Cherry Blossom Bonnet - new pattern

Just a few short weeks ago, the trees were full of spring blossoms. 

To my mind, the appearance of cherry blossoms, and the pink petals raining down in a gust of wind is confirmation of spring; of warmer weather; of birthday parties (I was an April baby) and Easter egg indulgence; of wandering in the long grass and building dens in the nearby fields; of freckles on your nose & forehead; of climbing trees and peering out from the leafy canopies.

Inspired by these pink masses of petals, I have released the Cherry Blossom Bonnet pattern.  This bonnet is intended to keep your little one warm during the winter months, while reminding you that spring will come!

The bonnet uses two skeins of Jamieson & Smith 2 ply jumper weight, one each in shades FC50 and 43. It is knit in the round, with a steek; the top is grafted together; the steek is cut and then the bonnet is finished with an edging of garter stitch and i-cord. It is available in two sizes (up to 12 months and up to 24 months). However, its shape will fit a range of head sizes as the little one grows.

The pattern is available on Ravelry, or as a download.

Finished Knit; Owlet jumper

This was the only knit project I cast on and completed during the entire month of April. It's the lovely Owlet by Kate Davies.  It's become a bit of a tradition that the babies of my family receive their own Owlet for their first birthday, so my own Small Human *needed* one too. I knit the largest baby size, and it should be perfect for next winter, with an extra bit of growing room. She's wearing it here over another knitted garment.

I used a little over 3 balls of Rico Essential Soft Merino Aran, in an almost-oatmeal colour.
The yarn is lovely to knit with, is machine washable, and I am assured it wears very well.
I omitted the buttons-as-owl-eyes as I suspect the baby would chew them off the jumper. Perhaps the next one shall have buttons, or embroidered knots instead?

Woolapalooza Sheep Festival at Airfield

I wanted to try make the most of the long weekend, so yesterday our little family packed up the car & headed over to Airfield in Dundrum.  We haven't been there since major refurbishments have taken place. The entrance is now much larger & within easy walking distance of the Balally Luas stop, and the new buildings are beautiful, using impressively large wooden beams for support. Of course, I forgot to get photos of all of that, but you really just want to see the sheep. 

Woolapalooza Sheep Festival offered us the chance to see sheep shearing... (spot the impressive handspun jumper that I suspect was made from Jacob based on the colours).

 And sheep dog trials. 

We had a good wander around the grounds & spotted these 2 day old piglets curled up with their mamma - they look so cosy!

We also got to see some lambs frolicking in the fields while we wandered along the woodland paths.  

There were also knitting, felting, spinning and weaving displays, but the small human's need for a nap was of more importance than this mammy's want to see craft displays. We also missed the speed knitting competition, and I really want to know who won & how fast they knit!