Bootee-full

Textured Cuff Bootee

Now that Mena and Ben have announced their news to the world, I thought I'd better get knitting. Any excuse will do! Having seen them with a co-worker's baby last year, I think they'll be great parents. And great parents deserve handknits. ;-)

I decided to use some undyed Treliske organic merino, grown in New Zealand , because well, if the the finished products is going to travel from here, they may as well be from here!

No traditional baby colours here (pretty hard to find traditionally baby coloured sheep roaming about).The natural brown and off white will suit either sex, so they'll be easier to pass on if/when they're no longer needed. From memory, I think I knit the 3-6 month sizes, but I'm not 100% on that (and well, I'm too lazy to check right now).

Both of the patterns I used are from 50 Baby Bootees To Knit, by Zoe Mellor, though of course knit in a different yarn. It's the first time I've made the little slip on style, and I was quite happy to find that I could get a pair of them out of the leftover wool after the textured cuff bootee (it's moss stitch - or seed stitch if you prefer). I added a little strap to go around the ankle for added security, though it is removable.

Now all I need to do is pop them in the post one day soonish. I figured I'd go ahead and post the pictures now rather than later, as I've had a slow knitting week (and I might have actually done these last weekend now I think about it), and needed to post some progress! Hopefully the mail service doesn't let me down now I've declared my intentions...

I still have to complete the partners to two booties I knitted for my (step) niece, but have just learned that her due date is later than I'd originally been thinking (or not thinking). Last night I finished up a pair of cabled gloves for a friend. I hope they're not too big even for his manly hands, but if they are (or if, as I suspect, he won't wear them), I'm sure the city mission or some other such place might appreciate them. I used the yarn I'd originally tagged for my wristwarmers, which was sitting to one side after I unravelled that attempt. In other knitting news, I've worked one more square on my blanket (pitiful progress after my initial burst of enthusiasm), and the red thing is definitely a jersey (to have, all going well, raglan sleeves and a roll neck), and has progressed (now with no cabling) to just about short of the arm shaping.

Knit Rangers this week, but I don't know yet whether I'll be working on one of these unfinished projects, or the bundle of chocolatey cashmere merino I want very much as a v-neck jumper. I suspect (wrongly, most likely) that after travelling on the bus and ferry with my laptop (work continues up to 2pm, when the meeting starts) on the way there that I might feel I deserve a new project. Of course, there may be so many new faces I'll do more talking than knitting anyway... ;-)