1. date: March-May 2005
2. size: 2-3 yr
3. made for: Ada
4. pattern: Debbie Bliss The Baby Knit Book

1. date: March 2005
2. size: 3-6 mo; 6-9 mo
3. made for: Baby X
4. pattern: Zoe Mellor 50 Baby Bootees, Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

Jenny asked me to make a birth gift for a friend of hers. I'd just made Ada a pink-with-brown-trim bonnet so had Kid Classic in Peach Sorbet and Bear on hand, and decided to make another bonnet in reversed colourway with matching slippers. The garter stitch slippers pick up on the garter trim on the bonnet nicely. Kid Classic proved too fuzzy for embroidery, and after a few experiments, I settled on a bobble accent. The result looks like Neapolitan ice cream, and certainly good enough to eat.

1. date: December-January 2005
2. size: 12-18 mo
3. made for: Ada
4. pattern: Debbie Bliss book six

Wind-up: Springy and smooth yarn, great for active babies. Departed from the pattern by doing a 3-needle bind-off on the hood, and Kitchener-stitched the shoulders. I made a rattle bracelet with some of the leftover yarn (flower pattern from "Lottie" cardigan", grafted to i-cord) and put a button inside one pocket and another button on one of the flowers (to wrap around the wrist twice and secure through a hole in the petal). When it's not being used, the toy can be buttoned to the inside pocket.

1. date: September-October 2004
2. size: 6-9 mo
3. made for: Ella
4. pattern: Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino

Wind-up: The yarn knits like a dream; looks and feels like well-tempered chocolate ganache. Italian rib-cast-off is tricky at first and takes much, much longer, but well-worth it. Blanket-stitching the ears made them look messy. Good buttons are hard to find.

1. date: February-April 2004
2. size: Various
3. made for: Ada
4. pattern: Debbie Bliss The Baby Knit Book, Baby Style

1. date: February-April 2004
2. size: various
3. made for: Ada
4. pattern: Herringbone bootees, Zoe's Mellor's "50 Baby Bootees"
5. Knot shoes, Ibid
6. Denim shoes, Ibid
7. Textured-cuff bootees, Ibid
8. Simple shoes, Ibid
9. Duck feet, Ibid
10. Hat with top knot & socks, Debbie Bliss' "Baby Knits Book"
11. Felted Tweed hat & shoes, Debbie Bliss' "Baby Style"
12. Textured-cuff bootees, Zoe's Mellor's "50 Baby Bootees"

More A plethora of booties »

1. date: April-July 2003
2. size: 0-3 mo
3. made for: Lucy
4. pattern: Zoe Mellor 50 Baby Bootees

The Bee Shoes was my first (albeit simple) intarsia, and the hat the first made-to-measure. The hat is unfortunately not at all what I had in mind. I wanted something more form-fitting, and probably should have used the Top Knot hat pattern and adjusted it for gauge. If I were to make the Bee Shoes yet again, I would switch up to 3.00 or 3.25mm needles. The bound-off edge that forms the ankle opening needs to be more elastic.

1. date: April-July 2003
2. size: 3-6 mo
3. made for: Lucy
4. pattern: Debbie Bliss The Baby Knit Book

First-ever hat and socks projects, respectively, maiden DP needle use. I wanted to do a bright blue with yellow-green trim, but a certain Simon who shall remain nameless has a shrinking fear of bold colors. I forgot to take a photo of the smaller taupe hat with the yellow-green trim, which actually had a top knot. The solid color hat replaces the top knot with a couple of bobbles and lampwork beads topped with a tassel. The joins on the hats were horrific: crooked and cranked tight. It's nice to know that as far from perfect as my making up is, I've definitely improved. This time next year, I hope to be shaking my head at the past ineptitudes of the Fall 2004 projects. I also hope to be congratulating myself on helping put Kerry in the White House, and generally regarding a world headed away from the lower circles of hell than straight into it in a handbasket.