All Day Part-ay!

All day this Thursday we'll be having a holiday party at the Knit Nook. From 11-9, come in and celebrate the season with the Knit Nook family!




Yarn Swap This Saturday!

We're having a yarn swap this Saturday, December 6th at 3 o'clock pm!

Bring in any yarn you don't want anymore, and trade with your friends.

This is a great way to get rid of that yarn you bought for that really complicated aran sweater - that you were knitting for that guy that you broke up with last year - and get a pretty scarf yarn out of it for you - 'cause we didn't think he was knitworthy, either.

Free Pattern: Entrelac Hat

Knit Nook Entrelac Hat

(based loosely on “Lady’s Entrelac Hat” from www.knitting-and.com)

Materials

2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden or Noro Kureyon

US 5 16” circular

US 5 DPN (optional)

Tapestry needle

Gauge: 5.5 sts/in

Directions

Using US 5 16 inch circular needle, CO 92 st

Work in K2 P2 rib for 1.5 to 2 inches

Knit next row and decrease 11 sts evenly. (81 sts)

Foundation Row of Triangles

K1, turn, P1, turn

K2, turn, P2, turn

K3, turn, P3, turn

K4, turn, P4, turn

K5, turn, P5, turn

K6, turn, P6, turn

K7, turn, P7, turn

K8, turn, P8, turn

K9

Repeat entire sequence eight more times (nine triangles total)

First Row of Diamonds

First Diamond Only:

With right side facing, pick up and knit 9 sts along side of next triangle, turn

*P 8, P2 tog, turn, K9, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous triangle is left, then P2 tog, P 6, P 2 tog (8 sts in new diamond)

Next eight diamonds:

With wrong side still facing, pick up and purl 9 sts along side of next triangle, turn, *K9, turn, P 8, P 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous triangle is left, then P 2 tog, P 6, P 2 tog (8 sts in new diamond)

Second Row of Diamonds

First Diamond Only:

With wrong side facing, pick up and purl 8 sts, turn

*K 7, K 2 tog, turn, P 8, turn* repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left

K 2 tog, K 5, K 2 tog

Next eight diamonds:

With right side still facing, pick up and knit 8 sts, turn

*P8, turn, K 7, K 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then K 2 tog, K5, K 2 tog

Third Row

First Diamond Only:

With right side facing, pick up and knit 7 sts, turn

* P 6, P 2 tog, turn, K7, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then P 2 tog, P 4, P 2 tog

Next eight diamonds:

With wrong side still facing, pick up and purl 7 sts, turn

*K 7, turn, P 6, P 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then P 2 tog, P 4, P 2 tog.

Fourth Row

First Diamond Only:

With wrong side facing, pick up and purl 6 sts, turn

*K 5, K 2 tog, turn, P 7, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then K 2 tog, K 3, K 2 tog.

Next eight diamonds:

With right side still facing, pick up and knit 6 sts, turn

*P6, turn, K 5, K 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then K 2 tog, K 3, K 2 tog.

Fifth Row

First Diamond Only:

With right side facing, pick up and knit 5 sts, turn

*P 4, P2 tog, turn, K 5, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then P 2 tog, P 2, P 2 tog.

Next eight diamonds:

With wrong side still facing, pick up and purl 5 sts, turn

*K 5, turn, P 4, P 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then P 2 tog, P 2, P 2 tog.

Sixth Row

First Diamond Only:

With wrong side facing, pick up and purl 4 sts, turn

*K 3, K 2 tog, turn, P 4, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then K 2 tog, K 1, K 2 tog.

Next eight diamonds:

With right side still facing, pick up and knit 4 sts, turn

*P 4, turn, K 3, K 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then K 2 tog, K 1, K 2 tog.

Seventh Row

First Diamond Only:

With right side facing, pick up and knit 3 sts, turn

*P2, P 2 tog, turn, K 3, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then P 2 tog twice.

Next eight diamonds:

With wrong side still facing, pick up and purl 3 sts, turn

*K3, turn, P 2, P 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then P 2 tog twice.

Eighth Row

First Diamond Only:

With wrong side facing, pick up and purl 2 sts, turn

*K 1, K 2 tog, turn, P 2, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then K 2 tog.

