Are you feeling Christmassy?

Then we shall begin.

It started so simply with a pattern. A very clever pattern with interchangeable cardigan fronts to save the washing machine from too much stress and strain when a little bear might decide that wearing dinner is better than eating it. I knew as soon as I saw it that the Hey Presto sweater was on the must-knit list, and then I got to thinking..... and we all know that can be a dangerous thing.

The Hey Presto jacket is for size 6 months. On the basis that the baby of two people who both top 6' is not very likely to be diminutive of stature, I'm guessing that we might need a 6 month size jacket just that little bit sooner, maybe around about the end of December. And if you're looking for gender neutral colours that aren't white or cream or soft yellow, well everyone likes a nice warm red in the winter .... it's clear what's going to be coming off my needles, and sure enough:



One Hey Presto baby jacket in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. Knit to the pattern and accessorised with swirly red and white buttons from the bargain bin at House of Fraser.

So far, so innocent of all plotting and seasonal theming of my child.

Well we knew that wouldn't last, I mean what would you do with enough red yarn to make another front, and a little cream in a matching weight?

The first draft, sketched on the back of a post it note taught me that charting your knitting patterns on the back of a post it note is a really bad idea and you'll end up frogging:

It didn't get any longer before the artistic director (H) and I decided that this was not good.

Take 2 however, sketched out on the back of a bit of junk mail found in the glove box on the way to Cumbria proved that sketching on junk mail really is the way forward, and so, without much further ado, may I present Baby Bear's first Christmas jumper:


And because it's going to be December, and a little chilly, no small bear should be out and about without a matching hat to complete the outfit:


The hat is the Candy Cane hat from Itty Bitty Hats. I finished the hat before we left last week and dragged a couple of models out into the garden for a photo shoot before we left.

Somehow George manages to emote the feelings I think the baby would share if I decided to wake him or her up and take them into the garden for an early morning photo shoot. He was determinedly unimpressed by all of my photography skills so I popped him back in the house and went in search of another model, and here she is:



Azaria (she carries a star) is hiding underneath in a very positive frame of mind!

My favourite thing about this hat in terms of construction is that I finally mastered the jog-less join for knitting stripes in the round.

I used the Meg Swansen technique of changing colour and then as you reach the end of the first round in the new colour, lift the stitch of the old colour and knit it with the first stitch of the new colour to start the second round of new colour.

Before it was blocked I could still see the vague diagonal ripple caused by the start of the round moving on by a stitch each round but now, well:


I can't find it unless I look for it, and no-one is going to be looking that closely on a wriggly baby.

So, it's 28 April and I've started, and finished, some of my Christmas knitting - are you going to call the men in white coats? And do they bring yarn sedatives....?

PS - did you know it's only 240 days until Christmas? (ducks and places tin helmets firmly on head and baby bump)