Beginnings and Endings

I came just mere stitches from finishing the Spring Garden Tee that I've been working on all month. Last night I was finally able to bind off the body. I also took the sleeve stitches off the holders and knitted them up. The final piece would have been to pick up stitches along the neckline and purl a row then bind off. All that stockinette, however, made for a crazy curly mess and I was kind of dreading those pick-up stitches. I recently read this post from the Yarn Harlot where she talks about how she blocks all the pieces of a knitted garment before sewing things together or picking up stitches for a button band. So I blocked instead. 

The Spring Garden Tee is now currently in my sophisticated blocking area (a towel on the guest bedroom floor), drying. I've pinned the neckline flat in hopes that this will make picking up the neck stitches easier.  The lace on the sleeve portion also looks much neater now. 

I can't wait until it is dry enough for me to try on. I did try it on before blocking last night but it still had its curly look.

After I had this laying out to dry last night, I (of course) decided to cast on for something new. The Baby Sophisticate pattern is a sweet little jacket made out of a heavy worsted yarn. I had been thinking about it for a few days now and thought it would be just right for Baby H who will be joining the world in October. Choosing a yarn for the project was the hard part (or so I thought). I wanted something machine washable and rich in color for this little boy. It was then I realized that I had a few skeins of Spud and Chloe Sweater in Rootbeer in my stash. Perfect. It's machine washable and made of an organic cotton/wool blend. I'm sure this will work up quickly.

I stopped into my favorite LYS today to pick out some yarn for Baby S who will be born in (the sweltering heat of) August in California. I will be crocheting this blanket and kind of have a pattern in my mind that I may try to work up. I wanted colors that were boyish (what's with all the boys?) but that would still be modern and fun. 

I chose five skeins of Berroco Comfort, my new favorite acrylic/nylon blend yarn. This yarn is not only machine washable, but oh-so-soft. After being worked up, this yarn still maintains a cool feeling which I thought would be beneficial since summers in Fresno can be like living on the face of the sun.

Timber helped me set the yarn up.

Then got fed up with all the work.