Next eight diamonds:

With right side still facing, pick up and knit 2 sts, turn

*P 2, turn, K 1, K 2 tog, turn*; repeat until one stitch from previous diamond is left, then K 2 tog.

Finishing

Sl1, K2tog, PSSO across round.

K2tog around, thread yarn through sts and pull tight.

Fasten off.

Some Finished Objects!

Despite the fact that I've only recently recovered from election mania and that I start grad school next week, I've managed to find the five seconds it takes to upload some pictures.

So let's celebrate some finished objects!

Sarah made sure to finish her socks during Stitch N Bitch so she could be properly praised and documented. (And yes, Sarah, they really do look good enough to eat!)

Tina knit this beautiful sweater in about five minutes. No joke. She casted on the week after the terrible wind storm and was done two weeks later. And we're talking about Fair Isle, people! Steeking no less! (If you're interested in making one for yourself, the pattern is from Big Girl Knits. Or was it More Big Girl Knits? It really makes it difficult to remember these things when I blog about them a month after they happened.)

And check out those sleeves! Belled and with cables!

And she even found time to use up some of the extra yarn in this adorable felted purse! (I believe the pattern is from One Skein Wonders. Correct me if I'm wrong. No, really. Correct me.)

Both projects (all three maybe: Sarah, I believe those socks were knit out of Cascade 220 superwash?) were made out of good ol' Cascade 220.

And because no blog post is complete without Leo, here he is modelling those adorable Cargo pants from Knitty that Cindy knit him all that time ago when he was just a bulge under Tonya's tank top. Look, he's even sitting still for the camera!

Oops, I spoke too soon!

Tonya's on the cover!

Check it out! Tonya's on the cover of this week's Velocity. Read the article here.

Witch and Bitch this Thursday!

This Thursday, we'll be having a Witch and Bitch (that just means Stitch and Bitch, except with a Halloween theme). There will be food, tarot card readings by our own Suzanne, and of course, knitting. Wear your scariest hand knits!



No, this isn't Tonya's blog, but I needed a picture for this post and Leo dressed up in a tiny hat and long crocheted scarf, was all I had. (He's getting to the point where he will take off the ridiculous things we put on him, so we have to savor these moments when they occur!)

Don't worry, there will be plenty of yarn-related photos posted soon. I'll definitely take pictures of Thursday. And the new Malabrigo that's coming today!

A Leo for Leo

Tonya blogged about my present for Leo, but since he was so uncooperative about posing with my present, I've decided it's time to toot my own horn.

Leo is a Leo (his birthday is in August) so it seemed appropriate to make him a lion. So here's the Leo I crocheted for Leo. You can find the pattern in this Amigurumi book.

This is my first crocheted toy, but certainly not the last!

Took Me Out to the Ball Game...

I've finally rescued the pictures from my digital camera.

Now that it feels like summer is finally over, and baseball is pretty much over (the Red Sox are still in play, but just barely), what better time than to talk about a baseball game that happened three months ago! Back in July, the Knit Nook hosted our first ever Stitch N Pitch at Slugger Field.
Wow, July really was a long time ago. Courtney is still pregnant in this picture and little Sam was born two months ago! Also braving the heat and the uncomfortable seats were Lara and Leslie.

Mylea (wearing a handknit tank made of Katia Jamaica cotton), Colleen, and (part of) Kevin were there...

As well as Mitzi, Margie, and Marty (Was there an M section? If so, why wasn't Mylea sitting there?)

Bekah (who along with Mitzi, were actually interested in both the knitting and the game) was there. And so were Kyle and Lisa, who appeared to be enjoying the baseball game the same way I do (junk food and beer).


And I even got Jonathan to come!


It was a great time and we will definitely be doing it again next summer!

Charity Knitting: Center for Women and Families

The Knit Nook is currently accepting hand crafted items for the Center for Women and Families. Knit and crochet hats and scarves of all sizes are welcome. The Center helps women who have encountered domestic violence and sexual assault, and also has resources to help women with financial troubles. Help keep these women and children warm with a colorful hat or scarf that lets them know that we care.

Hats made of all materials are accepted, but please tag items that aren't machine washable so they don't accidentally get felted! We'll be taking the first batch down the first week of November, and another batch right before Christmas.

