Get Ziggy's in the hizzle

It's been months in the making, but now (finally) Get Ziggy is ready for his big debut...


I started scheming about this one way back in December. I wanted to design the ultimate baby/toddler sweater: quick to knit, mindless bits for telly or commute knitting, and a more interesting cabled front to break up the monotony of the stockinette for the knitter and to wow the recipient.


It also features lap shoulders (my fave) to easily fit over those big baby noggins! Lolo is wearing the 18 month size. He's 14 months old and the sweater fits him great with ample growing room...I'm hoping it will still fit him in the fall though I realise that might be delusional considering my baby keeps growing and growing and growing faster than my knitting can keep up with ;0) Luckily, I've sized the pattern up to a 24 month size so I can always whip him up another in the fall!


I've knit 3 of these while tweaking the pattern and have found the pattern to be very stash-friendly. The brown one was knit in Rowan All Seasons Cotton. I know I already told you how much I heart this yarn, but I really really love it. It's so cooshy and soft. I think my Lolo bear likes to wear it too but then again he hasn't really been swathed in luxury fibres...yet!


I've also knit this sweater in O-Wool Classic (the cream version) and in Phildar Tweedy (the blue-green version) and have been happy with all three. So if you've got 3-5 balls of aran weight around, you can Get Ziggy too, heehee!

The pattern is available from my shop at www.jujubeandlolo.com as an instant download for $6.50 or if you prefer, it is also available as a Ravelry download here.

Happy knitting!

ps - some of you have noted that the link to the Yoda Baby sweater from my last post was no longer active. The link is correct but it seems that the designer has moved all her patterns to Ravelry. The Yoda Baby Sweater is still available as a free download directly from Ravelry here.

Winged Heart Tattoo

Out of ideas for mother's day? How about a knit winged heart tattoo?!

I've been working on this pattern for a while now but was struggling on what to do with the wings. And then it came to me quite suddenly this weekend: why felt them of course as my little Jujube would say!*


The felted wings worked out brilliantly - so cooshy and fluffy! And with just the right amount of stiffness so that they aren't droopy.


And just like that, this rocking little number is ready to soar out of my knitting bag and perhaps into yours. Get the free pattern from Jujube & Lolo here.

Happy knitting!

* I don't know where he picks up these expressions, but his current favourite is adding "of course" to the end of every sentence. What a kooky boy. I feel so lucky to get to spend my days hanging out with that little guy of mine. He's just pure sunshine!

A flakey sock pattern

Socks five and six: check! A cute little pair of simple fair isle baby socks I designed for my little Lolo. I call these flakey baby socks and you can get the pattern free here.

I knit these with leftover stash from my peace baby sweater (Knit Picks Swish Superwas in Aloe and Bare, less than half a ball of each). They fit my new crawler perfectly ;0)

That's right, he's officially on the move since yesterday and I am so happy for him! Now because I've been down that road before, I know that this is going to have a huge impact on my ability to sit still for more than 5 minutes at a time while he's awake...but I'm still thrilled because my baby can totally do it and I can tell how excited and proud he is by that twinkle in his eye and I can't help but be totally elated with him. How I heart that little guy ;0)

Here are a few pics of him enjoying his first cookie (Farley cereal cookies - yum!). That was a few weeks ago already, he's now moved on to the Mum-Mum rice cookies which he totally goes gaga for. Literally ;0)

So what's the sock situation you wonder? Well, the flakey's are December 5 and 6. And I did knit a pair of boot socks for Julian on December 7 and 8. But since then...nada! But let's not get crazy, I can totally catch up tomorrow right after I finish sleeves, redo hems and block the boys Christmas sweaters. During naptime! It's not good...but did you happen to catch that the boys Christmas sweaters are almost done! That means I may indeed have a chance in hell of knitting 24 socks, 2 toddler sweaters, 3-4 pairs of mittens and a Joseph by Christmas day!


