This hoodie is knit at a slightly tighter gauge than its adult counterpart for hardier wear and has an explicit button band (instructions are included for both girls and boys) for practicality. As always with baby and children’s clothing, please do measure the intended recipient to ensure an accurate fit. Babies and children’s bodies vary so much as I’m discovering with Olivia’s commercial clothing. Stuff she’s wearing right now ranges from 6 months to 12 months. I think she even has a pair of pants in the current rotation that’s labeled 18 months! It’s kind of crazy.

To celebrate the beginning of what I hope will be a new line of baby and children’s designs, I’m offering a 20% discount on this pattern for the first 2 weeks of its release. The promotion is good through Monday, February 20th. The wee Austin is the inaugural piece in my Piccoli Tesori line. Piccoli Tesori means little treasures in Italian and tesoro is also a term of endearment. I have more knits in the works for Piccoli Tesori and a new logo for it drawn by my brother, so stay tuned! I hope you’ll want to make my knits for the tesori in your life.

wee Austin
Click button to buy ($5.00 $4.00):

Stats/Specifications:
Finished Size: 19½ (21½, 23¼, 24¾, 26½, 28)” to fit 6m (9m, 12m, 2y, 4y, 6y) with a suggested ease of 2 to 4”. Sample measures 19½”.
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light (100% superwash merino wool; 420 yards, 100 grams): Tart, 2 (2, 2, 2, 3, 3) skeins.
Needles: Size 5 and Size 4 32” circular needles.
Notions: Markers (m); stitch holders; spare US 5 needle for 3-needle BO; buttons — 6 (6, 6, 7, 8, 8); tapestry needle; sewing needle and matching thread.
Gauge: 25 sts and 34 rows = 4” in St st with larger needles. 26½ sts and 34 rows = 4″ in 1×3 rib with larger needles. 25 sts and 38 rows in Double Woven st with smaller needles and two strands of yarn.

I especially love the punk rock couple on the lower right hand side. And the Mad Men-esque couple right next to them.

He’s planning on more cards and prints, including a nursery themed line for the young and young-at-heart. I’m sure Olivia will want some uncle-designed art for her room!

These types of events — Rhinebeck, TNNA, etc — are always such a mad rush of stimulation, inspiration, and fun that it’s sometimes hard to properly catch up with friends.   Luckily, my good friend Angela was coming in from Boston for the event and decided to stay with me, so we got the chance to really chat in earnest.  I also got to hang out quite a bit with my buddy from Ithaca, Laura Nelkin, and the always in-demand, Melissa Wehrle.

Because I’m still processing the weekend, I’ll let photos do the rest of the storytelling.  There was yarn-bombing in the marketplace, an adorable amiguri exhibit by the very talented Anna Hrachovec (check out the peeing gnomes below!), and I even had time to attend a lecture by Debbie Bliss on how to design for babies!

I bought a little mini-collection of buttons for future baby designs on my way home from work last week. Don’t they look scrumptious?

Because I spent the last year or so, elbow deep in work on my book, it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve released a pattern. I am so happy to finally do that with a design I did way back in May for the Fibre Space’s Indie Indulgence Club.

This fun pullover is worked in Tosh Merino DK (a rounded single ply yarn dyed in Madelinetosh’s gorgeous, glazed color palette) and combines two of my favorite designs elements — henley plackets and hoods. The placket with cable and garter stitch flourishes is closed with rustic wooden buttons, amping up the garment’s versatility. The generous hood is trimmed in the same cables that dot the placket while deep garter sleeve cuffs and body side slits are just the right details. Worked in the round up to the placket and back and forth thereafter, the Carlmont Hoodie requires minimal seaming. Sleeves are picked up and worked from the top down, making it easy to adjust their length to suit your tastes. More detailed specs and photos taken by the talented Parikha Mehta are below. I hope people like my latest offering.

Stats/Specifications:
Finished Size: 32½ (35½, 37¼, 39½, 41¼, 43½, 47½, 51½)” to fit bust sizes 31 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 46, 50)” with a suggested ease of 1 to 2”. Sample measures 35½”.
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino DK (100% superwash merino wool; 225 yards, 100 grams): Gilded, 5 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, skeins.
Needles: Size 6 and Size 7 32” circular needles.
Notions: Markers (m); stitch holders; spare US 7 needle for 3-needle BO; Size H crochet hook; tapestry needle; 10 (10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 11) 1/2” buttons; sewing needle and matching thread.
Gauge: 20 sts and 28 rows = 4” in St st.

I have two upcoming baby designs I’ll release soon. One is the Wee Austin Hoodie (which I’ve posted about previously), a kid-friendly version of the adult Austin. It’s been tech edited and is just waiting for more photos and the layout.  The other is a double breasted coat in a gorgeous pale pink.  The yarn is Quince Lark, a wonderfully basic — in the best sense — wool yarn which incidentally, comes in a wide variety of pleasing shades.

* Actually, the real story is I knit the sample (pictured) for the Wee Austin in the weeks leading up to Rhinebeck, but the resulting garment (in Tart!) was slated for a friend’s new baby. I re-knit the cardigan in a bigger size in the Cousteau colorway (a gorgeous seaglass blue) for Olivia.

No, I haven’t knit her anything since her coming-home cardigan months ago. Yes, I am working on something for her for Rhinebeck. Maybe I’ll even get it done in time.

I was at the Knitting Daily TV studios last week to tape two short segments promoting my upcoming book — Textured Stitches. I was really nervous about having to talk in public — or in this case, in front of hosts Shay and Eunny, the TV crew, and a bunch of cameras — but everyone was so welcoming and friendly that I felt more relaxed about the whole thing in no time. I flew in the day before the taping to get my bearings, see a few shows from the same season being taped, and knit a few last minute swatches. My taping was bright and early the following day and after a quick lunch, I was on my way home. I only wish I had more time to chat with everyone. I was also bummed to find out that I missed seeing Courtney and Kate, who were just there for their segment, by one day.