A Little Girl Grows Up: A Year In Sweaters

It is almost a year now that I held a small miracle in my arms and whispered messages of love.
After years of effort, surgeries, and hopes and dreams that were almost gone, my daughter, Robin, gave birth to a lovely little girl.  Our granddaughter was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and big enough to open the hearts of an ecstatic family.  Throughout the year her mom and dad have taken so much joy in watching her grow and thrive.   My husband and I are blessed with living nearby so that we can see her several times a week.  With each new accomplishment and infectious smile, we clap along with our littlest sweetheart. Now she is approaching her first birthday.  When I was looking for a way to share this glorious year with my readers, my son-in-law, Gabe suggested that I mark milestones as:
A Little Girl Grows Up:  A Year in Sweaters.

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Our little one wore this cardigan home from the hospital and for the next couple of months.  It was a 0-3 Sidar basic cardigan pattern made with DK (3) yarn n size 3 and 6 needles. The sweater was big when our granddaughter wore it home.  A couple of months later, it fit just right.  Pattern is a printed pamphlet that is out of print, but I am looking for a similar style to share in the future. 

When I found out that the baby-to-be was a girl, I was quite busy. 

 The white sweater with animal buttons was one of the sweaters from my sale inventory. The textured yarn was soft and squishy.  It went with all of the 3-6 month outfits in my granddaughter's wardrobe.  I had made this sweater a year before to sell at craft fairs. Robin could pick anything out of my inventory.  The only proviso was that the baby had to wear it at one time or another.  Robin liked this piece a lot, and she frequently dressed her daughter in this sweater.

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Pink and purple were lovely colors, but Robin insisted that I dress her daughter in gender neural colors as well.  This light aqua piece was a favorite.  I tried a more complicated pattern, but adapted the directions to show off two mini cables on both fronts and two cables down each sleeve.

This sweater made gram-gram (me), mother, and baby smile.  It was featured in my knitted favorites article and is sized 3-6 months.  http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/favorite-knitting-patterns.  I love the concept and will try adapting a pattern with worsted weight yarn to the design.

I knitted the grey bamboo sweater in French style years before my granddaughter was born.  When Robin found it in my inventory box, I had even forgotten it was there.  Robin and Gave love the sophisticated detail and the fine, soft texture of the bamboo yarn.  After the holidays, I will try to find the pattern in my binders.  I think it merits recreating in a larger size. This sweater was a 9 month old infant.

Everyone who meets my granddaughter falls in love with her infectious smile and shouts of pure joy.  This sweater was featured in my Purple Passion issue. http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/crocheters-and-knitters-indulge-your--passion-for-purple

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Babies need to keep warm in brisk autumn weather.  When Robin retrieved this self-striping bulky knit, we knew it would keep her daughter nice and toasty.

Self striping grey tone yarns get a pop of color from bright red heart buttons. The basic sweater pattern was published in Creature Comforts by Amy Bahrt through Sixth and Spring Books in 2005.

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I have gotten a lot of mileage from this top down knit with self striping yarn.  I fell in love with the color ways of this Premier Yarns Sweet Roll in Pink, Grey, and White.
http://www.lilcreates.com/lilliansblog/knitting-a-sweater-from-the-top-down

Writing this retrospective has been pure joy.  I got to smile and relive my granddaughter's life in such a personal way.  I still have a few larger sweaters left in my box, but now I have to start planning for next year's 24 month or 2 T styles.  I have been inspired to create a book for my daughter and son-in-law with this year's photos.  I hope that you have enjoyed traveling with me through my granddaughter's first year.