Pulli

We went on a weekend vacation, and I was determined to finish this pullover for Cupcake. Started in mid May, it was high-time it was done. I have a big finishing problem, but it is getting better.



Again, another top-down pattern and this one is from Knitting Pure and Simple. Mine was supposed to look something like this (Ravelry link), but I made my own concoction (!) I was worried I would run out of yarn, so I shorted the sleeves. I also made a split roll neck--see details at the end of this blog post.



One sec. Didnt I just say I was worried of running out of yarn? Then who is the peeking behind Pulli?



Its a hat. In the beginning, I was so bummed out that I had underestimated the yardage. Pulli's sleeves must be pissed. Anyway, I decided to make a hat.



I might be exaggerating due to sheer joy, but this hat pattern gave the best crown decreases ever (use Version I of the pattern). I hate it when baby hats turn out like couch potatoes. All lumpy and shapeless on the top. And of course, for extra flavor, I added buttons from stash. I am glad I did--the project was looking a little lifeless without them.



Pattern for Pulli: Baby Pullover #214
Pattern for Pulli's Hat: Purple Baby Hats (Version I)
Size: 6-12 months
Yarn: Filatura Lanarota Chaco
Needles: US 8 and US 6 for ribbing
Modifications for Pulli:
1. Shorted the length of the sleeves--I knitted until I finished decreasing four times.
2. I read on Ravelry that for some, the neck was too tight. So I decided to make a split neck by picking up stitches at the neck, but not joining in a round.
3. Added buttons for extra accent interest.

Granny and Grand-Baby

Thank you very much for your best wishes--both here, on Ravelry, and via email. We really appreciate it. Many of you want to know the flavor of our cupcake--we wont know until Cupcake arrives!



In the meantime, I am doing a little bit of crafting. This blanket was not the first project to be cast on, but it was the first to be finished. I think that is kinda cool--the first crochet technique I learned (I think I must have been six?) was the good old Granny Square. And I learned crocheting (and many other crafting addictions) from my mom. So this project is a thank you to my mom. Hence it is called "Oh Granny! It is a Grand-Baby Blanket!"



I am not good at making baby clothes in traditional baby colors. Not that I dislike baby colors. I am also not good at making baby clothes in "babyish" patterns. Again, I love the frills and fancies--I think for that I would invest in store bought things...I am too preoccupied making little baby-adult clothes.



Though I have tons of Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece in stash, this is the first time I have worked with it. I liked this yarn for this project for two reasons. One, the stitch definition is just amazing. Second, it is the perfect blend of wool and cotton for all-year blanket needs.



I also liked how the yarn worked with the pattern. I wanted a tighter (but very comfortable) gauge, so I used a 4mm hook. This defined the corners of the square, without really enhancing it. At the end, the project looks like a three dc in space blanket, and also as a granny square. Or at least that is how it looks to me...



But can you tell how there is a shade difference for about two rounds? All the yarn was from the same dye lot, and I have no idea how this happened. Well. If this was store bought (and not handmade), I would have got very annoyed and promptly returned it. But since it is handmade, it is all about character. It is.



Pattern: Grand Granny Square Afghan by Lion Brand Yarn
Yarn: Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece in Slate Charcoal
Hook: 4mm
Modifications: The last round was of single crochet, with three single crochets in the corners.

And one cupcake in the oven.

What is the most frustrating thing about handmaking baby clothes? I never know if it is big enough, small enough, fitting enough... Grr. So I asked Suketu if we could just have our own model, and he thought it was a splendid idea.

So our cupcake arrives in the end of October. And you must know by now how much we love cupcakes.

Guilty as Hell.

Fine. I am back in the US. And I dont have any India pictures. Zilch. My brother took some for me, but he is currently holding them ransom.



Maybe we should talk about crafting then. Blogger friend and fellow crafter, Mazhalai, is having a baby (yeah!) boy and this is what I made for the little fellow.


Stashbusting is the new name of the game. I had 1.5 skeins from the Blue project, and this worked just fine for this baby kimono. I just made the sleeves shorter.


This is a super easy project and of course, it has got to be top down. (I think I am officially a top down snob.) I didnt have two identical buttons in my stash so I used what I had. Well, babies can carry off all kinds of fashion.


Pattern: Baby Kimono Wrap
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, 1.5 skeins
Hook: 5mm
Size: 6 months
Modifications:
1. The yarn was too heavy for hdc, so I did the entire project in dc.
2. Worked the sleeves until I ran out of yarn.

The case of lost postal mail.

Lots of news.

