I'm not a very fast knitter. It was probably my first craft, but it is not my craft of choice! I love hand knitted items and would love to improve. My mum's one of those casual, chatting, watching TV, super fast knitters, whipping up a little cardi in a couple of evenings. I've tried doing it without looking, for about 10 seconds, but I may as well look for all the concentration and teeth gritting it takes!
Anyway, I decided to attempt a hooded cardigan for my little girl. I took great pleasure in searching Ravelry (where I could lose hours!) for a suitable pattern. Found a good one here.
But I started knitting it about 9 months ago, for age 18-24 months. She's now 26 months and it's not finished. I got up to the hood and abandoned the plan. I decided to convert the hood into a little bonnet. And here's the result!...
For the last 8 rows I added 30 stitches on each end and changed to a rib stitch to shape it round the face and allow it to be tied under the chin. I then folded it in half and stitched the back seam. I'm also planning on putting a popper on the strap so it's secure. Oh, and I made a pompom for the top. It's a little small, naturally, and isn't quite shaped right. But I'm pleased with it and it looks so cute!
There are proper patterns available - like this one - so sweet! A much more realistic goal for a non-speedy knitter like me!