The Baby Sophisticate

Sometimes this blog will be a place where I tell stories.  Sometimes I will try to teach you something to do at your home.  Sometimes, like today, I just want to share someone else's great idea. 

Our cousins started having babies this year.  For me, this means it's a great time to practice.  No, not on my mommy skills, but on smaller projects, baby-sized projects.  I made the above sweater a couple months ago for one of our cousin's new baby for Christmas. 

I've wanted to try knitting a sweater in one piece for a little while now, but wasn't ready to take on such a project on a me-sized scale.  The newest baby on my husband's side benefited from my learning on the Baby Sophisticate Pattern. 

I used Classic Elite's Sprout Yarn - which is soft, eco-friendly cotton and also machine washable - for this top down project.  After completing this short, but satisfying project, I think this may be my new favorite way to knit a sweater.

The Stash-Burning Project of 2010

Last winter, craving something chunky and warm to knit, I engaged in an epic stash-burning project.  One of my favorite wools for thick and quick knit scarves is Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride.  I don't love this wool only for the quickness with which it knits up, but also due to the vast array of colors available.

As you get to know me, you'll learn that color is something I crave.  Rich, vibrant colors, like those offered in the Lamb's Pride wool is exactly the kind of thing that excites me about new projects and over the years I managed to accumulate quite a number of not-quite skeins of this wool.  I kept buying it for scarves, hats, and other projects and the leftover yarn sat in my closet waiting for the right project. Last winter that project came.  After all my Christmas sweaters were complete I was looking for something with a shorter sense of gratification and started this granny-squares blanket project. 

Hello World!

Welcome to my new place on the inter-webs!   

This blog and my future Etsy shop have grown out of my hobbies. I have taken pride in creating beautiful objects for myself. Over the years, I've shared my talents with friends and family and have recently decided to take the next step and offer my work on Etsy as well. I would like to use this space as a place to track my work and tell the stories behind the pieces.

I'm a self-taught jewelry and knitting designer.  I've have recently settled in New Hampshire after traveling and living in many parts of the country.  I've always enjoyed writing and this may very well be a great opportunity for me to marry that love with my love of craft. 

I will be adding more over the coming days and weeks, but in the meantime, here's a quick glimpse at the type of knit projects (among others), that you can expect to find here:

Creating the items here has brought me great joy. Joy that I hope to share with you. 


Always,
Ali