Category: things for babies

A handknit brioche baby blanket in gradient stripes of greens, pinks, blues and purples. It is 30 inches wide by 33 inches long.

In Which the Pirate Finishes a Blanket.

First project of the year is off the needles: the brioche baby blanket is done! It came out a little bit longer than I’d planned, but I wanted to use the full colour repeat on both balls of yarn in order to get a fully reversible blanket in both directions. The two-colour brioche was a lot of fun to knit: just challenging enough that...

A wrap-around baby sweater in tonal aquas and blues, with two bright yellow crocheted buttons.

In Which the Pirate Knits a Tiny Sweater.

I actually knit this sweater early last year, but the baby only just made an appearance a couple of weeks ago, so it’s been a secret ’til now… The pattern is the Lilly Sweater, which seemed like a good way to use a skein of cotton-blend sock yarn and practice machine knitting all at once. I used Plymouth Sockotta, which I used to knit...

A brioche baby blanket in gradient stripes of greens, pinks, blues and purples, next to the two remaining balls of yarn for the project.

In Which the Pirate Stripes a Blanket.

The brioche blanket continues… I’m just over the halfway point (where the colourways crossed, in the dark blue section). The colours are even more vibrant in person, and I am really enjoying knitting this. It’s been a perfect project for knit nights and football games, because it doesn’t take much attention. Except for the brief moment where both strands of yarn were the same...

A brioche knitting project in progress. On one side, it is ribbed in pink with green and blue in the background. On the other, it is green and blue ribs with pink in the background. The balls of yarn, showing the gradient from green to blue to purple to pink, are lined up on the table.

In Which the Pirate Works on a Blanket.

A friend announced that she was expecting, and my first thought was that I should knit a blanket – because even though I’d long sworn off any obligation to knit for babies, that was before I had a knitting machine, right? I could crank out a blanket so fast, I told myself. It’ll be like nothing, I said. No problem at all, I said....

A baby wearing a bright red pointy hat smiles at the camera.

In Which the Pirate is Grateful.

About eight years ago I knit a hat for a friend’s baby, and this week I found out that it’s been passed along to the newest member of the friendsgroup. What a wonderful feeling to know that things I’ve knit are being worn, kept for the next kid, and being worn again! And what an absolutely adorable model: The pattern is Gnome Baby by...

In Which the Pirate Finishes Two Sweaters.

In Which the Pirate Finishes Two Sweaters.

At this point, there isn’t much left to say about these sweaters, is there? When Dave and Sam announced that they were expecting twins, I knew that I’d be knitting matching sweaters for my niecelets. I didn’t expect the sweaters to put me off knitting for a few months, or that they’d make me swear off knitting for babies altogether. Don’t get me wrong,...

In Which the Pirate Tries to Catch Up to the Tour.

In Which the Pirate Tries to Catch Up to the Tour.

Since I finally finished the Hexagon Blanket and gave it to my friend – who, by the way, absolutely loves it – I gave myself a day off from responsibilities on Sunday and let myself spin as much as I wanted to. I’ve really missed the quiet meditation of spinning. This fibre is some merino pencil roving that I bought at last year’s MD...

In Which the Pirate Finishes.

In Which the Pirate Finishes.

The blanket is finally, finally finished! I crocheted like a madwoman through yesterday afternoon and into the night. This morning I worked the last edge of the border and did a crazy dance throughout the house shouting “It’s done, it’s done! I’ve done it!” And just in time, too – thanks to my incredible speed when I’m crocheting under pressure, I’ll be able to...

In Which the Pirate Concentrates.

In Which the Pirate Concentrates.

The management would like to apologize for the lack of content and especially for the lack of today’s Feline Friday. The Pirate is busy crocheting as fast as she can, as the hexagon blanket’s due date is suddenly tomorrow rather than Sunday. (Not to mention, the cats wouldn’t cooperate for the camera.)

In Which the Pirate Hurries.

In Which the Pirate Hurries.

Eleven hexagons and one border left to make. Seven days left to do it. Of course it’s my own fault I’m so far behind, but still, grrr! Pirate-Husband suggested that I make it a small blanket, but honestly I think right now it’s just too small to be good. Unless I make a really big border, and then it will be a long rectangular...