Made following my own pattern using Lion Brand Baby Wool (superwash). I think it fits newborn to about 18 months. Here is a picture of it on a doll’s head which is about the size of a preemie (the brim is folded in half):

To enter leave a comment with a way to contact you and I will announce the winner on Wednesday May 4th. Good luck!

It was so much fun to make it (though very fiddly), I might attempt some other toys in the near future.

The ’Pay it Forward’ gift that WhingingNinja sent me, has made it already all the way from Australia. I was so excited to find THREE darling needle felted figurines and a sweet card when I opened the envelope! Aren’t they adorable?!!!

And here they are on my (still unfinished) playscape with a little penguin I made the other day.

Thank you so much Jess!

My progress so far… And a close up of the little fungus.

ORIGINAL POST: Over at  WhingingNinja’s blog I have read about a little Pay-it-Forward  giveaway idea. I have decided to join right in, so the next step is finding three people to send a little hand-made gift to.

If you would like to participate you will need to post about it on your blog (and/or facebook), find 2-3 people who would want to play and send them each a hand-made gift. There is no deadline mentioned, but just to make it a little easier to participate let’s say you should have your hand-made items sent out within three months. I think that’s a decent amount of time to make a couple of things and mail them out, right?

So, anyone interested in joining in?

When I started I had no idea what I was going to make, but as I was busy poking the wool with the needle, I just kind of knew what it wanted to be, you know… They are far from perfect but I love them and I think I will keep them as my Nativity Scene from now on and hopefully add more pieces each year.

This is the dress my Grandmother made for me when I was a baby

I have decided to write the pattern for the dress after wanting to copy it. I chose to make the first one sleeveless, so it could be used as a little tunic. I might make another one with a thinner yarn and add the same type of sleeves as the original.

NOTE: This pattern has not been tested yet. I wrote it as I knitted, so there might possibly be some mistakes.

Materials: 

2 5oz balls Bernat Softee Baby in Denim Marl

Size 6 circular needles

1 button

3-4 feet cord or narrow ribbon

Gauge:

22sts and 30 rows to 4in square

Size:

1-2 yrs; chest 23in, length 18in

Abbreviations:

K = knit  P = purl  st(s) = stitch(es)  BO = bind off  CO =cast on  tog = together  TBL = through back loop  

yo = yarn over  skpo = slip 1 st, k1, pass slipped st over  ssk = [slip st knitwise]x2, insert tip of left needle into front loops of slipped sts and K2tog

DD = double decrease (slip 2 sts knitwise, knit 1, pass the 2 slipped sts over this st)

Detail of Latvian Cast-on (the cast on my Grandma always used and taught me; she called it 'double cast-on')

BACK:

CO150sts double stranded using the Latvian cast-on

Purl 1 row (WS)

Lace:

Rnd 1: K14, *[P2, yo, skpo, K3, ssk, yo]x2, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 2: P14, *K2, P7, K2, P7, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 3: K14, *[P2, K1, yo, skpo, K1, ssk, yo, K1]x2, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 4: same as Rnd2

Rnd 5: K14, *[P2, K2, yo, DD, yo, K2]x2, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 6: same as Rnd2

 Repeat these six rounds 11 times (if you want a longer dress add more repeats)

Decrease:

Rnd 1:  K14, *P2, skpo, K3, ssk, yo, P2, yo, skpo, K3, ssk, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 2:  P14, *K2, P6, K2, P6, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 3:  K14, *P2, skpo, K1, ssk, yo, K1, P2, K1, yo, skpo, K1, ssk, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 4:  P14, *K2, P5, K2, P5, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 5:  K14, *P2, K3togTBL, K2togTBL, P2, DD, K2tog, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 6:  P14, *K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times (110sts)

Rnd 7:  K14, *P2, K2togTBL, P2, K2tog, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 8:  P14, *K2, P1, K2, P1, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd 9:  K14, *P2, K2togTBL, K2tog, P2, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd10: P14, *K2, P2, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd11: K14, * K2togTBLx2, K2tog, K14  repeat from * 4 times

Rnd12: Purl 1 row (82 sts)

Rnd13: K3, [K2, K2tog]x19, K3 (63 sts)

Rnd14: Purl 1 row

Rnd15: K2tog, yo, K1, [K1, k2tog, yo, K1]x15 (eyelet row, if you choose to have a drawstring)

Rnd16: Purl 1 row

Bodice:

Knit 1 row

Purl 1 row

Repeat previous two rows 4 more times.

