Introducing: "Chocolate Chip"

It finally happened . . . and I have been sooo slow to blog about it.

Cocoa Bean delivered her little (Crea) baby alpaca on August 25 in the morning.  A darling baby boy, which we have named "Chocolate Chip". 

Chip has four little white socks, a white headband and beard.  He is darker than Mom and it healthy and strong.

He looks more like his sister (Licorice Whip) than his Mother, even though his sire was an all-white alpaca.  You'll note the same white headband, although Whip only has one white sock.  We were so happy that Cocoa delivered early.  Her due date was September 2, and we were afraid that a delayed delivery would prevent us from attending the Mountainman Rendevouz in Ft. Bridger, WY.  This is an annual event we alway participate in.

Chip's arrival did not stop us from going to the Rendevouz, but Steve almost did.  He was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs just days before we were to leave.  But his doctor thought the rest would do him good, so we packed up and went anyway, just one day after he came home from the hospital.

These are all pictures of people I don't even know, but I thought their authentic dress was exceptional, and had to give you a looksy.

This is such a fun event.  All of the vendors must only sell authentic period type products, and all those who camp in the Fort, must stay in wall tents or tee pees, with no lawn chairs or coolers.  However, there are lots of venders selling wooden chairs and camp cooking cabinets, along with pottery, period clothes and hats, buckskin hides, and lots more.

Those who come in period clothing, receive free admittance.  This is probably the only reason that I dress in period attire.  This is not really my bag, but Steve LOVES it, so off we go.  We always camp in our 5th Wheel at the improved campground nearby.  Satellite TV, wi-fi, grass and modern bathroom facilities are a must for this girl.  We do lots of outdoor cooking and ride our bikes to the store for ingredients we may have forgotten.

Several years ago, I purchased a basket there, which quickly became the best portable knitting container I have every owned.  Since that time, with lots of use, the basket has started to breakdown, and I am fearful that the bottom will drop out at any minute.

This year I found that vendor again.  Yay!  I now have a new basket, and it cost a whopping $5.00.  This will probably be my last, as the vendor said she could not get them anymore.  I am planning to dye it and put a fabric lining in it.  I'm hoping this will help it to last longer.

Look . . . even Custer was there this year.

As much as I hate to include this picture, here we are, in all of our finery.  My kids couldn't believe that Steve's beard came in all-white this year.  Perhaps I will be making a Santa suit soon.  Note the new basket I am carrying, complete with knitting project inside.  Steve was really tired, so we spent a lot of time sitting and watching the sites.  This gave me lots of knitting time . . .

Here we are with our friends, Connie and Ralph.  Oops, I forgot to take off my watch (not too authentic).  We always travel with them, and we are planning a New England Cruise in October.  Now that is "my type" of a vacation.

I spent most of the weekend working on "Carmine".  Here she is . . . with the sleeves on holders and making good progress on the body.

This is a back view.  This pattern has been a real challenge, but it is moving along beautifully.  It am just about to switch the needles, to make the body shaping.  That was the real attraction of this pattern, as it is a sweater that really hugs the curves.  I can't wait to wear it, and I'm hoping it will hug the right curves, and not accentuate the bad ones.  Happy Knitting . . . . .

Vacation and a New Project

I recently spent 5 hot, sunny days at Lake Powell, in southeastern Utah.  It was a very relaxing time, with great family time, great food, great views and lots of hot sun.

We played in the kayaks, padeling along the redrock shoreline.

 We rode a tube behind the boat, and waterskied until we thought our arms would fall off.

We goofed around on the houseboat, and wore our swimming suits the entire time.

It was lots of fun!!

I had planned to start a new knitting project while we were there (Carmine, designed by:   Belinda Boaden - THE KNITTER, issue 25).  I had everything I needed, but found the pattern to be a lot more difficult to start, than I had anticipated.  I thought I was an expert knitter, but this pattern is truly testing my skills.  I ended up knitting a few small hats, and teaching Emery and her friend, Sierra, to knit little shoulder bags on knitting looms, for their DSs.