There's a few wild cards in the mix now though. Lolo's crawling is a huge curve ball. He still pretty much stays in his designated area (LOL!) but having been there before I know it won't be long until he's running a muck and one can't get any productive knitting done with a little one running a muck!

The other wild card this week? My poor little Julian has the sniffles and a congested chest. It's his first cold and he's so confused about it. He cries every time he sneezes because it hurts in his chest and tries to explain through the tears that "it happened again."


I didn't have the heart to tell him it would probably get worse before it gets better and that it would happen again and again for a week! Though I did get a humidifier up in his room and as a special treat, gave him a little porcelain tea set I had bought and stashed for just an occasion such as this.

We got in our fleece jammies, put on some christmas tunes and sat on the floor in his room playing tea party for hours. He loved it and it served as a great distraction. Plus I think the humidifier helped a lot too.

Is there anything else I can do to help? Anyone got a secret remedy? So far, it's just a runny nose and sniffles with some chest action when he breathes in through his mouth or sneezes.

Poor little guy...

Peace, baby!

Today is the International Day for Peace and I thought I'd knit a little somethin' somethin' for my Lolo to commemorate the occasion.


Presenting a new annypurls original pattern: Peace, Baby! Because really, when it comes right down to it, what better ambassador for peace than an innocent child wearing a hand knit pullover his mama lovingly made for him while he napped?


I think about peace, a lot. It's the mother in me. We are so lucky to live lives where we have the luxury to worry about stupid things like gauge and matching dye lots. And really, I don't think there is that much more than luck that separates me from a mother who is right now trying to protect her child from the savagery of war while mine are napping safe and sound. I just happened to be born here. That's it really.


During the Lebanon conflict (was that last year or the year before? I forget already) I saw a horrifying picture of a toddler, alone, crying in the middle of the street surrounded by crumbled buildings and the image will forever be seared in my mind. Julian was about the same age as this boy and I recognised that look for fear and helplessness in that child's eyes and I just wanted to jump into the photo, wrap my arms around that boy and never letting go. I imagined it being my son, separated from his parents as this boy was (were his parents injured, or worse?) while bombs dropped out of the sky and men brandishing weapons ran around, not one caring about his poor frightened soul. Just remembering the inhumanity of it all opens the floodgates.


This is not a political statement. It's not about who's fault it is, what's justified, or who's side I'm on. It's about one thing. Peace. It's about recognising that we are all one and that we have a responsibility to those who right now lay in war torn countries or refugee camps and who can only dream of peace.


My little sweater started out as a cute little keyhole sweater for my lemondrop to wear, but my hope is that it turns into a meaningful gesture of support and compassion for those who dream of peace.

Look for more details in the next few weeks as I work out extended sizes from newborn to preschooler. All proceeds of this pattern will go directly to an organisation that supports mothers and children who dream of peace. Whatever I can do...

Peace to you and yours ;0)

Blessed

The past couple of weeks have been kind of a blurr and I have so much to tell you about. Some sad knitting stories, some great big huge moments of my own, and real estate developments with my Jubilee Bubilee. We also were busy little bees getting ready for Logan's baptism which we celebrated during mass on Sunday.


It was a beautiful ceremony. Lolo was all smiles thoughout, looking intently at Father Gavin and even reaching out to hold his fingers during the ceremony. It was very sweet. Julian was terrific too and as a treat, he got to go up to the bell tower and ring the bells for his brother at the end of the mass. It was really special and I was filled with pride for both my sons. It was a beautiful moment. We then had everyone back at our house for brunch and had a really nice time.


And didn't my lemondrop look beautiful in the gown his father and brother wore to their baptisms? My mother in law made the gown for my husband when he was a baby and I'm so honoured that both my children got to wear it too. I had hoped to have Logan baptised in the same church where my husband and Julian were baptised and were Stephen and I exchanged our wedding vows, but sadly that chapel has been sold and is being torn down (see note at the end of this post for the whole sad story).

