My version of Flopsy.

I’ve been on a hat knitting bender, particularly hats of the slouchy variety. When I saw Flopsy, I knew it would be excellent car-ride-knitting as I traveled home for the Easter holiday: the slouchy style I love, bright springy colors, and simple-but-clever bunny ears that “spring” from the back of the hat! This hat is so much fun to wear because it looks like a regular striped slouchy hat from the front, and then–surprise!– it’s rockin’ ears in the back!

Photo © Jessica M. Anderson

This hat is equally fun on adults and sweet-faced little kiddos. The design features a ribbon, tied around the ears for that extra somethin’-somethin’. I didn’t have any ribbon that matched my zingy palette, so I improvised! I took two strands of Moonlight (for blue skies), two strands of Jelly Bean (for pink flowers), and two strands of Grass (well… for green grass), and braided them together.

Here I am, in my Flopsy!

Fun and cute! The colors are just what I need to cheer up the gray Minnesota days we’ve had lately and the hat keeps me toasty on cooler spring mornings too.

The Details

Photo © Jessica M. Anderson

Be sure to check out the Bunny Hop hoodie, complete with bunny ears as well!

Photo © Throughtheloops

As has been evidenced by my recent baby knitting, my friends and family members are either choosing to be surprised or are having boys. Naturally, I’m delighted for each and every one of them, but this is why all my knits have had similar unisex palettes lately. Sometimes what we want to knit and what we must knit don’t necessarily align. I wanted to cast on something girlie, swingy, with playful little details, so when Kirsten Kapur previewed Turtle Pond, I knew it would be the quick-knitting bender I needed to satiate my girlie sweater need and get me out of that unisex color slump!

My version of Turtle Pond

Loved it! Just loved knitting it. I made the smallest size (two-hank wonder!) and it practically dripped off my needles. There are a few special things to note about this great skill-building pattern, which has been added to my “Possible Baby Shower Gift” pattern list.

First, the construction is simple and clear. If you’ve ever wondered about bottom-up construction with sleeves worked separately but joined to the body for yoke construction, this sweater has it all in a tiny, unintimidating package. When it comes time to try making a sweater this style for me, I won’t feel intimidated or have any questions since I mastered it on this wee scale.

Sweater innards

Next, if you are fearful of stranded knitting, this sweater (smallest size) has only three rows of colorwork (plus a few rounds for the sleeves). Ultra simple! It’s a good way to get your feet wet without a huge commitment. Get the feel for tensioning floats without feeling like the project will never end!

Lastly, buttons! I love shopping for them, love stashing them, love finding just the right button for the right project. Buttons can make or break a garment, and that was the hangup for me on this project… I couldn’t get it just right. My cardigan was done: ends woven in, underarm grafted, blocked! But, at the same time, not done… no buttons. Some weren’t the right green, some were too overwhelming. I even found turtle buttons (because I love turtles, too), but they weren’t cute because the face wasn’t quite right. I didn’t have the sweater with me when I saw these large purple buttons, but I grabbed them on a hunch! They are a touch too big, but they really pull the whole sweater together.

Girlie sweater needs… check! Becoming a confident bottom-up sweater knitter… check! Practice with colorwork… check! Fun button details… check!

No wonder I loved this sweater!!!

The Details

Pattern: Turtle Pond
Designer: Kirsten Kapur
Size: 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16)
Needles: Size 8 (5mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn: Spud & Chloë Sweater, shown in Turtle #7514 and Grape Jelly #7516
This pattern can be found on Ravelry. (I made absolutely no modifications!)