Dries Turns 2

Today is my nephew Dries's (rhymes with Peace) birthday party. He turns 2 tomorrow but Memorial Day is a better day to have the party than the day after Memorial Day.

Anyway...

A few weeks ago, Dries saw my phone that had a picture of a robot on it and started wanting the robot. He said, "Aunt Nell robot!" over and over. We taught him to dance the robot but I was thinking how he really should have his own robot.



Wouldn't you knit almost anything for this kid?



Pattern: Robbie the Radiant Robot (my Rav Page)
Yarn: KP Wool of the Andes in Calypso Heather, Caution, and White
Needles: KP Zephyr Needles in US size 6
Date Started: May 8, 2011
Date Finished: May 27, 2011
Mods: I sewed the antennae onto his head. The pattern says you only need to attach it with a pipe cleaner but it didn't feel 2-year-old-proof to me.
Comments: I really love the way his eyes slant toward each other. It was unintentional but makes him look mad.



Toy knitting is notoriously fiddly. There are too many parts and too much sewing. This project has the same issues but I really love the results. I might knit one for myself. Mostly, I hope Dries likes him as much as I do.

Happy Birthday, Dries!

A Sweater So Cute

Today I finished the Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan. This sweater is so cute I almost want to have a baby girl so she could wear it someday. Brian even mentioned (jokingly) that we should have a baby just to wear the sweater.



Pattern: Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan (my ravelry page)
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Vintage in Grapefruit
Needles: KP Harmony Needles US size 8 and 9
Date Started: March 21, 2011
Date Finished: May 29, 2011
Mods: None
Comments: Oops #1- I thought this was a baby sweater. But I cast on and quickly realized it is made for Child's size 2. I was planning this as a baby shower gift. I need a new plan for that one. Oops #2- I was happily knitting along and when all I had left was the button band, I ran out of yarn. This cardi would have taken a lot less time if I had ordered 1 more skein from the get go. I ordered new yarn on 4/1/11 but I think I was a little mad and didn't take the hour I needed to do the button bands until a couple of days ago. Oops #3- I blocked it today. And it appears to have grown some in the bath. I didn't bother with a gauge swatch because it was supposed to be a baby present. Maybe I need to find a 4 year old girl instead of a 2 year old girl to wear it.

All the oopses aside, it really is an adorable knit.



There are two things I love the most on this knit. The color and the buttons. We all know Madelinetosh yarn is gorgeous and wonderful to knit with but this color just blows me away. Sometimes it's orange. Sometimes it's pink. It's the perfect fun, playful color for a kid's sweater. And look at the stitch definition. Just love this yarn.



The buttons are from Hancock fabric in Napa. They don't have a huge selection but the whole time I was knitting this, I was thinking of some kind of flower buttons. It's the color, again. The color feels happy, bright, and springy. Daisy buttons really work perfectly.

Truth be told, I was knitting this as a precursor to knitting the adult version for myself. I have the yarn picked and the gauge swatch knit. Just need to cast on. But WAIT! There are a couple more things in the queue that have serious deadlines. First, a super secret baby shower gift for a friend. Second, my sister asked me to knit her a wedding shawl. I'm thinking this one. Even though it really scares me, I'm going to give it a try. If you have any advice on the lace knitting, let me know. I really am a little scared. In any case, no time for socks or sweaters for me for the next couple of months.