Here is one of my most favorite patterns (the second one I ever designed!), the Bitty Bolero. I am updating and modifying the pattern a smidgen. There will be a new option for the buttonhole, and I am updating the yarn used. Here is the fantastically sea-foamish (spearmint) color of Blue Sky Alpacas Multi Cotton, which is also 100% organic (luv!). I am so excited to get photos of this on LG (Little Girl, my 1 year old). What do you think of the button? It seemed perfect, so I had to sew it on before I was done with the sleeves!

Now I must get back to coding up the new issue of Petite Purls, due out tomorrow!

The week that I resigned from my job, I had to arrange for the kids to be in daycare, and I was able to enjoy a day to myself on one of those days. I ran by Only Ewe and Cotton Too in Alpharetta, and what a perfect day I picked, there was well over a dozen knitters who meet regularly, all knitting together with lots of lively conversation. What lucky timing! So I sat and knit, and picked up some of this wonderful purple Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grand Bulky. It is SO soft, that vibrant but deep purple just about does me in. How adorable is LG in that hat? Of course she won’t keep it on, and in the photo her hand is up there about to take it off! Once it’s cold she won’t have much choice about it. I bribed her with some cheese for the photos. The pattern is of course my Serendipity which is quickly becoming my most popular pattern!

So one hat down, 1 more matching hat for BG to go, and then some cute mittens from 60 Quick Knits, Child’s Octopus Mittens (ravelry link).

I am very much ready for fall, this summer has been extremely hot and miserable, Georgia has a lot of bugs and the heat only brings them out worse. The question will be of course, because we had such an extremely hot summer, does that mean the winter will be extremely cold or very mild? We’ll just have to wait to find out!

I took photos of the most adorable model yesterday, for an upcoming free Back to Basics pattern, keep an eye out on the site for it, should come out in the next few days! I love photographing other people’s designs. It’s a lot of fun to get to see so many wonderful designs first hand.

Knit from the bottom up with minimal finishing or edging, it’s a cinch to finish quickly. You may bind off at the shoulder straps and seam together, or if you are feeling adventurous, just leave the stitches live on the needles, and kitchener them together for a supremely smooth fit and finished look.

Size Shown 12 Months

The Bubble Frock is inspired by the two elements that make up a bubble, Air (white) and Water (blue). With a
full back for structure, and one sweet little eyelet button, it can easily be opened to fit over baby’s head. The front doubles up at the chest as the fabric bubbles out, for a comfortable and airy fit in the hot summer months.

Yarn
Coton or Cotton Blend Recommended
150 200, 250, 300, 350 yards Worsted Weight Yarn MC
100 150, 200, 250, 300, yards Worsted Weight Yarn CC

Yarn shown on model:
Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Worsted Cotton (100% organic
cotton; 150 yards/137 meters per 3.5 ounce/100 gram hank);
color # color name (MC) 1(1, 1, 1, 1) hank
Blue Sky Alpacas Multi Cotton Worsted (100% organic cotton;
100 yards/91 meters per 2.3 ounce/67 gram hank);
6803 Slushie (CC) 1(2, 2, 2, 2) hanks

Recommended Needle Size
1 24 inch US #7/4.5 mm circular needle or long straights
(always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed
below — every knitter’s gauge is unique)

Notions
Stitch holder
Darning needle

I really enjoyed knitting this up using this yarn, I have not tried it yet, and I am not a huge fan of cotton as it dries my fingers out. This particular yarn uses organic cotton and superwash wool, and it’s wonderful to knit with. It has a fuzzyness to it you don’t always get with a wool/cotton blend.

(an out-take were bg jumped into the shot)

I am calling this hat “Serendipity” because it came together perfectly! I did rip a few times as  I was too lazy to gauge swatch, but after 1 false start I got the width perfect to her little 16″ head. I imagined big chunky garter stitch ridges, ending with a bit of twirl-y decreases on a stockinette top, with a big chunky pom pom sitting on the top like a cherry on a sundae.

The ear flaps came out really nice, I was so pleased with those. I did the decreases on the inside vs the outside, ending with a k1, k2tog, k1 which balanced perfectly, creating a nice little triangle. Then for a bit of a “viking” twist, I braided 3 strands of the bulky together, making sure to keep them 6″ in length so as not to be a choking hazard.

I’ll be knitting one for BG soon!

I wrote her a thank you and mentioned I would be knitting the doll some sweaters and she replied back that she had been looking for someone to create a pattern for her to give as a gift to her wonderful customers. Next thing you know we had started a dialogue and I jumped at the chance to collaborate with her, everything about her aesthetic and style just resonates with me from her site design, to the way she dresses her dolls, even down to the wonderful packaging she puts together. How could I not want to be involved with such a talented women?

So here is the pattern I knit on while pregnant, and finished when LG was 2 months old. It took me far too long to complete with so much going on, but I could not be more pleased with how it turned out, so it was worth the wait!

Without further ado I give you, The Bamboletta Cardigan. Available free from the Bamboletta.com website.