PATTERN: Plain Vest by Anna and Heidi Pickles
SIZE: 12 months
YARN: Cascade Eco Alpaca in Cafe au Lait #1521 held together with Misti Alpaca Handpaint Sock Yarn in color #05
I finished this little vest over the weekend and then whipped out a little dress (like this one but smaller) that looked a snow flurry to go with it. When I uploaded all of the photos from the big black camera (which by some miracle, yes, came home all in one piece) I found this one from Timberline, which was pretty much exactly the scene I'd had in my mind, just from memory, the whole time I was knitting and sewing:
Speaking of photos, how cool was that rainbow picture yesterday? He said he couldn't even see what was on the screen when he took the photo because he was holding the phone down really low. Awesome. (And thank you to those of you who mentioned Audrey, too. I was very touched by that.)
The whole idea of vests is pleasing me very much lately. I was looking at some kids' knitting patterns from the 1950s through the '80s and it was kind of interesting to see how differently the sizing works based on general fashion trends. Sleeves from the '80s were crazy huge — armholes so big, and sleeves so bulky, with so much fullness built in (mimicking shoulderpads or something, I'm guessing). They all looked really uncomfortable. This vest has armholes that look quite small to me — smaller than several of the other sweaters I've made that are supposed to be this size. But I don't know. In general I just make things exactly as the patterns says to, and make the size that corresponds to how much yarn I have. I like the wooden flower buttons for the vest so much. I picked them because they reminded me of all of the carved banisters at Timberline.
That's the back. I wish you could feel how soft this little knit is. It's so cuddly. Alpaca is so, so nice.
Almost forgot — here is my Ravelry page for this :-). I'll definitely be doing more of this one.
Love those colors...very earthy and, at the same time, dreamy. They remind me of Scotland.
Posted by: T. | January 19, 2011 at 01:02 PM
so sweet...lucky girly.
Posted by: leanne | January 19, 2011 at 01:04 PM
I'm a polka dot girl so this dress really speaks to me! This little one is going to have a killer closet. I'm glad your camera survived, I would have been bitting my nails.
Posted by: Amanda | January 19, 2011 at 01:05 PM
All this adorable knits are making me yearn for yarn in between my fingers.
Posted by: annette | January 19, 2011 at 01:08 PM
Beautiful.
Posted by: Natalie VV | January 19, 2011 at 01:11 PM
This is freaking adorable!
Posted by: Katie Strong | January 19, 2011 at 01:18 PM
May I ask how you get your clothing to hang so nicely for pictures. I try it and they are always frumpy looking. So I either have to wait for a model or lay them on the floor.
Who do you make these sweaters and dresses for? A granddaughter? They are all so cute.
Posted by: Elaine | January 19, 2011 at 01:22 PM
Um, I would totally wear this outfit. Here's hoping next time you have enough yarn for my size. ;-)
Posted by: Melissa Crowe | January 19, 2011 at 01:33 PM
Perfection!
Posted by: Wendy | January 19, 2011 at 01:39 PM
Your sense of color is just always so flawless and stunning. I wish you were adopting ME! J/k...but I do kind of want all of these clothes in my (very large) size :)
Posted by: rebekka | January 19, 2011 at 01:39 PM
You have so many adorable knits. I wish I got even half so much done!
Posted by: Seanna Lea | January 19, 2011 at 01:45 PM
. . . with big pink bows tied to the ends of her braided pigtails!
This ensemble is so incredibly, incredibly wonderful.
Doesn't the polka dot dress remind you of the scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas where they are catching snowflakes on their tongues?!
Posted by: Lisa in Lincoln | January 19, 2011 at 01:46 PM
Oh. . . you are my knitting muse. I just got my yarn for the winter in portland sweater. I am sitting on my hands. I will not start another project until I finish this one. . . I will not start another project until I finish this one. . . I'll just keep saying that to myself and maybe it'll stick.
Posted by: Tricia | January 19, 2011 at 02:05 PM
That looks darling with the little dress! I just made the one yr in this, too, and I thought the same thing about the armholes. They *do* fit my daughter but it really wouldn't have hurt to decrease a couple more stitches or added them over the top.
Posted by: Julie | January 19, 2011 at 02:06 PM
That yarn is beautiful and the little dress looks perfect with it.
Posted by: pam | January 19, 2011 at 02:08 PM
Well. WELL! I am just a little bit in love with this vest. You know, all of these lovely little clothes that you share? I just ignore the fact that they are for girls a bit, ahem, younger than me. I imagine wearing them all myself. *shrug* Why not?!
I have to note that I love the shades in the yarn. I made a granny square blanket recently, and it was all greys and browns and greys and greys. My daughter, who is 18 and so she is much more of an authority on everything that frumpy old mum, told me that greys and browns don't go together very well.
I asked her if she'd ever seen the pebbles along the river bank.
Posted by: Jodi Anderson | January 19, 2011 at 02:10 PM
So very pretty. Your little girl will be the best dressed in town.
Posted by: Alice S | January 19, 2011 at 02:19 PM
Everything you make is so beautiful! :)
Vivienne x
Posted by: greenrabbitdesigns | January 19, 2011 at 02:24 PM
Wonderful. Love the dots.
Posted by: Amanda | January 19, 2011 at 03:40 PM
Oh my, this is all kinds of good. You will have the best-dressed kid EVER!
Posted by: nicole | January 19, 2011 at 04:03 PM
Please tell me that fabric is currently available and where you got it! I love it (and the vest) very much. You have such a great eye!
Posted by: angie in asheville | January 19, 2011 at 04:05 PM
I didn't think of Audrey yesterday in the rainbow picture, but your mere mention of her chokes me up & brings me to the point of tears almost. It sounds so insane & well... STUPID to mourn a dog I never met, but I think it's my mourning your loss, because I know how much you loved her, and I KNOW that love, I KNOW that loss, and it's a loss I wish no one else had to have. xoxoxo
I love this dress--your work always makes me wish I really knew how to sew or knit clothing.
Posted by: claire ashworth | January 19, 2011 at 04:21 PM
your little one is going to have her first several years worth of clothes all lined up for her! how very prepared of you ;)
Posted by: Dacia | January 19, 2011 at 04:25 PM
Simply adorable! Would so love that vest in my size!
Posted by: Jen G... | January 19, 2011 at 05:25 PM
You're going to have the most stylish baby ever!
Posted by: Stephanie B. | January 19, 2011 at 05:32 PM