Thursday, January 12, 2012


Christmas 2011:  The Knitting Edition

It was a big knitting season for Nonna.  Once I started a sweater for Owen and saw how quickly it went together, I thought “I could make one of these for Viking, too.”  And once I decided to make something for Viking, I realized I’d better make something for all the other grandchildren as well.  After all, we were going to be opening gifts together at Christmas.  I didn’t want anyone to feel left out!

So The Great Knitting Marathon began in mid-October, and finished a day or two before Christmas.  Here are the results, in order of age.

This is Viking wearing his dinosaur sweater, "Steggie," found at the wonderful Knitty web site, a great source for all manner of patterns.




Next oldest is Owen, a mere three weeks younger, who received the same sweater in different colors.  We weren't together at Christmas, but his Mom sent me these photos.
 Note the snazzy two-tone zipper!

 Owen has an unusually large head (all those brains!), so this hood is only going to keep the back of it warm.
Both of these dinosaur sweaters were made from Cascade "Pacific" (40% superwash merino, 60% acrylic), a lovely soft washable wool that should be just the right medium for outdoor wear on a three-year old boy.

Branching out, I determined that Odin Jedi, 19 months, was ready for a big-boy sweater.
 This is an Ann Norling top-down pattern that I have used several times.  You need an advanced degree in math to figure it out -- it has many style options (pullover, cardigan, V-neck, round neck) and every imaginable stitch gauge.  For him I made a V-neck cardigan, Perry Como style, outlined in contrasting (but not very...) blue yarn at the sleeves, bottom,  and neck/front edges.
Instead of buttonholes, I tried sticky dots of Velcro, with the buttons sewn over it on one side.  I have a feeling it won't work very well; Velcro and wool don't mix.  I have a standing offer out to his mother to send it back to me and I'll do it right, with grosgrain ribbon under the bands and real buttonholes.

This sweater was made with an equally lovely and washable wool, but I didn't save the ball band so I can't tell you what it is.  Might be the same Cascade "Pacific," but I guess we'll never know.

Norway is 10 months old and definitely ready for a girly sweater.
 This the Little Vintage Smock, a pattern in the 7th "Little Sublime Hand Knit" book.

 I used some Baby Ull yarn by Dalegarn (Dale of Norway), 100% wool, washable.
Because if you've got a girl who eats cake with two forks, you'd better be able to wash her sweater!  I think there will be a matching beret in her near future, when she turns one year old in February.

The youngest of our five grandchildren is Utah, six months old at Christmas.  He hasn't yet grown into the sweater I made for him when he was born, so he didn't get a new one.

Instead, he got a spiffy hat, also a pattern from the 7th Little Sublime book, "Little Bertie," made from bits and pieces of leftovers.
Sorry, not a good photo of his lovely Mom, but a good shot of the hat!  Do you recognize the darker blue from Norway's smock?  The lighter blue is from a sweater I made for Viking when he was born; the brown is a nice sock yarn, and the white is, you know, just some ol' white that I had lying around.

When he turns one in June, he might be ready for another Nonna sweater.  Meanwhile, this will keep his ears warm in the Washington winter.

Now I'm ready to knit something for myself!  (Well, after Anne's birthday gift and Norway's beret and the socks I promised to Peter...)