We are back to our real lives now, in beautiful Salt Lake City (picture taken by my niece , Annie Hall), and I have turned my attention back to "Carmine".

It was the waist shaping of this pattern that really caught my eye.  I wanted to learn the techniques employed to make this shaping happen, now realizing that the stitch pattern and sleeve increasing would be the real test of my knitting skills.

Several quiet evenings out on the deck, helped me to get started.  I think I have the stitch pattern in my head now, so it is just a matter of finding quiet knitting time, to really get things moving. 

I am knitting it out of the yarn suggested by Belinda.  It is truly beautiful, a soft blend of merino wool and silk fibers in a sock weight, that are truly a joy to knit with.  I just love this peacock shade, and I am really looking forward to wearing it.

I have a great view from my deck chair too.  August rains have brought some fun to watch clouds across our back yard.

. . . and our garden is thriving.  Lots of tomatoes, eggplant, beets, lettuce, squash, cucumbers, green beans, and strawberries.  However, these flowers happen to be growing on the other side of the fence.

I'll keep you posted on "Carmine", as she progresses.  I'm hoping that she will only get easier from here, and that I will be wearing her soon.  Happy knitting!

Poor Baby Sweater Pattern (Backzip Hooded Baby Sweater)

I have finally finished writing a pattern for the "Poor Baby" sweater.  It can be found at:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-poor-baby-sweater

My Mother taught me how to make this little sweater years ago, so we have been knitting it from memory for a long time.  I had received so many requests for the pattern, that I decided to write my own.

The pattern includes these three design variations, to give you a little variety, if you end up knitting a lot of these. 

I often need several of these sweaters at a time, and end up knitting them two at a time.  It is easy to put two on the needles together.  The only problem comes when your four balls of yarn (needed for four sleeves) get all tangled up.

If you are viewing this blog, and you are not a knitter, I do knit these "for sale".  They are $35.00, and I will custom knit one for you, in the color and style of your choice.  Please contact me at:  knitzillaknits@gmail.com.

You probably remember me blogging last Spring, about my friend Tiffany.  She was expecting a baby girl and wanted to crochet her blessing dress.  This is Lily Paige, who was born in May.  She has been my model for past posts, and the pictures I posted, weren't the most flattering.  Isn't she beautiful?  It helps to have a great photographer (Joy Bailey).

Tiffany worked really hard, with the finest crochet thread, to make this beautiful dress.  Lily was blessed in it in July.  I'm sure it has been carefully packed away for Lily's little girl to wear someday.

Look at the carefully crafted little ruffles.  This was a major undertaking, as a project to learn how to crochet.  I'm sure Tiffany could crochet anything now.  She has a good understanding of the pattern abbreviations, and a larger thread would now be a snap for her.

I thought this picture (taken by Joy Bailey) was especially cute, as it looks like Lily is tieing the ribbon.  Tiffany found the pattern for this dress on-line at:  http://www.lullabiesandlace.com/.  She said it cost close to $100.00 to purchase in it's completed form.  I'm sure she saved a great deal, by making it herself, and she has learned a life-long skill that she is sure to use many times in the future.  Well done Tiffany!  . . . Happy Knitting!

Easter Clothes for Children

I have been working away on designing a few new knitting patterns, which will be ready soon for publishing on Ravelry.  Because I cannot talk about these patterns, at present, I have resorted to blogging about past knitting projects, which have long since been outgrown and passed on to  younger children in the family.

Several years ago, I decided to make Easter Clothes for the two grandchildren I had at the time.  It was 2008, and I was looking for a fun spring-time project. 

I found this cute little dress pattern in the 2008 Spring/Summer issue of Vogue Knitting.  Since Easter comes with lots of sugary and chocolate treats, I thought a washable yarn would work best.  I chose Lion Brand Wool Ease, in this soft, buttery shade.  It worked up quickly, and satin was purchased in the same color to make a wide sash, tied in the back.



