School Cloths...

Well, my kiddies decided that today would be a great day for 2 and a half hour naps. It allowed me to clean up the living room a little and finish the pdf file for the School/Teacher Cloths. I actually finished the knitting last week but wasn't able to take photos until Sunday. I love this set. I'm actually giving these to a very special teacher in my life. I know she's going to be all smiles when I see her tomorrow.

I'm going to try and get a few more sets out this month while I still have some free time. I'm hoping to finish the "Wedding Set" by next Friday. I'm about halfway through charting the patterns. Some have asked what program I use to put the pattern booklets together. All I really use is a simple cross stitch charting program that lets you click on small boxes to design an image, and photoshop. After I design the images, I write out each picture's pattern, knit them up, block, take photographs and load them into the computer. I really enjoy creating an exciting and original cover page for each pattern set. The rest is all editing text, resizing photos to make sure everything fits on a page to be printed, then adding some extra theme to the pattern. I really hope you enjoy everyone of these sets. A lot of love and creativity goes into each one to make it special. The kids are even starting to get involved when I design the charts. Victor especially loved the Easter set.

This pattern is available as a PDF download and priced at $3.25. There are eight cloth patterns in this set. You can purchase this pattern if you are a Ravelry member by clicking the "Buy Now" button below the pictures. The Baby Cloths are also available in my Pattern Store here as a Ravelry Download. There are 5 pages total and the download is sized at 6MB. If you have any questions about the pattern or payment options, please feel free to contact me via email at kris@krisknits.com or on Ravelry: KristenKnits.

Lily's Sugar'n Cream Solid:

Scissor - 00071: Grape (Purple)
ABC Cloth - 00083: Cornflower Blue (Blue)
123 Cloth - 00062: Emerald (Green)
School Bus - 00010: Yellow (Yellow)
Apple - 00095: Red (Red)
Pencil - 00082: Jute (Tan)

Lion Brand Cotton Solid:

Book - Paprika Article: #760-133
Globe - Clove Article: #760-136

Heres a link to the pattern page on Ravelry!

I made each written pattern with a corresponding chart for the dishcloth. From the sets that I've already made, I've managed to get about 2-2½ cloths out of one ball of Lily's Sugar'n Cream Solid Yarn. Though you can use any kitchen cotton you prefer.

I should probably start dinner now. Later I'm going to get to all the emails I have. Promise!

Mondays...

We've been having a really busy week over here. I keep trying to create more time out of thin air to accomplish everything but it's not working out too well, I'm tired. The weekends are filled with birthday parties and baby showers, play dates and visits to the park. During the week we go through our normal routines and before I can settle down and breathe a little it's time for bed. I do love being woken up every morning by these two beautiful kids though. I wish they could stay small forever. I already see how fast my daughter has become a little girl. Right now I can't imagine a day when I won't be able to cuddle them on the couch or tuck them into bed. But I'm just a Mom trying to hold on to all the wonderful memories we have as a family.


They really are the best children any Mother could ask for. I'm so thankful that right now I'm able to stay home with Victor and Ella and watch them grow. Lately we've been getting ready to pack for the move next month. This is where most of my time has been going, I'm sure anyone can relate to this kind of headache.


In the evenings I've been working on a School/Teacher set of cloths to put out next. My girlfriend had asked if I could create a set for her to make for her daughter's teacher. After I started charting a few designs I had in my head, I knew they would be perfect for any occasion in the school year. They should be up in the next day or two if I can manage a few hours tomorrow and finish up the pdf file in photoshop. Well, it's time for bed in this house, Have a goodnight everyone.

A Few More Baby Gifts...

It seems like every weekend this month I have another baby shower to go to. I always try to make something special and handmade for the Mom-to-be. While browsing Flickr the other day, I saw this tutorial and decided that it would make the perfect gift for a friend who's having a baby boy in July. I think the outcome was well worth all the cutting and sewing.

It's a pretty straight forward, easy to follow tutorial. I would definitely recommend it if you have some extra time on the weekend. I loved looking through my fabric stash to find matching colors.

