couple questions!

I am making sloooooow progress. Can I just say knitting time has been le suck since I went back to work? Wah! That aside, I have a couple questions. One, the top of the bodice on mine is curling up like crazy. I used the picot cast-on. Did this happen for anyone else? Did it settle down with blocking?
I figured out how to crochet a simple chain for the straps, but I don't think I'm up for the crochet work around the bottom of the skirt. Shetha, where did you find instructions for the picot cast-off?
thanks!!

Ta Dah! (X2)

Well I finally finished the second crumpets and I have photos to share:


This crumpets is for a friend's little girl who will turn 2 on May 1. It's in the 2 yr size and I did the normal cast on and bind off, with the crochet trim. I used TLC cotton plus again (which I love for this project) and I did the beading. It turned out that I needed 225 beads instead of the stated approx 113. That was mainly because I did 9 repeats of the beaded row and each one needed 25 beads. I typically got a guage of 1/2-in per 5-8 repeat... so to get 4 inches I had to do at least 8.

Anyway enough of the technical stuff. I probably won't make another one real soon but I do see myself using this pattern again. Maybe scale it down a bit to a 3 mo size and add lace to the hem for a christening gown? Add a baby bolero? Wouldn't that be the cutest...

This pattern is so beautiful and so versatile. Libby is a genious!

have yarn, will travel

impatience is already winning. i am SUPPOSED to be correcting a horrible mistake i made on the baby blanket i also have on the needles right now, but instead i went yarn shopping. and then bead shopping. but look what i got!!! even more excited to get started now! just praying that my guess at how much yardage i need to make a top instead of a dress is not wildly off. time (and wendy) will tell...

forming a plan of attack

ok, so i have read the pattern about 75 times, now, and i am NEARLY ready to go yarn shopping. this is my first knit-along, and i am still something of a newbie, so expect many questions and a ton of screaming from me. :)

i think i am going to copy what wendy did and make a top rather than a dress. and wendy, if i am looking at girlfriend's top correctly, you did a plain cast-on rather than the picot one, yes? i think that plainer top is what i will do as well--seems like less frilly is maybe better for something to wear with jeans. (and of course, i am terrified of the picot cast-on, too, but we won't talk about that...)

so that leaves me with needing to learn to use a cable needle, beading, and crocheting. whoo hoo! totally excited to get started, although realistically, i may not get anywhere till this weekend. trying to show a modicum of self dicipline and finish up a baby blanket before i start this one, but i am not very patient, so we'll see.

thanks for letting me join up kind of late, carole!

finished!

I need to get out my digital camera, but I finished my 6mo crumpets saturday night (then ripped the straps out and redid them sunday morning)

Now I'm going to make a diaper cover to match (since I panicked and went and got another ball of yarn, then didn't even need it - finished the dress with about 8 inches to spare!) but I'm having trouble converting the pattern I found down to where it's small enough. My baby cousin was born Jan 31 and is TINY and this pattern is way too large....I just gotta sit down and figure out the math but I haven't done it yet

photos coming soon!

phew!

I finally got through the first 8 rows! Loooove how it's coming out! I gave up and switched to a 29" needle, because stretching the stitches over the 36" was driving me crazy. It's cool to see how it all comes together after the first set of the repeats.
How's everyone else doing?

Quick thread-the-bead tutorial

I will post a quick run-down since someone might need it (soon!).

Materials:
Regular sewing needle
Sewing thread - strong thread is good -- cotton or silk if you have it.
Your beads
Your yarn

1) Cut 15-20" of thread
2) thread the needle with your 15-20" of thread and then tie a knot with the two ends of the thread. This creates a loop with the sewing needle on it.
3) "hook" your yarn through the thread loop.
4) While holding the doubled yarn, drop a bead onto the sewing needle and then pull it down onto the doubled yarn.
5) Add your beads several at a time, pushing them down onto the yarn as you go. Note: Always leave one on the doubled section of yarn to keep it from slipping off the thread loop.

And there you have it! I suggest revamping the calculation of the # of beads needed -- I think the pattern way underestimates it. For instance, the 2 yr size says 113 needles but as I look closer, it seems like I'll need about 225 or so. I guess maybe the pattern intends only one side to be beaded (ie the front?) but it doesn't indicate such a thing. I guess what I'm saying is probably double the # of beads listed in the pattern... better too many than too few.

Good luck!

Crumpets V1

Stats:
Size 1 yr
No beading
Sub yarn: TLC Cotton Plus
Picot Cast on
Picot Cast off
Elastic insert
Crocheted tie straps

Other things to note:
I added fray-check to keep the delicate ribbon from fraying (I hope this works!)
I made a matching diaper cover with leftover yarn

Here are the pics:


For more you can view my blog entry about it here.