Rolled roses and green leaves were knit out of the same yarn, and added to this cute little straw hat.  After all, what is Easter without an Easter Bonnet?

The same satin was used to make a hat band, and Emery was ready for church.  I'm not really sure how she managed to get the beads to swing to side, while this picture was taken.

I thought Easton needed something to match, but I felt the yellow was too feminine to be used all by itself.  Since I knew that he loved to wear khakis, I decided to throw in a khaki colored stripe to this little "V" necked vest.  I didn't have a pattern, but simply knit to his measurements.  The same Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn was used, and its a good thing, because he had a heaping basket of chocolate eggs at the family egg hunt.

I've sewn Emery's Christmas and Easter dresses in the past, but since I truly love to "knit" the best, it was a fun change to avoid the sewing machine.  Since 2008, their Mother has been on her own for Easter and Christmas clothes.  Perhaps I'll get ambitious and design some knitwear for them for Christmas this year.

Many thanks to Gillian, in Canada, who is test knitting my new pattern, with variations for the "Poor Baby Sweater".  There are many drafts yet to go, but it should be ready for publishing in the Fall.  I have been taking classes and reading many books on how to create body flattering designs, and I hope to be ready to create some of my own soon.  In addition, I have been studying up on how to dye fleece, using all natural dies.  I'm not sure yet, if I will be very good at this, but our first batch of alpaca yarn (from our own Cocoa Bean and Licorice Whip) will be arriving from the mill soon.  Be sure to check out "Wool People", a collection of knits, all designed in "Shelter", a great new wool yarn from Brooklyn Tweed http://brooklyntweed.net/.

Cocoa Bean is getting a little grumpy, and the time for the arrival of her little one approaches (Sept. 2).  She has been expecting for a whole year, so I don't blame her for giving a few little extra kicks in Steve's direction.  We can't wait to see that cute little alpaca, and Steve has been doing some studying of his own, to be ready for the delivery day.  Licorice Whip is expecting a little one too, but she still has 3/4 of year until she'll be ready.

Heather had her baby, via emergency C Section last week, and she and her little baby, Easton, are doing well.  Easton's blessing outfit is nearly complete (seen in prior post), and should be delivered to her in a few weeks. Camille's baby boy will be arriving soon too, she was due the same week as Heather, so I'll bet she is more than ready!  She was the winner of the "Poor Baby Sweater" give-away held back in May.  I want to wish her the best!  You can check out her blog at:  http://camillescasa.blogspot.com/.  Camille is a Home Economics Teacher/stay-at-home Mom, so she has some great cooking, sewing and couponing tips for everyone.

Happy knitting . . .

Top Knot Baby Cap

As each of my grandchildren have arrived in the world, I have noticed that the hospitals now place a little cap on the babies, to help them keep their body temperature stabilized.  These little newborn caps, are usually just made from a tubular bandage of some kind, that is simply cut and tied in a knot.

Thus I felt the need to create my own little "Top Knot Newborn Cap".  It is a simple design, which can easily be knit in an hour, and it takes very little yarn (about 25-30 yards of soft, worsted weight yarn).  It is knit flat, and seamed up the back when finished.  It could also be knit on double-point needles, to prevent the seam.

The "top knot", is an attached I-Chord (knit on 2 - double-point needles), which has the end thread woven back in, and is tied in a loose knot.  I knit these in many colors (to match receiving blankets), for my newest grand-daughter.  My free pattern for these little hats, can be found at:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/top-knot-newborn-cap

She was born on a Friday evening, and was featured on the local news within hours of her birth.  Her Father is the Chief Meterologist at the largest television station in Idaho Falls.  And even though her Mother's hair was sticking up in the back, Nola looked great for her TV de'but.  She has become quite a little performer, so perhaps she will grown up to be a weather girl too, or judging by this picture, maybe the host of the "travel show".

