What my young granddaughter likes

My granddaughter is a modern girl, about to turn 7. She plays with Legos. She would like to be a MineCraft gamer when she grows up. She watches football and roots for her home team. But she also likes her frills. She asked me to knit her another sundress to replace one that she outgrew.

This sundress is Jenny Snedeker’s Ruffled Sundress. I knit mine in Berroco Comfort. It’s a worsted weight, as I see it. 50% nylon, 50% acrylic. I wanted this dress to be easy-care—in the wash and then in the dryer.

My granddaughter really likes her sundress. She’s worn it a lot. And it’s been washed and dried many times. Unfortunately, the purple colorway didn’t sustain its vibrancy. So, although Comfort is pretty good to knit with, I’ve learned a lesson here.

Here’s my granddaughter, in her faded sundress, next to a chalk drawing of herself in her faded sundress. She likes it. That’s all that matters to me. And the pattern is an excellent one.

Next up is another knit upon request: “Grandma, can you knit me a new purse?” This one has really tickled my knitting fancy: Kristiina Temon’s spectacular (and free) Purse with Leaves.

First off, though it’s a minor point, I love the name of the pattern. Nothing pretentious. Not “Ode to Spring,” just plain “Purse with Leaves.”

The directions for knitting the purse and leaves that frame that gorgeous Chinese Knot formed from I-Cord are spot on. OK, a few things at the final stage of the purse bear correction or clarification. Knit an extra knit round before you start the bottom decreases or the garter ridges will be funky. Decrease one stitch less each round of decrease. Use a provisional cast-on to start the I-Cord because you’ll be adding a leaf later and live stitches are useful for that. And make a 4 stitch I-Cord because that’s what you need to start the leaves. You’d have likely figured all that out pretty easily. That’s only a few corrections for a pattern that comes from a land far far away (from the United States).

That this is clearly not a pattern originally written in English isn’t a problem until you get to the very end and try to work with the knot and the I-Cord. And by that point you’re totally committed to making it work. But reading stuff like “superfluous has been dissolved after tying knots” and “That the knot had been turned out on that party where it is necessary, we look how the bag and a cord should lie at knot setting. This position a miscellaneous at performance of the first and second step” is a big distraction. And also a big hoot. But you’ll get the gist of it. I’m thinking that Google Translate or its human equivalent is the culprit here because, quite clearly, Tenens is a talent and her design is clever and cool.

Check out the purse bottom. Minus the Chinese Knot, and the I-Cord strands, with minor modifications, this purse could even make an interesting beanie or beret.

Purse with Leaves is definitely worth your knitting time. I knit mine in HiKoo by skacel Simplicity Solid, a DK merino/acrylic/nylon mix.

The young ones are so much fun to knit for. And I really appreciate it when my granddaughter tells me what she’d especially like.

Just for fun, I knit and added a few hearts to one of my granddaughter’s recent care packages. Long distance grandparenting can definitely tug at our hearts at times. These hearts are Jackie Ziegler’s Love Hearts, knit in assorted worsted weight oddments (laying atop my Fichu Bleu shawl).

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