Children – Ann Budd Knits

Son of a Goat Herder

April 21, 2020 April 20, 2020 / Children, Sweaters / 2 Comments

In response to the popularity of my adult-sized Goat Herder and infant/toddler-sized Junior Goat Herder pullovers (both available on Ravelry), I’ve reworked the design in sportweight yarn for in-between sizes of 3 to 12 years and named it Son of a Goat Herder.

Like it’s siblings, wide ribs in the lower body give way to a chevron pattern worked with twisted stitches—no cable needle is necessary! The body is worked in rounds from the hem to the armholes, then the back and front are worked separately in rows to the shoulders. Stitches are picked up around the armholes, the sleeve caps are shaped with short-rows, then the rest of the sleeves are worked in rounds down to the cuffs. There are no seams to sew.

Finished Size: About 231/4 (28, 32, 36)” (59 [71, 81.5, 91.5] cm) chest circumference. To fit approximate sizes 3 (5, 8, 12) years. Sweater shown measures 28” (71 cm).

Yarn: Sportweight (#2 Fine). Shown here: Elemental Affects Cormo Sport (100% wool; 400 yards [365 meters]/4 ounces [112 g]: #31 Limoncello, 2 (2, 3, 4) skeins.

Needles: Size U.S. 5 (3.75 mm): 24” (60 cm) circular (cir) and set of 4 double-pointed (dpn). You may substitute the magic-loop method using a single circular needle for the double-pointed needles.

Notions: Markers (m); removable markers; small amount of waste yarn for marking sleeve caps; tapestry needle; stitch holder (optional).

Gauge: 24 sts and 36 rows/rnds = 4” (10 cm) in St st, after blocking.

Use the code GOAT to receive 20% off any (or all) of the Goat Herder family (Goat Herder Pullover, Junior Goat Herder Pullover, and Son of a Goat Herder) between now and midnight Sunday, April 26.

Below left to right: Goat Herder Pullover, Junior Goat Herder Pullover

Junior Goat Herder Pullover

September 12, 2019 September 12, 2019 / Baby, Children, Patterns, Sweaters / Leave a Comment

In response to the popularity of my adult-sized Goat Herder Pullover, I’ve reworked the design in fingering weight yarn for baby and toddler sizes, and named it Junior Goat Herder Pullover.

Like the adult version, the body is worked in rounds from the hem to the armholes where wide ribs give way to a chevron pattern worked with twisted stitches (no cable needle necessary!). The upper back and front are worked separately in rows to the shoulders. Stitches are picked up around the armholes, the sleeve caps are shaped with short-rows, then the rest of the sleeves are worked in rounds down to the cuffs. There are no seams to sew!

The pattern is written for four sizes: About 17 1/2 (21, 24, 27)” (44.5 [53.5, 61, 68.5] cm) chest circumference to fit 3-6 (6-9, 9-12, 12-24) months.

I used Emma’s Yarns Practically Perfect Sock yarn (80% superwash Merino, 20% nylon; 400 yards (365 meters)/100 g) in the color Beach Please on size U.S. 2 (2.75 mm) needles at a gauge of 8 stitches and 10.5 rows/rounds per inch.

Use the code JUNIOR to receive 20% off the purchase price of the Junior Goat Herder Pullover on Ravelry through midnight Tuesday, September 17.

Junior Goat Herder

April 30, 2019 April 23, 2019 / Children, Patterns, Sweaters / 1 Comment

With 2529 likes and 121 projects on Ravelry, the Goat Herder Pullover is one of my most popular single-issue patterns. I designed this sweater for my oldest son, who was raising pigmy goats at the time, as a challenge to come up with a sweater that was interesting to knit but not too fancy for males who prefer “plain” sweaters.

Following a bit of knit-two-purl-one ribbing at the hem, wide ribs at the lower body give way to a chevron pattern worked with twisted stitches (no cable needle necessary!). The body is worked in rounds from the hem to the armholes, then the back and front are worked separately in rows to the shoulders. Stitches for the sleeves are picked up around the armholes and the sleeves are worked in rounds down to the cuffs, with a chevron pattern across the upper arms.

Happily, there are no seams to sew!

The original pattern includes four sizes: 35 3/4 (40 1/4, 43 3/4)” (90.5 [102, 113.5, 124.5] cm) chest circumference. However, I’ve been asked to provide it in children’s sizes as well.

To that end, I’m now working on a toddler version knitted out of fingering weight yarn (the original is knitted in worsted weight).

The yarn is Emma’s Yarn, dyed by seventeen-year-old Emma Dobratz of Winter Haven, Florida, in the colorway Beach Please on size U.S. 3 (3.25 mm) needles.

I’m thinking of adding buttons across one shoulder to facilitate putting the sweater on an active toddler. I hope to make significant progress while on my upcoming travels. Stay tuned!

Packing Up Fun

October 16, 2018 September 8, 2018 / Children, Toys / 2 Comments

When I was Montreal recently, I visited Robyn Grauer of Les Lainages du Petit Mouton, a wool shop in the Western Island town of Pointe-Claire. I couldn’t help but notice a large box filled with dozens of handknitted dolls. It turns out that Robyn is a local collection site for dolls knitted or crocheted Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC), who use the small wool toys to help secure the packaging in boxes of medical supplies shipped overseas. Much more useful than styrofoam packaging, doctors and health-care professionals then hand out the dolls to their youngest patients.

