A Basic "Longies" Pattern

Courtesy of Mother, Erin

As I've written it down and worked it out.  Obviously I don't have a baby or child of my own to measure these on (only those I babysit, as modeling below) nor to test their wear-and-tear*.  So by all means, measure as you go: try them on your little one once you've finished the top & bum before you stitch up the crotch, and again before you cast off the legs for your inseam.


I rolled down the waistband (the white ribbing) as these are for a much taller 1-year-old.  I tried adding a few extra rows in the bum and legs, as well as a few extra stitches when casting on the waist, in order to allow room for growth.  The drawstring will keep these pants snug while they are growing into them.


With Circular needles (size 2) CO 78 or 82 for a 9-12mo.  *I tried to make the crotch a little longer so these could last a bit longer, maybe even making them a 12-18mo range as the waist band could be rolled down for a 12-month-old and tied a little snugger with the drawstring.

K2 P2 for desired waistband length (I did 16 or 17 rows for this one, but now I realize this may have been too many.  Next time I think I'd go with only 12 rows).  Swap to main color (with US size 3 needles) and continue to knit around, adding a short row every 5th round, being sure not to end (or start crotch) on one of these rows.  *Short Row: Knit half way around, turn, slip first stitch then purl back to start of row.  Turn, slip first stitch and continue in K pattern.*

Crotch: Once desired length is reached to crotch (I think 6 sets of short rows would be a nice normal rise; or 48 total rows before crotch), knit around the first half of the row (half the number of total stiches).   Kitchener-stitch closed 3-6 stitches, being sure that there are equal number of stitches on either side (to make up the legs).  Leave the circular needles on one leg and pick up the other leg's stitches with double point needles (dpn).

Leg: After stitching the crotch, pick up 8 stitches along the crotch area and increase twice (=4 stitches in 2) half way around the leg.  Continue knitting around the leg until you reach your desired length.

Admiring the stitched crotch as it starts to take shape.

Measuring leg width

Change to accent color (in my case, white) and K2 P2 for a ribbed cuff for about 14-15 rows.  If you have an uneven number of stitches (must be divisible by 4 for this rib pattern), Knit 2 together (k2tog) until first number divisible by 4 is reached.  I had 54? stitches.  Once desired length is reached, cast off.

Ribbing makes the cuff shrink a little for better fit.

Second leg:  Slip stitches onto dpns.  Pick up 8 stitches along crotch area and don't forget to increase twice half way around the leg (making 2 stitches in one, twice, along the outside of the leg).  Continue knitting until it is the same length as the first leg.  Change to accent color and K2 P2 for cuff for the same number of rows as the first.  Cast off.

*Great news!  Here is the feedback I received from this recipient's mother who lanolized them at home:
     "Let me just say I LOVE the longies!  I am obsessed!  They fit her amazingly.  There is so much room in the bum for her bulky diaper!  I have never had a pair that fit so well on her!  And I LOVE the cuffed ankle and slim fit on the legs.  I'm happy to report they lasted over 12 hours over night with not one hint of wetness in the morning!"

Now you have something to try over the weekend :)  Does anyone have Monday off from work?

Embroidered Curtains: Back on the Wagon

Husband & I bought white curtains at Target late last year with every intention of my embroidering them to look somewhat like World Market's (and while we were still in the decorate-our-first-home-frenzy).  After the holidays ended and the dreary, unseasonably mild winter set in, I started seriously doubting my ability to sit down and complete this undertaking of mine.  *Seriously doubting*.

Until my husband and I paid a visit to our neighbor a at the beginning of March.  It didn't start out as a crafting venture; nor was I expecting to find inspiration - but isn't that how it always happens?  Finding the most fuel for inspiration without every looking for it?

The next day, with a resolve to at least try a little, small kit, I came across a bag of 5 little embroidery kits at our local Salvation Army for $2.  I couldn't not try it at that price, I figured.  And since I was driving my gentleman around for the afternoon (and with nothing else in my "bag of tricks" purse), I set to reading the instructions & organizing the threads.  I didn't expect to begin (as I didn't have a hoop with me), but there was nothing else to do.  So I did!


And I couldn't believe how easy it was!  The instructions lead me step by step, where to begin, what stitches to use - with illustrated instructions for each stitch on the back!  This was my favorite discovery, and what kept my interest, "I can't wait to try stitch 'x'," etc.

This little kit gave me the biggest motivational kick I needed to hop back on the wagon with those curtains.  :]  Now I just need to get back to it & master those basic stitches a little better so I can start those curtains.....

Sneak Peak: Look What I Learned!


I picked up this cute kit (along with 4 others similar to it) at my local Salvation Army for $2!  I was driving my gentleman around for the day (a side-job I do weekly) and had nothing else in my bag-of-tricks-of-a-purse so I set to reading the instructions & organizing the yarn.  

Well, I accomplished all that so quickly, I ended up starting the pattern.


My french knots (the orange filling in the roof) aren't very good - these are my first attempts.


The pattern reads "A home should be clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy."  I don't know how much I agree with the "dirty" part unless it just means "slightly cluttered" haha.

My brain has started turning a mile a minute again (oh, how I missed such unencumbered inspiration) with all the mixing of embroidery and knitting it can think up. ....

Lazy Lately

Excuse me as I've been laying low the last half of last week and this weekend.  I think all our travels with different friends every weekend for the last 4 weeks has taken its toll on my energies.

