Red-Riding-Hood Coat

My cousin told me a while back that she would love me to knit something for her little girl. I had this red yarn in my basket that I'd been staring at for a while, and saw an inspiration Red-Riding-Hood style baby jumper on Pinterest, so I set to work on this. I worked without a pattern, more of a general idea of where I was heading, but I think it turned out pretty well. I requested a few measurements and worked from that. I've been thinking about putting together a pattern of it, so let me know if you're interested and it will likely motivate me to actually get it done.

My gorgeous little second cousin is only four so it's a small coat and I knitted the whole body piece in one (so there are no seams down the sides) and only knitted the sleeves separately. They live in the South Island (of New Zealand) so I had to take these photos quickly before handing the coat off to my uncle to transport down. Anyway, here is the finished product.

I used simple crochet to attach the toggles and make some loops. I'm not a strong crocheter so just did my best and kept it simple.

It's a bit tricky to see (the close-up photo didn't turn out well) but I also put some elastic thread through the waist. It really gave the coat more shape.

And here is the photo my cousin sent me of the stunning wee model. Great fit me thinks.

Saving $$ On Yarn

I love knitting but all the yarns I crave are mightily expensive. So generally I buy cheap cute colours and pretend they're just as good. But recently, a very special Aunty (Mandy, if you read this, thanks!) of mine made a suggestion that I thought was blimmin' brilliant.

The idea is to scour the charity shops (like you would for old clothes still bursting with awesomeness) and look for good quality knitwear. Most knitwear is made in pieces and then sewn together so you only need unpick it and it should unravel beautifully. I did this with a big jumper recently that cost me $15 and now I've got three big balls of luxurious glossy cream yarn.

One thing I would advise (although I haven't tried) is that I don't think this would work on mohair or the like, I know I've always struggled to undo anything I've knitted out of that sort of yarn, all the fluffy hairs get all tangled.

I was also recommended that this is a good way to get your hands on some quality buttons.

Happy hunting!