Life, Knitting and the Pursuit of Roller Coasters

For as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve has been spent with my dad’s side of the family and I’ve been on the kids list for gift exchanges. You just don’t graduate to “adult” until you’re married. So, this year, I drew the baby to gift in the exchange.

Max is nearly two, and he’s very into trains.  So, in addition to a toy train, I had to knit something.  And since I’ve been on a personal pattern binge, I didn’t go out looking, I designed something.

FO: Max’s Train Mittens and Track Hat

Pattern: My own. (I have two other patterns for the same age range that use the same mitten base, so I may just publish all three mittens and the hats as a set, but that won’t come til after the new year).

Yarns: White, Brown and Black Dale Baby Ull, The Red/Yellow/Blue is Knit Picks Simply Stripe Crayon colorway, and the smoke is Paton’s Kroy in Linen. I had intended to do the whole thing in Baby Ull, but the grey I ordered was too dark, and the colors I ordered were backordered. Because I used the striped yarn, the white/yellow faire isle name and year didn’t show up, so I added the overstitch outline in black. I’m kind of glad the other yarns were back ordered, as the striped train is more interesting than a solid blue train would have been.

The train continues onto the palm with a box car, and the smoke trail follows it around as well.  And the hat is simply lined with an enlarged version of the track.

My fingers are crossed that they fit. I had assurances from two coworkers with children around Max’s age that they looked like they would fit a 2-ish-year-old and I browsed around for hand and head sizes as much as I could, but those things are so variable at that age, it’s still a bit of a gamble.

I don’t expect much reaction from Max since he’s so little, I expect him to be far more interested in the toy train that is accompanying this gift. We’ll see how well it goes over tonight.

Merry Christmas!