I wanted to knit a little something something for Lolo to wear with his gown. I spent hours looking for the right pattern and not having found it, decided to design my own. I had an idea for a beautiful capelet and bonnet and settled on the madeira lace pattern from one of the Barbara Walker Treasuries. It took a few days to knit. It was my first time knitting with bamboo yarn and I was completely smitten with its luster, drape and hand. It was a tad split-y but definately worth the extra attention because the result was incredible...until I wet blocked it! Bamboo doesn't like to be wet blocked as it happens and all the beautiful body and luster of the bamboo became a stiff, stretched out of shape, limp disaster. Not good. I cried. All that work. All that time. And sooo not heirloom worthy!


So I took out all my books again and planned another project. I just couldn't decide. Too much pressure to knit an heirloom. I started poking around the web and found this cute little set and started knitting the booties and bonnet out of stash Dale of Norway Baby Ull On US1 needles! It took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to knit the bonnet!


I finished it on Thursday night. Tried it on my Lolo only to discover that it was too small and that he really didn't like the feel of the yarn. And I did't cry so much but was angry and mostly stressed out that I only had 2 days left in which to knit AND tidy up the house AND prepare a brunch buffet for 25 people!

But I didn't want to let my Lolo down and was determined to knit him an heirloom. So I planned for a cropped cardi of my own design knit from the same bamboo (no lace = no blocking so I figured it would be okay). I had planned to embroider his monogram on the back and to knit a bonnet with an embroidered cross on the back. I knit and knit and knit. And knit some more.

I tried all my tricks to stay awake and finish it in time. It was 2 am on Saturday night...only 7 hours before the start of the ceremony when I finished the back, both sleeves and one of the fronts. I started seaming what I had and even taught myself crochet for a fancy scalloped edging, then crept upstairs to where all my boys were asleep in my bed and delicately tried the sweater on my sleeping angel only to discover that...the sleeves were too narrow!


Argh! I was so upset that I couldn't sleep. I'm a knitter. That's what I do. All the time. And I got in my own way a lot and not for lack of trying, my son had nothing to wear with his short-sleeved gown on a chilly September morning... Not to mention, no heirloom baptism knit to pass on to his children. The pressure really got to me and having 3 disasters in a row has kinda shaken my knitting confidence a bit.

So my plan for the day is to stash dive, find a fool-proof project and get back on the saddle before I lose my knitting mojo again...

Any suggestions?

* And now, a sad church story for anyone curious as to how it is one looses their church!

Our chapel was on the second floor of a private school which used to be run by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. They sold the building to a private enterprise a few years ago and rented the chapel space from the new owners and everything was as it has always been. But this spring, the new owners decided to convert the chapel into a library for their students and gave our parish a 90-day notice after which we would no longer have access to the chapel.

It was so upsetting to me that not only did we have to find a new place of worship, but that this one which had been a pillar of our community for so long (almost 40 years) and which has been the cornerstone of so many important moments in our own lives would be torn down and exist only in our memories. That chapel is where Stephen was baptised, where we celebrated every holiday together for the past 10 years of our courtship, where we were married, and where our Julian was baptised. It was also where we prayed with Stephen's parents most Sundays since we were married three and a half years ago.

It had beautiful stained glass windows and artfully arranged lighting which both our children delighted in when we went. And I will always have fond memories of that church. I had hoped to have Logan baptised there as well but it wasn't meant to be and so we waited to get settled into our new church (rented from a neighbouring parish) to have Logan baptised. And even though we had tried so hard to do it at the old place, in retrospect I am glad we didn't in a way, because now the new place holds a special place in our hearts too ;0)

The good one ;0)

We were sitting on the bottom step together yesterday, hurrying to put our shoes on so we wouldn't miss daddy's train when Julian totally blew me away. This two year old of mine was doing up the velcro on his runners and said, "mommy, I put on my left shoe". And it was! So I asked him what his other foot was? "The good one," he replied. "You mean, the right one?" I asked. "No mommy, it's the good one!"