BO6 sts at the beg of the next 2 rows (51 sts)

Next: skpo, Knit to last 2 sts, K2tog

Next: Purl 1 row

Repeat last two rows 4 more times (41 sts)

Next: K21, join new yarn, K20 (right shoulder in blue)

Purl 1 row (careful to keep sides separated)

Knit 1 row (careful to keep sides separated)

Repeat last two rows 2 more times

Next: P20, BO10, Purl to the end

Next: K9, K2tog, BO9, K2togTBL, K9

Next: P8, P2togTBL, P2tog, P8

Knit 1 row across

Purl 1 row across

Repeat last two rows 2 more times

Transfer the shoulder sts (9 each) on stitch holder if you plan to do 3 needle bind off for the shoulders or bind off if you plan to seam the shoulder seam.

FRONT: 

CO158sts double stranded using the Latvian cast-on

Purl 1 row (WS)

Lace:

Rnd 1: K1, *[P2, yo, skpo, K3, ssk, yo]x2, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, [P2, yo, skpo, K3, ssk, yo]x2, P2, K1

Rnd 2: P1, [K2, P7, K2, P7, K2, P14]x4, [K2, P7]x2, K2, P1

Rnd 3: K1, *[P2, K1, yo, skpo, K1, ssk, yo, K1]x2, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, [P2, K1, yo, skpo, K1, ssk, yo, K1], P2, K1

Rnd 4: same as Rnd2

Rnd 5: K1, *[P2, K2, yo, DD, yo, K2]x2, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, [P2, K2, yo, DD, yo, K2], P2, K1

Rnd 6: same as Rnd2

Repeat these six rounds 11 times (if you want a longer dress add more repeats)

Decrease:

Rnd 1:  K1, *P2, skpo, K3, ssk, yo, P2, yo, skpo, K3, ssk, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, P2, skpo, K3, ssk, yo, P2, yo, skpo, K3, ssk, P2, K1

Rnd 2:  P1, *K2, P6, K2, P6, K2, P14,  repeat from * 4 times, K2, P6, K2, P6, K2, P1

Rnd 3:  K1, *P2, skpo, K1, ssk, yo, K1, P2, K1, yo, skpo, K1, ssk, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, P2, skpo, K1, ssk, yo, K1, P2, K1, yo, skpo, K1, ssk, P2, K1

Rnd 4:  P1, *K2, P5, K2, P5, K2, P14,  repeat from * 4 times, K2, P5, K2, P5, K2, P1

Rnd 5:  K1, *P2, K3togTBL, K2togTBL, P2, DD, K2tog, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, P2, K3togTBL, K2togTBL, P2, DD, K2tog, P2, K1

Rnd 6:  P1, *K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P14,  repeat from * 4 times, K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P1 (108sts)

Rnd 7:  K1, *P2, K2togTBL, P2, K2tog, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, P2, K2togTBL, P2, K2tog, P2, K1

Rnd 8:  P1, *K2, P1, K2, P1, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times, K2, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1

Rnd 9:  K1, *P2, K2togTBL, K2tog, P2, K14,  repeat from * 4 times, P2, K2togTBL, K2tog, P2, K1

Rnd10: P1, *K2, P2, K2, P14  repeat from * 4 times, K2, P2, K2, P1

Rnd11: K1, * K2togTBLx2, K2tog, K14  repeat from * 4 times, K2togTBLx2, K2tog, K1

Rnd12: Purl 1 row (73 sts)

Rnd13: K1, DD, K14, DD, K6, K2tog, K6, DD, K6, K2tog, K6, DD, K14, DD, K1 (61 sts)

Rnd14: Purl 1 row

Rnd15: [K1, K2tog, yo, K1]x15, K1 (eyelet row, if you choose to have a drawstring)

Rnd16: Purl 1 row

Bodice:

Knit 1 row

Purl 1 row

Repeat previous two rows 4 more times.

