A Little Red Riding Hood

This would be my most ambitious knitting project yet, and I actually started and ended in time for the Knitting Olympics. Unfortunately, I never officially joined. Knowing that I was making something for Emily encouraged me to Really Get To It. The jacket doesn't fit her now--it's definitely too big. Especially the hood. I'm hoping that next Fall it will fit properly. I also learned a thing or two about deceptive photography. Okay. I love the pictures in every Debbie Bliss book I've ever flipped through. Notwithstanding is the above picture of a genderless sweet baby in Hooded Jacket. But notice how the top of the hood is not visible. Know this: it was not visible in any picture of Hooded Jacket. All I had to help me visualize this appendage was the directions, which meant little to me because I am a Novice. All of this to say that I was not particularly happy with the outcome of the hood and would have done it differently if I suspected that it would look huge and strange or actually knew how to make it better. It looks okay in the above picture of Emily, but I had to do some arranging and took several shots before I had a fine presentation of Hooded Jacket. Alas, it may look quite fetching next Fall. Perhaps.

On the up-side, I finallly learned how to do the mattress stitch, which is simply amazing. I had no idea I could make invisible seams! It felt like magic. I showed it to Evan, and even he was impressed. I love the light-catching button too. It's hard to see in the pictures, but it looks like a giant, plastic diamond.