Firstly, Whipup showcased my two baby sweater patterns. Here and here. I got the biggest (pleasantest) surprise when I got emails from friends saying that they "read" about me. Really? Gee.

Am I now officially famous? Humor me.

Secondly, I am in India! Got here yesterday morning. More updates as the month passes.

Thirdly, the South Asian Crafters swap at Ravelry. My swap partner, Josie, made me this beautiful lace scarf--it is going to be perfect for this fall. I love purple, and cant knit lace. This scarf is just perfect for me. Again, thanks Josie!





And this is what I made for Josie. Which never reached (!) It was returned to me the first time, and the second time, it was sucked into the postal mail black hole. I am still grieving. Why, tell me, why? Anyway, I am going to make something else for Josie and mail in the next coming month.



The project consists of a place-mat and four coasters crocheted with good old hardware twine. The twine is a killer on the fingers, but the finish is just amazing. Suketu wondered where I bought the place-mat, so thats a really good verdict.



I got the pattern for the place-mat from one of the volumes in an old crafting series I collected years ago--Stitch by Stitch. Published in the 1980s, sadly the series is now out of print. The coaster pattern is from Crocheting School--it is the pattern for crocheting in a spiral. The stitches in both the mat and the coasters are made in the back loop, so as to get a flatter, more stable surface.



I have never added beads on a knitted/crocheted project. I sewed on beads on the mat edge and added some at the end of the coaster spiral--I think the beads have their own whimsical personality. All in all, this was a fruitful project. ('Tea-Time" comes to mind). I just wish it was more fruitful by actually getting to its destination! Well.





Pattern:
Place-mat from the Stitch-by-Stitch Series (published in the 1980s)
Coaster design (how to crochet in a spiral) from the book Crocheting School
Yarn: Local Hardware Twine
Hook: 6mm

Decor for your hands

You will not believe it. I finally have projects to show and the weather here has been gloomy. No photographs, and so no craft related blog posts.



Anyway, it is a good time to address some old questions. I received some emailed after I posted these pictures last year -- about the "color" on my hands.









Thats Mehendi. A beautiful way of decorating your hands and feet. One needs tons of creativity and a steady hand. For best results, ie, for a rich, dark-brownish maroon color:

1. Get it done about two days before your event (I could do it only a day before). The color deepens over time.
2. Once dried, with cotton balls, periodically dab a concoction of lemon juice and sugar. Also, heat your hands over a low-flame lit stove top. Its all about the color, baby!
2. Leave on the henna overnight. Longer the better.
3. Have no contact with water during this time. Or any liquid. If you have to, once the henna has dried, tie plastic bags around your hands and feet. Yes, I know. Taking a shower this way is tricky, but there are crazier lengths people go in the name of beauty. Or obsession.
4. Some people suggest that once the henna has dried, to tie plastic bags around your hands and feet (that is, when you are not in the shower or brushing your teeth). You DO NOT want to do that. This leads to sticky wet hands...and you do not want any contact with sweat (aka water!). When you go to bed that night, the dried henna is going to flake off and make a mess on your sheets. So spread out an old sheet you are ready to give up on.
5. Next morning, rub off the henna. Vola. Stare at your artwork. It is only going to get better. Dont get alarmed if the color on your feet, back of your hands, and arms turn out lighter than the palms of your hands. Thats normal.

Of course, I am sure there are a thousand more tips out there. Please feel free to add in the comments section.

My talented cousins-in-law were the artists. I wanted a super intricate, Indian-style design (I think broadly, there are two styles--Arabic and Indian. Of course, there are further divisions in terms of region, etc). These are pictures during and right after the Mehendi was applied. When it is wet, it looks like "gunk". Suketu thought it was the final result, and kinda freaked out. The next day, he was happily taken aback.

Finally. A Crafting Update.

Just when you thought I dont craft anymore. (Or just when I was thinking I dont craft anymore).



At the Fair and Square (Cross-Stitch) Exchange, my swap partner, Susan, made me these beautiful squares. I really like the two toned cranberry color she used. I am yet to decide what I will make out of these squares. Maybe a wall hanging? Thanks Susan!



For Susan, I stitched a pattern out of Cross-Stitch Designs from India by Carol Phillipson. If you are into cross-stitch, this is a beautiful book--it has very intricate and wonderful India-inspired designs.



I decided to make the design one solid color and of course, it had to be red. Bright red. Its amazing how fast the pattern works up when you dont have to change colors. In the beginning, I was not very confident that it would end up looking appealing...but eventually, it did.



Pattern: From Cross-Stitch Designs from India by Carol Phillipson
Thread: Red in DMC