baby t-shirt vest

After a few adjustments I think the pattern is ready! Milo wore the vest all day after our wee photo shoot and it was perfect for this weather plus it really stayed in place. Vests are great over onesies and add that extra bit of warmth without bulk. I don't think the pattern is hard but you do need to be familiar with working in the round and raglan increases. I'm a lazy knitter and don't like seaming. Also working in the round allows you to size as you go - for instance, you can make the body as long as you want here (we all know some babies have long torsos, or tire-sized bellies like my guy). The pattern would be a lot easier if there wasn't a buttoned shoulder, but at this age I like the extra space for getting clothes over a tender noggin'. I've tried to be as clear as possible, but if anyone has questions or suggestions or finds a mistake, please let me know!

Baby T-Shirt Vest

You will need:
DK wool, approx 130yds (I used 1 skein of Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Tweed)
4.5mm needles (16” circ and DPNs)
8 stitch markers ("pm" in pattern stands for place marker)
3 lengths of scrap yarn (for holding stitches)
2 buttons

Gauge 20 stitches over 32 rows = 4” square
Size is roughly 6-9 months, finished dimensions are: 9″ wide, 10” long (or longer – the body is up to you!)

YOKE
CO 68
R1: K8, pm, K1, pm, K18, pm, K1, pm, K12, pm, K1, pm, K18, pm, K1, pm, K8
R2: (increase row) *K to 1 stitch before marker, KFB into this stitch, slip marker, K1, slip marker, KFB into next stitch* repeat until last marker, slip marker, KFB into next stitch, K to end
R3: K all stitches
R4: (increase row) *K to 1 stitch before marker, KFB into this stitch, slip marker, K1, slip marker, KFB into next stitch* repeat until last marker, slip marker, KFB into next stitch, K to end
R5: K all stitches
R6: K4, P until 4 stitches remain, K4
R7: (increase row with buttonhole) K1, K2tog, yo *K to 1 stitch before marker, KFB into this stitch, slip marker, K1, slip marker, KFB into next stitch* repeat until last marker, slip marker, KFB into next stitch, K to end
R8, R10, R12: K4, P until 4 stitches remain, K4
R9, R11, R13: (increase row) *K to 1 stitch before marker, KFB into this stitch, slip marker, K1, slip marker, KFB into next stitch* repeat until last marker, slip marker, KFB into next stitch, K to end
R14: (buttonhole row) K4, P until 4 stitches remain, K1, yo, K2tog, K1
R15: (increase row) *K to 1 stitch before marker, KFB into this stitch, slip marker, K1, slip marker, KFB into next stitch* repeat until last marker, slip marker, KFB into next stitch, K to end
R16: K4, P until 4 stitches remain, K4
Break yarn (you have ended on WS). 124 st.

Next step, joining in the round. This looks tricky, but essentially the stitches on scrap yarn are the tops of the armholes and the CO stitches are the bottoms, which along with the regular stitches create the body of the vest. Once you join, you get to do some mindless knitting in the round – perfect for watching a movie with!

BODY
Here’s the set-up:
Place the first 16 stitches on scrap yarn. Start with vest yarn again and K32, turn work and continue in st st for 6 more rows (ending on the right side). Break yarn. Place the next 28 stitches on scrap yarn. Start with vest yarn again and K32, turn work and continue in st st for 6 more rows. DO NOT break yarn, but place the remaining 16 stitches on scrap yarn. With your vest yarn (that you have not broken!) CO15 stitches and continue knitting across the next 32, CO 15, and knit across the next 32. You have now joined the body and can keep knitting. For this size, I knit about 6” of st st before I started the bottom band.

If you haven’t CO stitches in the middle of a project before, there is a good tutorial here.

BOTTOM BAND
When you are ready to start the band, remember that you are knitting in the round and will need to alternate purl and knit rows. You may want to place a marker to remind you where to switch. Do at least 8 rows of purl and knit and bind off purlwise.

LEFT ARMHOLE (the buttoned/open side)
Transfer first 16 stitches on scrap yarn onto your needle, using vest yarn pick up 12 stitiches to get you to the middle of the armhole, pm, pick up another 12 stitches (24 stitches in total) and break yarn. Transfer the remaining 16 stitches from scrap yarn onto your needle – you now have 56 stitches on your needle.

With the wrong side facing you, join yarn.
R1: knit.
R2: knit to 3 stitches before marker, K2tog, KI, slip marker, K1, K2tog, knit to end.
R3: knit.
R4: knit to 4 stitches before marker, K2tog, K2, slip marker, K2, K2tog, knit to end.
R5: BO all stitches.