Stephen was on vacation last week so we were busy little bees, soaking in the sun, visiting the sites and of course running some errands! We took the boys to the Montreal Biodome with grandma and grandpa and it was a lots of fun. Julian got to see penguins, and porcupines, and a moose, and a cougar, and giant jungle birds, and even an alligator! He was very impressed. Logan on the other hand was most smitten with the fish. I was carrying him in the bjorn and could literally feel his breathing patterns change as the aquariums soothed him. Magic!

We also got to do something a little strange...we went to a Stanley Cup parade in our little suburban town! The goaltender for the Ducks is from our little town and brought the celebrated cup over for an impromptu Monday afternoon parade.

It was strange to go for a neighbourhood walk in the deeps of suburbia to participate in a Stanley cup parade when our home team didn't even make the playoffs! It was great fun nonetheless. Giguere (the hometown hero) rode on an old fashioned fire engine with the cup, preceded by the local kiddy teams and followed by what seemed like all the kids in town on their bikes cheering and waving. It was a really cool suburban moment.

Julian was trying really hard to keep up with the parade on his little tricycle. He was so focused and determined, trying to go really really fast... despite his best efforts though, he was the very last kid in the parade. Here he is being tailed by the police escort. So cute ;0)


I did get a little knitting done, too. I started knitting a trellis of my own for Lolo and honestly it's such a fabulous little quick knit that I really don't know why I didn't knit it before. I've got half a front and sleeves left to go before I can consider this one an FO. I just hope it fits Lolo when it's done... I knit the 6 month size but it looks a little small.


The story of the week though...Buddy Bags! The response has been so heart-warming. Knitters are so wonderful ;0) For those of you who have purchased a pattern, you may want to go download it again using the same link you were sent. A few knitters send some minor errata which I have reflected in a new update (any new buyers will receive the revised file).

Here's the errata:

• The row numbers in the 'Birdy wing' section should be even-numbered starting with row 2...(all odd-numbered rows should be as indicated in row 1) - thanks Renee!
• In the basket instructions, Row 20 should read (P5, K3) - thanks Jessica and Renee!
• I added needle size info throughout to make it clearer
• I added a note up front about how the pattern is for your personal use only and should not be sold or distributed. I also ask that you not sell any Buddy Bags you make, though you can knit and give away as many as you like ;0)

Next time, some Q&A for anyone interested in self-publishing a pattern. I'll share my research and experiences with software and online tools...

Happy knitting!

Everywhere Buddy Bags!

It took a wee bit longer than I had planned {doesn't everything?} but I did it! I created the perfect quick'n'easy and full o'whimsy gift for those tricky-to-knit for toddlers and pre-schoolers (though older kids might like them too, heck I want one ;0). Introducing an annypurls original: Buddy Bags!


Meet Buggy, Bunny, Bear-y and Birdy, the adorable finger puppet buddies that adorn these sweet little backpacks. The inspiration came to me as my little neighbourette's 4th birthday drew near... I didn't have much time left to knit her something special and was also confined by the stash. Plus, let's face it, it's really hard to tell what size one should knit for a toddler or pre-schooler unless they're your own ;0) I can't tell you how many times babies have outgrown knitted gifts and garments before I finished making them!

This is where the beauty of these little treasures lies - they really are one size fits all, and with all the variations, I'd say they'd be cherished by little girls and boys. After all, every child has a little treasure they like to carry around ;0)


1. Birdy Buddy Bag, 2. Bear-y Buddy Bag Lining, 3. Bunny in a basket, 4. Buggy finger puppet, 5. Buddy bag linings, 6. Buggy Buddy Bag - detail, 7. Bear-y in a sailboat, 8. Birdy finger puppet, 9. Birdy Buddy Bag - detail, 10. All 4 Buddy Bags, 11. Bunny finger puppet, 12. Bear-y Buddy Bag - Stuffed!, 13. Bear-y finger puppet, 14. Bunny Buddy Bag - Stuffed!, 15. Birdy Buddy Bag - Lining, 16. Buggy Buddy Bag

These are perfect to tuck a little book, toy and snack in for busy kiddies on the go. And anywhere they can go too - the mall, restaurant, church or even just to play with around the house! Just pull on the strings to draw it closed and wear it as a backpack. Can you tell I'm loving these?