BO6 sts at the beg of the next 2 rows (49 sts)

Next: skpo, Knit to last 2 sts, K2tog

Next: Purl 1 row

Repeat last two rows 4 more times (39 sts)

Knit 1 row

Purl 1 row

Repeat last two rows 1 more time

Next: K9, K2tog, BO18, K9 (20sts)

Next: P8, P2togTBL, join second ball of yarn P2tog, P8

Knit 1 row across

Purl 1 row across

Repeat last two rows 4 more times

3 needle bind off the shoulder sts on front and back or bind off the front shoulders and seam front and back shoulder seams.

Finishing:

Mattress stitch the side seams and weave cord or ribbon thru the eyelets if using. Sew button on the back.

Crotchet edge around arms and head opening, making a loop for the button closing.

CO 60 sts using the (double) long-tail cast on (Latvian cast-on?)

Join to knit in the round and K2P2 for 15 rounds with the ‘cake’ color

Change yarn to ‘icing’ color and knit 3 rows

Next: [k2tog, yo]x30

knit 3 rows

Next: knit each stitch together with the corresponding back loop of the 1st row of ‘icing’ color to form the picot edge (if you prefer you can do this by sewing after you are done knitting).

Knit 15 rows then start decreasing every row:

[k8, k2tog]x6

[k7, k2tog]x6

[k6, k2tog]x6

[k5, k2tog]x6

[k4, k2tog]x6

[k3, k2tog]x6

[k2, k2tog]x6

[k1, k2tog]x6

[k2tog]x6

Change yarn to ‘cherry’ color and knit 1 row

Next:[ kfb]x6

Knit 2 rounds

[k2tog]x6

Cut yarn and pull thru the 6 remaining stitches. Weave in all the ends.

A yarn with a gauge of 3.5sts per inch will give you a child sized hat, while a yarn with a gauge of 5.5sts/in will give you a newborn hat.

I LOVE sweets. But, between the sugar and fat in most desserts, I don’t have them very often (pre-diabetic with high cholesterol here). That doesn’t stop me from really craving them once in a while. And when that happens I have a couple of recipes I have come up with, that are not too bad for me. Here is one of them for some delicious flour-less, vegan cookies.

Almond (or Peanut) Vegan Cookies

1 1/2 cups organic sugar

2 cups almond butter (or peanut butter if you prefer)

2 Tbsp ground flax

6 Tbsp water

1 cup oatmeal (optional)

Makes about 30 cookies

Mix everything in a medium size bowl. Place walnut-size dough balls on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, about 2in apart. Flatten them with a fork before baking them in a 350ºF pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Summer Stew

2 breakfast patties (optional, but it tastes oh so good with this)

1 large eggplant (cut into big chunks set in a bowl with salt)

6 medium potatoes

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 red pepper

2 celery stalks

2Tbsp olive oil

about 1 lb. of sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp paprika

1-2 tsp salt (to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup water

1/8 tsp allspice

Heat oil in pan on low; bring the heat up to medium-low and fry the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery and pepper(chopped together) and fry 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in paprika and stir-fry for about one minute. Stir in the mushrooms , cover the pan and let cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile drain the eggplant, rinse in cold water and drain again and cut the potatoes into chunks. Add the eggplant and potatoes (zucchini and squash if using), water, pepper, salt and allspice. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Microwave the two breakfast patties for 90 seconds (turning them over half way through) and cut in very small pieces (crumble). Add to the stew and simmer covered for a couple more minutes. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with a salad.

(Note to self: takes about 90 minutes with the prep work.)

Not the most appetizing looking thing, huh?