RIGHT ARMHOLE (knit in the round)
Place all 28 stitches from scrap yarn onto 2 DPNs. Determine the bottom center of the armhole and start picking up 12 stitches from this point until you reach the first DPN. Knit across all 28 stitches and then pick up another 12 until you meet up with where you started. PM.
R1: purl.
R2: K1, K2tog and knit to 3 stitches before marker, K2tog, KI.
R3: purl.
R4: K2, K2tog and knit to 4 stitches before marker, K2tog, K2.
R5: BO all stitches purlwise.

Weave in the loose ends and you’re done. No seams to finish, hooray!

brother love

Sadie is back to school and she comes home with a new drawing every day. The truly fantastic thing is that she puts Milo in each one! In the masterpiece above, she is a ballerina (of course) and when I asked what was on Milo's head, she matter-of-factly replied, "Mama, he's a cowboy". Well, of course - how couldn't I see that? I don't know why the arrows, the raining hearts, or the red clouds but I'm framing this one. It makes my heart explode.

Oh, and she also brought home from school a wicked cold which has chosen Milo and I as its current hosts. All crafting has been put on hold until I can distance myself from a kleenex box.

crafter's ADD

I've come down with WIP-itus. Starting everything all at once and not quite finishing anything substantial (the head kerchief was a much-needed fix to feel like I was completing something). In order: 1) a quilt top in crib dimensions, but mainly to be used on the sofa to save the slipcover from endless washings (Milo is a bit of a spitter); 2) the second t-shirt vest to test the pattern (and I've made an adjustment to allow for deeper armholes); 3) head kerchief to help with no-time-to-blow-dry hair days and 4) paint chips for repainting the kitchen. As for the paint, Sadie and I are leaning to the second from the top chip, called "mountain air" (we visited Ragdoll's BEAUTIFULLY renovated home and this colour graces her main floor - and we both thought it was lovely. Sadie talks very seriously about colour with me. She is definitely my girl.) Lots to finish and do - I mean, how does one paint with two small children around? Or baste a quilt?

Perhaps it's time to call in reinforcements.

operation: hide belly

I'm rather self-conscious about my belly these days. I admit, I was very lucky after having Sadie because my normal body returned quickly. This time...not so much. For example, I'm discreetly still wearing my maternity jeans. And it turns out that every non-maternity shirt I own is fitted, so unless I want another Old Navy salesperson describing me to my husband as "the pregnant lady", I'm not wearing them. Sewing machine to the rescue.

Both of these shirts are from the same Simplicity pattern (3790). I prefer the top one for the yoke, but the bottom one is getting worn more often. Also it's made from hemp jersey that I ordered from Gaia Fabrics, and I'm really happy with the fabric. It's a Canadian company and the colour is dyed to order (I chose "bark"). I'd like to order their heavy hemp jersey next, and perhaps some muslin for quilting (I'm only struggling with which colour to order). The other shirt is linen, also nice, and I went bias tape crazy after watching Angry Chicken's tutorial. Next on my sewing to-do list is a dress for Sadie for her birthday. How is it possible that she's turning 5? But hopefully by the time I get back to sewing for myself I'll be less worried about my belly. Meaning: time for the less-baking-more-exercise regime to begin. Bleck.

(P.S. the Baby T-Shirt Vest pattern is being written - I promise. I started over-thinking garment sizing, but I'm just going to post the 6-month size for now and work on other sizes after.)

have boy, will knit

Milo sure has become my little model. Suddenly I'm knitting way more for a boy than I ever did for Sadie as a baby - I think hearing that patterns for boys were harder to come by has challenged me deep down and I'm getting obsessed with what I can make for him. This vest idea has been in my head for a while and this time I actually kept track of what I did. I wanted it to have t-shirt styling and - of course - raglan seams. I'm pretty happy with it, though Milo needs a little more growing before he can wear it.

