Blankets for Baby

I've been working on a little project recently. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know that I have quite a few patterns published on Knit Picks. I decided to combine all five of my baby blanket patterns into an e-book. And then I designed another baby blanket, which I self-published on Nimblestix. And I decided to include it in the book as well.

Harmony is not pictured on the cover, but is inside.

Blankets for Baby is available for purchase on Nimblestix, for $12. If you were to purchase each pattern separately, you'd pay just under $14, so it's a savings of about $2. The e-book is 22 pages long, and includes: 

Posy Patch 

Sydney Claire

Evellyn Anne

Willow Carroldine

Sisterhood 

and 

Harmony.

I believe you don't have to be a member of Nimblestix to download the e-book, but I'm not certain. And anyway, you should become a member if you're not. Nimblestix is a great site! It's like Facebook for fiber artists, but better. :)

Designing...

I am nearly done with my Upstream scarf! I need to do one or two more repeats of the cable pattern, which I might be able to get done today. I've got to measure it and decide whether it needs one or two. And then I'll create the design proposal and get it sent off to Knit Picks! I haven't heard back from them yet on the design I sent a couple weeks ago, for the "Girl's Best Friend" mitts. I'm not sure whether that's a good sign or a bad one; I heard back within one week, about "Posy Patch". But I'm not giving up on it, until they tell me one way or another.

For anyone who hasn't yet purchased their copy of Posy Patch, here's the link:
http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Posy_Patch_Baby_Blanket__D10472220.html
:D Shameless plug, I know. But what can I say? I love all of my patterns, and I'm especially proud of Posy Patch, since it was published by someone other than myself. The rest of my patterns(so far) are available on my pattern blog for free. http://christineolsonoriginals.blogspot.com
In case anyone's wondering why I don't put them here on this blog, it's because I tend to chatter about all different parts of my life here. I talk about my kids, and my faith, and my friends, and other crafts besides knitting, and homeschooling, and even the occasional foray into politics. I want to keep my patterns separate from my rambling. Although I am considering making some tutorial videos demonstrating certain skills I've recently learned, and posting them over there also. I think I'd have to figure out youtube first...I watch videos on youtube, but I don't have a youtube account. So I don't have any videos of my own on there, and I don't know the first thing about embedding a youtube video in a blog post.

Okay, I'm just rambling here(as usual), so I'm going to go now and find some caffeine to wake me up. Have a nice day, and check out my patterns, if you haven't done that before!

Posy Patch!

My Posy Patch blanket pattern is up on the Knit Picks website! It's available to download for $1.99.

http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Posy_Patch_Baby_Blanket__D10472220.html

I'm so excited I'm practically speechless. ☺

Blankets done!

I finished the blue blanket! And that's not all.....

(Excuse the sideways picture; I don't know why it uploaded that way.)

These two blankets are a baby shower gift for my friend Sarah, who is expecting twins; a boy and a girl. Hence the blue and the pink. Anyway, this is one of my designs, and I'm attempting to have it published by someone other than myself. Yesterday, I sent my design proposal to Knit Picks. If they like it, I'll send the actual pattern, and knit another blanket for them to see in person and photograph for the pattern. If they publish the pattern, it will be my first pattern published for sale, rather than free. I am very hopeful. I'm sure I'll be on pins and needles until I hear from them. I got the standard thanks-for-submitting-a-pattern email last night. But it could be up to 3 weeks before I hear whether they like my design.

♥

In other knitting news, I'm back to working on Adamas, which is not my own design. ☺I have finished 12 repeats of the lace chart, so I need to do two more repeats, and it'll be ready for the border. Once I finish that, I have another design ready to cast on, in white merino laceweight. It doesn't have a name yet; I've got a few ideas, but haven't picked which one works the best. Maybe after I've gotten a little work done on the project, I'll know for sure. I have a few other projects that I want to start; a couple pairs of socks, and another baby blanket idea, but I need to finish some projects first. Two of my current projects are gifts, and I intended to have them done a while ago.

Argh!

