Max's hoodie - c'est fini!

Okay, I don't speak French, but it just seemed appropriate somehow.

At long last, here's the completed hoodie - front, back, and close-up of the pocket & placket:

And here's our model, Max himself, looking well-rested for his photo shoot this time (first thing this morning, and he wore the hoodie to school today).

I'm not really pleased with how the hood turned out, but I don't feel like doing it again. I think this is the only part that I wasn't very successful working out without a pattern. None of my books have hood patterns, and the free patterns I looked up online just had you knitting sort of straight. In this case, it ended up too narrow and when the hood is up, it forms a sort of point right on the top of Max's head.

Perhaps it's just one of those touches that makes it charmingly homemade? Or I'm just fooling myself. In any case, Max seems to be pleased with his hoodie.

Specs:

• Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Yarn in Pale Blue (Max picked it out at JoAnn's) - most of two big skeins
• Pattern: Started with the idea of Debbie Bliss's Bill sweater, but ended up with my own creation, based on sizing and directions for basic sweaters in The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns.
• Needles: Addi Turbo circulars, size 7
• Modifications: All of it, basically. A made-up pattern of garter stitch hem, side vents, and neckline, K3P1 ribbing for the body and set-in sleeves (my first sleeves!), a kangaroo pocket, and a hood. Had to do the sleeves twice to get the length right, did the hood twice but didn't quite get it right. At least it'll stretch to cover.
• Things I'd do differently: cast on fewer stitches for the garter stitch hem, or increase for the ribbed body - it's a little wavier than I'd like on the hem (I did the fewer stitches & increase for ribbing on the sleeves and it turned out just right for those cuffs). Oh, and obviously I'd re-do the hood one more time to get the right shape & length, but I already weaved in the ends and I just don't feel like trying to undo it now.
• Overall satisfaction: High! I like it a lot, and Max seems to like it as well, and I learned so much on this project. I might be ready to tackle something with sleeves for myself now. I also feel very pleased that I did it without a real pattern too. Maybe I'm an honest-to-gosh real knitter now!

Okay, really truly, almost done with the hoodie

You know how you get so focused on finishing a project that you forget to check if it's shaping up correctly? Well, I do ;-). I was happily knitting up Max's hood, just straight up for 12 inches, and then when I folded it over to check how it would fit, realized, hey - heads aren't straight! So, I've ripped/frogged/pulled out 8 inches of stitches, and reknit, increasing a couple or four stitches every few inches to give a little bit more space for his noggin, and now I'm back to...just an inch to go! Plus weaving in ends, of course. Always fun to do stuff over...

Max's hoodie is nearly there, plus Whistler pix

Well, it's got a front, a back, two sleeves, and a pocket. It's blocked, and sewn together, and now all that is left is the hood. Got 3 inches of it so far, so it looks a bit like a sailor collar. Cute! Tempting to stop there, but then it wouldn't be Max's hoodie, now would it?

Here's the sweater while blocking:

And here's the real thing, being tried on by the cutest (and sleepiest, it was bed time) model ever:

(The bulge in the pocket is the extra yarn, just a little attractive detail for the photo - oops.)

Stay tuned for the finished product soon!

Here are some cute snaps from our Whistler trip. Max & Colin (the day we wore Max out with all the walking around):

Abbey & Casey in the gondola going up the mountain, before Casey really realized what he was in for. I guess 25-minutes-each-way mountain gondola rides aren't quite so fun for someone not fond of heights.

And here's me, wandering off path a bit - wanted to see what was on the other side of the rocks, and hey, it's mountain vistas!

So ugly it's cute, or just plain ugly?

So, I got this yarn. It's a little homely. Just a funny color combination (what looks grey in the picture is really olive-y/dusty green, then there's that mustard yellow and rosy pink). But it was $3/ball at Ben Franklin, and I was tempted. I think it's so ugly, it's cute, but others have their doubts. What do you think?

I'm using it anyway (it's Skacel's Schulana SuperCotton), to make into this: Elisa's Nest Tote. I think it's turning out great. The yarn is fun and stretchy and oh, the wild color combo. Wacky!

Oh, and did I mention that I went back and bought the rest of the balls they had (only 6). Not to mention, I'd also bought two backup yarns, in case I didn't like that one.
Hmm. I think I officially have a "stash" problem now. AKA, big useless piles o' yarn waiting to be made into something. Plus, too many projects on the needles. Max's hoodie is waiting for me to figure out if I've messed up the sleeves. Then I'll get going again. I've given up on the felted bag for now, cause if you do combined knitting, and you knit in the round, you end up twisting stitches all over the place. Yick. So, I went to "regular" knitting and it's slower and frustrating. So, sitting on the needles, gathering dust, until I decide that I should just knit it flat and seam it.

Aside from that, some more quilted postcards. One for Teri:
And one that I think I'll keep:

We've been busy making stuff this summer! Here's a snap of Max relaxing after a hard day of berry picking and jam making.

This batch set up. Yay!

Trip to Boise and Yet More Postcard Quilts

We had a grand visit in Boise at the end of June. Max sure enjoyed his cousins. Here they are gathering candy from the pinata at Fiona's b-day party.

Here's some sprinkler action in Whitney's backyard:

And here are Brooke & Max enjoying some popsicles on Grammy & Pop's back porch. Yum!

I think Max thought we should spend the whole summer there. Nothing but fun!

I thought this was a nice shot of Mackenzie...

And Diane indulged me in my need to make jam. Yum again. Too bad it didn't set up, it's more like strawberry sauce. Hmm.

I'm still enjoying whipping up little postcard (well, a little bigger) quilts. I made one for Colin for Father's Day and made this one for Mom for her birthday:

And Max's blue hoodie sweater is coming along nicely - got the back done, most of the front, and then I'll tackle my first-ever sleeves & hood! Should be fun.