You can't tell in the photos but I did add something extra to these adorable blocks. I picked up some round mesh jingle toys from the store and put them in the middle of the fiberfill when I stuffed them. Any baby will love the sounds they make when bounced on the floor.

I think I managed to finish everything in one evening while (not really) watching Disney's Cars in the living room with the kids.

I'm still working steadily on a few more cloth sets for this month. I might even be able to finish everything I hoped for. There's also a lot of exciting things happening around us. One being the fact that our new home will finally be finished next month and I get to pack up all of our belongings and move again. This time it will be permanent and that makes this Mommy very happy.

Baby Cloths!

I'm so happy to have finished these in time for the weekend. Now I can start working on some other very important deadlines. My eye is still healing slowly and everyday my vision is more tolerable and coming back in focus. I cannot express how blessed I felt after reading all of the thoughtful comments and emails I've received from everyone. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.


These cloths were such a joy to create and they are going to a very sweet "soon to be" baby girl at the end of this month. I can think of a thousand different uses for them. From bathing to feeding to playing. I might even try making a baby blanket for my daughter using these squares if I have time this year. I hope everyone enjoys knitting and giving these patterns as much as I did.


This pattern is available as a PDF download and priced at $3.25. There are eight cloth patterns in this set. You can purchase this pattern if you are a Ravelry member by clicking the "Buy Now" button below the pictures. The Baby Cloths are also available in my Pattern Store here as a Ravelry Download. There are 5 pages total and the download is sized at 4.4MB. If you have any questions about the pattern or payment options, please feel free to contact me via email at kris@krisknits.com or on Ravelry: KristenKnits.

Lily's Sugar'n Cream Solid:

Baby Feet - 00093: Soft Violet (Purple)
Baby Bottle - 00083: Cornflower Blue (Blue)
Baby Hand - 00042: Tea Rose (Orange)
Pacifier - 00046: Rose PInk (Pink)
Diaper Pin - 01004: Soft Ecru (Off White)
Carriage - 00003: Cream (Off White)
Moon - 00082: Jute (Tan)

Bernat Organic Natural Cotton:

(knitted slightly looser)
Rattle - Cactus

Heres a link to the pattern page on Ravelry!

I made each written pattern with a corresponding chart for the dishcloth. From the sets that I've already made, I've managed to get about 2-2½ cloths out of one ball of Lily's Sugar'n Cream Solid Yarn. Though you can use any kitchen cotton you prefer.


I have a lot of ideas in my head for the rest of this month into June. I'm playing around with some ideas for a Wedding, Teacher, Summer and All American set. I don't know if I'll be able to finish everyone but it's nice to talk about anyway. I'm only going to do a year of cloth sets and then focus more on knitwear for the fall/winter months. I have a book and a few magazine deadlines to work out patterns for so that and some upcoming cloth sets should keep me happily busy through the summer. I would love to hear some feed back on sets that YOU would love to see designed this year.

Mother's Day Cloth...

I apologize for the little hiatus this blog has taken in the past few weeks. I'm only now starting to feel like myself again. While holding my son and talking to a neighbor one afternoon I suffered a severe corneal abrasion when Victor turned his head (and baseball cap) unexpectedly into my right eye. The brim of the cap had torn off all the skin on my cornea. Completely covering my pupil I was instantly unable to see. After a trip to the hospital and follow-up visits with the Optometrist every day for a week, I still have very blurry vision in the affected eye and that could take months to correct itself. I'm slowly getting used to the difference in vision. I'm just thankful that the pain is gone. Apparently the cornea has the most concentrated nerve endings in the entire human body. I wish I didn't have to learn that fact the hard way.


I haven't been on the computer that much lately but everyday it's getting easier to read and do more work online. I couldn't resist at least trying to get a finished cloth out for Mother's Day. There are several days left if you still need to make something extra for Mom on her day. Hope everyone will enjoy this cloth. It's a fun pattern that you can make year round just to show how much you appreciate everything she does.

Here's a link to this project's page on Ravelry!