Spotlight on yarn: Andy's Merino II

Hey, all! This is Tonya, stopping in to post on the Knit Nook blog.

Sometime this summer I decided that I needed to knit (or crochet, theoretically) with every yarn the store carries. I tried to tell myself that it's because I need to know about the properties of various yarns as a yarn store employee and knitwear designer; it's really just a justification to buy yummy yarn! I thought it would be fun to spotlight some of these yarns on the Knit Nook blog.

My husband came into the store last week to bring me lunch, picked up a skein of Andy's Merino II, and requested something made from it. I was more than happy to oblige.


The Knit Nook has recently started carrying Farmhouse Yarns, which are all hand dyed and absolutely beautiful! Farmhouse Yarns is a small, woman-owned business based in Connecticut - I recommend going to the website and learning more about the company. One of my favorite things about this yarn is that the tag on each hank has a picture of the actual sheep the yarn comes from - here's Andy of Andy's Merino II:

Photo from the Farmhouse Yarns website.

Andy's Merino II is, in my opinion, just as soft as Malabrigo (which we all know I love!); I don't think I would know the difference if I had my eyes closed. The colors are oh-so-vivid and knit up beautifully. I'm thinking this yarn would be great for felting, and may have to knit up a pair of felted slippers in one of the great colorways! This yarn just came in, but it's already getting a lot of play - Cindy just made a Thorpe out of it, and Holly cast on for some garter stitch mitts. If anyone is curious, the scarf I'm making is the Yarn Harlot's One-Row Handspun Scarf, a super easy scarf that's a great next step if you're tired of garter stitch and ribbing.

Bonus: here's an article about Farmhouse Yarns on Crafting a Green World.

We're Back in Business!

The Knit Nook has power! Unfortunately, we don't have working phone lines, so you can't call us, email us, or use your credit cards. But if you want to hang out with a bunch of out-of-work teachers, we're the place!

Hope everybody is doing well and getting their fridges clean and power back on!

What a Storm!

Wow, was it windy yesterday or what? Just like a lot of the Highlands, we had trees fall down and take out our phone and power lines at the Knit Nook yesterday. We had to close and reschedule the Cables class for next Sunday, 6-8 pm.

Today, we're still without power. I'll be going in today to check out the situation. I might even stay a while (it's going to be dark, but I can still take cash and checks and hang out with my braver knitters), but if the power is still not on by this evening, I'm going to reschedule the Socks class to another time. I'll call everybody and let them know.

Anyway, it's been a while since I've blogged regularly, so maybe this is a sign that I should get back in the game. I've got enough pictures from this summer that I haven't put up yet, including our Stitch N Pitch from back in July! But since I don't have those pictures on the computer yet, and part of the reason I have been so bad is that I was gone for two weeks on vacation, and because blog posts (even one's about storms and cancellations) without pictures are boring, here's a picture of me and Jonathan on the beach. Enjoy.

Irene's Bloody Knitting

Like many girls before her, Irene has developed a healthy appreciation of Johnny Depp. But instead of watching all of his movies and hoping that Winona Ryder would just go away as we used to do, Irene watches his movies over and over and appreciates his acting ability. And his collaborations with Tim Burton. And his charisma. And his timeless good looks--I mean, acting ability!

But Irene has taken her Depp obsession beyond the limits of normal teen awe. She's a knitter, after all. She's the one who did painstakingly knit his face into the side of a tote bag.

Irene, a huge fan of Sweeney Todd, has taken to knitting meat pies. Disgusting, grotesque, terrifying meat pies.

Can't believe a girl so innocent looking is capable? Here's a closer look.

Yep, that's a mouse. Standing on a pile of bloody gore oozing out of the meat pie. And yes, the mouse is chewing on a discolored finger, poking it's way out of the rotten meat pie. On the other side, you're missing a couple of cockroaches and another finger. Irene has even written the whole pattern down for us. I promise to have it up on the website in time for Halloween.

(Thanks, Ruth, for the pictures! Keep 'em coming, y'all!)

Margie's Hemlock

Somebody once said that they had quit reading knitting blogs. When asked why, the person said, "They just make me feel bad about myself." And everybody sitting and knitting around the table shrugged and nodded because we'd all been there. It's like flipping through a Martha Stewart magazine can make you feel bad about your garden. Except at least in the case of Martha, we can reassure ourselves that she has a staff of double digits or more helping her, so of course her roses look better.

