Snow is a rare thing here in Georgia, but we had the wonderful gift of a white Christmas this year. Last year I kept saying I would knit mittens for my 2 year old but I never got around to it and we had a few instances of a crying toddler because her hands turned red from the cold. This year I was determined and it took two false starts to get what I wanted.

First I tried a little fair isle mitten, but it came out too small and after several hours knitting with no result I was frustrated with little progress, she needed these the next day. Then I tried a bulky yarn pattern, but the yarn was just not soft enough (you need it a bit flexible for little hands to play) and I found that her tiny little thumb never found its way into the thumb hole, or somehow poked through the bulk yarn. I realized that by not having a thumb in her mittens not only would she be more warm with all of her fingers together, but it would be much easier to knit.

My good friend Allegra suggested I make a pair to match my Serendipity Hat.

Here they are, the perfect little pair of mittens for the little ones in your life, and a matching pair for yourself!

Here is a freshly knit up version of Country Kiddie, this time in Patons Kroy Socks in “Lavender Fleck”. It’s a really wonderful color, doesn’t pool when knit up in this size and looks wonderful with a white skirt or blue jeans. It was about time my youngest had her own fresh version of my original design! I took the last photo at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, it was the first time I took the girls and they just loved it. It was the perfect place for someone BGs age. They had a large children’s garden with slides, and loads of pumpkins and gourds on the ground to be touched and played with. We will have to go back next spring when more flowers are in bloom. The girls loved getting really close to the butterflies, and all the water features in the park are really amazing. We got to go behind a mini waterfall. I think that was the highlight of the day, it was difficult to lure the girls on to the next fun spot.

Photographing a 1 year old is nearly impossible. They never stop moving, turning or changing facial expression. Getting a properly focused photos is very difficult! I just love the color and pattern on this yarn, it looks perfect with LGs skin tone.

So I’ve been working hard to get all my patterns re-knit in fresh new yarns, hopefully in time to have all new photography when I sell my patterns at SAFF! If you are in the GA/NC/SC area you really should make the trip. The festival has grown so much in the past few years, it’s much larger then it used to be. I’m excited for this year because I’ve never before sold my patterns at a booth or any craft festivals. I’ll be in the same booth as two very talented Petite Purls designers, Kate Oates of Tottoppers and Carey Huffman of Full of Fluff.  It’s going to be a kids knits extravaganza!

Milk is being re-done in Spud & Chloe “Fine”
Country Kiddie is being re-done in Patons Sock
Bitty Bolero has been re-done in Blue Sky Alpacas Multi Cotton

I’ve forgotten to show you guys the new photos! I can’t decide which photo to use, will you help me pick?

Photo #1 has a better composition, and a sweet expression but her eyes are looking down

Photo #2 has the eyes looking straight but the overall composition is not as strong

Cotton is a bit less forgiving when it comes to finishing, but it wears a bit easier to make up for it, in particular in Georgia given our weather.

We never did make it to that Apple Orchard (it’s still on the list of things to do this fall) but we did get to run by the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve, it was such a phenomenal place to visit. I found out about it because of a cnn.com article about a very rare Zedonk (Donkey-Zebra mix) and realized it was fairly close by, so we ran up there one morning and had a blast. All of the money people pay to visit, goes toward feeding the animals and it’s non-profit, and I can personally say I prefer it to a traditional, commercialized zoo. A lot less crowded too.

I dressed both of the girls up in all their zebra stripped clothing, I adore animal prints and it wound up being perfect for such an adventure.

They even had a fun little playground with about 4 plastic “kid zones” all next to each other, my only complaint was one of the castle zone slides was all broken up and should have been thrown away. The girls had a blast playing in them, and I was a bit sad to see so many spider webs because it meant that not many kids were coming to play there. It was the perfect place to take toddlers, and BG even got to feed a sweet duck (I think it was a duck, he sure was… feathery). They had lions, tigers and bears, OH MY! They had monkeys and birds, and turtles and camels and tiny horses. It was a great place to visit.

I have some big plans for my pattern line Pixie Purls, I won’t say exactly what but it has to do with re-vamping my existing patterns. I have been knitting on one this holiday weekend, and my good friend Claudia is helping me knit another. Now I just need some really great photos to go along with some really fabulous knits.

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!

I am never ahead of the game when it comes to knitting for my kids, last winter I kept saying I would knit some mittens for BG (because there are never any good mittens to fit a toddler available in stores) and as I live in Georgia the need for mittens was not very high. But then it kept snowing, and each time it snows BG would go outside in the snow and cry from her hands getting frozen from the snow, and I would feel awful (we put socks and gloves on her hands but they got wet or fell off, we tried loads, mostly everything got wet). So this year I have vowed to get ahead of things. This means I need 2 winter hats, and atleast 1 set of gloves for BG, and maybe a second set for the baby.

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.

Just in time for a quick end of summer knit, that can easily transition into fall with a long sleeve shirt worn underneath!

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’ve gone through 3 months of designing and ripping out various ideas, probably at-least half a dozen. My design Mojo was not at it’s all time high. Then I had an idea that was a combination of a few ideas, oddly enough one based on an idea for a sewing pattern. I combined two of my favorite colors of yarn, sketched it out and did a bit of math and knit it up. I only had to frog once because I left out the button opening on the back, but other then that it came together perfectly!

As you all know I am the queen of minimal knitting and finishing. I like something that’s simple, clean, elegant, sweet and super easy to knit. I am sure one day I will design more abstract and complex pattern, but I have so many ideas still for the easier sort that I can’t help it.

About a week ago I was lamenting over the fact that I myself have very few knits to wear to TNNA next week (A trade show for yarn shop owners, yarn manufacturers and publishers), I don’t design adult stuff (yet!) and I don’t have much knitting time for myself. Suddenly it occurred to me that i should be dressing LG in hand knits, lots of my designs she can wear. Do not ask me why this did not occur to me earlier, it’s sort of a DUH moment. Face palm! It came together quickly and just as I envisioned. This was designed specifically for TNNA, and will be available online for purchase in July!

The Bubble Frock is inspired by bubbles, which are of course made up of water and air (represented by white and blue yarn). It features a full back for structure, and one sweet little eyelet button opening, so 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. Knit 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. Blue Sky Alpaca Multi Cotton and Worsted Cotton, 1 ball of each color. A second top can be knit out of the remaining yarn with the opposite color effect.

I’ve been very tired and not been able to finish knitting as much as I would like, but last night I was determined LG would have a hat for herself, something super cut and chunky. I got my hot little hands on the new Spud & Chloe (Outer) colors coming out in January, and I really loved Sunkissed, it matches some of the fabric in her crib quilt, the trees have a bit of this peachy pink in them.

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!

Many months ago I ordered a Bamboletta Doll for BG to have as a gift for when we came home with the new baby. Christina Platt makes these wonderful dolls with the utmost care and attention to detail. The dolls are a work of art. When I ordered the doll I put in a little note that it was a gift for my soon to be “big sister” and knowing nothing about me, my blog or even that I knit she sent along an extra newborn doll with a note that it was for the new baby.

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.

Only a year and a-half ago I released my first pattern ever, the Country Kiddie (Ravelry).

Now I have available for you (after many requests) a toddler version of my most popular pattern, knit up in DK weight yarn for faster knitting and more cotton-blend yarn choices.

The Country Toddler (Ravelry)

 

That is indeed, the same model. Miss BG herself. It’s amazing how much she has grown and how much has changed since that first pattern was released. I hope you love the new “big girl” version!