Mother's Day Cloth:

Needles: US Size #3, 3.25mm
(You can use larger needles but might end up with a less defined picture)

Yarn: Lily's Sugar'n Cream
or any other kitchen cotton yarn.
I used the color Rose Pink

Materials:
Tapestry Needle

Pattern:

CO 47s

row 1: (an all odd numbered rows) k
row 2: k
row 4: k
row 6: k
row 8: k4, p39, k4
row 10: k4, p39, k4

row 12: k4, p4, k2, p5, k2, p4, k5, p4, k2, p5, k2, p4, k4
row 14: k4, (p5, k1)x2, p4, k2, p3, k2, p4, (k1, p5)x2, k4
row 16: k4, (p5, k1)x2, p3, k2, p5, k2, p3, (k1, p5)x2, k4
row 18: k4, (p5, k1)x2, p3, k2, p5, k2, p3, )k1, p5)x2, k4

row 20: k4, p5, k1, (p2, k1)x2, p3, k2, p5, k2, p3, (k1, p2)x2, k1, p5, k4
row 22: k4, p5, k1, p1, k3, p1, k1, p3, k2, p5, k2, p3, k1, p1, k3, p1, k1, p5, k4
row 24: k4, p5, k3, p1, k3, p4, k2, p3, k2, p4, k3, p1, k3, p5, k4
row 26: k4, p4, k3, p3, k3, p4, k5, p4, k3, p3, k3, p4, k4
row 28: k4, p39, k4

row 30: k4, p14, k1, p24, k4
row 32: k4, p13, k1, p1, k1, p23, k4
row 34: k4, p12, k1, p3, k1, (p6, k1)x2, p8, k4
row 36: k4, p11, (k1, p2)x2, k1, p4, k3, p4, k1, p1, k1, p7, k4
row 38: k4, p10, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p2, k2, p1, k2, p2, k1, p3, k1, p6, k4

row 40: k4, p9, k1, p2, k5, p2, k3, p3, k3, (p2, k1)x2, p5, k4
row 42: k4, p8, k1, p2, (k3, p1)x2, k2, p2, (k1, p2)x2, k3, p2, k1, p4, k4
row 44: k4, p8, k1, p2, k2, p3, k4, p2, (k1, p2)x2, k5, p2, k1, p3, k4
row 46: k4, p8, k1, p5, k1, (p2, k2)x2, p1, k1, p2, k3, p1, k3, p2, k1, p2, k4
row 48: k4, p9, k1, p3, k5, p2, k3, p1, k1, p2, k2, p3, k2, p2, k1, p2, k4

row 50: k4, p10, k3, p2, k2, p2, k4, p1, k1, (p5, k1)x2, p2, k4
row 52: k4, p14, k2, p2, k5, p2, k1, p3, k3, p3, k1, p3, k4
row 54: k4, p3, k8, p2, k2, p2, k7, p2, k3, p2, k4, p4, k4
row 56: k4, p3, k1, p2, k2, p2, (k1, p2)x2, k7, p1, k1, p8, k1, p5, k4
row 58: k4, p6, k2, p5, k1, p2, k6, p3, k6, p2, k1, p5, k4

row 60: k4, p6, k2, p5, k1, p2, k5, p2, k1, p2, k5, p2, k1, p5, k4
row 62: k4, p6, k2, p5, k1, p3, k3, p2, k3, p2, k3, p3, k1, p5, k4
row 64: k4, p6, k2, p5, k2, p6, k2, p1, k2, p6, k2, p5, k4
row 66: k4, p3, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p3, k2, p4, k2, p3, k2, p4, k2, p6, k4
row 68: k4, p3, k8, p4, k6, p5, k6, p7, k4

row 70: k4, p39, k4
row 72: k4, p39, k4
row 74: k
row 76: k
row 78: k
row 80: k


row 81: Bind Off to last 3 sts, begin knitting I-cord.
Knit for 3" and BO. Fasten to underside of cloth with tapestry needle.


Weave in ends.

Block and lay flat to dry


I have also recently started a set of Baby Cloths that I know your going to absolutely fall in-love with. I'm really trying to finish up all the knitting and editing to have them published by Friday. I'm a little behind on emails this week and I apologize again. I'll be "child free" for 5 hours or so tomorrow morning and will be getting to every message I have.