But then you read Brooklyn Tweed and see that he's made a gorgeous vest in a weekend, and he doesn't have a staff helping him knit, and it's easy to look down at the sock you've been knitting and unknitting for a month and feel like quitting.

Margie felt like quitting. She started her Hemlock Ring Blanket in Debbie Bliss Stella (light blue, of course), and the triple and quadruple increases were a nightmare and the pattern was vague, and each row took an eternity. But she plugged away.

And here it is.

It's blocked and beautiful, worthy of the best knitting blog. So next time the internet makes you feel like throwing your needles away (or at least unplugging your computer), take the Hemlock. Not like Socrates, but like Margie.

(And thanks to Holly for the pictures! The blog looks great!)

Yoda the Baby Sweater

First of all, apologies to everyone for abandoning the blog. My home computer died, so I've been at a loss on how to get pictures from the camera to the blog. (And a blog post without a picture is no fun.) Thanks to Leslie (for knitting the sweater) and Ruth (for taking and sending me the picture) for getting me back on track!

So, what do you knit for the Star Wars-obsessed new parent? Why a Yoda hoodie of coarse! Check out the gray fun fur in the ears. A wrinkly little baby face can only add to the effect. Great idea, Leslie! And because I haven't really resolved the photo issue, please send me pictures of your knitting escapades. I'll post them on the blog!

July Events!

July is going to be busy around here!

First, we are having a Stitch N Pitch! On Wednesday, July 2 (yes, next week) at 7 pm, we'll be meeting at Slugger Field to watch the Bats, drink beer, eat junk food, and knit! It's Ladies Night, so tickets are $3.50 at the door. (And if you aren't a lady, don't worry. We'll subsidize your ticket price so you only have to pay $3.50.) Just ask to sit in section 124 with the Stitch N Pitch group. And then, stop by the Knit Nook during the next week with your ticket stub, and you'll get 10% off of a purchase! (This offer ends Wednesday, July 9 and for only one purchase.)

And then there's the SALE! Our third annual Summer Sale is Saturday, July 12. EVERYTHING in the store will be 15% - 75% off. Seriously, there are going to be some deals to be had! We'll be opening at 10 am for the sale, so come early! (And because we anticipate chaos, we won't be having our Beginning Classes that day.)

By the sale, I should have the fall and winter class schedule all set, so expect a copy in your inbox, or stop by the shop to get a hard copy. If you can't wait until September to take a class, check out the current schedule here.

Becca: Secretly Paid by Cascade 220?

"Why yes, this is my Central Park Hoodie. I knit it out of a very beautiful heathered shade of Cascade 220. Unlike my Harry Potter scarves, that were also knit out of the same affordable Peruvian yarn in 1X1 rib, I used a slightly larger needle. Doesn't the Cascade 220 have a lovely drape on size 8 needles?"

"Oh, my vest? Why I also knit it out of Cascade 220. I think the stripes along the bottom are a great detail. It only took 2 or 3 skeins. Isn't Cascade 22o such an amazing value?"

Yes, Becca. Cascade 220 is a great yarn. And you are a great saleswoma--I mean, knitter.

When Knitting is Work

We knit because we love it. Or because we are going to finish the thing if it freaking kills us.

Margie finally finished the flame socks. Almost a year in the making, but they're done and Joey wears them proudly. It's like the Christmas stocking I just finished. Usually I'm a process knitter. I look at a project and think about how much fun it will be. And afterwards, I could care less about it. Not this stocking. Intarsia, with all those bobbins and tangling strings, drives me up a wall. Give me a cable chart 200 lines long. I'll knit with the most slipperiest silk and make that lace work. But I did nothing but complain while making this stocking. But the fact is, I think it looks awesome, so I've cast on for another. I'll finish knitting it if it freaking kills me.

The Central Park Hoodie was actually fun to make. But there is something about heavy sweater knitting in the summer. It makes sense to knit with the next season in mind. I know, that's what Elizabeth Zimmerman always suggested. But as soon as it got warm, I got completely bogged down. (This may seem bizarre coming from the person who just finished a Christmas stocking in June.)

