Beach Play
This sweater was part of a book of sweaters I tried to make, with different sweaters for different seasons. Perhaps the summer in the north justifies a sleeveless sweater, or this can just be to remember warm days are always just around the corner. On the front and the back different boys and girls are building huge sandcastles, under the warm sun and a rainbow umbrella. The hem is an open lace pattern, and the neck and armhole openings are picot trim in blue and dark blue.
Easter
Again, this was for the sweater book I tried to make. I don't think this design really works, and I could try to remake it. Maybe lose the butterflies, or just keep them on the sleeves? They might be too dischordant for the simpler pictures. The trim at the wrists and hem is a double repeating pattern of simple dots and diamonds in green and red. The trim at the shoulders is blue crosses on shades of green. The neck trim is red dots on shades of green.
Gnomes
I love this sweater! It is difficult to keep all of the yarns untangled through the gnomes knitting, which I enjoy.
On the front and back, three gnomes stand before a mushroom house, with greens and flowers in the background. On the sleeves two gnomes stand together. The trim at the wrists and hem is red ladybugs on green and brown acorns on red. White dots on red circle the shoulders and sleeves. It is so easy to change the colors of the gnomes' clothes, hats, and shoes. I love the bright red of the iconic mushroom house. On the first sweater, the neck, wrists, and hem trim is stripes of dark blue and sun colors. On the second version, I have added a small placket and clasp at the neck, which has the dot trim pattern of the shoulders. The gnomes' eyes are added after knitting.
Johnny Appleseed
Does every child know the story of Johnny Appleseed? Or is this forgotten now? There are many apple orchards near us in New York, and our favorite is The Love Apple Farm. (Although really our obsession there are the peaches, which are a highlight of our food year.)
On the front Johnny Appleseed is planting seedling trees, with a flowering apple tree behind him. On the back the apples are so ripe they are falling to the ground, where a lucky deer is about to feast - maybe even to take the apples in the basket. Apples on dark blue circle the neck, wrists, and hem. There is my signature sun hugging one shoulder. The sleeves show an apple tree beginning to bloom and the little apples beginning to form.
LIGHTHOUSE
Here is an updated version of the one year Lighthouse, with sleeves. This is such a simple sweater, with a nice tug boat on the back and a sailboat on the front. The island with the lighthouse wraps around the sweater. The sun fills one sleeve and a small rainbow-sailed boat fills the other. Waves splash in three shades of turquoise beneath the bright blue sky.
Who doesn't like seeing a lighthouse? I didn't even add the iconic red striping; that would be easy to do with alternating red and white double rows.
Rocket
This is a smaller version of my size five Rocket sweater.
On the front the white rocket, with bright flames, is soaring into space past the Sun, Earth, Mercury, Venus, and the Moon. On the back are the outer planets, in incorrect order!, in a starry sky. The sleeves are mirrored comets shooting through the starry sky. The wrists and hem trim is rocket flames. The neck, wrists, and hem trim is alternating stripes of red and variegated blue.
Snowmen
Another joy of living in the north is snow and snowmen. I don't think we ever built such intricate snowpeople!
On the front are a king and a princess, and on the back are a boy and a fancy lady. A house with icicles wraps around one side while evergreens wrap around the other. The sleeves have a cowboy and flower princess. On the shoulders is a sunny trim of white diamonds and dots. The wrists and hem have two patterns: red triangles on green and white crosses on shades of blue. The neck trim has more white crosses on blue.
The second set of photos is a variation with a different, peach and green, trim pattern at the hem and wrists.
Trains
Here is another Trains variation. This one is slightly larger, for three year olds.
The difference here, compared to the Trains Two Years, is the addition of the silhouetted houses at the hem and wrists. The neck and wrists have a trim of alternating black and variegated blue stripes.
Totoros
Totoros again.
This the sky is all the same color on body and sleeves. The ladybugs have been replaced with a simple white dot on red trim. The black stripe up the sides separates the pictures on the front and the back, because the pictures could not be blended.