Pumpkin Head

Silas is going to be a pumpkin sprite for Halloween. This is part of his costume, a hat that I've been working on for quite some time...I'll have more pictures and info on the hat and the rest of his costume after Halloween.

"Baby A" for Baby S (Fall/Winter fashion shoot #1)

During my pregnancy, as well as in the months following my son's birth, I knit Silas 4 or 5 sweaters in larger sizes, anticipating his rapid growth. He's just growing into some of these now. Because I prefer to have the pictures I post on Ravelry showing items being warn whenever possible, I haven't posted these projects, or blogged about them yet. Over the next few months, I'll showcase these as part of Silas' fall/winter wardrobe.

With that, I give you the Baby A hat and cardigan ensemble from the book Yarnplay by Lisa Shobhana Mason.
Aw, my heart just melts. This kid knows how to work the camera!

Back to the sweater. This a garter stitch pattern. It's been a while since I knit this, but if memory serves me correctly, the blue piece was knit and then the upper portion was constructed by picking up stitches along the side of the blue piece.
For once, I used the exact same yarn that the pattern called for --Rowan Felted Tweed. I usually substitute yarn, but I was so in love with the colors, the textures, the yum factor of this yarn. I'm glad I sprung for it.
The hat was slightly obnoxious to make. Have you ever made a completely garter stitch hat in the round? I felt a bit like a belligerent child being forced to clean my room every time I had to purl a row. Why do I have to do this, is it really worth the effort? But, again, I made this over a year ago, and all strife was forgotten when I completed it and put it on his little head. It's still a bit big on him...
And because I just couldn't help myself, I took the leftover yarn and made him a pair of matching tube socks. I may make another pair using the colors inversely. They are, unfortunately, a slip-n-slide experience when worn on our tile and wood floors. I figure, it will be a good opportunity for him to hone his balancing skills and practice awareness (is that too much to ask of a 19 month old?).

And finally, the entire ensemble:

Pumpkin Longies (30 days till Halloween!)

My first pair of longies! We will use them for everyday cloth diapering, but I must admit that I made them post haste with Si's Halloween costume in mind. The costume will have a pumpkin theme (I'm working on the hat right now).
The pattern is named Booty Extreme Knit Pants. For anyone making this pattern for the first time, note that it assumes you know some basics and can figure out a certain amount on your own, Elizabeth Zimmerman-style. If you haven't done short rows before (the technique that allows you to get a nice round behind), this pattern won't teach you how, so consult the wisdom of the interwebs and look up a tutorial. The gauge was for 7 stitches an inch but I made mine with a 5 stitches an inch gauge. Because the pattern is so adaptable, it was quite easy to do the math and proceed with the different gauge.
I had originally thought I'd embroider little pumpkins or leaves and such things. I also contemplated crocheted pumpkin patches (pun intended) or felted do-dads. But frankly, everything I tried looked stupid. Finally, I decided to leave the longies as is. They're orange. They'll do the trick!

Si likes them too, apparently :)