I'm happy to report it hasn't stopped my knitting much, but it has slowed down my progress on projects.

I hope you will stick around; This weekend is the first since Jan. 28th that we will be in town and I'm so excited!  You'd think we were leaving on a vacation! haha.  As always, I have way to much on my Want-To-Do List for Saturday (Sunday is our Day of Laziness & my brother's 20th birthday) plus there is a Seed Swap that I will *absolutely* be attending so we'll see how much I can squeeze in.

I promise there is a LOT of Etsy & crafting on the TOP of that list.  :]

P.S. Check out PrettyWit's adorable Valentine Note to her winning Rose Pink Ear Warmer.  I'm infatuated with her graphic art. :]


Magnet Assembly

Don't forget about the Giveaway going on this week.  You just need to comment here with something you'd like to see in my shop and what color ear warmer you'd prefer if you won.  Don't forget to include a valid email address at which I can contact you with the happy news.

So, on to more happy news: last night before our pizza date with some friends, I sat down to assemble a few of these.



The coffee table has become my favorite work place (though my back isn't a fan).  Look at all those little letters!


In just ninety minutes I was able to cut & assemble 6 pairs with another waiting for its other half.


I plan to get the rest of them photographed tonight & hopefully start listing them tomorrow :]

First Time Felting

Finally on to step 2.  Felting the slippers.  


.... in a bucket in the sink.  I tried the washing machine but it didn't seem long enough (though that's my fault for putting it on short cycle after reading that it's not supposed to take very long "so be vigilant" pretty much).


And since the trick is in friction, it was rub scrub rub.  Then rinse in cold water to stop the felting process.  Squeeze out excess water (don't wring-out).  It's pretty cool to watch the process happen.


Last night they hung dry & hopefully on to step 3 later this week.  I'm a little nervous about the "body" fabric not felting enough but my arms were tired and, through the suds, it looked like it was.... good enough.... :-]  Let's hope it works *cross fingers*

Busy Again, I Guess

Though I haven't stopped crafting, happily.  We had a little open house over the weekend to show off our new home to nearby family & friends so that ate up most of our weekend.  Though Sunday I was able to steal a little time to watch BBC's Pride & Prejudice and work on some knitted slippers.
Image is taken from the book cover.

I've been needing some since my last pair had to be thrown out.  I had worn holes through to the floor :(  So far I have the first cable knitted up and am currently working on the body.  Then I'll have one more cable to knit up before I can try felting the pieces.  As I continued to read the pattern (after starting), I realize it is a little more involved than just knitting, which I would have preferred.  But I suppose I will finally try felting now!  I'll keep you posted as to how it turns out.

Other than that, I have a few gifts on my list to start, but most I do not have the yarn yet or haven't found the right combinations.  I'm still on a yarn-diet so I hate to buy new colors when I still have so many baskets full of yarn.  Hopefully I can get those gifts started this week as we only have a couple left before Christmas.  :)

Getting Back into a Routine

I can finally say I feel like routine is returning to my life and I've never been happier to have one again.  I intern 3 days a week, I drive an older gentleman once a week & babysitting once a week and my weekends are free to spend with my husband or at home crafting!  Woot!  Life is GREAT!


And because I've started settling back into a routine, my knitting has started picking up again and with it, more crafty ideas & inspirations have followed!  When I first picked up my needles after returning from our honeymoon in Croatia, I had never felt so empty of creativity and ideas.  Talk about scary!  For about 5 seconds I seriously wondered if I would ever be inspired again to create something new and not just a copy of something I saw.  But I'm happy to report that over the last two weeks, and through a lot of etsy & self-suffient reading, my inspirations are coming back.  :)


Check out this scarf I started the weekend after our return.  With NO inspiration in my head.  I have no idea where this twist idea came from (but I've been trying to come up with a good color-twist idea using a cable pattern since last winter; so I guess this was just me having an open mind and out it popped?).  So I went with it and started this scarf up at a University of Michigan football game.  Yes, I was knitting at a College Football game.  In the stands.  With a skein of yarn in each pocket.  :-P

Moving on.  At first I hated the way it looked, but it was like heaven having needles purring in my hands again.  I wish I could describe how right it felt to be knitting again.  It feels like punishment when I have to put the needles down (I was nearly late to babysitting tonight because of it; oops!).  But luckily I now have lots of time & opportunity to be knitting whatever I want - and lots of Christmas presents!

I hope to post pictures as I start working on them.  And I'm sure that list of mine along the right column will be growing by the week as I brainstorm more and more projects (and gifts) to make.

So glad to be back.  I hope you'll return; I've missed the excitement of comments in my inbox.  :)

Help from Interweave & Knitting Daily

Who knew?  I love learning new knitting and crocheting techniques from video vs. books.  I think it is the second best way to learn if you can't learn one-on-one with someone in person.

Yes, I knitted my sweater too short :(  and this Thanksgiving was going to be my weekend to fix it so I can *finally* wear it this winter.  Thankfully I received this video in my inbox today and saved myself a little more trial-and-error.  Now I just have to try their technique on my sweater.


And since I found this so helpful, I figured someone else out there might find it as helpful as well.

p.s. I'm back from all the wedding craziness & honeymoon abroad.  I can't wait to start posting pictures of the new house.  I promise I have a few before and afters and many more to come as we start decorating projects.  :)