creative friday...super cute summer vest/tanks!

i have gotten really into knitting vests & wearable lately; something a bit beyond the accessory dept...

mostly baby/toddler...  man, i can't help buy wish that i had gotten into this whole knitting thing just a wee bit earlier with all the super cute patterns i see for babes & babettes...

ah, well...there are always friends/sister-in-laws & grandchildren...!!

first up, a lovely rainbow vests...

this one you probably recognize as another 'simple vest'... really trying to cut the stash?? stripes are always a winner in my book...

this one ehren picked out after i made ev's first vest...  lance helped him choose something a bit more 'manly'. ;)

this one was a good pattern to ready me for the sweaters i plan on making our lot for christmas.  it involves seaming, 3-needle bind off & loads of picking up stitches...  took about 10 hours, but i made it a wee bit larger than the 4t so it will fit him through this winter & possibly even next fall/winter as well so it was worth it.

can you tell papa is making faces @ him?? ;)

this one is a 'pebble', i call it sweet baby blues...;) 

discovered this pattern while hunting for something to use up the last bit of mission falls that i had left over from ehren's vest... & fell in love!! 

this one i re sized to about fit a 9-18 month old or so, but it nearly fits ev!...

papa is trying to help her with her modeling poses in this one...like she needs it, right?!?

fruity pebbles; cast on just as soon as the first was off the needles!  (told you i fell in love!)

knit with rainbow-licious yarn from mama jude (on etsy), plant-dyed merino superwash....

we are usually a rainbow family, but on this one i think i actually like the blue cotton one better...

what do you think??

xo

creative friday & *free pattern*

it has been a long time since i have posted on creative friday, but i am excited to be back in the loop.  as you all know i LOVE creating anything & everything!!  felted soaps always seem to be on the horizon, so we'll start with those...

i did a lovely trade with another mama from our homeschool co-op.  she is already thinking of christmas & was interested in ordering a few soaps.  well, she is a cook & her specialty is tiramisu, which happens to be my husband's all time favorite dessert...  so we traded! ;)   3 felted soaps for one of her most amazingly delicious desserts...

a palm tree was her request, so i went with an a silhouette of two palms against a gorgeous island sunset.

a bird was her second request.  i call this one the "rainbow bird of happiness", after the most familiar "bluebird of happiness" that i have perched on our kitchen windowsill.

i need to restock on both roving & soaps, so @ this point i still owe her one. 

the chicken tractors??  i think we can count those as well...  woodworking, right??

and of course knit lovelies...

i have been making these vests on & off for the past month or so.  i LOVE them!!  so sweet & perfect & they go with everything!  the first i made for our daughter evyn.

this one was a special request for my sister-in-law.  she wanted a custom & slightly smaller one for a baby shower gift.  the yarn is 'rock candy mountain', from plum street fiber art (etsy).  it turned our absolutely gorgeous & so darn cute!

well, after falling head over heels with this pattern, then modifying it for babes, i decided to wing it & get a doll-sized version made.  as you can see, it turned out perfect!  so perfect, in fact, that i am including the pattern.

this size will fit a 12" doll perfectly, but i am thinking (& will next try) size #11 needles for a 16" doll.  it took just a smidge over 1 hour, which is always a nice touch! ;)

  

 look, mama & bebe vests...  i definitely think matching sets are soon to follow!  ;)

simply sweet doll vest
(scroll down for a downloadable pdf link ;)

what you will need:

worsted weight yarn, 0.7 oz/35 yds +/-

size #9 us needles

tapestry needles for weaving in ends

gauge, 5 sts & 6 rows = 1"

CO 48 sts

knit 3 garter ridges (2 rows in garter stitch = 1 garter ridge)

the body of the vest is knit in stockinette with 4 stitches on either side knit in garter stitch for border

knit in stockinette until the piece measure 4" from cast on edge

arms holes:

row 1) k12, BO 4, k16, BO 4, k12

row 2) knit to arm opening, then make 8 stitches, knit to next arm opening & repeat, knit to end of row

(56 sts)

**the rest of the vest is knit in garter stitch**

decreases:

1st decrease (right side facing)

- dec 11 sts evenly   *k3, k2tog*, repeat * 11x, k1  (45sts)

knit 3 rows

2nd decrease (includes button hole)

-dec 4 sts evenly     k2, YO, k2tog, k5, *k9, k2tog*, repeat * 3x, k1   (41sts)

knit 2 rows, BO, & weave in ends.

enjoy your new simply sweet doll vest!!  oh & i am adding the pattern to ravelry, so please do add your projects & photos once complete.  i'd love to see them!!

here is a pdf link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/212250526/Simply-Sweet-Doll-Vest

if you don't already have a Scribd account, you will need to sign up for one.  the good news is that they are *free*!!  :)

then you can print this pattern

happy weekend...xo

update on the chicken tractor...;)

so, the plan was to cut the coop in half  & make our third tractor.  well, it totally worked!  it didn't take long either, just a bit of planning here & there.  i wound up gutting the coop first thing.  then with just the frame in front of me, i would cut a board or two in half, add the supporting side bits & move along to the next chunk. 

ira (the neighbor who i bought this coop from) added a couple of 2x4x12's in to the deal (thank you!!!) as well.  between that, the plywood that we had leftover from replacing a bit of our bathroom floor &  the wood from the coop that i was able to re purpose....i was able top keep the total cost under $50.  i had to make one trip to lowes, & figure i spent $10 tops on latches, wheel bolts, washers & hooks. 

this is a side view.  the ramp, sliding door are on the right...the two doors on the back are for cleaning & food/water.

a view into the coop/cleaning door.  you might notice there are no nesting boxes.  i didn't bother with them in this tractor.  why??  well, other 2 tractors have them, but the hens lay their eggs anywhere & everywhere in the coop.  i still need to add a roosting branch.

this door is also for my cleaning the coop out...easy access, you know.

this is the food/water access door.  i put it under the coop this go round.  the other tractors have them hanging out front, in the run section, but the food ALWAYS gets wet when it rains.  thought i'd give this a go & see if it works out better...

now a lick of paint!!  unfortunately i was so excited about getting the chicks in their coop that i forgot to paint BEFORE i added the chicken wire...

this made things just a smidge bit difficult & a whole lot messier!!

 why yes, i am covered almost entirely in paint!!  & no, it did NOT come off in the shower...;)  but i suppose that is yet another perk of being a stay-@-home mama. ;)

 this finished tractor...
we had a bit of blue outdoor paint & some white, so the paint job is a bit hodge podge.  i am in the in the process of hunting down paint leftover that we can use to personalize the coop.  the blue is a bit calm & the white, MUCH too plain!!  i have plans for a cooperative collage with the boys & i &  whoever else happens to stop by on painting day...

side view...

but the chicks are absolutely LOVING it & that is what really matters, right??

 it was funny seeing them take their first steps on the grass, just little toddlers...

but growing ever so fast!!


and what or your "little ones"??