stitch pattern, I just haven’t figured out what yet. This first iteration was more to figure out the connection with the leaves and the rest of the hat.

The other four hats were quick knits that I just knit on the fly. I tried to make more masculine hats because the trend for the chemo caps this year seemed to be more feminine and some men who undergo chemo may want a hat too. There’s really not much else to say about them so here’s the specs and a picture.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft Aran
Needles: US 8

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft Aran
Needles: US 8

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Needles: US 8

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Needles: US 8

Sucky Thumb Mitts

Pattern: Sucky Thumb Mitts
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted
Needles: US 7

So we left my last knitting project as the hat I had made a hat for OP. And she wore it. For the most part, but we started realizing we had another problem–her hands. The winter coat came with mittens and she doesn’t like them. They are HUGE and she can’t do anything with them. The Husband had a stroke of genius and asked why I couldn’t make hand warmers for her like I have for me. So I looked on Ravelry and found a pattern  I liked.

I finally got started on the pattern in San Francisco, and in a matter of days had two little hand warmers that were a little too big on the girl and not her most favorite thing in the world.  In fact, she’d scream any time I would try to put them on.

Of course, I’m a mean mommy who feels warm hands are important, so I added a piece of yarn to the bottom of each warmer to tie it tighter and made her wear the things. She’s still not happy and can still pull them off even with the ties, but she’s happy to play with them and that’s good enough for me. I’m happy just knowing her hands are warmer with these than without and she can still play with things or suck her fingers. Someday she’ll like them. Maybe when she’s 30.