Treats for the Sweet

For Easter, I have knit a collection of sweets for my two nieces, ages 8 and 5. This collection includes the center two cupcakes (pattern from Little Cotton Rabbits), and the pastries include the jelly rolls, doughnuts, strawberry jam tarts, and chocolate fingers (pattern from Jean Greenhowe's Jiffyknits). Each girl will get one of each so as it is FAIR to everyone lest the balance be upset.

These sweets were really a lot of fun to knit, and they were very quick on and off the needles. They were knit with Lion's Brand Vanna's Choice, and a little bit of Plymouth Encore.

I am going to make a cupcake for myself to sit on my desk, but it will include the beads that look like sugar sprinkles, but mine will be chocolate with sprinkles (beads).

The tiny nephew will get something too, but the details of that project are still being worked out.

Think PINK!!!

I finished the Lucy bag, and it came out better than expected. Admittedly, I am not such a fan of the color pink, but once felted this bag was double cute. The gals at the yarn shop told me that the Galway variegated pink would look like marble when felted, and it certainly did.

As I mentioned previously, I had enough yarn left over to knit a little accessory purse, and I put a button on it to match the Lucy bag. I tried to get up close, but the button was somewhat shiny and reflected too much light, so this was as close as I could get. It actually reads, "Girl Power", and it is an exact match to the pink with green accents.

This Lucy bag is the smallest version on the pattern, but knit in worsted to give it a little extra size. I will definitely knit one of these for myself - probably not in pink though...

As an aside, hubby never really has too much to say about the knitting because it just isn't his thing, but he told me he really liked this bag and thought it would be a hit!

The Fighting Irish are Fighting No More!

I have finished both the leprechauns, AKA Lucky Fellows by Alan Dart. The colors I used more closely resemble the pattern in Simply Knitting as opposed to Mr. Dart's second version on his own website. While these little guys don't look like they would be tough to complete, they are labor intensive. There were knit with a conglomeration of things in my stash, but mostly Plymouth Encore. Mom gave me the red for the beards/hair, and I think that was a Hobby Lobby fun fur thing - thanks, Mom.





As a gift for a friend's granddaughter, I have also completed the Lucy bag, and with the left over yarn made a little tiny purse for incidentals. This was knit in a Galway variegated colorway made up of Pepto pink/hot fuschia pink/white, and it is in the wash attempting to felt for the second time. Yes, of course, I know how to felt. It seems that the bag is unaware of the felting process - not me. I used Plymouth Galway as it is supposed to be a "great felter and not furry" because of no mohair; however, I fear that the meaning of "great" has been expanded to include the description of "very little"...


This is a pre-felted picture, but after the first time in the wash, it does not look that much different. I have upped the agitation level, and sent it through in a second attempt.





I am now working on Easter projects for the nieces, and Natty wants to help with the little pastries so badly that they have had to be stowed away in a ziplock bag. This will include a collection of pastries from the Jean Greenhowe book, Jiffyknits. I was originally only going to make them for my youngest of the two nieces, and make something else for the older, but I have been informed by their mother that that will never do. Since my older niece has appointed herself to be the Commissioner of Fair, she is getting a set as well so that war does not break out in their home. The nephew, however, will get something else entirely, and I am hoping the Commissioner will let that infraction slide...