WE HAVE REACHED THE HALF WAY POINT

Section 4 has just been posted.  4 more to go!!!! I am enjoying this process, hope you are too!

-MommaBearKnits

The Journey has Begun:

My name is Butterscotch, I wish to announce that the long awaited journey has begun.  Enjoy!!!!!!!!

It is cool in Lake Country this morning, a good day for knitting.  

Announcement!

I am beginning a second blog http://mommabearknits2kal.blogspot.com/ that will concentrate on the step by step completion of my patterns and other hints that I think will be read and valued. I will begin with a step by step instruction series of posts that can be considered a KAL if you wish to join me. The Compass Patterns will be the first of hopefully many.  Please visit, and if you have the pattern please work along with me. If you have any difficulty with the pattern whatsoever, I trust you will visit and follow the journey. I will welcome your questions, your pictures, and of course, your comments as well. Follow me, I will start a compass pattern Monday, August 30.   After you see the pattern in progress, and if you want to purchase it visit my patterns on Patternfish, using the link to the right of the posts. 

The start has been updated: 

Begins Tomorrow on http://mommabearknits2kal.blogspt.com/

MommabearKnits, what else is new? The KAL Blog that is what is new.

Guess What? Mommabear is still designing

I am working on the baby cardigan/hat/socks that I displayed a few days ago.  Some progress has been made.  I am working on my fourth sample, and two sizes so far.  I have decided that the pattern will only be one version with the diamond lace border.  I have also named her, yes this one will be designed  for a baby girl.  But don't worry, there will be a boy version to follow shortly, perhaps it will have a reverse stocking stitch pattern instead of the lace.  Originally I was going to include both options in the same pattern but with the name I have chosen, it will definitely be a girls design.

"Miss Emilee"

I usually make several samples, working out the final version, when designing and then I knit several of the sizes when the design is finished for the photo opp.  Mommabear keeps on knitting. 
 -Mommabearknits

Junior Compass is available on Patternfish

Is there anything more to say: I think not!!!

Jumped the Gun I Guess!

I guess I should have realized that PatternFish has become a very busy site and it will take a few days for Junior Compass to be posted.  I should have waited a few days before displaying it on my blog.  Oh well, live and learn.  I am working on another pattern right now.  One that I have been visualizing in my head for some time.  If you follow my postings you will have seen that the first effort was frogged.  The second effort, NOT!! but it still did not completely satisfy my wishes.  It will be finished and hopefully worn by some little baby. 

I started it again and this time I am satisfied with the neckline, so hopefully I can move on to the finish line. 

The only thoughts I have with this one is that I should have worked the lace trim with a slightly smaller needle.  I do try to limit the number of needle sizes that are necessary in a pattern just for convenience of the knitter but the lace is a bit too loose for the body of the cardigan. 

I am moving right along with the pattern.

I am finishing the sleeve on the green one and I will try smaller needles to see how that works. 

Keep an eye out for Junior Compass, it should be on line soon. 

MommaBearKnits, what else is new?

TAAAAA DAAAAAA! Junior Compass

Will be up and running before the end of today.  Check out my patterns on Patternfish tomorrow.  I guess I am too anxious.  It is Tuesday night Patternfish is a very busy site, they will get my Junior Compass up soon. 

MommaBearKnits

Butterscotch approves Junior Compass #10-004

My name is Butterscotch and I am wearing the smallest size (preemie) Baby Compass and I am wrapped up in the largest (10 yrs) Junior Compass.  It is hot but I still wanted to have a hug and say goodbye to the big guy.   Junior Compass is suitable for both girls and boys, just place the buttons on the opposite side. Hopefully the pattern pictures will be finalized by tomorrow (Monday) and then it will be on Patternfish. 

Not a great picture but it is a great hug!

Now MommaBear will get back to her sticks and strings.  A new baby cardigan/hat/socks pattern is in the works.  Lot's of samples to do before MommaBear lets her patterns out in cyberworld for all knit -- I hope.

Visited the Frog Pond!!!!!

Yes, I called the Frog Pond Rep into my world to do the job.  I goofed with the numbers, even though I liked the overall look of my latest design project, I decided that the best decision was to frog it and start again. 

My number calculations were a little off and the fronts were a little too wide when the band was finished. 

Originally I worked the front band in a K2, P2 rib.  It did not grab me when finished so I went with a seed stitch pattern instead.  I like that better.  I still have to work out some calculations with the front lapel slant but I think this one will be finished, perhaps not the final version, but it will likely earn a spot in my craft show stock and hopefully will cuddle a tiny beautiful baby this winter.  It is worked in Cabin Fever Cotton Tweed DK.  I am still looking at doing the final pattern in fingering. 

