Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Cleaning out Olivia's closet this week, I found a bag of items I knit for her when she was a toddler. From the time she was 10 months old to when she turned two, I was a monogamous crafter, totally dedicated to knitting. I was on Ravelry every day and churned out project after project. In the summer of 2009, I was led to quilting. While sewing and quilting has distracted me from knitting over the years, I still always have a project (or three or four) on the needles. It's a comforting craft that I turn to when I need to chill.

Anyway, I found this little knit top in Olivia's closet, and it fits Ellie perfectly!

The Spring Garden Tee is an Alana Dakos pattern. Made out of Rowan Calmer, the top is still in fantastic condition even after multiple washings.

I have fond memories of knitting this pattern. Feeling the yarn again takes me right back to the times and places I worked on it. Aren't crafting projects funny like that? They tend to encapsulate tiny moments we might have otherwise forgotten.

The stand-out feature are the flutter sleeves. Love them! They were fun to knit, adding just enough interest and challenge to an otherwise pretty basic and simple raglan top. Ellie seems to be happy about them too, clapping in this photo.

And here's where the photo shoot fell apart. Olivia had to get in on the action, and Ellie decided to climb on me to get to the camera that was way more interesting than me making silly faces at her in an attempt to capture a winning smile. Ah, motherhood. It's awesome...