Handknit With Love

Remember this hat?

It's for my Grandson-to-be, Oliver, due in September and I posted about making the hat here.

This last weekend I finished up making a jumper to go with the hat.  

 

 It's from this book by Debbie Bliss - design it, knit it babies

Spoilt for choice I decided to make this simple square necked jumper.

I've used Adriafil Knitcol trends, superwash merino wool, colourway 57 - Botticelli Fancy again for the main - you might remember I bought this at Atelier Yarns on my last visit to San Francisco (you can read my post here) and the contrast is a leftover wool from my stash, Patons UK Double Knitting in light cream (no longer available). 

I'm still super in love with how the Adriafil Knitcol works up in a project - the Fair Isle/Jacquard style patterning created by the colour changes in the wool are fab and it's such fun to see how they work into the piece as you're creating the pattern.  I admit to starting both sleeves at the same point in the wool so the patterning is practically the same on each.

I've also given the jumper a go in the washing machine - yep that Merino wool is machine washable at 40 degrees and it came out looking and feeling just perfect, in fact all the pics in this post are taken post washing :D

Here's some pics of the details:

Side seam and my small label.

The back and that small label again.  I like the small details on this knit - the garter rib left unseamed is a great touch.

The square neckline is very easy to work and, as always, Debbie Bliss gives great instructions in a written pattern (I've always worked from written patterns not from charts as seems to be the trend these days).

Square neckline detail, with my large label and monkey buttons (also purchased on my last trip to San Fran at Britex Fabrics, you can read that post here).

I didn't think my pics were doing the jumper justice so, in the absence of yet-to-be Oliver I had to find another model.   Tatty and Watson are exactly the right size and, as you can see below, well up for the task but I thought better of it 

and went in search of another of my nest flown daughter, Flicky's, teddy bears.  

Having used Bedwyn Bear in two previous photo shoots,

here 

and here, 

I needed a much smaller bear this time around.

Step forward ... oh dear, I have to admit to not having a clue what this bear's called, but he performed admirably and I'm sure Flicky will be proud.

I think he looks pretty cute in his oversized jumper!

Some time in the Spring I'll be able to update this post with a pic of Oliver sporting his very own jumper and hat, and the thought of that makes me very happy.

These are for you Oliver, handknit with love by Grandma xxx


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A Girl, A Bear, A Dog And A Unicorn - You Couldn't Make It Up!

I've had these items made for weeks and weeks and finally got Flicky to model them for me only yesterday - the imminent departure of two of the items down under being a major incentive to get my arse into gear.

I've made the child's apron and chef's hat, so wonderfully modelled here by Bedwyn Bear, for the niece of my fabulous friend, Wendy, who lives in Oz (Wendy's niece lives in Oz that is!).  The second adult apron, even more wonderfully modelled by my daughter, Flicky, is what happens when you don't write the pattern name/size on paper pattern templates that you've created previously - when you remake them you grab the wrong size template and then thank your lucky stars that you've bought enough fabric to make two aprons!!!  So the smaller hat and apron are winging their way down under this week and the larger apron will be for sale in my Etsy store when it eventually opens SOLD ;)

Here're some more piccies:

Pocket and small label detail

Large label detail

Have you spotted that these aprons are reversible?

Bows or Reef Knots?

 Loving her Bedwyn Bear - named after the village we lived in in England, Bedwyn has been Flicky's friend since she asked for "a white bear that's bigger than me" as her third birthday present.

Fabrics Used:

"fair maidens" De Leon Design Group, The Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection 

"enchanted forest" De Leon Design Group, The Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection

Little One Screen Print D, Katie Hennagir for Robert Kaufman

The adult apron is my own pattern design and a refashion of the apron I made back in April for my Mum's birthday - you can read my blog post by clicking on the image here.

The child's apron and chef's hats are made using the same patterns that I used back in February for my Chef Mabel hat and apron - you can read my blog post again by clicking on the image here.  Unfortunately, the links to the child's apron and chef's hat patterns no longer work as the patterns have now been removed from the Michael Miller website.  I have contacted Joanna of Stardust Shoes, who created the original patterns, and asked her if I can link to the patterns anywhere else and if/when I receive a response I'll update my relevant posts with any information she gives me.

So that's a girl and a bear but where are the dog and the unicorn I hear you asking?

 

That's better - it just wouldn't be the same without Tatty getting in on the act and she's brought along her favourite unicorn toy. She's actually hoping the unicorn will save her if she falls off our 23rd-floor balcony - I tell you, you soon have to get over a fear of heights living this high and with only rattling glass panels between you and the ground!!!  You know those tennis courts you can see in some of the pics aren't the ground - they're on the roof of another building, the ground's a pretty long way down from here.

And to wrap everything up nicely here's some indoor photos and as you can see I'm being helped again by my ever willing photographic assistant ;)

Updated at 15 April 2014

Here's a photo of Addison and Amy-Leigh wearing their aprons, don't they just look great - thanks for sharing the photo girls, I'm delighted to see it :D

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.
 

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A Present For Chef Mable

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Flicky had put in a request for a Chef's Hat and Apron to give as a surprise gift and shared with you the chosen fabrics.

So Wednesday and Thursday this week I've been busy making said items and now I can share them with you.

 

No, you're not going mad, that is a large white teddy bear and not the real Chef Mable.  In the absence of a suitably sized model (Tatty was very keen to oblige but really not big enough on this occasion) and thinking on my feet as I only had an hour of daylight left before said garments would be wrapped and gone forever, I remembered and roped in Flicky's enormous teddy bear, known as Bedwyn to his friends. 

Here's a closer look.  It's a classic reversible apron and an adjustable chef's hat and I've adapted both from two great patterns by Joanna of Stardust Shoes who has designed the patterns for Making It Fun - Michael Miller Fabrics.  You can find the patterns by clicking through to the Making It Fun blog and they're in the tutorial section down the right-hand sidebar.

Chef's hat detail - fussy cut Olive the Ostrich by Laurie Wisbrun for Robert Kaufman and a row of machine embroidered hearts.  I think the perspective of the photo's a bit out because the cuff looks narrower on the left but it's perfectly straight really!

A peep inside the chef's hat - it's lined with a Hopscotch design fabric (CHILDREN at play by sarahjane for michael miller fabric) then I've bound the seams with dear STELLA lime green and white spots and added a machine embroidered heart detail.  You can see the adjustable velcro fastening and my 'made by ChrissieD' label.

I've tried to show you some of the pocket detail here - the pocket is fussy cut from Olive the Ostrich, lined with the CHILDREN at play 'hopscotch' fabric, trimmed with dear STELLA and again I've added a machine embroidered heart detail.

 A look at the 'back' of the reversible apron.

Finally, I can reveal who Flicky wanted the pressie made for.

It's for Mable, who is celebrating her 7th birthday today.  Flicky looks after Mable and her brother Emerson after school once or twice a week and they love to cook together so Flicky thought it would be great for Mable to have her own 'Chef Mable' Apron and Hat in her favourite colour - PINK.

Do you think Mable liked her pressie?  Judge for yourselves ...

 Step aside Gordon Ramsay!!!

!!! HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY MABLE !!!

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Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.

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