Baby knitting continues. My neighbor who became a grandma for the first time in January is another grandbaby arrive in April. I made another baby set for this little one and will gift it today at the baby shower for the new mom.
Like the previous set, this one is knit out of Encore worsted. This time in colorway Light Yellow. The sweater is the CocoKnits baby sweater pattern I learned at Vogue Knitting Live. Instead of doing the lace pattern on the body, I found a pretty stitch from a stitch dictionary and added it at the bust line. I think it adds a cute detail. The hat is another Debutante. I think this will be my go to baby girl hat pattern. It works up quickly.
The Bengal Double Brioche House Socks were finished a few hours before the Super Bowl. It might have been a bad omen, but I had trouble with the second sock. First, after I got all the way through the heel flap and was working the gusset decreases, I realized I didn't change needle sizes after the brioche as I should. I ripped all the way back and started over. Then after working the heel, gusset and the foot, before I did the toe decreases, I realized I skipped a couple gusset decrease rows. I had to rip back to the gusset, knit two more gusset decreases and then redo the foot. It was frustrating to say the least. And, as I said, it may have been an omen for what the game was to be. The Bengals played well, but didn't have luck, and maybe the refs, on their side. The Rams won the game with a go ahead touchdown in the last minutes of the game. I won't say anything more because I think it was orchestrated to be that way. The game was in LA and it looked like a classic Hollywood ending.
Fiber Optics, a yarn dyer from the Cincinnati area, released a special Bengal colorway this year. I snagged myself one. This colorway was a revamped version of an old Bengal colorway from 2010. I had bought that original one years ago, caked it but never did anything with it. Here are both, 2022 on the left and 2010 on the right. 2010 is more brown and black, whereas 2022 has more orange and a few notes of green. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these yet, but I'm thinking they may make a nice faded sweater. I'll have to watch out for ideas.
Now that my time constrained projects are done, I got back to a WIP that was waiting on the sidelines for a while. This is Waverly by Berroco. I am making it in Berroco Providence. I began this last year. When I picked it up, I wasn't happy with how tight my stranded colorwork was. I decided to pick up a row of stitches above the ribbing and rip back. I am now reknitting the colorwork using a needle one size up from the called for size. Once the colorwork is done, I'll switch back to the smaller needle. Well, at least I hope to remember to switch back. As noted above, I have a problem with remembering to switch needle sizes sometimes.
I also have Chaika by Cafe Midori on the needles. This is being knit in Rowan Pure Wool Worsted. My enabler and I picked up this yarn from the discount bin at a LYS on LYS Day last year. Cindy had this pattern and told me it would be a good one to do. It's a quick knit on US 10 needles. Like most Cafe Midori patterns it is oversized, which means for me it will be a more normal fit. The pattern comes in several sleeve options. I plan on making the long sleeves with tight cuffs. I think I want to add a little length to the body. I don't want a cropped sweater.
After I get these sweaters for myself done, I need to start looking through baby patterns.
My first grandbaby is due in September. The baby is a boy. I definitely will make a CocoKnits sweater. Just need to find a nice boy hat. Trisha has given me a whole list of things to make for the little guy. I need to work out a game plan soon.
