There isn't anything an aunt won't do for their niece.....

One day last spring my niece came up for a visit and saw a hippo at the local yarn store. She really wanted it and so she picked out some yarn from my stash and low and behold three days later, I made this hippo. Now mind you my niece at the time was not even a year old but she is a girl who knows what she wants.

Hippo Front View

Hippo Back View

Hippo Standing

Of course I had to do another view of its backside standing

She did have to wait for the hippo until Easter but she liked the finished product.

Pattern was from Itty-Bitty Toys by Susan B. Anderson.  Unfortunately the yarn was not identifiable because the cats tore the label off of it and I couldn't find it.  It was worsted weight.

OMG....I can't believe its finally done!!!!!

When I picked this beautiful baby set for my unborn niece little did I know it would become the project that was doomed from the very beginning....

It was my first ever cable knitting project and I thought well it might be a little complicated but heck I can get through it.  I am a smart woman and  I like challenges. 

So, I was working on the dress and had the skirt completed and started the bodice of the dress and this is where things went severely wrong.  I tried and tried to complete it but when it came to the decreases it was nearly impossible because nothing matched.  So I let my trusty friend take a look and see where I kept screwing up.  Even she was cursing the pattern before she was done.  So, while she was working on the dress I decided to work on the blanket.  Well that turned out to be just as confusing.  We were ready to scrap the whole project and pick a different set when....

We get the brilliant idea of sitting down with the pattern and rewriting it in Texas English.  It worked....I started the blanket again around Easter of 2011.  Of course my niece was approximately 10 months old by this time, because she was born while I was working on the bodice the first time through.  So what began as her baby set is now her toddler set.  I finally finished the blanket around July 4, 2011.  I was never so happy to finish a baby blanket in all my life....

Finished Blanket for niece

Border detail

Corner detail

Another full view of the blanket

And now to finish the dress.....

more to come.......

Project is worked with Plymouth Baby;Pattern is Sandnes Lanett 0812 Baby 0-4

Cool Yarn.....bought on Sale

Well, one day I was at my favorite little yarn store in Plano, Texas called the Woolie Ewe and low and behold there was a yarn sale. Of course I am not one to pass up a yarn sale by any means. So while I was looking I found this really cool cotton yarn. At the time I didn't have a project to go with it but I figured I would find something when the time was right. So while I was looking at patterns for dresses to make for my niece I found a use for that cotton yarn. The project was started on my way back from my niece's 1st birthday and became my new car project. It took me a couple of weeks but it was completed over the July 4th weekend.

Completed Front of the Dress Size 12mo-3 yrs

Back of dress

Knitted Rose

Lace Detail at the bottom of the dress

Close view of the dress with the rose as a broach

I also knitted the rose one evening at mom's house while I was watching a movie..I figured she could put it in her hair or use it as a broach.

The pattern was Emma's dress pattern from KnitPicks.com. Knitted with Jarbo Garn super soft cotton color 8866 Party 85138