Do you need a quick baby present that is also impressive and worthy of saving for later children or grandchildren? This little lace bonnet was made with baptisms, christenings, and other celebrations in mind. It is knit flat and sewn. It can be bound off on the edges, as I have done, or made with short rows instead. It is small and quick enough to try a lot of different ways to see which you like best. I wrote it for the simplest execution because it was going in a one skein book, but there are always more than one way to accomplish things in your knitting. It really doesn't use that much yarn, either. Most people use between 80 and 100 yards of fingering yarn. Which means you can use the leftovers from a pair of sumptuous socks, or that little 25 gram skein of luxury yarn you picked up on a whim. This is a true newborn size. It is small. This is not something that will be used for more than three months for most babies (our kids are a little smaller in the head circumference, so I think they could wear it a little longer). It really is intended as a keepsake and for an initiation ceremony into the baby's community.

This was my first third party publication design. I was working in a yarn shop and Storey Publishing sent out a call for yarn shop patterns. The shop owners encouraged all of the employees with pattern writing experience to submit something. One other lady at the shop and I sent in submissions. The store owners said that if we had any in the book, we would put on a book signing and have hors-d'oeuvres and maybe wine to celebrate with our customers (and, of course, sell the book and the yarn). One of mine was rejected, but this one was accepted. The other lady's was not accepted. We never had the party. They didn't even put out the book with the page open to my pattern in the store, and a stack of the yarn I used next to it.

In any case, it was my first foray into working with other publishers and was a good experience. I have worked with this publisher another time, as well. The pattern has proven to be popular and there are many variations of it to see all over the web. If you are interested in purchasing it (with some corrections that were needed from the book, and an updated pattern with a chart), you may find it on PayHip, Ravelry, or LoveCrafts. Of course, I am always willing to send you an invoice if you prefer not to use any of these.

For a week, through the end of the day PDT on September 11, 2020, you can receive 20% off on this pattern at either PayHip or Ravelry with the coupon code ostrichplumeflashback. Unfortunately, I am not able to create promotions on LoveCrafts, but I would be happy to refund you the 20% if you e-mail me the receipt of your purchase during this week, or send a discounted invoice to you for a direct sale. I hope you enjoy knitting this sweet treasure as much as I did.

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Labels: Design, Flashback, Homemaking, Knitting, Patterns