“the little touches that make a difference”

a little time off this morning gave me a chance to start work on a knitting project i’ve been thinking about for quite a while.
i have an extremely charming 10-year-old niece, and equally remarkable goddaughter who were both born on the same day, two years apart. their summer birthday is one of my favorite events to get ready for, and now that they are both preteens, i especially look forward to coming up with just the right kind of stylish, girly, special thing that will appeal to them and impress their friends. fortunately, they both love to receive handknit gifts. last year they each got a flirty felted purse along with the new Harry Potter book.

i am keeping my fingers crossed that this penchant for my knitted love will not waver in their soon-to-be-teen years; not being such a gurly-girl myself, i enjoy indulging in this yearly decision over just the right gift. it must kiss the edge of being “too much”, but in such a way as to be witty rather than overdone. it must be currently in style, or otherwise extremely popular, with little regard for staying power. they are growing by the week at this point; what difference does it make if they care about it in a year?? it HAS to be whatever silly color they want, even if i have made something pink and frilly each year since i can remember (i’ll never forget the look on my niece’s face when i took it upon myself to make a bright blue sweater one christmas; it was utterly devastating).

this year i knew i had to make them each a shrug; it fits the bill so perfectly that it really isn’t even a decision. my niece, who is the older girl, wants black, and wants it to close in the front. my goddaughter likes pastels still, and i think i might make hers in light blue (she mentioned liking blue the last time i talked to her).

i picked out the yarn weeks ago as soon as it arrived at the shop. i had been thinking about what kind of yarn would be right for some months, but hadn’t seen anything i liked. they both live in warm, humid climates, so wool and acrylic were definitely out, and i didn’t want anything synthetic. i was hesitant about the cotton yarns i saw too; it’s not my favorite to knit with, and it can get hard after a few washings.

then we got this at the shop—classic silk, from classic elite. it’s a cotton, silk, and nylon blend and i love it! the color palette is soft, sophisticated, and gorgeous. the yarn is also soft, with a little texture in the twist, just slightly nubby. and since silk and cotton are washable and wear nicely, i think i found the right thing.

and yes, i did buy the pink when i saw the light blue i liked was gone. but i might take it back and exchange it for a pretty spring green; still not sure. i really liked that blue and am kicking myself that i did not buy it (heather, if you are reading this, will you please weigh in here; pink, green, blue??? or something altogether different?). i could ask carol to order me some more . . .

there are so many shrug patterns around (i’m sure you’ve noticed), but none of them seem exactly right for a preteen girl, so i decided to design this one myself. well, ok, and there was this picture i had in my head of exactly the right thing and i couldn’t find it anywhere in a preteen size (has anyone else noticed the dearth of preteen knit patterns?? what’s up with that? like kids only go up to size 10, and then . . .nothing?)! my niece is very detail-oriented about clothing and jewelry; not fussy, but just very observant of the “little touches that make a difference”.
yes, she actually said this to me in a conversation (eye roll).

it will be a short little sweater-shrug (because of the closing in the front, remember) with raglan sleevelets, wide v-neck, and ribbing that drops down from just under the “bust” to about the bottom of the rib cage. here’s my swatch, and i think i have the stitches nailed:

and for once, deciding on a group of stitches did not take days of agonizing. i had an idea in my head and i found a combination that pleased me in just a couple of tries. the body will be fairly solid (niece wanted totally solid, but in the black, it looked just a little hard to me. besides, i know her; she is ALL about the extras! and don’t forget the “little touches that make a difference”). so an eyelet ladder was added to the solid fabric to break that up a bit. the mesh openwork is for the raglan sleeve, and the rib is for the bottom edge. i’ll need add an edging along the neckline, but i want to wait and see if the garment will tolerate a decorative one, or just need something plain; maybe just a little picot crochet.

now on to sweater wizard to make a pattern and then off to knit!

BTW, i love this yarn SO much, that i am already planning to make myself a couple of skirts for the summer with it. in fact, i have my needles all packed for monday to bring with me to class so i can get the yarn and get started right away. summer being so brief, it’s best to get this one on the road before my entusiasm wanes . . .
more details about that tomorrow. also, my other niece turns two-years-old in june and a sundress is in order i think. i know this sounds like a lot of projects starts, but all i currently have going is socks and a scarf (yes i know about the cable sweater, but we aren’t speaking right now . . .). the bigger danger is that these plans all center around cotton-type yarns; leet’s hope i don’t get into i-hate-this-yarn trouble too close to all the birthdays.