Here is Baby Lily, modeling my latest creation.  I think we should have tucked her little ear in.  This would have been rather uncomfortable, if she had been required to wear it for very long . . .

She wasn't too happy about wearing it here, but then it was 90 degrees at the time.  Her six year old sister, Meagan was the photographer, and Lily was a little wiggly.  This little blue hat is going to Camille's new little guy.  I wish you the best, Camille, when your delivery time arrives.

Heather . . . if you are reading this, here is a picture of the blessing outfit for your little expected guy.  You may notice that the pants are missing.  Carissa is knitting away, to get them done before your little guy arrives.  I know that you have been put on bed-rest, and I hope you are doing well. I also hope that you are getting some cooperation from Ella.

Happy knitting . . . to all you expectant Grandmothers out there.

Lori goes to Camp and the Bubbles Headband

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a Girl's Rough-Out Camp.  We went to The Spruces Campground in the beautiful Utah Wasatch Mountains.  It was really pretty there, although the river was running really high, with all of the late spring run-off.  And, it was really COLD at night.  I slept with a sleeping bag inside of a sleeping bag, and a sweatshirt with the hood tied up tight.  But, the daytime temperatures were pleasant, and there weren't too many bugs.

We went on a grueling 5 mile hike the first day.  Here we are resting, after a steep, straight-up climb. 

I only lasted to the half-way point, when 8 of us, turned around and hiked back to the cars.  Six campers went on to Dog Lake, with our marathon-running leader, Lynnette, and one of the girl's Dad.  Lynnette and I are about the same age, but running has certainly put her in better shape.  I need to get working at that!

Fea, Noni, Alex & Clarissa

I was asked to develop a craft the girls could be taught.  I decided to design a simple crocheted headband, and a pillowcase with an iron-on stencil, colored by the girls.  Here they are working on those pillowcases.  The headbands were a little harder for them to master, but each of the Leaders made one, along with Alex and Courtney.  They were really quick learners, and Fea agreed to be my promotional model.  She wore my first sample on the hikes and throughout all of our time there.  It was a really good test, because she has the most beautiful, thick, curly hair, and the headband kept everything in place, whether her hair was down, or up.

Here I am, wearing the single row version of my latest design, "The Bubbles Headband".  It is a free pattern download at:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bubbles-headband.

Emily is modeling the double row version.  The headband is made by working single crochet stitches around soft rubber rings (1.5 inches). 

I didn't have time to do an extensive search for the perfect rings, so I lifted some "O" rings from my husband's auto repair supplies.  I'm not sure what "O" rings are used for in engines, but they work great in headbands.

I thought the headbands would work great to tame those shorter, fly-away hairs around the face.  In this picture, Alex had just played a tough softball game.  We tied the headband on after the game.  If it had been worn during the game, her ponytail wouldn't be such a mess, as it would have held those errant hairs in-place.

When the other girls on her softball team saw Alex's headband, they all wanted one, so I guess I'll be doing some major crocheting this weekend.  I hope my husband's supply of "O" rings holds out, and that he doesn't actually need any of them for making repairs.  I'm not really sure where you buy them, or what they cost.  I thought I would look around at Home Depot or Lowes, to see if a similar-type facet washer was available.

Oh, and by the way . . . Alex's softball team took First Place in their League.  They played all games without a defeat.  Congratulations everyone, including their newest team member, Tarzan!!  Tarzan was recruited when found hanging from a tree, when a home-run ball was hit.  Rosie went into fast action, and yelled, "Hey, cute guy, could you throw us that ball?"  They have been dating ever since.

Here are the supplies that are needed, along with a picture of a single row version, in process.

This pictures shows a double row version, and two single rows, with the ends woven in and one tie attached.  I was afraid that perhaps I was too old to be wearing such a hair accessory, but I decided to give it a try, and found it very comfortable.  I think I'll make me a few more, in various colors.  Happy Knitting . . .