Knitting for Little People

I'm on target with knitting for the charity organization www.knittedknockersusa.org at one knocker a week, or 52 for the year, but I also want to be working on a project that I can improve my knitting skills with. Knockers are my 'fill my lap anywhere we go' knitting; anything else needs to have some challenge to it, so I can learn and improve. Knitting isn't a talent but rather a skill, but I spent the first ten or so years as as knitter with little improvement, so I decided last year as a 2019 resolution to be more purposeful. Little cardigans are perfect - they don't take as much yarn, don't take forever, and little people are generally a little less fussy about the overall fit. Especially if you add a sparkly headband to match. Sparkles can cover a multitude of imperfections.

This pattern - One Plus - designed by Erika Flory, and available on Ravelry for $5.00, was a better choice than I even realized when I purchased it. It's knit from the neckline down, with the teensiest little buttonhole at the top, a pretty edging on each side of the front of the cardigan, and easy peasy cap sleeves.

And best part ever - no seaming to do when finished! Which every knitter ever will say hooray to.

This blue one is for the cutie on the right, when she turns 6 in a few months. I'm thinking it will be perfect for late spring with a long sleeve t-shirt underneath, and since she lives pretty far up north it should be perfect for that time of year, and still (hopefully) fit her when she returns to school in September. She's from tall stock, so I've got about another 6-8" to knit before it's finished.

My two beautiful knitting recipients

The cutie patootie on the left has a birthday in early fall, so I've ordered the same yarn in aqua, and will knit her cardigan a size larger. The pattern comes in size 0 - 3 months, all the way up to 8 years, so it can be knit up for lots and lots of gifts. And it's not only doable for an advanced beginner knitter, but watching it come together on the needles makes one feel like a rock star knitter, which is never a bad thing.

I bought the blue yarn at   my yarn store in CDA, Idaho, and ordered the aqua from them as well. It's a merino superwash which makes it a little more laundry friendly than pure wool. That's key when knitting for little people - it's going to need to be thrown in the laundry! Alpaca Direct ships to anywhere in the USA, and I think I should have two beautiful skeins arriving in the mail just about when I bind off the first cardigan. That's perfect in my book.