Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Wear a Sweater Day!

In honor of Mr. Roger's 80th Birthday today, it's wear a sweater day. So I bring to you the newest of the BSJ sweaters for the never ending list of new babies from the circle of friends and family around here.

And might I just say OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!!!!!!! Do I like the way the I-cord seams make it look! I'd like to pull back every other BSJ sweater that I've already made now and redo the seams. Yep, as much as I hate ripping things out, I'd gladly do them over!

Yes, it does add a bit of time to the sweater making process, but what a polished look it makes. Wanna see how I did it? First of all, kuddos to the members of the Knit Baby Suprise Yahoo group. They're they ones who first suggested it many moons ago, then gave me the pointers I needed the other day.

After making the I-cord bind off on the front of the sweater I ran the same process up the cuff of the sleeve. Because I had used a (US)6 (4.0mm) needles to knit the sweater, I dropped it down to a (US)4 needles to pick up the stitches from both sides of the sleeve seams. That makes it easier for me to pick up the stitches.

Treating this like a 3-needle bind off, I kept the back needle a size (US)4 but used the front needle a (US)6 (4.omm) since the I-cord bind off needs you to be knitting and transferring stitches back and forth. Lining up those two needles in my left hand, I picked up the last 4 stitches that I'd put onto a stitch marker to hold them from the end of the cuff while I was picking up the sleeve stitches.



I slid those 4 stitches back onto the front, left hand needle (the larger of the two) and began to work the I-cord bind off: Knit 2 stitches, knit 2 stitches through the back loop and then here's where the seaming begins. The 4th stitch for the bind off is a knit one from the next stitch in line of your stitches. Right? Well, as with a 3 needle bind off...you take one stitch from the front needle and one stitch from the back needle and knit them together. Just as if they were one stitch. Your right handed needle should now have 4 stitches on it. The two needles in your left hand, should each have the same number of stitches, but one less than you started with.



Slide those 4 stitches from the right hand needle back to the left hand needle and repeat the process over and over again as you go along the sleeve seam. Knit two, knit two through the back loop, and knit one stitch from the front and back needle as if they were one. Giving you 4 stitches on the right needle again before you slide them back onto the left needle.

See how it comes up over the edge from the cuff and down the shoulder? From the back of the sweater and the front views.



As I got to the end, I reduced those 4 stitches down to two so they would be part of the total stitches I would later need to pick up when adding the collar. Make sure you do the same thing for the other sleeve.



I worked my sleeve cuff from the top towards the bottom, so the sleeve would then be worked across the back of the sweater.

Oh, YEA! So much better than the less than wonderful way I was seaming up the sleeves. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Add on your buttons and sew on your patch...



knit up a hat (Umbilical Cord hat is my favorite one to go with baby things..)



And finish off your baby gift with a blanket (KBB Baby Blanket here, finished recently)

All you need to do now, is to get it to the post office to be delivered this side of college graduation so the baby can still fit into the sweater set, and you're ready to start another project. Ok ok ok...you're ready to go start something new, even if you have a gazillion other things on needles at the same time. Who am I kidding? ha ha ha....

Here's my sweater to wear today(see? redish, and a zip up!)...but since..most of me looks like this



only brighter and starting to blister, I'll wait until the sun goes down to consider putting ANYTHING next to my skin.

Oh, and my knees? They're in much worse shape!

Happy Wear a Sweater Day!

(I know I know...I really need to make myself a sweater..for shame for shame...I'll get to it...at some point. Right?)

Michigan Souvenirs

Check out this ridiculously high pile of snow! The two parking spots I'd used back in June to park next to the parking garage at Mom and Dad's is a 'little' bit crowded. The residents there are now having a contest for the date and time of day when this will finally be completely melted this year. My Dad's first guess when we asked him? July 21st. (see he's getting better...still has his humor!)


Once you unpack from a trip that has you much more tired when you get home than when you started, you find those souvenirs you so carefully packed to bring home. For me, hold onto your seats...it's not just yarn I bring home! (well, there is some, but well...stick with me here.)

Vernors! Yes, a 'Michigan Original Since 1866' says the side of the can. For me, it reminds me of my Grandma. She ALWAYS had it in her refrigerator. Now, it's the one thing we could get my Dad to drink when he was refusing his food trays prior to surgery. He said he didn't have any taste for food, but this stuff is a 'wee bit' strong, so mmmmmmm it's a good thing!

Second up is the Win Schulers's bar cheese. Yummy stuff. Best, in my opinion to use with Wheat Thins. Can't wait to break into this, but I'm saving it when the kids can help me 'dig' our way to the bottom of this container.

Now to the yarn. This was an 'as is' clearance sale at Hobby Lobby. I'm no dummy. My mom, just like her mother before, and now myself, will sit and untangle knots to save a buck or two. Thanks Mom! This will end up being another Baby Jiffy Knit Sweater as soon as I'm finished with the latest BSJ.

Here's where I am now with this one. I've decided to add the I-chord around the sleeves and up the shoulders before adding the collar. I just love being able to ask others on yahoo groups for advice before re-inventing the wheel here. Stay tuned...pictures to follow if I've understood the directions well.

While waiting yesterday for answers to my quest for BSJ help, I started this dishcloth for my brother. I found this licorice Peaches and Creme in Michigan at Walmart. I'm not such a fan of the 'middle' tone here. My brother likes things Black and Red and White. (he got the recent felted black and red oven mitts), so I thought I'd give this a try. Years ago I had a skein of Black and white that I came across last week that I think I like better. Oh, well, they're still going to wash up dishes just fine. Right?


More souvenirs pictures next time...of the yarn variety...good stuff coming up next! For now...I'm heading to the beach to de-stress some more and give my hand a try with the I-chord shoulder seam.