PATTERN: Neighborly by Jennifer Casa
SIZE: 12 months
YARN: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in color #606 Frost Gray
Thank you for all of the sweet bunny comments! I had soooo much fun making them. Both bunnerses were made from the same pattern by the incredibly talented and wonderful Barbara Prime — she designs the most adorable animals. Her sweet bunnies have been my Favorites folder forever; I'm on an animal kick now. It's always so fun to make animals because they all really have their own characters, and their expressions seem to just come out all on their own. As with everything else I knit (or crochet), just click on the links (the words in red :-) for further information (yarn, pattern, needles, etc.) on my Ravelry page.
I have finished several other projects from December and January recently, and that is always such a good feeling. I was actually hoping to get all of the WIPs finished by the end of January, and I almost did, but not quite. I cast on for my Neighborly the night I got home from my birthday vacation. Since almost everything else I was knitting at the time was in the bag that got left at Timberline, I was happy that this yarn and pattern were waiting for me. I honestly can't say enough about either this gorgeous yarn or this gorgeous pattern. I've made a lot of things, but this is one of my very favorites. I wish you could feel how soft this is! Bunny soft. I have not used Malabrigo yarn very much, but I'd heard people talking about it a lot (as you do, you know, when you hang around people who talk about yarn). So, yeah — I get it now. Totally get it. It's awesome. I wish the camera could pick up the pinkish-purple undertone in the yarn that is obvious — but not too obvious — in real life. I just love this color. It's like twilight alpenglow. Neighborly, by the lovely Jennifer Casa, is a very popular pattern on Ravelry and I can completely see why. Total pleasure to knit in every way. I left the ribbing off of the sleeves. I used this video to help me sew up the hem and it worked so well. (The adorable wooden button is from here. The little dress is, again, a version of this one. The fabric is Farmhouse #23403 by Windham.)
Anyway. Some projects just make you happy from start to finish. The more I knit the more I realize that it's important (to one's general happiness with something) to match the right yarn to the right pattern. That's subjective, yes. But if you're going to knit something you'll be spending a lot lot of time with that yarn (and that pattern) so it's really nice if you love it. It can be hard to tell if it's working well until you're into it a bit; that's the tricky part. Yarn can be so different in the finished item from what they seemed to be in the skein. At least to me. I still don't have great intuition, or maybe it's radar, or maybe it's experience, for this. But that's why they often include knitted swatches of yarn at the yarn shop. Sometimes it's totally amazing how differently the yarn knits up from what I would expect.
But anyway. Er, have a great day!
Very sweet, you have some seriously fast fingers with all of these gorgeous knits. Love the fabric for the dress, very sweet.
Absolutely precious. This pattern has been on my list for a while, I may have to move it up to the front of the line now. And thanks for the link to the hemming video, that is something I want to do for an upcoming project, but I've never tried it before. Thank heavens for knitting videos on the intertubes!
Oh, this is just too, too cute and yummy. I may have to make it...even without a little one in my life at all to knit for...Someone will want it =-) Beautiful, as always!
Love the button! It's just perfect for this adorable and beautiful sweater!
It's lovely!! I am not good with yarn choices yet either. Hopefully it will come with time.
What a beautiful dress and vest! And I agree about Malabrigo yarn. I recently knit a cowl and hat for myself out of the Malabrigo Twisted and I LOVE them! They are so warm, cozy and soft!! My eldest daughter says if she were a yarn, she would be a Malabrigo yarn... And it feels so wonderful while knitting, too.
Malabriga IS divine! This is a beautiful little project.
Mission accomplished. You will truly have the best dressed lass ever. A toting along one of those little bunnies? ADORABLE!
Such a cute sweater--I absolutely love it. You have such a great way of pairing your knits with the perfect fabrics, too.
Adorable outfit. What an amazing wardrobe you are knitting /sewing. Beautiful x
This is darling, it makes me wish I knew how to knit.
Alicia - you have one very lucky soul waiting to become your little girl What gorgeous outfits - full of love and gentle kindness. Very lucky indeed! Lisa L.
gah! you are a baby clothes making MACHINE i tell ya. hurry on up little one you have parents waiting...
So BEAUTIFUL Alicia. You are incredibly talented.
If only I can finish my knitting off so perfectly like you do (I've made the changing days cardigan and its sitting in my knitting bag because I'm not brave enough to sew it up!)
I don't think you could have made this any more perfect if you tried! :)
Between her patterns and your skills I would never purchase a toy from a store.
Absolutely darling.
Preciousness...ness!
Alas, I have 4 grandsons. No cute dresses and sweaters for me. Perhaps, you could be persuaded to do somethng for the boys. Oh! That button just finishes your marvelous work.
Perfect. I love seeing what you create!
Absolutely adorable. I'm glad I stumbled upon your blog, you have lots of cute things.
Malabrigo is so, so lovely. But also so, so pilly. The passionate love affair I had with it recently cooled a bit because of that. The softness and the gorgeous colors make up for it, but do be prepared with a serious depilling gadget!
Beautiful! I love malabrigo. I used the Frost Gray for my daughter's birthday sweater, you can see it on my blog.
I love this sweater the best of anything you've done for the sweet little person who will join you one of these days. Love the pattern, the yard and the beautiful button.
Gah, this is killing me! Love, love, love this. Adult sizes?!!
Again, absolutely beautiful colors! Now I am going to have to find time to knit one of these. I have too many projects: painting, sewing, knitting, mosaics!