My next one is in lavender size 2 yrs with the beads already strung. If you guys need to know how I strung them -- I can write up a little tutorial. It worked surprisingly well! I'm a bit afraid I didn't string enough of them, though. Also, I dug up an old (ripped) tulle skirt in my closet that matches the yarn. It's all I can do not to make two skirts for this one... interchangeable knit and tulle skirts. It would be a dress-up dream!

me again

jaysus! Ok, I just ran into the same problem as what made me rip it out earlier. Ok, the first row. It states, K2, *P2, K4 repeat from * to last K4 stitches, P2 K2.I'm knitting the size 4, so I have 162 stitches cast on. I have checked & double-checked, and I did indeed K2 then P2 K4 until the last six stitches. I'm a little confused about what until the last K4 stitches means-- does she just mean last 4 stitches??


Also, tell me that it just LOOKS huge because it's stretched over the long circs!!

waaaahhhhh

I managed the picot cast-on, then screwed up my first row! I tinked it back, but somehow messed it up even more. I gave up and pulled it out. That took me quite a while & I was so excited to actually get the pattern underway! Wahhhhh!

I can see the finish line from here...

After running into a minor disaster with my crumpets, I'm almost done. Nearing the end of the skirt, I discovered that I did not have enough cotton to finish. Eeeeek! And I couldn't even find the color online anywhere (apparently, it had been discontinued), so I made a bold move, and decided to mix it up a little.

Here's a picture of the wee dress on my blocking board. As you can see, I ended up finished it using a variegated ribbon yarn (the name currently escapes me), and I really like the way it turned out!



I'm wetblocking the dickens out of it, and pinning it within an inch of its life because I found that the different textures of the two yarns encouraged curling.



I also added a border of the same ribbon yarn to the top, and decided to make the straps and waist ribbon out of the same.



So, hopefully by tomorrow, all will be blocked and dry, and I can weave in the ends and attach the straps. Then, all willing, I'll be able to post pics of my wee model, Abby, wearing it!

My crumpets #1

Hello, folks! I'm Shetha, from Portland, and Carole was kind enough to let me be a part of this blog! I'm currently in the process of binding off my first crumpets, which I'm working in the 1 year size for a little girl who was born last Oct. Yes, she's only about to be 6 months old but mama's milk is working its magic! Anyway, for a few more specifics about my first crumpets:

• I'm not using beads... she's too young to carry glass around. I have purchased beads for my second one.
• I used the picot cast on that I found in the Miss Dashwood pattern in knitty
• I am horrible at crochet and it hurts my hand so I'm also doing the picot cast off, which can be found buried in the directions for the Eyelet Skirt pattern, also on knitty.
• Instead of Lion Brand Cotton Ease, I am using an olive-y green color of TLC Cotton Plus, which is so very soft. I got gauge with this yarn on size 6 needles.
• I plan on using the elastic for the bodice *and* crocheting straps *and* making a matching diaper cover, just to be "lady-like".

I'll outline the plan for the second one after I finish the first one (which will be later this week). For now, here was my progress as of Sunday night:


Oh and just a scandalous note... I was searching for a diaper cover pattern and it led me here:
Little Turtle Knits patterns
Not nearly as cute, really. But a little curious, just the same...

Picot Cast-On

Can anyone explain to me how to use a picot cast-on? I've searched my books & online, and I've seen about seven different versions, but they all involve binding off stitches, which I assume I don't want to do, since it changes my stitch count.

I promised pictures!

Right now, I'm done with the bodice, and I'm slaving through the many many rows of stockinette on the skirt. I'm a fast knitter, but it still feels like millions of miles of stockinette!

Here's a closeup of the bodice detail. I have to say, it's an amazing stitch.



Here's a shot of the whole thing, so far.



A few more inches, and I think I will be done - I should have just enough yarn left for the straps and the trim.

-Gabby

went shopping!

I went and bought the yarn and beads today! Viv (my 3 y.o.) and I picked out the "sugarplum" color of LB CottonEase.
and some clear glass beads with a slight iridescence.
I stopped by the LYS to pick up the needles, but they didn't have the recommended length-- I was wondering, though, isn't the bodice awfully stretched out on those 36" needles? Also, the woman working there said something about threading all the beads on with a beading needle, which I have never even heard of! Are they widely available? I can't wait to get started!

Howdy howdy howdy!

Hi!
I've just joined up, and I'm all excited about working on this gorgeous design. Right now, I'm working on the bodice, and I think I'm almost done. Maybe another inch or so.
I'll post pics later -but here's the details on my version, so far.
I'm using Twiley's Cotton Freedom in Magenta, and I'm using size 7 circs instead of the size 5 recommended. I'm making the 2 year old size for my boyfriend's niece, and since it's for her, I left out the beadwork. (She has a tendency to pick beads off clothing.)
Also, I've set up a knitting blog that y'all can check out - http://chymerikaen.blogspot.com

-Gabby