Extra bonus, you probably already have everything you need to make one in your stash right now! Knit from acrylic or washable cotton, they are easy to care for and will take some loving wear. I had enough odds and ends of worsted weight acrylic in the stash to knit all four!

I'm just pleased as punch with how they all turned out and hope you'll love them too. I plan to knit more as gift wrap for those gifted baby sweaters (a gift for now and another for later - who doesn't love that?) The pockets and buddies would be great on their own to adorn a simple sweater or baby blanket. Ahh, the possibilities...

The 6-page pattern includes detailed instructions for the 7x9 inch bag, all four finger puppets (buggy, birdy, beary and bunny) and all four pockets (leaf, nest, sailboat and basket). It also includes lots of photos and tutorials and even instructions for lining the bag. (Actually, I'm almost as proud of the presentation of the pattern as I am of the bags!)

The pattern is available for $6.50 as an instant pdf download (payment is through PayPal).

Happy knitting!

Ahhh, meditative knitting!

See this? Nice, eh? I'm still fiddling with my buddy bags but took some time to do some needed meditative knitting. You now, while I sort out my ideas for the buddies.


It's the Noro Striped Scarf from Brookly Tweed. Though I'm knitting it in Kureyon (rather than Silk Garden) which may have been a mistake because it's a little scratchy against the neck. It's a little, whats-the-word, rustic! But it's fun watching the colours play out against one another and it's nice to knit something you don't have to think about whatsoever!


I'm still chugging along on my Buddy Bags though and your positive response so far has been very encouraging! I'd say I'm about 85% done and my new goal is to make the pattern available this weekend. In the meantime though, here's a preview (above) of the Birdie Buddy Bag.

It's my new favourite! Actually, I put the finishing touches on the Buggy Buddy Bag since my last post: embroidering eyes, dots and adding antennae. And it's my favourite, too ;0) Actually that's what's slowing me down a bit. I want to include 4 alternatives with the pattern but want each to be the cutest ever and live up to the other ones and I think I set the bar really high with the Buggy Bag. I can't tell you how often I've ripped appliqué's this week. It's a good thing this yarn can take the abuse ;0)

Happy Knitting!

Big week!

I had planned to finish my mystery project, write up the pattern and make it available yesterday but I keep getting better and better ideas for it and can't stop knitting them (plus it's been a really eventful week for my children, more on that later)! They're so much fun to make if I do say so myself. Here's the first one almost done (I need to finish the ladybug embroidery and line the bag):

It's an annypurls original and the pattern for it and 3 other variations will be available in my etsy shop just as soon as I get them done and pdf the pattern. I call it the Buddy Bag. It's a simple drawstring knapsack perfectly sized to hold a child's treasures like a board book and a friend or a snack or even as packaging for a knitted baby sweater to be gifted to a lucky baby or toddler.

Each one will have a different whimsical pocket buddy. Pictured above is the Buggy Buddy Bag with it's leaf pocket and ladybug finger puppet buddy. I just love how it turned out. Love, love, LOVE it!!! I'm still working out the other buddy/pocket combinations (I'm making 4 variations for the pattern). One of these will be gifted to my neighbourette and the other 3 (if I can part with them once their done) will go up in my etsy shop as well ;0)

Here's a preview of the Birdie Buddy Bag (there will also be a Bunny Buddy Bag and a Bear-y Buddy Bag):


Aren't they charming? I'm so stoked and am looking forward to see what kind of response these get. I'm so proud of them!

