A new sweater and he loves it! 😃 (but not at first) 😒 This sweet sweater has a sad beginning but a happy ending. I completed it in December and showed it to him and he said he didn't like it. Devastated me. I put it away and forgot about it until I came across it recently when I was making up a bag of outgrown clothes to donate. Before I put it in the bag I showed it to his daddy and he loved it and said, "It's awesome! Show it to him again!" I did, and now he loves it. Go figure. Come on in to learn all the details and visit my flower gardens too.

So after that sad beginning I was able to make a sweater my grandson adores. He loves it so much that we are going to poke around in my stash to see if we can find some yarn to knit another one. So the good news for me is that I may be back on track to making him sweaters again. Happy dance! He's my favorite person to knit for. Long time readers know that I have knitted him dozens and dozens of sweaters since he was born but have taken a two year hiatus, totally unwanted by me.  He wore a uniform for the past 3 years but in the fall will attend a new school that doesn't require them. Also on weekends he preferred to wear his sports/superhero hoodies. But just now he is starting to show a slight interest in clothes, so I am going to jump on that weensy inkling of interest and see if my knitting for him can continue. I do have one more knit that is finished but it is a test and I can't share that until a week or two when it's published. Hallelujah, he likes that one too! I'd love to talk him into a Christmas sweater, something with reindeers or Santas or snowmen. I think he'll feel that he's a bit grownup for that sort of thing, but I think he could pull it off in a kitschy way. He'll be the one to decide that. 

This pattern is awesome! You should knit this pattern! It's so versatile and is sized from newborn to 6XL. It's meant to have 6 or more colors, or really whatever suits your fancy. It's a good, basic hoodie and so would be great in a solid color too, with or without the hood or pocket. The best thing is that my grandson loves it and want's another one. Tin Can Knits publishes great patterns that are easy to follow. I can't remember making any changes to the pattern except perhaps to add length in the hem and sleeves which I usually do for him. I made a size 8-10 and used Rowan Softyak DK which is great for children. It wears like iron, resists pilling, is very soft and if it takes a trip in the washer/dryer, it won't suffer too terribly much. 

Do you have any kid friendly yarn you go to again and again? Please tell me! It must be soft, that's number one. I'd like it to be natural fibers but a mix of synthetic and natural would be ok. I'd like it to be budget friendly and machine wash but neither of those are deal killers. In the past I've used Berrocco Ultra Wool and like that. Rowan Summerlite is good too, as is their Four Seasons Cotton which I have in my stash but think it might be too heavy for a kid knit. If I have an open door to knit for him again I really don't mind using Softyak forever, but it would be nice to have a few choices out there. What are you liking these days? 

The perennial border is always edged with zinnias in the summer. This year I used a colorful mix that I had in my seed stash (yes, I'm even trying to use up my stash of seed) and they are just starting to bloom. In May and June the nasturtium volunteers take over and when they start to poop out I will pull them out and let the zinnias take over for their big show in July and August. In the meantime, it's constant deadheading and weeding and making sweet bouquets.

Please excuse the lawn. It's 80 plus years old and won't cooperate much despite my husband's efforts. It looks a mess, especially at this end of the yard. He's working on it! Below, in the side yarn, I threw a packet of mixed flowers, raked it in and watered it. Before I knew it, it bloomed with bachelor buttons in all colors, cosmos, more zinnias, poppies, and some other flowers that I've yet to identify. With these and the zinnia and nasturtium border, I've been able to pick pretty bouquets.