But I finished it.

Even if it almost killed me.

Two socks. Two needles. One victory.

I was doing so well, and then all of a sudden it's June 6 already? What? But Derby was last week, wasn't it? What the heck happened to May? Well, I vaguely recollect cool weather and a lot of gardening. But now that it's hot and humid (and didn't that happen almost immediately?) there's no better way to spend an afternoon than knitting inside with air conditioning blowing on my face, drinking an iced tea from Highland Coffee.

So even though this happened a few weeks ago, we need to celebrate Jan and her first pair of socks. So we had this sock class. And Jan--whose knitting skills have grown leaps and bounds in the last couple of months since she learned how to knit--decided to knit a pair of socks. Using size 2 needles and Kaffe Fasset's beautiful sock yarn (interjection: Kaffe has a new chunky weight wool coming out this fall called Colorscapes. We fondled it yesterday during our visit with the Rowan rep and it is *fantastic*). But that wasn't enough of a challenge. Jan decided to nip Second Sock Syndrome (SSS) in the bud by knitting two socks at the same time.

It was like the whole class was made up of lemmings and as they jumped off the cliff, I was the lemming sensible enough to say, "Don't you think jumping off the cliff isn't the best idea?" but I guess I wasn't convincing enough because nobody listened to me. So everybody in the class decided to make two socks at the same time. (Personally, I hate it. It just seems like twice as much work and I'm always getting twisted and tangled. It's like intarsia, which I also hate. More about that when I post about my argyle Christmas stocking.)

But Jan was the only one who finished her socks. You should have seen her, about half an hour after this picture was taken. She swung the freshly freed and finished socks around her head and screamed profanity out of sheer joy. It was really a sight to behold.

PS- Did you guys know that the whole lemmings jumping off of cliffs thing was a hoax perputrated by the Disney documentarians who reported it? I guess the lemmings weren't that interesting, so the producer chased them off the cliff so that the camera guy could film them from the bottom.

So maybe people who knit two socks at a time aren't so crazy after all.

Free Knitting Accessories

If you are a knitter, and especially a knitter with a blog, then you need some cats! Well, there are two cats in need of a good home, so you are in luck!

Whitney has to move, and circumstances prevent her taking her two cats along. They are both very nice and playful (although one is slightly shy) and they are free to a good home, complete with all of their kitty belongings. Whitney will even pay for their next round of shots.

This is Nola - Female, spayed, 5 pounds, approx. 4 years old.

And this is Milo - Male, neutered, 10 pounds, approx. 2 years old

If you are interested in adopting Milo and Nola, please call Whitney at (502) 718-4190 or e-mail her at WLBarter@gmail.com

Kevin!

Everybody knows that Kevin has been (obsessively) knitting his Cobblestone. You may have seen the embarrassing picture I took of him when he was trying it on. If not, click here to revisit.

But Kevin has finished his sweater! Here are three pictures of him that are not embarrassing because finishing your first sweater and doing such an amazing job is something to be proud of, Kevin!

Congratulations, Kevin! Here's hoping your next project is just as successful without all of the drama!

Bags that Rock!

Hey Breeders fans! Kelley Deal has written a knitting book, Bags that Rock: Knitting on the Road with Kelley Deal. It'll be out this fall. Check out the article here.

You know it's spring when...

...even the yarn store owner has given up the needles to play in the dirt. So in lieu of any knitting-related content, I'll just borrow a trick from Holly and give you a picture of Iris.

Actually, there is something knitting-related. She is modelling a sweater vest that Whitney made from a Debbie Bliss pattern out of RYC Cashsoft. Man, those redheads can sure pull off green! (Even though, who am I kidding? We could wrap that kid in Kroger bags and she would still look adorable!)

Mary Beth's Central Park Hoodie!

Mary Beth finished her Central Park Hoodie. Doesn't it look fantastic? She knit it out of Rowan Calmer, a wonderful cotton and acrylic blend. It's got just enough stretch to make any garmet fit like a dream.

For those of you who would forego knitting a CPH since it's a "winter" sweater, try knitting it out of a cotton blend. Jessica and Erica both knit theirs out of Blue Sky Dyed Cotton, and it really worked up wonderfully. (Then you can just knit a winter version out of wool later.)

