stash, knit, repeat

I am super-excited to share with you my latest pattern and FO: Morgan’s Flower Garden.

Pattern: Morgan’s Flower Garden (rav link)

Yarn: Cascade 220, in #4007, 9404, 9557

Time Elapsed: A few weeks

Notes/Pattern Info: First, the standard-style pattern info. Morgan’s Flower Garden is an A-line, zippered cardigan for little girls, adorned with a tulip motif and sized with plenty of ease to accommodate youngsters’ rapid growth. It’s finished with tulips on the right front and left sleeve cuff. Seed stitch collar and zipper cover look neat and trim, as do the folded hems on sleeve cuffs and at the sweater’s bottom. Pattern includes individualized intarsia charts and detailed instructions.

I have sized the sweater to fit 1 (2, 4, 6) year-old girls, with bust measuring 22 (25, 27, 29)”. You will need one set of needles in a size to get gauge, and another two sizes below the main size. Special techniques include intarsia for the actual flowers and (very) simple embroidery for the tulip stems. Pattern is available for purchase here or in my ravelry store for US$5.00. Special and heartfelt thanks to my test knitters Bertha, Ruth, Erin, Wendy, and Cathy. Y’all rock the house.

Now, for the story: I am a very lucky knitter indeed and have several friends who are a pure delight to knit for. I have been knitting for Morgan since she was born, and when her mother Beth (our sons’ godmother) mentioned that Morgan had outgrown the last sweater I knit for her, I knew it was time to start thinking.

I sketched this design out months ago, and tried hard to think of any other way to do the tulips than the obvious choice: Intarsia. I don’t mind intarsia too much for vertical stripes, but for anything else? Let’s just say it’s not high on my list of favorite techniques. I eventually gave in to my knitting intuition, though, and intarsia it is. I found it totally worth the annoyance.

The best part about this project was giving it to Morgan. She’s old enough now (4.5) to really get excited about her own clothing. She immediately donned the sweater, started dancing around the room, and apparently hasn’t taken it off since. We visited them last week, and she was still wearing the sweater. Now, that’s a girl who’s going to receive more hand knits.

Though it may be awhile before she grows out of this one.

You know what we’ve been missing around here? Baby pictures, that’s what.

Pattern: “Nessie”, from Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh

Yarn: Berroco Vintage Wool, in, uh, green and blue colors. *cough*

Time Elapsed: Mere days

Notes/Modifications: I didn’t really modify anything. The instructions for these toys are fiddly, but the results are worth it. The entire book is adorable and Jacob immediately demanded that I knit him “One of everything, starting with the praying mantis. No, spider. No, ant. No, spider. No, praying mantis. No, spider.”

Nessie is a gift for Ronan, our dear friends Stacy and Neil’s new baby. They live in San Jose, and since I knew Ronan would get all of older brother Asher’s old sweaters (including this one, by the way), a toy seemed more climate-appropriate. There was never any question that Ronan would receive a hand-knit: the whole family is a knitter’s dream in terms of hand-knit recipients.

Anyway, back to Nessie. Really, she’s adorable. As are all of the other patterns in the book.

The Vintage is great, as well. Very soft, nice halo, acts just like wool… but is machine-washable. Geniuses over there at Berroco, I tell you.

Since I don’t seem to have much more to say, how about a baby picture in closing?

Well, we’ll see. But I’ve selected a challenge for the Knitting Olympics, and I’ve got the yarn, and I’ve got the (current) pattern (draft), and I’m ready.

The challenge: Knit up the next design so that I can wear it to SPA in a couple of weeks. Think I can do it?

What are your Olympic knitting projects, if you’re playing along?

That’s what we are around here, anyway. The same old stuff, just a different month.

I’m excited about my knitting, though. I’ve been obsessed with it since taking the hobby back up nearly 8 (!) years ago now, but the fiber arts have rarely been as fulfilling as in this last year. It’s so soul-renewing and rewarding to be truly creative in this way. Lots has been said, by those more eloquent than I, at the wonder and beauty of this particular online community. But I wanted to take a moment to say thank you, for being here, for your incredibly inspiring creative pursuits, for your comments, for your reception of Arm Candy.

I’m in the midst of my next (few) design(s), but when a baby came early recently a toy needed to be immediately produced. Since it’s still en route to the recipient, I won’t share details yet, but it’s pretty adorable. Since I can’t show you the toy, how about a peek at February’s design? The test knitters are nearing completion, and I hope to release the pattern in a couple of weeks.

Happy knitting!