I've got it bad

Start-itis that is. I've been trying to be good.
I don't think that it is helping that I have requested a bunch of books from the library recently.



One of my coping mechanisms though is to let myself freely start really tiny projects like...

Ayanna's skirt


Brandon's "killer" surf trunks



and these little cashmere booties



Brandon and Ayanna are from my collection of Groovy Girl dolls at my library. They are currently out of circulation because they lost their clothes from so much love.



Ayanna's Skirt
Yarn: "Rambling Rose" Zen Yarn Garden (I only had a small bit left from my Gloria v 2.0)
Needles: US 2 circ magic loop

I think this is what I did:

CO 40 stitches
k2 p2 ribbing for about 3/4 inch
K 2-3 rounds
Increase by one stitch every 5 stitches once around
K 2-3 rounds
Increase by one stitch every 6 stitches once around
k 2-3 rounds
Increase by one stitch every 7 stitches once around
k 2-3 rounds
k2, YO around one round
k 2 rounds
p one round
BO

Her shirt is a modified toddler sock cuff.




Brandon's "Killer" Surf Trunks
Yarn: Yarn Pirate "Killer Bees"
Needles: US 2

I started the legs 2 at a time magic loop. Each leg is 30 stitches around with a little seed stitch edge at the bottom.




Cashmere Baby Booties - a modified version of the angora ones in LMKG
Yarn: Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere
Needles: US 2 circs


(photo from LMKG)

My leftover cashmere does not have the same super fuzzy halo of the angora in the photos for the pattern, so my attempt just looked and felt loosely knit and blah.



I wasn't satisfied with it's cute-osity (the official cuteness level) from my first attempt, so I made a few modifications.


With smaller needles (US 2 32" circs) I used the "magic cast on" to cast on 12 stitches on each needle. I knit back and forth 8 rows and then picked up 4 stitches on each end of the rectangle (added 2 stitches on each end of each needle to keep things centered) to start knitting in the round on 32 stitches.



I knit until the toe was 2 inches long, then like the pattern I left the center 8 stitches (1/4 of the total) stitches on the "front" needle and knit back and forth on the back needle for 10-12 rows and did the 3 needle bind off up the middle of the heel. I picked up stitches for the cuff (I didn't understand the point of the turning in the pattern) and k1,p1 around.



For my BO I k2 (or purled following the ribbing) put both stitches back on the needle and k2tog, then*k1 and put both stitches back and k2tog*. It made for a bit stretchier top. Thanks to Chawne for getting me hooked on that stretchy BO for toe-ups.



They are so cute and soft - I just want to play with them Benny and Joon style.




No new projects started tonight though. Instead I was doing this.