Little Bo Peep

These are the matching/contrasting Baby Bonnets from Last Minute Hand-Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Yes, that book again; it really is that good, believe me!

I made them in Rowan Kid Classic, a wool/mohair/nylon mix that I have previously used for the Red Side-slip Cloche, amongst other things. I wanted natural colours, and you can hardly call the heather colour natural, but it's a soft hue and looks beautiful in person.

There's a lovely old-fashioned feel to this pattern. I had worried that it just wouldn't translate in today's modern fast-paced world, but you can modernise-it-up. Some of the kids on Ravelry are really rocking it!

It's a very easy construction to learn, and I polished both bonnets off in a weekend (a weekend which was also filled with other activities, so they don't take a whole weekend!).

The garter edging is very pretty, don't you agree? I also learned the applied I-cord binding which I had wanted to try for ages. This was a really good project for it.

Each bonnet uses much less than a ball, so you can easily get the two bonnets out of the two balls, with lots left over. I may make some matching mittens; my only worry would be that they could be a little itchy for tiny hands. We'll see.

Next up, expect something in Shocking Pink! It's almost finished; I'm just working on a sleeve.

Bear with me while DH and I take a well-earned rest over the next couple of weeks. We're off to the isle of Harris, followed by some time with my family in Speyside. Bliss; can't wait.

Shock Horror, Actual Knitting

This is the Child's Placket Neck Pullover from Last Minute Hand-Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

I made it a couple of weeks ago but hadn't got round to blocking it. We like? I love!

The pattern is brilliantly written, like everything else in the book. Fans of this blog will know that I've made many of the projects from it already. It really is the best book, and my go-to-pattern-source for new inspiration.

My favourite part is probably the miniature orange buttons, which really lift the jumper. It was a great fun, easy and quick knit and I'd love to do another some time.

As always, moss-stitch is such a great "edger" to a garment. It's always been my favourite, though garter-stitch can also look just as effective. You may have noticed that I have a little crimped edge to this jumper. This was not intentional; I merely threaded the blocking wires* through every other, rather than every stitch. I'll probably re-block to make it look smoother, but it's no biggie.

* I really can't believe I waited until fairly recently to succumb to the wires. I ordered these from The Loop in Islington (now Camden Passage) and they have revolutionised my garments and the entire way I approach blocking; what a life-saver! Get them, if you can.

Do you like the raglan sleeves? I'm really pleased with the way they turned out. The pattern appealed to my love for knitting in the round, and I did the same with the sleeves (which wasn't in the pattern), then joined them on the one needle, reducing stitches towards the neck opening as I went.

I think an orange one with perhaps green buttons would also look good. Probably one day, but I have a huge list of projects waiting to be done.