About 2.5 years ago I knit a very cute sweater for A. The pattern was Owlet by Kate Davies, and I chose a deep red colour of King Cole Merino Aran. I had a lot of fun knitting it and it worked up very quickly. The owls’ eyes are supposed to be buttons but at that time I hadn’t found Suzy Q’s (my favorite vintage button shop) so I used wood beads instead. A wore that sweater until last fall (my kids grow very slowly) and got quite a lot of use out of it. Now that it is getting downright cold again here, I dug it out to try on P. Sure enough, it fits her perfectly and the red colour is fine for a girl too. Since both kids will have worn the sweater it has now probably secured it’s place as a family heirloom and the classic design will probably still work for the grandkids someday.
Tag: kids
Everyday Hoodie
Okay, I couldn’t wait any longer, it’s time to release the Everyday Hoodie. Although the Boot Cuffs were my first published pattern, I actually wrote this pattern first (it just took a LOT longer to get right). I’m not sure exactly when I started it, but it was sometime in late spring. Then I had to write it up from memory and reverse engineering since I wasn’t very good about keeping notes as I went. Then I had to do the grading (figuring out the pattern for multiple sizes), followed by knitting a second one in another size just to make sure it was okay. Then I had others test it, followed by having a technical editor go through it with a fine-tooth comb to be sure I didn’t make any errors. Since this was my first pattern, and not a simple one at that, the whole process took a lot longer than it should have. Hopefully future sweater patterns will go much more quickly since I have some experience now.
This pattern came from a desire for a simple, top-down hoodie with clean lines for easy toddler wear. In order to keep the fabric sleek, ribbing, garter and seed stitch have given way to hemmed edges. To keep the look of a basic hoodie this pattern features a zipper closure and front pockets. The optional ribbon draw-string is not particularly functional, it just gives the sweater a little extra personality. The fingering weight yarn makes it a nice, light, versatile sweater to throw on for extra warmth.
I’d like to give a big Thank You to: Jodi and Ian for letting their adorable baby pose for some pictures; Ryan Barr for the wonderful photography; Pat Bostwick (aka “Mom”) for brainstorming and testing; Eleanor Dixon for technical editing; and C for helping me every step of the way.
Must Stop Making Pillowcase Dresses
I made yet another pillowcase dress on the weekend, and it was the cutest one yet! I’m going to have to stay out of Walmart’s fabric aisle for a while because it’s becoming a serious problem. I got to deliver this one to the little birthday girl this morning but I snapped a picture before I let it go.
Booties Galore!
I just finished another pair of custom booties for a friend. She wanted them for her little girl to wear with her pumpkin costume for Halloween so we picked orange for the booties and green laces. The pattern is Ruth’s Perfect Baby Booties and I used Just A Leaf for the leaves on the end of the laces. The finished product is really cute but the pattern had a few problems. If I had it to do all over again I would use Judy’s Magic Cast On and try to knit them in the round.
I think these will look adorable on the little pumpkin!
Oh Boy
I’ve been finding myself walking around lately with my shoulders hunched up by my ears. I’m waking up with a sore jaw and a headache from clenching my teeth all night. And you know what is causing all of this tension? My hobby. Ever since I got the notion to turn this pastime into a tiny business I have found it to be less-than relaxing, but that’s not something I would change. It is giving me something to work on besides the day to day keep-the-children-alive-and-make-sure-they-don’t-turn-into-axe-murderers. The biggest problem is that I have all these ideas floating through my head and not much time to work on them, nor the patience to allow it to happen slowly. My incredibly calm, patient and supportive husband sat down and worked out a plan for me and it’s starting to look less overwhelming. My shoulders can now be found at chin-level!









