Review: Wee Garter Stitch

Garter Stitch has a bad reputation for being boring. I mean, I guess it can be boring, but it can also be meditative, and an easy, fun way to get projects done in a hurry. And just because a project involves Garter Stitch doesn’t mean it has to be exclusively Garter Stitch or not include cool techniques, shaping and colorwork.

Vickie Howell shows us how Garter Stitch can be great on a small scale with her latest book Wee Garter Stitch: Must-Have Knits for Modern Babies and Toddlers. And it just a little bit makes me wish I had a little one to knit for.

The book includes bibs, booties, blankies, sweaters and vests, hats and more, all using Garter Stitch in different ways. There are stripes, short rows, cables, colorwork and other stitch patterns used in the projects, which are cute and playful for little ones (garment sizes vary, with some projects only offering one size and some several, but most fit somewhere in the range of 3 month to 2T, with a couple of 4T projects as well).

Some of my favorites include the Round Peg Blanket, which uses short rows to create circles inside blocks that are sewn together; Best Dress-ed, a simple top-down dress with zig-zag stripes I’m seriously tempted to upsize for my little one; the Patched Pants, worked in a denimy yarn with a drawstring waist for a flexible fit; the Honey Baby Pullover, pictured on the cover; and the stunning Coyote Kid Sweater, inspired for Cowichan sweaters (and both the largest in size and most technically complex project in the book). Check Ravelry to see all the projects.

If you’ve got a wee one, or know a little person or someone who is about to have a baby, these projects offer simple style with a modern look and are mostly quick and easy to knit. All the knitting skills you need are explained at the back of the book, so it’s also a great gift to a mom-to-be who might want to start knitting for their new bundle.

About the book: 96 pages, paperback with interior flaps. 25 patterns (one is for beginners, 13 are easy, 9 intermediate and one advanced). Published May 2016 by Sixth & Spring Books. Suggested retail $17.95.

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The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

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