Tag Archives: little rascals

Door 18 – favourite patterns

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I have just been browsing my ravelry-projects, wondering when I will ever have the time to add my latest projects and I have realised that I have used some patterns over and over again, just because they are really great and versatile.

There is, of course, the Little Rascals by Julia Stanfield.

right of 2 itchy woolen jumpers
cotton sweater with detail
coordinated set 1
matching outfits
left of 2 sleeveless cotton Little Rascal
not too girly with kangaroo pocket and fitted hood
with collar and caterpillar on lower front
comfy for little ones without hood or collar
plain white cardigan for christening

I am not even sure if the gallery shows all the models I have ever knitted from that pattern, but you can see it is very versatile and all children in my family own at least one of them.

Another favourite for a quick and easy gift for a new baby girl would be the Versa by Shannon Passmore.

sunset colours, pockets and bow
short and strait
bold colours with contrasting pockets
raspberry with green details

I almost always use this pattern when I have to knit something for a baby girl. It offers many choices to adapt the shape but I almost always knit a tunic as I feel it is the version that will fit the longest, first as a dress, later a top.

And last but not least, there is the Rainbow Dress by Georgie Hallam. I haven’t actually knit it this year but I think it is a great pattern and I am very fond of it. Maybe because it was the first time ever that I came across anything a seamless top-down pattern.

Whilst looking at my past projects I have also rediscovered a few patterns that would be worth to be knit again, but enough for today 🙂

Door 3 – same procedure as every year

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I have already finished this years woolen jumpers for my children a couple of weeks ago but hadn’t had a chance to put them up here.

I have used the Little Hoodlum pattern like last year but in the most simple version without hoods or pockets as I had realised that even though it looks really cute it is not practical under a wintery top layer.

IMG_1303I have used Adriafil Knitcol, 100% merino DK but I found it thinner than expected. So I had to knit bigger sizes but never mind. It is also a bit itchy, not really what I expect from pure merino. Not sure if I am going to use it again, definitely not for anything I would have to wear directly on my skin.

But the pattern that the yarn creates once knitted up is really beautiful, big effect for just plain knitting in the round and without much weaving in 🙂

My daughter is really pleased with hers, my son hasn’t even tried his one yet. Just never ever suggest anything to a grumpy two year old, he will say no and then not even forget about it 🙂

Twins

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twin set details

twin set details

 

I have shown those two cardigans already in my last post but as their new owners have finally made their appearance into the world I thought it is a good reason for a proper post – congratulations again to the happy parents.

When it comes to this blog, I have been a bit lazy lately… I have written many posts…. but only in my head and I really should get them online rather than wasting my time with knitting 🙂

But back to the cardigans. I’ve used again the Little Rascals pattern by Julia Stanfield.

As I made them for newborns I used this super soft gorgeous Rowan purelife organic cotton. I find it really special and as it is discontinued, I will really save my stock for very special new born outfits.

I made these for a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and initially planned to make them completely matching, just in different colours but changed my mind half way through. After all, the whole point of a hand knitted item is to be unique and very special. They have still similar enough features to be recognized as a set that belongs together but each one is individual – like those twins are. They belong together but they are also an individual each.

I decorated them both, the blue one with a simple whale, the pink one with a more eye-catching flower.

flower detail

flower detail

To enhance the floral cuteness of the pink one, I added little flower buttons, to keep the blue one simple, I chose grey buttons and made only one big bold stripe in the middle rather than thin ones like on the pink one.

Unfortunately, I was unable to take good pictures…. the longer I am going to my photography class the more difficult it seems :)I had to give up eventually as the cardigans had to get to the babies before they will grow out of them.

blue newborn cardigan
pink newborn cardigan

The Little Rascals

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ImageThe Little Rascals by Julia Stanfield is one of my favourite patterns. Actually it is a whole set of patterns, it is really clever and versatile and I wish I could come up with something as well thought-out as this pattern (and no I am not getting paid for praising her 🙂 ).

It is a seamless knit so you do not get those sometimes fairly bulky seams when you are using a thicker yarn and there are no troubles with armholes not quite meeting the width of the sleeves. Especially for children cloths I find those two criteria very appealing.

The other thing I really like about this pattern is the fact that it is knitted from top to bottom which means you can adjust the length much more easily and just stop knitting at the required length (even trying it on before cutting off the yarn) rather than doing complicated measurements and calculations in order to suit your particular needs.

Now, both techniques have existed before and have been invented by another very clever person (who should be praised for, too) but I just happened to stumble upon this pattern and it has been the base for a few sweaters so far. My own children and two nephews were lucky enough to get woolen ones for this winter, the next one to knit will be a summery cardigan for my niece.

Who would think that those two come from the same original pattern:

IMG_9591

IMG_9585

This is one that I have just made for a young boy, I quite like the slightly crazy eyes of the caterpillar, it must be really hungry:

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And the best thing is that actually the pattern offers me lots of variations, sweater, cardigan or short sleeved vestee, different types of pockets, collar or no collar, hood or no hood,…

So those options plus my own ideas basically allow me endless and very individual designs which is just great.