Liz's FO!

I've never posted any of Liz's Finished Objects on this blog. This is absolutely amazing considering how many objects she has finished (just think about the socks alone!) and how I've been blogging for about a year (can you believe it?). Maybe it's because until very recently Liz had her own blog. Maybe it's because I've been less than consistent about taking pictures at the shop. Whatever the excuse, Liz pointed out the fact that her achievements have been absent on the Knit Nook blog, so it's about time that I correct such a egregious error.



So here goes.

The new All Season's Cotton book is full of wearable sweaters. Nobody noticed this sweater until one got sent to the shop.

Maybe it's the powder blue color that looks good on everybody. Maybe it's the stretchy cotton and acrylic yarn. But this sweater looks good on everyone who tried it on. No joke. We've been referring to the phenomenon as the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sweater.

So Liz decided to make one herself. She chose the powder pink from the book ("Liz knit pink? What a shock!" she wrote sarcastically) and after struggling with her gauge ("Liz obsessed about her gauge and used much smaller needles than was originally called for? I'm so surprised!" she noted in a snarky parenthetical aside), she finished the sweater. And it was too small.

But not really. As you can see, Liz looks lovely in her Lacy Sweater. The color is very flattering and so is the fit. But Liz fidgeted like nobody's business in her sweater. She was even afraid that she looked like a hoochie. ("Yes, Liz, you look like such a hussy in your long sleeved hand knit sweater with a shirt on underneath," we responded in the most mocking of tones.) But as you can see (because I'm finally blogging about it), Liz knitted a very adorable object. And I think she eventually realized that she did, too.

An Easy First Sweater--Really!

Christy signed up for a few weeks of Beginning Knitting and she finished this sweater! A top down cardigan, this sweater is a perfect introduction to sweater construction and colorwork. The pattern is Drive-Thru from Knit and Tonic knit out of Cotton Fleece, my favorite yarn for kidswear.
Now her son wants one, too. Excellent work, Christy!

Cobblestone: Kevin vs. Jane

The Cobblestone by Jared Flood has been a favorite around here (think boy version of the Central Park Hoodie). Jane and Kevin both started a Cobblestone around the same time. So Jane decided that they were racing.

First, Jane was a head (which is probably what prompted her to announce the race, since she was winning already). But hubris got the best of Jane when she forgot to add the garter stitch details along each side of the sweater and she was forced to knit the body of the sweater over again.

Despite his indecision at the get-go, Kevin is a hardworking knitter, and he was soon in the lead. (Check out his progress here.)

But then we received this email:

At ten last night I finished the cobblestone. I spent a while this morning weaving in ends ... still a few to go. I was trying to send a photo but for some reason I cannot get it to load into the computer.

Please be sure to tell KEVIN that I finished first! HA HA!

Jane

Unfortunately, Kevin didn't like the wrap and turns on his short rows, so he was in the process of re-knitting his yoke. Since his sweater was off the needles anyway, he tried it on--and after some hilarious Flash Dance moves--he asserted that his sweater fits. Phew! One less thing to agonize over!


But even if he didn't win the race, Kevin still will end up with a pretty awesome sweater.

Tis the Season

Seems like every spring, babies are in season around here. That means knitting for babies.

Vi made this colorful cotton blanket for a friend of her daughter's. She knit strips, changing colors every five or six inches, and crocheted the strips together to create the checkerboard pattern.

Not to be outdone, Fran has crocheted this bright baby blanket out of every cheerful cotton we've got. This blanket isn't finished, however: Fran still needs to crochet the rosettes (can't wait to see it!)

Courtney knitted this adorable hat from Itty Bitty Hats for a friend's daughter. But now that she knows that she's having a boy in August, Courtney has started making an adorable blanket for her own baby. Congrats, Courtney!

And speaking of baby boys, Sam was kind enough to model the baby sweater Whitney made for her friend's son. The pattern is by Debbie Bliss.

And not to be out done, Kevin tried to model the sweater, too. Sorry, Kev, you're just not as cute as Sam!

Even Iris can't get enough of Sam.

And he seems pretty receptive to her advances.

Don't get me wrong: the babies around here are adorable. But I think Cindy and I will stick to the animals! (Cardigan and Vanilla, respectively.)