Simple Shawl

Yes, I decided the Llama yarn would indeed become a simple garter stitch shawl with eyelet edges. There's not enough yardage for a real lace shawl and I didn't want a scarf or hat or mittens. I think this will work out nicely though. I have two skeins, about 500 yards. This should be enough for a decent sized shawl. I will just knit until it is big enough or until I run out. The shop where I bought this yarn had a sample made from one skein, too small for my taste, so I bought extra. I can't remember if they said theirs was knit on size 13 or size 15 needles. I'm using size 13. These fat needles feel strange in my hands after months of knitting preemie clothes on small needles, but I'm getting used to it.

Good Start

We arrived a little late to the football game in Columbus to the sound of Needville's fight song, which could mean only one thing--a Bluejay touchdown. We were treated to a beautiful sky as the sun went down. You can see a little color above the scoreboard, but the real show was behind us.

I captured it as best as I could, but as you know, it's always better in person. We heard the fight song a few more times and at the end of the game the score was Needville 33, Columbus 13. A good night for the Jays. The band gave a good performance too. They are waiting for new uniforms to arrive, so they just wore bluejeans and band t-shirts. A blessing really, because the temperature was close to 90 degrees even after the sun had set.

After the game, we headed for Georgetown to visit my son's girlfriend for her 18th birthday. Since we were so close, I couldn't pass up visiting The Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe. It's a really nice shop with lots of yarn to choose from. I didn't buy any yarn though, just a pair of circular needles in a size I've been needing for a while.

My knitting has slowed down since I sent in my donation to The Preemie Project. My hand needed a little rest. However, today I might cast on something new. I'm anxious to try out the Llama yarn I bought in Kansas. I don't have much to work with, so it will probably end up being a simple garter stitch shawl, knit on large needles to give it a lace effect. We'll see.

Go Bluejays!

Tonight begins the first of many Friday nights we will spend watching the Needville Bluejays on the field. Football in Texas is a big deal and our little town is no exception. We have a new athletic director and hopes are high for the playoffs. Nothing new about that. They are high every year. I think the last athletic director was here three years before they gave him his notice. You really have to win to keep your job when it comes to football. That's just the way it is around here, maybe where you live too. As you can see, we have our season tickets all ready to go. And although I enjoy the games, the band is really what I'm interested in. My son is a member and plays the trumpet. This year he is leading the band as one of the two drum majors. Can't wait to see the show. It's a James Bond/spy theme which I think will be fun and entertaining. Good luck to the band and the team!

How Many?

I was able to knit 17 pairs of these little shoes in a week. Sounds like a lot, but the pattern is very easy and the booties really small. I found I could knit a pair or two each evening while watching TV. And, the good thing is that I didn't get tired of making them.

Finished Object Revisited

As I was sorting through the items I'm donating to The Preemie Project, I had a change of heart about this gown set. You may remember that it looked liked this. The first thing I had to correct were the booties. I remembered them being a little big, but when I looked at them again, I discovered they were HUGE. They were knit from the same pattern as the gown, but I would say they ended up being better suited for a 1-3 month old instead of a preemie. I substituted one of the many pair I've been knitting lately and added a bow to dress them up a little. I also changed all of the dark purple ribbon to a soft pink color. I like it much better. And since the bonnet was rather plain and maybe just a little large, I added an extra ribbon across the top. I think this will help gather up the edges all around and result in a better fit. Plus it just looks pretty. I really want the gown sets I make to be as special as possible in the hope that they will bring a small measure of comfort to the families who receive them. I'm happy with this one now.

Preemie Project Update

Here are a few hats that will soon be on their way to The Preemie Project. I made the pumpkin hats, but my daughter made the others when she was here visiting. She already knew how to knit, but I showed her how to knit in the round on double points. She did a great job on these hats and I appreciate her contribution very much! As you may remember, she showed me how to crochet. If I would have had more time, I would have crocheted an edge on these blankets...

...but blanket stitch is faster and nice as well. Most of my remnants were blue and coordinated nicely. This was an unplanned bonus as I was able to use all the little leftover pieces to make one small blanket. It's my favorite. I'm still knitting booties. I'm up to ten pairs and still have time to make a few more. Mail-in date is Wednesday.

More Stuff

The sewing machine works! And, I can sew a straight line...sort of. Here's one of the blankets for The Preemie Project (TPP).

I had to get a little creative with the remnants I bought the other day to make the blanket the right size. I decided to add a blanket stitch to bring some color to the edge. Besides, it's a lot faster than crocheting. I ran out of floss, but will get some more today and finish it up.

This next blanket has a cotton print fabric on the front and cotton flannel on the back, also with a blanket stitch.

I like this one. I think I will try this with some Halloween print fabric, because I haven't found Halloween prints on flannel or fleece. When making things for preemies, it's important to keep the fabrics soft and comfortable. I think this is a good solution.

As far a knitting goes, I've been working on booties. I found this pattern. It is quick and easy. So far, I've knit four pairs. Here's a picture of three sizes.

The pattern is written for four sizes, but I think I'll stick to these three. The fourth size would be too big I think. The goal of TPP is to present each baby with a hat, a pair of booties and a blanket. It is not required for each volunteer to make a set, but I'm feeling like I need to fill in the gap since I donated a lot of hats, but no shoes to match. There's one more week before the mail-in date, so I'll just keep going. I wonder how many I can get done?