But not nearly as proud as I am of my two year old delight who yesterday went potty for the first time! We bought it a few weeks ago and started including Mo Willem's "Time to pee" in our bedtime story rotation and doing the same with the Bear in the Big Blue House "Potty Time with Bear" video. We haven't actually tried to get him to use it yet nor have we gone with big boy underwear. He's still little and we're still trying to figure out how we want to do this.


Anyhow, yesterday he came to get me and asked me to take off his diaper so I humoured him. He went to sit on his potty and I gave him a few books to look at and continued tidying up the house. Next thing I know, he's walking around naked in the living room and there was a nice big peepee in his potty! Seriously, my proudest day ever! I mean I was already super impressed with his colouring earlier in the day:


Clearly he was trying to colour in the lines. Until this morning he had been mostly scribbling lines and zigzags on every page with his favouritest crayon - the brown one! Weird, eh? That his favourite crayon is brown? Shouldn't it be red? or Blue? Incidently my favourite is the orange one ;0)

Plus, this week, he started falling asleep on his own in his big boy bed. Same routine as usual except after stories and nursing (yes, I'm still tandem nursing and I don't know how to stop without making him feel less loved than Lolo...help!) I say night night and leave instead of laying with him until he falls asleep. Worked the first time! Not a peep. And yes, I know I'm blessed ;0) Double plus: Lolo started smiling...lots! And cooing too!

So you can see why even super cool knitting took a back seat this week!

More on my buddy bags next time...

Jazzy good time!

Daddy had the day off yesterday in honour of Canada Day (which technically was on Sunday, yay Canada!) so we packed the kids and drove into the city to partake in Montreal International Jazz Festival fun! It's our favourite of the gazillion festivals in these parts and it was really cool to introduce our little ones to our favourite sites and sounds...

Julian had a blast. Lolo enjoyed the stroll. And Stephen and I reminisced about our festival dates over the past 10 years. It's such a wonderful event. It was our first time with a toddler and we were so impressed with just how many activites there were for wee ones. From face painting to art class (making musical instruments) and a huge parc with music themed slides and activites... heck there was even a fruit stand for snack time!

Of course there were the usual great bands and friendly people. And the best hot dogs in town! We met a lovely retired couple on vacation from Virginia and practically convinced them to move here. We even passed along some real estate sites so they can continue to scheme. It started to rain so we covered the stroller and made a run for our car. It's a two week long festival and we'll definately try to go again before it wraps up to catch some more tunes. Such fun ;0)

I also got a bunch of knitting in while watching movies with my honey. One of my little neighbourettes turned 4 this weekend and I wanted to knit her a little something. I flipped through my knitting library and didn't find anything suitable so gave it some serious thought and came up a super easy and super cute little something something (sneak preview above). Stay tuned for the grand unveiling and details on how to get the pattern later this week.

Can't wait to see what you think ;0)

I am slowly going crazy...

...1...2...3...4...5...6...switch. Crazy going, slowly am I, ...6...5...4...3...2...1...switch!

I've been working on a pair of green cable twist socks for my lemon with the leftovers from my own glorious pair (they're my favourite ;0) and taking the opportunity to teach myself some new techniques like the figure 8 cast-on and all manner of short row heels.

The figure 8 cast-on for the toe is brillant and stunning and Hello Yarn's tutorial couldn't be clearer -- plus how cute is her anime top down bonnet for baby showcasing the technique? Sure it's fiddly for the first couple of rows (the technique, not the bonnet) but it's so fun! Fun enough to convert me into a toe-up sock gal except for one small detail: (cue the tragic music) the short row heel!

I tried 7 different toe-up heel options for these babies including one I think I invented. And I hate them all! Turns out, I'm totally a cuff-down heel flap kinda gal ;0)

I tried Wendy's twice wrapped method, the yarnover method, the Japanese short row method, knit and purl encroachement, afterthought heel , Dawn Brocco's star variation and my own final variation of EZ's afterthought heel: the double decrease (slip two together as if to knit, k1, pass 2 slipped stitches over) on either side every other row.