As hard as I tried to avoid it, it seems it was inevitable. I've got poison ivy. Again. I had it a couple years ago, and it was awful. It's not too bad yet, but it is spreading. I went swimming this morning (today was opening day for our neighborhood pool) and that seemed to help a little; must have been the chlorine in the water. When I started itching again a couple hours later, I diluted a little bleach with water, and dabbed it on my itchy spots. I think I made it too strong. Wow, that hurt! I'll dilute it more for the next time. And I'm planning on going swimming again tomorrow, if I can manage that. Because we still have no fence. The guys were busy today, and didn't come. They'll be here first thing in the morning, so I'll miss out on a little of the work, while I take the girls to church. I'm hoping they'll have the doorframe put together and installed before we get home from church. That would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath.

Fortunately, I don't have any poison ivy on my hands, so I'm still able to knit. I'm just over halfway done with the blue "Posy Patch", and I've got my test knitters working on theirs. Once I get a little more feedback from them, I'll send the design proposal to Knit Picks. I really hope they like it. It was very disappointing last fall when my cardigan pattern was rejected by Knitty. I worked so hard on that design, and I love it so much. That rejection hurt, as rejections usually do. Naturally, I don't want to be disappointed again. But..."nothing ventured, nothing gained"...so on we go!

Busy, busy, busy

Well, here it is Friday again, and I haven't written since Sunday. Oops. Again. Well, I've been busy this week. I started on the blue "Posy Patch" to go with the pink one, and am about 1/3 done with it. It's such a quick knit. And easy enough that I was able to work on it while watching the series finale of the best show in the world: 24. I'm so sad 24 is over, but I think they ended it pretty well. I would have preferred (spoiler alert!) for Jack and Renee to live happily ever after, and for him to spend lots of time with Kim and her husband and daughter. But that sort of everything-will-be-great-from-now-on ending just wouldn't have worked for 24. I think that Jack-on-the-run-with-everybody-and-their-brother-after-him works much better. I can't wait for the movie. :)

I also worked on "Posy Patch" at the dentist's office; I had two appointments there this week, to get fillings. Ow. My last dentist was a quack; he always raved about how I had great teeth, and no cavities. So why did I suddenly have seven??? Anyway, they're filled now, and I'm so glad that's over for this year. The dentist's assistant seemed to think I was a little strange, because I was holding a skein of yarn in my hands and squeezing and petting it while the dentist was drilling in my teeth. But it helped keep me relaxed, so I don't care if she did think I was weird.

♥

I did a little brush-clearing and stump-sawing and raking each day, and now the fenceline at the back of our yard looks terrific. All ready for a fence. Kerry should be here tomorrow morning to help us build it...which reminds me I need to call him to make sure of that. I got tired of chasing cows out of the yard; I actually chased out five one afternoon....so I dug out some bright orange Caron Simply Soft, and strung it across the posts. And it worked! Apparently the cows aren't smart enough to tell the difference between yarn and barbed wire. And I'm glad I finally found a use for that ugly acrylic yarn! I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it.

♥

And today I decided to tackle my mending basket. I hemmed two pairs of shorts, repaired four rips, and sewed on one button. I still have a silk shirt that needs the sleeves hemmed, but I don't feel like doing that one today. I still have a bunch of cleaning up to do today. I don't want Kerry to think we're a bunch of slobs when he comes tomorrow...

"Posy Patch" one down, one to go.

I finished the pink blanket I was working on! I'll be casting on soon for the blue one to match. I hope my friend likes them. I hope Knit Picks likes them.
This was a fun, easy, quick knit. It turned out exactly how I had pictured it in my mind. I love when that happens. And I know I said it before, but I love Knit Picks Swish DK. This yarn is so soft and comfy. And I discovered when I soaked and blocked it, that it blooms beautifully.

♥

In other news, we have to wait another week for a fence. Ugh. Oh, well. What's one more week of chasing cows out of the yard? And now I'm going to go watch Terminator movies, and cast on for another "Posy Patch". ☺

A sneak peek...

Here's a little sneak peek at the baby blanket I'm making right now. It's name is "Posy Patch", thanks to one of my knitting friends. They're great at coming up with names for my patterns!

I love the way this yarn is working up. It's so soft! And the stitch definition is terrific. I'm getting 6 stitches per inch on size 6 needles, which means this will probably end up just a bit smaller than 28 inches square, before blocking. Perfect size for a little baby. ☺

♥

It turns out my suspicion was correct; I'm definitely going to need more yarn. I'm less than halfway done, but I've used most of the third skein of yarn already. So I'm going to need at least one more skein than I originally thought, probably two. I'll wait until I'm precisely halfway, before placing my order.