The Duketer

Here you have it folks, my favourite knit design yet!  It could be because it was inspired by my boys (remember Silas's birth announcement?  This pattern came out of that).  It could be because my sister, Chloe, took pictures of the finished product, and it looks so much better than I could ever make it look.  It could even just be that I'm getting better.  In any case, here's another knitting pattern for those interested.  The model is Mindy's new baby, Samuel, who is just about as cute as can be!  If you're looking for more, go to my Tutorial Tab at the top.

The Duketer

My 4 year old dotingly refers to his little brother as “The Duketer.”  This hat is for him. 

SIZE

Newborn, 3 months, 6 months

MATERIALS

Two colours in any worsted weight yarn to make gauge (I used Fleece Artist Africa, which has now been discontinued) Wool and wool blends would be better suited than cotton, as they stretch more.

1 set of 6 mm (US size 10) double-pointed needles (can use a 16” circular needle until decreases make using the DPN necessary)

Stitch Marker

Tapestry Needle

GAUGE

16 sts/22 rows = 4 inches in stockinette st

PATTERN NOTES

2x2 Rib (Worked in the round over a multiple of 4 sts):
Round 1: [K2, p2] to end.
Repeat this round for 2x2 Rib.

I-cord  When working an I-cord you do not turn the work.  Instead, you use double pointed needles, slide all the stitches to the other end of the needle, switch the needle back to your left hand, bring the yarn around the back of the work, and start knitting the stitches again, keeping the yarn quite tight. Repeat this row after row to form the I-cord. 

Use the Stationary Joggless Stripe Technique to make the stripes even. 

DIRECTIONS

Newborn (3 months, 6 months)

CO 52 (60, 64) stitiches in A. Divide stitches between needles

Place marker and join in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.

Work in 2x2 rib for 5(7, 8) rows.

At this point you will knit every round, switching between colour A and colour B.  You can decide when to switch, but here is how I have done it, the numbers representing the number of rows of each colour.   (For the smaller sizes, once you get to the I-cord, stop the sequence and skip to the i-cord rows at the end.)

5 (7, 8) rib, 3, 2, 5, 3, 2, 2, 4, 4, 3, 2, 5, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 6, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2, 4, 2, 3,  7 i-cord, 8 i-cord

Row 6-23(29, 34) - After the rib, knit for 18(22, 26) rows, switching between colour A and colour B

Row 24(30, 35) – [K 11(13, 14), K2Tog] around

Row 25 (31, 36) (and every other round) – Knit

Row 26 (32, 37) – [K 10(12, 13), K2Tog] around

Row 28(34, 39) – [K 9(11,12), K2Tog] around

Row 30(36, 41) - [K 8(10, 11), K2Tog] around

Row 32(38, 43) - [K 7(9, 10), K2Tog] around

Row 34(40,45) - [K 6(8, 9), K2Tog] around

Newborn size only:

Row 35-42 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 43 - [K 5, K2Tog] around

Row 44-51 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 52 - [K 4, K2Tog] around

Row 53-60 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 61 - [K 3, K2Tog] around

Row 62-69 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 70 - [K 2, K2Tog] around

Row 71-78 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 79 - [K 1, K2Tog] around

Row 80-87 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 88 – K2Tog around

Row 89 - 103 - Knit an I-cord

Row 101 – K2Tog twice, Cast off

Cut cord, leaving enough length to tie on the pom-pom

3 month size only

Row 42 – [K7, K2Tog] around

Row 44 – [K6, K2Tog] around

Row 45-52 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 53 - [K 5, K2Tog] around

Row 54-61 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 62 - [K 4, K2Tog] around

Row 63-70 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 71 - [K 3, K2Tog] around

Row 72-79 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 80 - [K 2, K2Tog] around

Row 81-88 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 89 - [K 1, K2Tog] around

Row 90-97 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 98 – K2Tog around

Row 99 - 113 - Knit an I-cord

Row 114 – K2Tog twice, Cast off

Cut cord, leaving enough length to tie on the pom-pom

6 month size only

Row 47 – [K8, K2Tog] around

Row 49 – [K7, K2Tog] around

Row 51 – [K6, K2Tog] around

Row 52-59 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 60 - [K 5, K2Tog] around

Row 61-68 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 69 - [K 4, K2Tog] around

Row 70-77 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 78 - [K 3, K2Tog] around

Row 79-86 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 87 - [K 2, K2Tog] around

Row 88-95 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 96 - [K 1, K2Tog] around

Row 97-104 – Knit (8 rows)

Row 105 – K2Tog around

Row 106- 120 - Knit an I-cord

Row 121 – K2Tog twice, Cast off

Cut cord, leaving enough length to tie on the pom-pom

FINISHING

Create a large pom-pom using my tutorial or another method with colour A and B.  Sew the pom-pom onto the end of the i-cord.  Sew in ends. 