Keep in touch, MommaBearKnits, duh!!!

Designing is my Passion

I have finished the knitting and sewing in the ends on 4 samples of Jr. Compass, now I just have to shop for buttons and then the pattern will be out there for all to see.  It will be uploaded to Patternfish Monday August 16 at the latest.

Now, I have been wanting to do another "Newborn - 18 Month" baby cardigan similar to Sam, Sadira, and Katie only with a more slanted front band and without a collar. 

Ta Da!!!!  This is my first attempt,

A little rough around the edges, but it is close to what I want

a little short but it is just a trial knit

my plan is to eliminate the collar, the problem is the cast on leaves a corner ridge on the edge of the neckline, this one is started with a provisional cast-on, seems to work better. 

It will be a little more complicated to write but I think it will work fine.  I do like the bottom edge pattern that I chose, I think that will stay.  When you do top down you have to choose a lace pattern that works when you work back and forth and also in the round for the sleeves.  At least without a collar, I don't have to consider how it looks from the bottom of the pattern up and from the top of the pattern down.  That can be a problem when there is a collar.  Also this one is not to girly, it should work for baby boys too.

The first (of many) attempts is being worked in DK, but I think I just may go back to my old love of fingering weight yarn.  I have always been a fan of fine yarn. 

As I have stated before and will state again -----

MommaBearKnits and Designs all the time. 

Baby Hats - Cannot begin to Equal the Baby

I received an email from Jennifer Sullivan the Photographer who purchased my baby hats.  I am proud as punch with the pictures she has permitted me to post on my blog.  Her website is http://www.jennifersullivan.ca/   If you go to her blog and scroll down you will see her post with these picutres and more.  Just look at these pictures, I cannot stop looking:

Truly now I know what the statement means "Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words".

I am at a loss for words, I have nothing more to say. 

Sock It To Me!

I have quite a few balls of  Bernat Jr. Jacquards in my stash.  I like it very much and have knit several baby cardigan/hats/sock sets with it and will likely do more.  I Pulled out a ball and decided to make baby socks for my craft sale stock.  When I make items with self patterning yarn I usually just let the colour changes happen when they want to but after I had finished the first two socks I realized that the pattern repeat was quite large and I wasn't really happy with the socks as a pair as the colour stripes were wide and not even the same colours appeared on such a small project.  But I also do not want to waste yarn trying to match up the pattern, so I just kept on knitting socks (tiny baby socks) and I expected that sooner or later I would have a pair.  Guess what, sock number seven was almost an exact repeat of sock number one.  So I just kept on knitting and as I completed each sock they became pairs.  I got to sock number eleven and was at the end of the ball.  I went back to my stash, checked out a few balls and found one that was almost at the same place in the pattern.  I think I only had to discard about 20 inches of yarn to get to the repeat of the pattern.  Now I have six pairs (matching pairs) of baby socks and one less ball in my stash.  The pairs are not exact matches but very close.  I have numbered them although they are not likely the order that they were knit.

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

Number 5

Number 6

I really am a sock nut but I am also working hard on my last sample of Jr. Compass.  When finish I will have four samples, out of the five sizes that the pattern contains.  I will have size 2, 4, 6 & 10 and a couple of hats to match very soon and the pattern will be posted on Patternfish as soon as the photos are finished.

MommaBearKnits on and on. 

Want to see another vacation picture:

Hope so ---- Because I want to show it!!!!!

Awesome Vacation

I toured Banff and Lake Louise over the last 6 days.  My Daughter and I visited my granddaughter who is working at the Lake Louise breathtaking hotel.  We spend our time touring the area, Lake Louise, Banff, Sulphur Mountain, The Ice Fields, etc, etc, etc.  I cannot even remember everything and all the places we visited.  I will have to sit down and study all the pictures to know just how many awesome adventures we three generations of loving women actually had.  Fabulous Fabulous adventure. 

My Daughter and My Granddaughter, I am sooooooo proud of them both.

This it one of the awesome views from the top of Sulphur Mountain, we travelled to the top by Gondola. 

Sunset on Lake Louise. 

These few pictures are just the tiny tip of the iceburg or I guess I should say Glacier. 

I am soooooo happy right now, tired, but happy.

MommaBearKnit on the plane ride home, awesome trip.