Saturday, November 12, 2011

The Kitty Quilt


A while back a friend of mine asked my mom to make her a quilt with cats on it. Leanne bought the fabric and my mother (86 and bedridden) crafted the blocks by hand. I embroidered over every seam, put the blocks together and had it quilted. I brought it home and added the binding. Here is a picture of the finished product.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Variation of the Little Owl Sweater


I decided to play with the owl motif some more and put him around the bottom of another baby sweater. I like the way it mimics the hat.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Little Owl has arrived

I just posted the pattern for the Little Owl Sweater Set. I hope that it is free of errors. If you find one please let me know so I can correct it. The spacing is not what I would have wanted but try as I might, I could not close up some of the dead space. I hope you all enjoy the little owl as much as I have.

Little Owl Sweater Set Pattern

Size: newborn
Materials: Soft Sport Weight yarn
Size 3 needles:
one set of 24 inch cables
2 sets of 16 inch cables or one set of #3 straights
Cable needle
Yarn needle
7 buttons (7/16 inch)
Pattern Notes:
yo = yarn over
pm = place marker
The little owl is worked from the top down on the sweater.
Knitting Tip: When working a garter st button band, I find it helpful to use a stitch marker at the point where each band begins. It’s a reminder to make sure those 4 sts are always knitted.
Cast on 68 sts
Rows 1 and 2: work in k2, p2 ribbing
Row 3: Buttonhole row.
For a boy: K2, yo, K2 tog, Knit across
For a girl: K to the last 4 sts, K2 tog, yo, K2
Rows 4-6: Continue in k2, p2 ribbing
Yoke
Row 1: k4 (button band), k9 for front, pm, k6 for sleeve, pm, k30 for back, pm, k6 for sleeve, pm, k9 for front, k4 (button band)
Row 2: k4, purl across slipping markers as you go, k4
Row 3: k4, k to the st before the next marker, inc slip marker, inc, repeat across (total of 8 increases - 76 sts)
Work buttonholes after every 8th ridge on the button band.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 seventeen times. You should have 212 stitches and you will have worked a total of 3 button holes.
Sleeves (done on straight needles)
Knit across front to 1st sleeve. Taking a size 3 straight needle, remove the 1st marker and knit the sleeve sts (42) onto the straight needle, remove 2nd marker and leave all other sts on the circular needle.
Knitting now in rows on straight needles only, beginning with a purl row, knit 37 rows in stockinette st.
Decrease 2 sts in the last row.
Knit 12 rows in K2, P2 ribbing.
Bind off loosely in ribbing.
Note: If sewing the underarm seam leave an 18” tail.
I like to seam the underarm at this point. It makes for a smoother transition when you knit across to attach the fronts to the back.
Sleeves (done on circular needles)
Knit across front to 1st sleeve. Taking a size 3 circular needle (16 inch), remove the 1st marker and knit the sleeve sts (42) onto the shorter circular needle, remove 2nd marker and leave all other sts on the long circular needle.
Transfer 21 stitches to the 2nd shorter circular needle.

Rnd 1: Slide the sts on needle #2 onto the cable part of the needle and then drop it to the back. Using needle #1, knit the 1st 21 sts. Drop needle #1, pick up needle #2, and knit the 21 sts on needle #2.
Rnd 2: Drop needle #2 to the back and using needle #1, knit the 1st 21 sts. Drop needle #1, pick up needle #2, and knit the 21 sts on needle #2.

Repeat Rnds 1 and 2 seventeen times for a total of 37 rounds.
Decrease 2 sts in the last round
Knit 12 rounds in K2, P2 ribbing.
Bind off loosely in ribbing.
Pick up the longer circular needle, attach yarn (unless you used the alternate sleeve finish or the circular needle sleeve, in which case the yarn is already attached) and knit across the sweater back to the other sleeve. Finish the second sleeve as the first.
Note: When attaching the yarn under the arm, leave a long tail to use in stitching up the little hole that will be left when the sweater is finished.
Picking up the circular needles, knit across the sweater front. Turn work.
Next row: K4, purl across to last 4 sts, knit.
Always remember to work a buttonhole after every 8th ridge.

Body
Row 1:
knit across
Row 2: k4, purl across to last 4 sts, k4
Row 3: k10, p3 k8,p3 , k80, p3, k8, p3, k10
Row 4: k4, p6, k3, p8, k3, p80, k3, p8, k3, p6, k4
Row 5: k10, *p3, sl 2 sts onto cable needle and hold to front, k2, k2 from cable needle, sl 2 sts onto cable needle and hold to back, k2, k2 from cable needle, p3,** k80, repeat from * to ** k10
Row 6: repeat row 4
Row 7: k10, p3, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p3, k80, p3 k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p3, k10
Row 8: k4, p6, k3, p1, k2, p2, k2, p1, k3, p80, k3, p1, k2, p2, k2, p1, k3, p6, k4
Row 9: repeat row 3
Row 10: repeat row 4
Row 11: repeat row 5
Row 12: repeat row 4
Row 13: repeat row 3
Row 14: repeat row 4
Row 15: repeat row 3
Row 16: repeat row 4
Row 17: repeat row 3
Row 18: repeat row 4
Row 19: repeat row 5
Row 20: repeat row 4
Row 21: repeat row 3
Beginning with a purl row work 16 rows of stockinette stitch.
Work 12 rows of k2, p2 ribbing
Bind off loosely in ribbing

Weave in ends, stitch closed the little hole in the underarm, sew buttons on the button band opposite the button holes.