Then I came back to Wendy's method for the second sock but this time following Cosmic Pluto's awesome tutorial and must admit it is the most successful of the short row methods I've tried. Though I think the afterthought heel is more polished looking though less convenient since you have to cut and rejoin the yarn to knit it.

Anywho, back to my going crazy - as if redoing a heel 7 times in one weekend isn't enough to convince you - I totally lost the yarn needed to finish the second sock! I had it in a ziploc bag with the sock in progress and the finished sock when I came back from a doctor's appointment this morning (baby's doing well and has apparently dropped! Yay!) and now I have everything but the 6 yards of yarn I need to finish the cuff of the second one despite having been sitting on the same spot in the couch since I got back!

$5 says dadda comes home from work and says "it's right there!"

In the meantime, I guess I'm off the hook and get to start a new project... I'm thinking a raglan sweater for lolo made from Elann's oh so soft baby cashmere. The stuff is cheap and divine...my favourite combo ;0)

Oh, and in case anyone wants to know how I made my baby cable twist socks: use figure 8 (or your preferred toe-up technique) to cast-on 24 stitches (12 for the top, 12 for the bottom) and increase every other row to 48 stitches. Start the cable twist pattern in K4/P2 ribs as follows on the 24 top of the foot stitches: P1, K4, P2, K4, P2, K4, P2, K4, P1. Work the 24 bottom of the foot stitches in st st until after you turn the heel then establish this pattern on these as well so that it runs all the way around the leg part of the sock. For the left twist, see the instructions in Hello Yarn (can you tell I heart her?) Cable Twist Sock pattern but over 4 stitches instead of the 6 described in the adult pattern. Mine works out to 4 pattern repeats before the heel and 4 pattern repeats up the leg. I used the sewn cast-off to keep the cuff nice and stretchy. Sized to fit a 0-3 month old.

Happy knitting!

A cardigan for Merry

***Thanks for all your feedback on this pattern and a special thank you for those who knit it and submitted errata (that's you Lauren!). You guys rock! This pattern was last edited on July 1, 2007 and changes appear in bold green text***

As some of you clever readers noticed in Julian's half-birthday photos, I did finish Julian's Christmas cardi in time! And I did not run out of yarn...in fact, I had 2 and a half yards left! No kidding. That's how close it came ;0)

You may notice that it looks very similar to Kate Gilbert's A cardigan for Arwen from the Winter 2006 issue of Interweave Knits magazine . That's because it was heavily inspired by it and sports Kate's cable along both sides and the hood. This one though is sized for a tiny tot, has a basic raglan and hood construction which is different from Kate's version, has simple hemmed sleeve cuffs and has toggle button closures.

I call this version A cardigan for Merry because in this smaller size and happy green colour I thought it more hobbit-y than elfish. I would have named it after Frodo, but thought Merry was more festive considering I knit it as a Christmas sweater ;0)

Here's my adaptation for anyone interested. You will need to refer to the magazine for Kate's cable charts though as these are original to Kate's design and rightfully copyrighted (I hope). (Note: Kate's original pattern complete with the cable charts is now available as an instant download from her site here).

Here goes...

Size
12-18 months, 24 inch chest, 11 inch length

Materials
3 mm needles, a cable needle, small double pointed needles for I-cord button loops (I used size 0 sock needles), and 6 balls (if you are lucky and really good at yarn economy) or 7 to be safe of Knit Picks Andean Treasure or any other yarn that gives you the proper gauge.

