Bunbun

Hello Blogobrowsers!

Another post today on one of my summer projects (yeah yeah yeah, I know it's well into fall, so sue me.)  This was a knit dress that I made for Ruth's baby, Babs.  That's not her real name, just what I decided to name her because I'm a weirdo.  


I found this pattern here on Knitty.com.  It's called "Anouk" and was created by Kate Gilbert.  Knitty is a great site with a lot of free patterns.  Free is good.  Here is the dress from the pattern.  

 

Partly out of laziness and partly because I only had a couple days before my visit to Babs' house, I decided to ixnay the intarsia pocket thing.  I am really not a big fan of intarsia and fair isle and complicated stuff like that.  Mostly because I like to watch TV while knitting and it's too hard to concentrate on Top Chef while having to keep track of every single stitch you're making.  


I used this yarn that I got at the yarn store when I was home in OH.  They were having a going out of business sale (sad) and everything was 75% off (happy!).  I went with Navy and Fuschia.  Classy and fun.

The pattern was pretty straightforward and worked (sometimes free patterns don't work, boooo.)  Here is one side finished.  

I love seed stitch borders. Don't tell anyone.

 This dress required blocking.  I hate blocking.  For you knitting novices out there, blocking is shaping the piece after it's finished so it doesn't roll up or look lopsided.  You can actually correct some mistakes by blocking so I guess it's not all that bad.  I just soak a tea towel in water and lay it over the piece and iron away.  It makes the piece nice and flat and in the correct shape.  Make sure your iron is the right temp for the yarn!

Blocking.  Not fun but good for you.

This project required five buttons and luckily I have my own little vintage button collection I've acquired from various yard sales and eBay lots.  I couldn't find four matching navy buttons but I figured one odd one would just add to the charm.  Right?  I found a nice little pink button to go on the shoulder.  

I ♥ buttons!

After I was done piecing it all together, I thought the dress looked a little plain.  I knitted up a quick pocket and then the pocket looked lonely.

ho hum...

So I grabbed some white worsted yarn and whipped up this guy.

  Bunbun!

I would give you the pattern for this little guy but I just made it up.  I knit a rectangle increasing in the middle a couple stitches (so when it's folded in half and sewn the bum is slightly bigger).  Then I made some i-cords for the ears.  Basically you knit 6 stitches on double pointed needles until you get the desired length (I like my bunbun ears long).  Then decrease and bind off.  Embroider a face, stuff the body, sew the ears on and you're in business.

There!  Now Babs has a little friend to take with her when she goes shopping with Mom.

  

hi!

Byeeeee!