Strawberry Sweater and Hat

Notes

I purchased the kit at Knit Michigan 2011by Michigan designer, Mihaela Manitui, because I loved the picture with the pattern. Came with beautiful handspun yarns that were not soft enough for a baby sweater -- I’ll use them for another project. I found I didn’t want the challenge of figuring out a new pattern. I used my most loved pattern from the net Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater by Carole Barenys from Carole’s Baby Knits. Mine is based on the Carole’s design and the picture from the kit. I had fun adding the leaves - and the hat is just made from experience - no actual pattern. My challenge were the “seeds” as the kit didn’t have beads included. On the sweater, I used wooden beads that I pre-strung one the yarn. I found out when my puppy found my project that this isn’t the best way to add beads when a baby is involved. I found out that pulling on the bead pulled the knitting. All the beads on the sweater, after knitting in place, were backed with tiny flat buttons inside the sweater (needle and sewing thread). For the hat, I used glass beads that I sewed in place with sewing thread and needle(much, much easier and more secure).
I especially liked using the lace weight yarn with the red as it allowed me to bleed the red into the green bottom border. It’s hard to part with this project as it was most satisfying and the yarn is a dream to work, very soft and comforting, plus the finished project is so cute. I have enough yarn left over to make a second hat as my great neice Lilly has quite a large head. (she’s my cute mostly naked model on another hat project)