Samantha Two and Three

This Raspberry w-i-p, which I'm knitting for a store sample, is knit in Classic Elite's Wool Bam Boo, very silky to work with. The Zara Ivory one, below, is ready to wear, if I find an infant girl.

Samantha One finished, Samantha Two begun

Hi, I have little to say--must stick with my Sunday workload, so later I can knit--but wanted to post the finished Kate Gilbert "Samantha," in a size 4 years, for Ainsley and Eliza (who are far from four years old, so this tunic will have some storage time before being useful, I think (it does look big, and "relaxed" when I washed it, even bigger)). I modified the pattern a little--changing the sleeve cuffs, to imitate the smocking on the body; and adding a row of yarn overs/K2togethers, near the base of the body.

Wondering about next projects, I found in my knitting stash some white Zara, frogged from an earlier lace project gone awry, and invisibly cast on to make another Samantha, in a tiny baby size (3-6 months). That's tonight's knitting pleasure.




Here--in the first, the white image--see the afternoon's back; I just like this so much I need to share. Plus, one of the dogs, perhaps in protest that I was for hours on the computer rather than feeding his face, ate this same back off the stitch holders; lah dee dah, neither he nor I drew blood or stitches, so all is well.

Swaddling in his Xmas Stocking

Just got this nugget of a picture in the mail, Eamon Schopfer semi-swaddling in the Xmas stocking I made for him. With his Auntie Em, whom I've known since she was almost as new as her nephew. Love that hair!

Samantha

This w-i-p is the Kate Gilbert "Samantha" tunic I just got the pattern for at Knitting Etc., and dove into with eagerness to be knitting at a smaller gauge (#'s 3 and 4), after Cayuga Cardigan, Central Park Hoodie, Little Einstein Jacket, plus a few hats and scarves, all at # 7 and above. Even with a lot of stockinette, this sweetie has the delicacy of a smocked dress, and entertains me enough. You can't yet see its true prospects, of picot hems, from turning under and sewing in place the invisible/provisional cast on, or the little dance of stitches on the front panel edges or the little trick down the sleeves, etc.: trust me, it has its touches. I've been away visiting my mother and my son and d-i-l (who loves her new Central Park Hoodie), and the twins--to die for-- and have managed at the ends of the days to do this much of Samantha (again, the one curse of the single woman driving: can't knit for those four-and-a-half hours; though I'm listening to Three Cups of Tea, which I'd not have time to read at home, so it's a fine trade-off).
I do wonder what the hell I'm doing knitting all the time; it's a powerful question that fires through my mind, when I'm not knitting. Many are the answers and questions grafted on to that first one, but I'll not explore them here.

Anyway, my Samantha-in-progress, and the Little Einstein, with orange borders and ribbed sleeve cuffs.

I have an eye appointment in the morning, and wonder if I can knit in the doctor's office while I wait for dilation to subside. We'll see.