Find it on Ravelry here!

Oh where, oh where, has my little Jenny gone?

Here I am.  Remember last summer when I dropped off the face of the earth for 4 weeks?  Well, apparently it's epidemic!  You see, while I think my summers are worth green-eyed envy from everyone around me, I don't do a whole lot of anything.  Unless you call sitting on the lawn at my parents' cabin blog worthy...

So, until something more exciting happens to me besides my tan getting darker, I leave you with a few pictures to prove to you that I'm still alive, and I'll see you in a few.


First of all, Sandpoint, Idaho, and all that is wonderful there:

 Grandpa Fatboy giving a lesson on proper knife use, after Chase carved his palm off, necessitating a little living room surgery.

 Classic Evans pic:

And then onto the Wiebe cabin in the Shuswap.  A week full of knitting, quilting, girl power and good food. :

Things that POP

Well, the day after this beautiful lady has had her perfect child, I am finally posting about the baby shower that we had for her a few weeks ago. The theme was, Things That Pop, and we decorated with all the things that we could think of that POP!  Alice, Holly, Chloe and I spent all day popping pop corn, making lollypop bouquets and Popsicles and the like. It was so much fun to celebrate with Mindy.  

  

And, yesterday I got to be there when Mindy POPPED and brought her sweet baby boy into the world. It was incredible and amazing, and I was so blessed to have been there!  Welcome to the world, little man!

Claudia's Choices Laundry Powder Review

One of my magnificent sponsors this month is a wonderful, environmentally friendly online store from right here in Alberta: Claudia's Choices.  Based out of Nanton, Claudia began searching for more responsible, eco-friendly ways to raise a family after her first daughter was born.  What began as an honest search for a better choice has become a successful resource for Canadian parents searching for the same.  Claudia offers cloth diapers and accessories, eco-friendly laundry and cleaning products, and lots of other organic and eco-friendly products for around the home. 

Claudia brought me a sample of her very own laundry detergent, Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder^TM .  I have to admit, I was a little hesitant to even try it, because I really wanted to have a good experience with it, but my expectations were low - not because of the product, but because for the past year and a bit since I've been living and cloth diapering back in Alberta, I have had major. stink. issues!  Seriously. The front load washer combined with the extremely hard water here in Calgary has led to a never ending battle between me and diaper stink.  There have been nights where I have woken up in the wee hours of the morning and had to change Silas just because he stunk so badly, not because he was too wet.  It seemed that the second he peed at all in his diaper, my son immediately smelled like a dirty bunny cage (and yes, I do know exactly what a dirty bunny cage smells like - trust me, it's gross - not what you want your one year old smelling like.)  I tried everything: more soap, less soap, more water, extra rinse cycles, extra wash cycles, sunning, stripping, boiling, and on and on and on...  Still, I had a serious stink problem. I've also had rash problems for the past few months. It felt like if I ever left a wet diaper on him for any amount of time he would have a red, sore, bum.  I figured I had yeast in the diapers that wasn't coming out in the wash, but I just couldn't change that no matter what I did.

Three weeks ago I started washing my diapers with Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder^TM .  I had just gotten back from Victoria, so I didn't have time to spend doing anything special: I just washed and wore. The first few cycles I didn't notice much of a difference.  Maybe it was a little better, but there was still stink.  But then, something magical happened: on the third wash cycle using Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder^TM I pulled my diapers out of the wash and I smelled something beautiful: clean diapers!  I don't think I could have told you before that they smelled dirty coming out of the wash, but smelling them *clean* was such a difference that I honestly wanted to cry.  If you had seen me bent over in front of my washer you would have imagined me in one of those laundry commercials on TV of someone dreamily smelling their freshly cleaned towels or sheets, except I was nose deep in diapers.  It was dreamy!  And, every wash since has been the same.  Not only that, but Silas has not had a red bum since I started using  Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder^TM.  I'm convinced that the soap has gotten rid of the yeast problem as well.  That makes all our lives a little better.

