Soaker Madness

At Chez Constructobot, there is a lot of hidden knitting going on. I mean, when you're basically knitting someone's underpants, how often does it come up as knitterly chit-chat - "Oh, I just finished another pair of wool underpants for my daughter". It kind of sounds like a medieval geas or something- unthanked knitting of wool underwear until my child can speak and say "Stop!"

But I am stretching the truth. The truth is, knitting wool soakers is very satisfying, since they are the most USED knitting I've ever seen in my life, and as I've said to friends, "you never knit faster than when you're covering you're baby's butt". That said, there is the endless interest of finding the best, most satisfying soaker pattern- I've tried many, and had many laughable and usable results. I'd make a big photo op of all the soakers at once, but some have been transferred down to the increasingly inaccessible storage room with other things of Bitbots that are too small, to await other occupants.

Hey- that's a joke- occu-pants! Um, I've been alone too long painting today. Fumes. Here are two recent iterations of the endless needful, the Wooly Soaker. Need I say that these function wonderfully well with cloth diapers, and we've never bought a cloth/plastic cover? No lie!

Here is one with an experimental waistband- ok, but the tendency to flip and roll in there is maddening. Plus I accidentally did two patterns at once and added unnecessary short rows so the backside is... generous. But everything's cute on a baby!


Another made of cool wool/soy yarn given by my friend- very pretty! Colors are very pretty, and after a lanolizing bath, it is in business!

Bitbot Vest Rescued!






So a birthday vest was knit for Bitbot, for her first birthday, last week. She had happily worn it many times since its completion, but the very REASON it was designed and knit was being foiled by bad design/lazy knitter. It kept flipping up over her lower back, the body part it had been knit to cover! WHy? garter stitch/different yarn weights/needle sizes etc.

But why did it really not work? I didn't wet-block it.

Um, I considered reknitting the whole back flap part, but first blocked it, and it magically works! Yarn relaxed, pinned into place over a baby butt form, courtesy of two small rubber bowls and a towel. Yay!

Also, I learned why the mystery shetland yarn was so oily feeling- it was some kind of spinning grease, I think. I had my hands almost moisturized whenever I knit with it, and just thought- "oh, lots of lanolin". But then I dunked it in a bit of woolwash, and I'm embarrassed to say the water instantly turned brown! It didn't look dirty before, I swear. But after nice washing and pinning, it's ever so much better. A picture of Bitbot in it to follow...

at last! it's done

A bit late for christmas, but all I'm going to say is voila!

Adapted from Starsky , knitty.com I changed the cables for my own preferred ones, and modified the arms to make them tighter on the upper arm, and looser at the cuff, per the recipient's wishes. I sent it off to L.A. a few days ago- hope she likes it!