I started this one on vacation, put it down for a while, and then picked it up again a couple of weeks ago. Its the "Birdy Cardigan" from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies (minus the birdy motif), knit in Louisa Harding Lanthe, a cotton/extra fine merino wool blend, in the color raffia.

As I was finishing up the second sleeve and preparing to piece everything together and add the neckband I glanced down at my dwindling last ball of yarn and had the sinking feeling that I was going to run out. I checked the yarn label and the pattern and realized that while I had gotten the grams right, I had overlooked the yardage necessary and would most likely run out. I really didn't want to order another whole ball of yarn just to make three more rows! So I went ahead and made the neckband about half the thickness that it was supposed to be. This meant I didn't have room for the last buttonhole/button, so I just left it off. Who buttons the last button anyways, right? Not me.

I've loved all of the patterns in this book so far, but this one was just alright. I preferred the top-down raglan that I knit for Indy a few months ago. I'm not very good at piecing things together yet, so that's probably why. The mattress stitch on the sides was easy enough, but I was unsure of how to do that stitch along the increases under the arms (notice the waviness?), and of how to pick up stitches along the angled front of the neckline. I do like the look of the seed stitch edges, though.

It should be just the right size to fit Tenny in the fall/winter.

I took a short break from knitting during the whole "move-out-and-live-with-your-in-laws-while-trying-to-close-on-a-house-and-simultaneously-birthing-a-baby-athalon-2013," but I finally picked up my needles while we were on vacation several weeks ago, and it motivated me to go ahead and put the buttons on some previously finished projects when I got home. 

I was originally planning on ordering some little wooden buttons for some of these things, but I decided to go ahead and pull buttons from my vintage stash instead (plus Tenny was practically going to grow out of this one before he could wear it if I didn't just finish it!) This is the ever popular pebble vest, which I knit in worsted fisherman's wool instead of DK, and something like size 6 needles. I was hoping it would turn out a little bigger than the pattern so that it would fit him in the fall, and hopefully it still will even though he has doubled in size (!!!) since he was born. 

These next two are both from this book, which I am obsessed with. Seriously wonderful patterns. I was still figuring out my knitting tension on this one, and it turned out much too big - no I do not check my guage, I know, I know! (also, look at the ribbing - blech - after this project I discovered the glory of the long-tail cast on, and it changed my life!) Knit in Valley Yarns superwash DK extrafine merino in red. 

See how baggy it is around the bottom? I'm hoping to felt it up a little bit, but I'm a little nervous. Anyone have any fool-proof methods?

Look how much better that ribbing is! I loved knitting this hat. No knitting in the round required! It's knit flat and then joined in the back. I accidentally made the neckband a little bit long, but I really didn't want to frog it so I just placed the button back a little bit to compensate (hopefully). This should fit Tenn this winter. Again, knit in Valley Yarns superwash DK extrafine merino in forest. I have a wool/cotton sweater on the needles for him right now, and I'll be sure to share it when its finished. I know I really should Ravel these things, I'll get on it soon!