Pretty and Practical

I love knitting practical things. Knitting, crochet, sewing and other crafts are all things I do for myself; for my entertainment and a little bit of relaxation. And I do believe it is completely valid and immensely important to take time for one’s self (and one’s sanity.)  I just really love having the added justification that the end product is something practical, needed and even completely necessary.

To that end, I completed two more diaper soakers for RM. I cloth diaper for a whole lot of reasons - the budget, her health, the health of the planet, less dependence on foreign oil (petroleum products involved in diaper manufacture), etc. Seeing as how our budget is extremely limited, however, for the most part I have only a few of the fancier cloth diapers and mosly just simple prefolds. Wool covers work great, breathe well and keep the skin healthy, but would also be out of range of the budget if it weren’t for the fact I can make them myself (and have a good time in the process.)

This one is doubly economical. The yarn is recycled from a sweater found for just a couple of dollars at a thrift store. There is a lot more of it than just this. For the dye I just used Kool Aid. I wasn’t completely thrilled with how the colors came out, but it’s pretty none the less. Several people have told me it makes them think of sherbert. I think of it as spring colors compared to this next one though.

This one is Lion Wool in Autumn Sunset. So I guess I’ve finished Spring and Fall soakers in the middle of summer. Both of these are basically from the Tiny Birds Soaker Pattern, with just a little bit of modification. I didn’t put quite as many rows in the back, and I did it in stockinette with the increases paired on the right side rows. This is a very nice, quick and easy pattern that results in a fantastic little soaker. The ruffles are fun, but the one without them works better under other clothes.

So now that I’m in good shape for soakers, I’m getting her ready for fall. I started a baby surprise sweater just a little while ago.

It’s a chunky yarn on larger needles, and I think the size is coming out good. I’ll probably need to lengthen the sleeves a little, and I’m thinking about adding a collar. I should probably focus on just finishing the main part of it first though. It is just crazy fun seeing how it works out though. It’s another one of those things I’d progress on more quickly if I could quit stopping every few rows to fold it up and admire it.

July 31st, 2007 Posted by Tracy | Knitting!! | 2 comments