If you are interested in my wash routine, here it is: I pull apart my dirty pocket diapers and throw them in a dry bag until wash day. I try to wash every other day, but often only get to it every third day (and sometimes fourth.)  When I wash I just turn the dry bag inside out into the washer and close the washer door.  I do a cold wash cycle without any soap, and then a heavy duty wash cycle, on hot, with a prewash and extra rinse.  Because of Calgary's hard water I find I need to use a little extra detergent - usually a whole scoop for the wash cycle and a half scoop for the prewash.  Then, only if I have time, I run a final rinse, but I have found that with Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry PowderTM that hasn't been necessary.  So many people tell me that they could never cloth diaper because of the extra laundry, but honestly, it is so easy, just a few extra loads a week.  When you are already doing as much laundry as you have to with a family, I hardly even notice.  And, knowing I'm doing something good for my boy's bums and the environment makes it worth it. 

Right from Claudia's Choices website, here's her description of the product:


Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder^TM  is a concentrated laundry powder formulated to provide you with an envirosponsible wash without the use of phosphates, dyes, bleach, sodium chloride, sodium sulphate or optical brightener while maintaining superior cleaning performance.

It rinses out completely and is hypoallergenic because it has no fillers, perfumes or stainguard chemicals. This product is effective & safe for all your laundry needs, including cloth diapers, yet is gentle on baby’s skin.


If you own an energy efficient High Efficiency / Horizontal Axis washing machine, no problem. Our detergent is H/E rated (low sudsing). Claudia’s Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder^TM dissolves completely – even if you have hard water or prefer cold water washing.

Ingredients: Silicates and carbonate, surfactant, enhanced with water conditioners and plant-based anti-soil redeposition agents.

Claudia's Choices Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder is prepared exclusively for Claudia's Choices.

Septic Tank Safe, NO animal testing, NO animal bi-products. Made in Canada.

There you have it. How can I say more.  Of course you know I love supporting local companies, especially socially and environmentally responsible ones.  All you cloth diapering mommas out there, check out Claudia and her fantastic shop. You can check her out on Facebook as well, if you want to keep up to date.

These are a few of our favourite things...

Well, the adventure is over.  Nothing like a whirlwind move across the country to a place you may never go back to.  We did it all.  Well, at least we did all we could afford.  It was wonderful, and amazing, and we will always love our memories of Victoria.  As I think of all the things we did and learned, there are many things I want to always remember, and the boys have some things, too.  Oh Victoria, we love you!

Mama loves:

Juniper Walls.  Juniper bushes in Calgary are just that, small little bushes barely a foot high. Well, in Victoria Juniper doesn’t know it’s a bush, it is a WALL!

The sea. I love the sea. I love everything about the sea.

Crazy Monkey Trees.  Kay, they are not really called that, but it's something like that, and I like them. Half cactus, half evergreen, all love.

Crosswalkers.  Random cross walks at random times have grown-up cross walkers making sure people of all walks of life (my point is it is not just school children these walkers are out there for) make it across the street safely.  I love it!

Knitting on the beach.

Silas loves:

Throwing stuff in the ocean. Anything, really. Sticks, stones, sand, seaweed (Apparently Silas's love has been brought to you by the letter "S").

Daddy loves:

Anenomes, even when they are deflated and snotty.

Co-sleeping star fish

Ferries.

Eli loves:

The goats biting me.

All the beaches. I love our secret beach. 

I love the swings and the parks.

I love all the pirate adventure ships and pirate stuff.

I love caterpillars too.


And with that my Victoria posts are over and I can make my scrapbook to remember it by.  Goodbye Victoria, hopefully our paths will cross again some day...

Our Digs

Living in Victoria was our seventh home since we've been married.  It was definitely the smallest place we've ever lived in, but certainly not the worst!  When we went there we looked for something furnished and cheap.  Anything cheap in Victoria has to be very small, and that's exactly what we found.

The entrance to our castle:

 Our kitchen, which was too small to even open the cupboards with more than one person in there:

 Looking back toward the door:

Here's looking from the kitchen into our "bedroom/family room"; notice the tiny table with only two chairs:

 

 Here's a 360 degree tour or our room!  The couch, which was barely big enough for Eli to lie across it:

 Our queen size bed that we all ended up sleeping on together every night:

The closet and TV, on the one dresser:

Here's the window, which was actually pretty cool because the walls were two feet thick, so the window sill made a great climbing spot and shelf:

And our bathroom, which wasn't bad at all, and actually pretty cute:

There you have it. Awesome, eh?  What did we learn from it?  That we can live in 450 square feet, but that we never want to again.  And, that we no longer fit in a queen sized bed.  And, that we can easily live without all the junk that we have.  We went to Value Village for toys, spent $10, and were just as happy as we are with all the hundreds of dollars of toys we have at home.  Although, with a beach two blocks away, I'll admit that's a little easier. We'd do it all over again, if that's worth anything.