On Short Notice

I love to make things for my kids, but it can be really hard to make things that they love - especially as they get older...

They kind of get past the point where they think that everything you make is BRILLIANT, and move on to thinking that home made is DAGGY... Oh man, even the word daggy is probably daggy these days. What-evah!

Sometimes Master Twelve just looks at something I've made and says "Fail, Mum. EPIC fail"

Anyway, I was probably the same when I was a kid, so I don't bother taking it to heart.

I think this is why I love the idea of making them cuddle toys based on a design which they draw for me, that way they are a part of the process, and can really choose something they love.

But that's not what this post is about...



It was the night before Master Nine went away on his school camp.

We were just about to head out for dinner, when Mr Goldfish asks me... "Do you think you could whip Ben up some gloves for camp tomorrow?"

Gotta love that! WHIP UP some gloves????

Anyway, Benny overheard, and chimed in with "Yeah Mum. I need gloves. Can you make me gloves Mum? Purleeeeease????"

Well - how am I supposed to say no to that?

So I figured that crochet would be the way to go - because I can do that way faster than knitting...

"With skulls on them Mum - to match my hat"

Okay, so that was going to involve knitting... because this was not the time to learn how to do tapestry crochet.

So I found a REALLY easy mitts pattern, and incorporated the chart from his skull beanie onto each glove. They're knit flat, then seamed up the side - leaving a gap in the seam for the thumb to poke out.

Simple, but he LOVES them.

Raced around all morning wearing them... and still had them on when he climbed onto the bus. Who knows whether or not both mitts will make it home from camp? Probably not. But I've had enough enjoyment just from watching him in them already!

And it was near impossible to keep him still enough for these photos



So here's the details:

mitt pattern - Hand Mitts from Leisure Art
hat pattern (for the skull chart) - Adrian's Skull Cap is a free download from Ravelry, click here

I used 4.0mm needles and 8ply yarn, not what the pattern calls for - but that's what I had on hand, plus my knitting tends to be loose. The black was an acrylic and the green is a wool crepe. I like to use what I have, and don't mind mixing fibres. It really doesn't take a lot of yarn. I the gloves make it home from camp, I will weigh them and edit this post to let you know the weight of yarn required!

Plus I made the ribbing at the wrist longer than the pattern call for.

Just because.

And if you want to take a peek at the original hat I made for him, here it is