Zebra Striper: February 2008 Archives

Time is short tonight.  So a picture is going to have to provide most of my words.


Zebra Striper Socks, 6-9 month size.  Dale Garn Baby Ull 100% merino superwash yarn.   I did the two color work holding both yarn strands in one hand (continental style) with the help of a little tool from Clover that you wear over your index finger and it keeps the two yarns separate.  I've tried the two handed thing and English style knitting, for some reason, doesn't come very naturally to me.  As you can tell from the fact that I'm posting them today, this pair of baby socks is a quick knit, and I enjoyed watching the color work come together into a recognizable.  It was a nice warm up for the main event.

We're packing up Zosia and heading for the warmer weather near Naples, Florida next week -- I always like to have a special pair of socks when I get on an airplane, and these little socks will be Zosia's first special pair for a trip (maybe I'll even get a picture!).  I've decided I'm taking a little project for me with me on the trip.  But a little dress will be next up once I get back.  A happy healthy next 10 days or so to everyone.  I don't think I'll have much Internet access while we're away from home.

Look what fell into my shopping bag on a recent trip to Madison (and a follow up online shopping trip to Webs).  Yep, it's a riot of color in Baby Ull (superwash merino yarn by Dalegarn).  Whenever I visit Madison, my good friend Judy gets me all inspired by multicolored knitting.  She has a baby 3 months older than Ms. Z and on our visit we set off to Lakeside Fibers (a very cool yarn store with it's own coffee shop in the back), wherein we perused the Dale of Norway baby garment pattern books. 

One little sweater, the Zebra Striper (above) caused me to lose all control and buy up as much Baby Ull as I could find. (And the pattern book, too, which is Dale of Norway, Favorite Baby Designs Nr. 8101)   Of course, they didn't have all the colors I needed, so I had to browse around the web to find the rest of what I needed.  And then, after I got to Webs, it seemed a waste of all that shipping money to buy just 3 skeins of Baby Ull, so I bought enough to do the sweater, dress, hat and socks in the 2 year old size (I may be crazy, but at least I am realistic about finishing times) .  I figure anything worth doing is worth doing in a somewhat obsessive compulsive manner, and if I am going to try out two color knitting, I might as well go for it.  This little garment set seemed like a good start -- all the pieces have some two color components, but none of the garments is entirely two color.  And the dress and had have this sweet lace edge trim on them. 

And I'll be honest, something about the look on the face of the baby in the photo really melted my heart.  She reminds me a little of my own baby, I guess, and the idea of seeing Z in something so precious knit by me inspired everything else.   It's hard to feel quite as grey in the face of such lovely bright colors, so, for that reason too, it was the perfect shot in the arm against that midwinter blues that seem to have grabbed me pretty hard this winter. 

So, crazy or not, here I come!  Baby's going to have some new socks soon (the socks only go up to a 12 month size and it seems like it would be easier to make a pair of socks than to swatch in the round for the project).