Called Izzy Dolls, the dolls are named after Mark Isfeld, a Canadian soldier who, in the 1990s, handed out similar dolls knitted by his mother to children he met while serving overseas as a Canadian peacekeeper. Although Master Corporal Isfeld was tragically killed by a land mine explosion in 1994 while serving in Croatia, his mother continued to make the dolls, which she named for her son. Hundreds of knitters have joined the project. HPIC estimates that it hands out about 12,000 dolls a year and has handed out a total of more than 100,000 dolls in more than 100 countries.

Robin Grauer holds weekly meetings in her shop where interested knitters gather to turn leftover sportweight, DK-weight, or worsted-weight wool into “comfort” dolls. The dolls feature a variety of hair and skin colors as well as colorful “clothing.”

Knitting and crochet instructions are available at the Izzy Dolls website. Dolls can be dropped off at Les Lainages du Petit Mouton at 295 Boul Saint-Jean, Point-Claire QC H9R 3J1, Canada, or sent to: Izzy Dolls at 2907 Portland Drive, Oakville, Ontario L6H 5S4, Canada.

Finally, I’m happy that I saved all those bits of leftover yarn!

Fun with Leaves

November 5, 2015 November 5, 2015 / Children, Home / 3 Comments

DH and I have spent several days dealing with the pile of leaves produced by our most spectacular ash trees in the front yard.

I spent one day raking them into piles that DH could “vacuum”.

Let me just say that the gathering part was a lot more fun when the boys were small. The photo below was taken when the kids were about 2 and 3 years old. That’s Twin One on the left pulling leaves out of his mouth, Son One (the goat herder) in the middle, and Twin Two on the right, laughing the loudest.

They’re not in college and beyond so we don’t see them very often. Oh, how I miss them!

My Great-Grandkids

May 14, 2015 May 9, 2015 / Children / 9 Comments

When Son One decided to become a goat herder, I didn’t realize how fast the family would grow. My husband and I jokingly referred to his first generation of goats as our kids. This spring their kids had kids so we now have great-grandkids.

This is Cash (named for the Man in Black), with his mom Poppy in the background.

Here are Flatt and Scruggs (no idea where those names came from), offspring of Iris.

Cute, huh? Unfortunately, they’re all male so there will be no milk or cheese–just three more hungry mouths to feed. Not exactly sustainable.

More importantly, they’re Pygmy goats, not Cashmere. What was Son One thinking?!

Folk Hearts

December 2, 2013 December 1, 2013 / Children, Patterns, Sweaters / 18 Comments

I’ve added another pattern to my Ravelry store!

This one, called Folk Hearts (and modeled by my good friend’s most darling granddaughter) is designed for girls ranging from three to seven years old. It’s a simple sportweight pullover with a ring of hearts across the yoke and an X’s and O’s (kisses and hugs) pattern along the hem and cuffs. The body is worked in one piece to the armholes, the sleeves are worked in the round to the underarms, then the pieces are joined for the yoke and worked in rounds to rounds to the neck. Rolled edges provide a casual fit for imaginative play.

I knitted this sweater with St-Denis Nordique on size 5 (3.75 mm) needles. The instructions are for three sizes (26 1/4″, 27 3/4″, and 29 1/4″) and require five to six balls of yarn.

There may not be time to knit this up for the holidays, but it would make an adorable Valentine’s Day gift for your own special cherub.

Respond to this message by Wednesday, December 5, and I’ll enter your name in a drawing for a free pattern!

Photo Play

September 24, 2013 September 22, 2013 / Children, Sweaters / 1 Comment

I’ve been secretly, and not so secretly, knitting projects to sell through my website and Ravelry. I had planned to photograph several projects last week, but local flooding changed everyone’s plans.

The sun’s been out for the past few days, though we’ve had our share of thunderstorms. I took the opportunity to click a few photos of a friend’s granddaughter in a sweater that will be posted as soon as the pattern is given the A-OK by a technical editor.

Here’s a sneak peak of the model getting ready to do a cartwheel! You’ll just have to stay tuned to see her adorable face and sweater details.

Frog A-Go-Go

June 8, 2013 August 8, 2013 / Children / 4 Comments

I took advantage of the beautiful weather and embroidered the faces on the String-A-Long Frogs.

I apologize for the blurry photo — I think I was chuckling when I pushed the button on my camera. I wish I could see my niece’s face when she opens the package. I hope these frogs will be as much fun as a barrel of monkeys (which just happens to be another of Susan B. Anderson’s designs. Check out Susan’s site to learn when the pattern will be made public.

Froggy Days

June 4, 2013 August 8, 2013 / Children / 3 Comments

I’m having a lot of fun knitting Susan B. Anderson’s little frogs. As soon as I complete one body, I cast on for another. I’ve hardly stopped to eat.

Here’s a whole pile of the little cuties. All that’s left is to embroider the faces!