Spring Things...

I just put together a Spring themed care package for Cathcart.  I had a great time knitting the Sunflower Girl from the Ladybugs and Sunflower pattern that was in the Spring 2009 issue of Twist.  That was a good issue, I also bought the Sleepy Monkey Blanket pattern, although I have not yet gotten around to knitting it!

I have to say, the Sunflower Girl is an intense project!  There are so many little pieces to knit and piece together.  It wasn't particularly difficult, just, well, never ending.  The pattern is well written, although there is a lot of referring to other sections of the pattern.  That's fine I guess, but I am more of a knit straight from the pattern sort of girl.  I don't like flipping back through all the pages to find the instructions I need.  Oh well, I get that there is often a space issue.

The pattern comes with 3 variations: a Sunflower Girl (that's what I knit), a Sunflower Boy and a Ladybug character.  The variations are difficult, change the colours, change the clothes.  There are instructions for shoes, a dress, overalls and of course the hat.  The hat is not removable as it is sewn in place.

Other people mentioned having difficulty keeping the neck stiff enough to stay straight.  I stuffed the neck tightly but also had the same problem.  There is just a lot of handling of the doll as you make it up, especially when sewing on the hat and all the petals.  It is impossible to avoid handling her, and that makes her neck floppy.  I'm not sure how to get around it really.

I have plans to knit another one of these very soon.  I have wanted to make one for Mary's first birthday for a while.  Since Cathcart had such a big reaction to it (she loved it!), I think that it will make a great birthday gift. The next one will likely be more traditional colours (I'm thinking yellow and brown).

Without further ado.  I introduce you to... Sunny-Tidal-Blush Sunflower Girl... She is made with my go-to yarn Berroco Vintage in the Sunny, Tidal and Blush colourways.