Latest Design: I "heart" Austria .... a vest and matching cap

I "heart" Austria vest and cap is a labor of love: ten years ago, we were blessed to move to a small village an hour south of Vienna, Austria.  My husband was earning a Masters degree and we lived in the shadow of an ancient Carthusian monastery, homeschooling our (then) four children.  We were only able to stay two years but Austria got into our hearts, and remains there to this day.

We took home a lifetime of memories and our yougest son, born during our sojourn in Niederoesterich.  Now, almost eight years later, I have finally created a design worthy of our memories.

I Heart Austria ... a vest reminiscent of the Austrian knitting -- garter stitch insulation with cable panels of lots of diamonds.  The knit-in pockets and simple collar are pure Austrian.  The cuffed watch cap will keep you warm even in on the Austrian slopes ... the turn-up cuff recreates the six diamond variations with a 3x3rib underneath to hold the cap close to the head and also increase insulation.  The vest is sized for Sm, Med, Large, 1X and 2X; the cap is a one-size fits most adults.

Knit in a washable all wool ... this design is classic with a twist!

Enjoy ... you can purchase this pattern for immediate download from my Ravelry store (even if you're not a Ravelry member ... altho I don't know why you wouldn't be) for $5.00.  You can check out my other designs if you just go ahead and join Ravelry (it's free and a treasure-trove of all things knitterly or even crocheterly)

Enjoy the journey

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Heirloom Knitting: Christening Set for the Well-Dressed Baby!

As most of you who read this blog know, I LOVE knitting. I love that I can create something from a natural material, something that wasn't there before. I love that I can design an item around a theme and make it all work together because it's MY design! I love that I can make something that's a fad or something that will stand the test of time. I love knitting and I love designing knitting.

When my youngest son's arrival was expected, I knew I wanted to make this baby something special as he was something special -- I was over 40 and in a foreign country and I was expecting my 5th child. Yes, he was going to be something special and he needed something that would set his birth apart from his siblings'.

Bam-bam was due in late November in Austria -- so a cozy Christening Gown seemed the perfect "special" baby item. I poured my love and prayers for a healthy baby into the design and knitting of this set -- that's why I used a heart-lace theme throughout the bonnet, sweater, socks and blanket. The blanket has a cross on it when spread out on the floor.

I used the same yarn but different size needles -- so the bonnet and jacket were knitted on 5s, the socks on 3s and the blanket on 11s. This gave me the loft I needed for a fluffy blanket while giving the delicacy I needed for the socks. The wool is a natural, DK weight wool from Austria.

Here's the back so you can see the heart motif on the bonnet and the back of the sweater.

This is truly an heirloom set and one I'm so proud of I even made a doll to fit the outfit. This doll will wear the outfit until I have either more children or till grandchildren start needing Christening outfits!

Don't you just love knitting?

So what do you do ...

... when you have a hand-knit garment that you just don't/can't/won't wear anymore but is too precious to just toss in the give-away pile?

This mural, "The Blue Ridge Parkway", started out life as a shawl. I made it when we were in Austria. It is a sampler of some Austrian knitted lace patterns that I wanted to remember. After wearing this shawl for an audience with Pope John Paul II in 2002, I just couldn't wear it anymore -- after all, it would be a third class relic if he ever is canonized!

So, when we got back to the States later that year, my dear FIL made a frame to its exact dimensions and hammered in a gazillion black finishing nails and I just stretched it right onto the frame. I do occasionally take it off the frame to freshen it up, but then it goes right back on the frame for drying/hanging!