Gauge
26 stitches to 10 cm (4") in stocking stitch using 3mm needles

Pattern notes

It will be easier to sew the shoulder seams if you remember to knit all raglan decreases on the sleeves, back and fronts 3 stitches in from the edge rather than on the first stitch ;0)

Back

1. Cast-on 79 stitches and work 4 rows in stocking stitch (knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows).
2. Work a breaking row by knitting one row on the wrong side and continue in stocking stitch for 4 more rows. On the next row (which should be a right side row) fold the hem by knitting together the first stitch on your left hand needle together with the first stitch of your cast on row. Continue like this to the end of the row. Of course, if you prefer, you can always just sew the hem closed when you are done.
3. Continue in stocking stitch until the back measures 8 inches from the breaking row.
4. Armhole shaping: cast-off 4 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows (71 stitches).
5. Raglan shaping: decrease 1 stitch at beginning and end of every 3rd row 12 times, then dec 1 st at armhole end(s) of every 2nd row 3 times. (41 stitches).
6. Place remaining 41 stitches on a holder or piece of yarn to be worked later for the hood.
   

Front

1. Beginning with cardigan right side first, cast on 33 stitches and work 4 rows in stocking stitch.
2. Work a breaking row by knitting one row on the wrong side.
3. At the beginning of next row (right side), cast on 24 stitches for the right cable and knit across these 24 stitches, place a marker, and knit across the remaining 33 stitches. These 33 stitches will continue to be worked in stocking stitch while the 24 edge stitches should be worked using the right cable chart from Kate Gilbert's original pattern, A Cardigan for Arwen, published in the Winter 2006 issue of Interweave Knits magazine. Note that you can substitute another cable if you prefer -- it will need to measure 2 inches in width though to work with the rest of the pattern.
4. Remember to fold and knit the hem on the 33 original stitches once you have worked 4 rows (unless you decide to sew the hem closed later in which case just carry on ;0).
5. Continue in pattern until piece measures 8 inches from the breaking row.
6. Armhole shaping: Cast-off 4 stitches at beginning of next wrong side row (29 stocking stitch stitches + 24 cable stitches).
7. Raglan shaping: decrease one stitch at armhole side at every 3rd row 12 times (17 stocking stitches + 24 cable stitches remaining). Then decrease 1 stitch at armhole every second row three times (14 sts + 24 cable sts remaining).
8. Place remaining stitches on a holder or piece of yarn to be worked later for the hood.
9. Left cardigan front: work as for right side, using the left cable chart and reversing armhole and raglan shapings.

Sleeves

1. Cast on 45 stitches and work hem as for back.
2. Continue in stocking stitch increasing 1 stitch at beginning and end of every 5th row, 5 times (55 stitches)
3. Work even until sleeve measures 8 inches from breaking row.
4. Shape cap: Cast off 4 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows (47 stitches remain).
5. Raglan shaping: Decrease 1 stitch at beginning and end of every 2nd row, 20 times, then decrease 1 stitch at each end of every row twice.
6. Cast-off remaining 3 stitches.
7. Knit the 2nd sleeve.

Shoulder seams

1. Sew sleeves to fronts and back.

Hood

1. Knit 24 right cable stitches + 14 stitches from right side, pick-up and knit as many stitches from the sleeve cap as you need to to make sure there are no holes (remember how many stitches you added, these will be decreased in the next few rows), knit 41 stitches from back, pick-up and knit stitches from the other sleeve, and knit 14 stitches + 24 cable stitches from left side.
2. Work a few rows continuing the cable patterns on each side and decreasing stitches over the sleeves by knitting 2 together for every stitch you picked up and knit in the previous step. You should have 117 stitches remaining including the cable stitches.
3. On next row, work 2 centre stitches together so that you have an even number of stitches on your needle.
4. Place marker between two centre stitches.
5. Increase 1 stitch on either side of your central marker on every right side row, 10 times (136 stitches).
6. Continue even until hood measures 8 inches, ending at centre market.
7. Fold in half and graft top of hood closed following instructions in magazine to graft cable in pattern.

Button loops

1. Using the smallest double point needles you own (I used size 0) knit a 3 stitch I-cord for 26 rows and cast-off for each button loop. I made 3.
2. Fold I-cord loops and sew to sweater.
3. Add buttons on other side.
4. Ta-da! A Cardigan for Merry!

Let me know if you make one...and if any of the instructions were unclear so I can make chagnes as necessary ;0)

Cheers!