Little Owl Hat

Size: newborn
Materials: Soft Sport Weight yarn
Size 4 and 6 needles either straights or a 24 inch cable
(You will be working back and forth in rows.)
Cable needle
Yarn needle

Pattern notes: The little owl is worked from the bottom up on the hat.
Cast on 68 sts with smaller needles
Work k2, p2 ribbing for 3 inches increasing 1 st on each end of the last row.
Switch to larger needles
Row 1: right side (p3, k8) repeat across ending with p3.
Row 2: (k3, p8) repeat across ending with k3.
Row 3: (p3, sl 2 sts onto cable needle and hold to back, k2, k2 from cable needle, sl 2 sts onto cable needle and hold to front, k2, k2 from cable needle) repeat across ending with p3.
Row 4: repeat row 2
Row 5: repeat row 1
Row 6: repeat row 2
Row 7: repeat row 1
Row 8: repeat row 2
Row 9: repeat row 1
Row 10: repeat row 2
Row 11: repeat row 3
Row 12: repeat row 2
Row 13: (p3, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1) repeat across ending with p3.
Row 14: (k3, p1, k2, p2, k2, p1) repeat across ending with k3.
Row 15: repeat row 1
Row 16: repeat row 2
Row 17: repeat row 3
Row 18: repeat row 2
Beginning with a knit row work 6 rows of stockinette stitch.
Begin decrease rows:
Row 1: (knit 5, k2tog) repeat across
Row 2: purl across
Repeat these 2 rows with one less stitch between decreases each time until you complete the row (k2 tog across). Cut yarn leaving a long tail. Thread the tail into the yarn needle and weave through the remaining sts, pull up tightly and fasten securely. Sew the seam, reversing the seam when you get to the fold up part of the cuff.

Copyright 2011
Susan A. Coes
all rights reserved

Please respect my decision to provide this pattern free of charge by not selling copies or trying to claim it as your own.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Little Owl Sweater Set



I just finished my newest sweater set. I couldn't wait until I wrote out all the directions, so I am just sharing the picture right now. As soon as I get everything all written out, I will post the pattern. This one is done with sport weight yarn and size 3 needles and is newborn size.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Blessing Sets for Pomona Valley Hospital

I have been asked by many people about the patterns for the gowns I made for Pomona Valley Hospital.



The blanket pattern was a free pattern offered in a newsletter to which I subscribe. The pattern for the pink and white gown can be found here:
http://www.angelfire.com/va/afghans4angels2/NewbornBurialGownSet.html



The blanket is my pattern for the Snowflake Kisses blanket. The pattern is available here on my blog. The pattern for this little white gown is from Inknitters Magazine Fall '04 Charity supplement. It is available online here:






The pattern for this blanket is from a Leisure Arts Leaflet #3403, Cuddly Pooh Afghans for the Nursery. The third gown was designed by Barbara Wampler and she has since removed the pattern from the internet due to people's misuse - a sad but necessary thing to do sometimes. Thank you to everyone who has very kindly complimented me on my work. I firmly believe that when God gives you a gift it is your duty to share that gift with the world.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Erica's Scrap Quilt










Another Scrap Quilt





My niece, Erica is expecting her first child in June. Since she wanted to decorate the baby's room in bright primary colors, I decided to make her a crib quilt in those colors. I went to my mom's scrap basket and pulled out all the little pieces in red, blue, green, yellow and orange and set to work. I chose a modified log cabin pattern and crafted 6 inch blocks. I found backing material that was balloons in the exact same colors. The sashing is white on white with dots that seem to match the colored ones on the back. I finished it off with Prairie Points in the same primary colors.
































Saturday, February 26, 2011

Revising Snowflake Kisses Baby Blanket



I would like to thank Sandi for bringing to my attention that the directions for the Snowflake Kisses Baby Blanket needed some tweaking to make them more easily understood. http://needleworkersroom.blogspot.com/2008/08/snowflake-kisses-baby-blanket.html
To that end I have edited the pattern and printed the changes in red. The confusion came from the fact that the pattern repeat is a multiple of 8 plus 5. So strictly speaking, to count the stitches in pure mathematical form doesn't work. I hope this makes things a little more clear.




Thank you to everyone who has used my patterns and enjoyed them. It brings me great joy to be able to write them for you.