My big question is: would anyone be interested in the pattern? I'm going to try it once more with a different wool and needle size, and possibly ribbed edges, but my plan is to write up the pattern and make it available. Is it the kind of vest little girls and boys out there would like?

more raglan love

Yellow cardigan finished! I was inspired by Louisa Harding's "Geordie Stripe Yoke Jacket", but thanks to my baby brain, I didn't have the focus to follow the pieced pattern instructions. Enter the reliable raglan shaped, top-down method of knitting: I didn't have to think once the stitches were calculated, and it was very easy to pick up for a minute here and there. The yarn is Lion Brand Cotton Ease in soft yellow and gray. I know I can be a yarn snob, but this yarn is so practical and soft, plus it's really inexpensive. The palette is quite nice too, which makes it a great choice for baby items. The sweater is a little big for Milo now, but should fit him fine when the cool weather hits. And I think it is screaming for a matching hat...the kind with ear flaps and ties under the chin. This one perhaps? Or this?

t-shirt recycling

As soon as we knew our baby was a boy, Jay handed me some t-shirts to turn into onesies (to be fair, I had suggested the idea to him but the whole "boy" thing made it an instant good idea). I've been having a hard time getting into the sewing room, but over at least six 10-15 minute sessions, I finally got one done.

This t-shirt had already been cut down into the graphics from the front and back so I had to use other jersey to make the shorts and edging. I left the connection at the waist rough because it seemed to suit the shirt's style. And I tried to maximize the "Groo" graphics as much as I could, working some into a sleeve too. The onesie fits Milo really well and I agree with Jay - it's totally his coolest outfit. Now, only 3 more t-shirts to go!

road tripping

It wasn't anything like our vacation last summer, but road trips are always fun. And I can say this even with an 8 week-old and a car that seems no bigger than a Radio Flyer wagon.

For 3 days and 2 nights we covered a lot of Ontario ground, though it's pretty funny where we spent our nights. Yes, we live in Toronto, and yes, we stayed at a hotel in Kitchener. But they had an awesome saltwater pool and in-room movies, plus we didn't have to clean up after ourselves...which helped with the whole faux-vacation vibe.

As for the ground we covered: we checked out the Aberfoyle Market near Guelph, the undeveloped beaches and Heritage Main Street in Bayfield, the Bayfield Berry Farm, the manicured beaches and hexagon-shaped downtown of Goderich, the amazing Farmer's Market in St. Jacobs, the covered bridge in West Montrose, and we drove through the cute towns of Elmira, Elora and Fergus. We stopped at a few thrift stores, random antique shops and made the one stop that sent us on this journey in the first place - Elmira Stoveworks (we wanted to check out the retro fridge we've been debating for over a year). With all these stops it felt like we'd been gone for days.

Oh, and don't let the photo fool you - both kids had a great time. I think.

underachieving

Eight weeks has already gone by and like every mother before me, I wonder where the time has gone. Milo is wearing 6 month size clothes and is a solid, happy guy. Sadie is home with us full time and I'm slowly learning how to manage Milo's naps. But somehow this is all that I do, if you throw in a load of laundry a day and making sure we're all fed. Nothing else is getting done and I'm really itching to be creative.

Don't get me wrong - I'm savouring every moment of this babyhood, and I'm so much more relaxed this time around. And I love the funny little moments with a baby, like when Milo finishes eating and uses my boob as a pillow (officially the best use of a boob, second only to actually feeding offspring). I haven't had blue days or any sleep anxiety, I simply wish I could knit a little more. Sew a bit. Read something. Write thank you cards. That sort of thing.

Admittedly a tiny bit of knitting is happening, thanks to some car rides. The proof is in the final photo, and I really hope to have this cardigan finished tomorrow. I don't intend for the blog to become all about my kids (oh my god, I have "kids") so a finished project would be nice. As an added bonus, it also means I get to start something new.

market loot

Thanks to a post over at the lovely Needlebook blog, Jay and I were reminded of the Sunday St. Lawrence Antiques Market here in Toronto (funny how you forget the things that are the closest to you). With a small break in the torrential downpour last weekend, we finally made it down there, and were we ever glad we did, even though the rain caught us right at the end.

Sadie and I spent most of our time at one jewelry and button booth...I seem to have acquired a real soft spot for buttons these days.  But the booth had so many great picks, and I had a hard time stopping myself. By far my favourite are the enamel coated W.L.H.B. buttons - besides the great colours, the abrreviation stands for "Women's League of Healthy Babies". How very British, and how very wonderful, plus I think they could be used to make a great little series of...something. The red-headed doll is from the 60's.  We saw her from afar and just loved her colour and style, and the seller gave us a real deal for her and a pine chest from 1874 which is now housing all of our extra shoes. And by deal I mean $45 for a wooden chest, and that's right here in the city. Somehow we keep thinking we need to leave the city for those prices, but that's what is so great about finding the market again. Jay even grabbed a flip calendar to add to his collection, so he's so stoked by the market we're probably going again today. It's stroller friendly and a great outing. And seeing as I'm up with Milo at 6:38am, we could use an outing to look forward to.