The Sweatshop of Love Blog

I was asked to knit and donate another DinoSweater that will be an auction item in a fundraiser for Ivory Coast Mothers and Children, an organization building a hospital in the Ivory Coast. So I hopped to it!

I also wanted to show you how important embellishment is to simple projects.

Pre-Fixin's

So here you’ve got a finished cardigan from my Baby Sweater Buffet pattern with a hood buffet option. I used the original dinosweater’s spikes pattern, which is not my own.

It is obviously super cute! But we can do better.

Now With Spots!

I dug around and found three different shades of green and duplicate stitched dinospots on the sweater!

Hot DinoProfile!

It added texture and color to the sweater. I used leftover scraps that were laying around so it cost nothing, and I just winged it with placement and shape.

Fabric Covered Buttons

I also dug around in my fabric and found this green stripey fabric for the buttons.

So, with a little duplicate stitching and some fun fabric covered buttons, this baby sweater went from super cute to HOLY FREAKING CUTE OMGOMGOMG!

Ready to Roll!

I made an extra button, just in case, attached it to a card, and tied the card to the top button hole. Now it’s ready to go make Ivory Coast Mothers and Children some cash!

If you are interested in donating to Ivory Coast Mothers and Children or want to bid on this DinoSweater, contact my girl Patsy or come to the Bastille Day Fete this Saturday, July 10th at Kiki’s Bistro from 1-4, with the auction taking place at 3pm.

Pattern: Baby Sweater Buffet

Yarn: Vanna’s Choice in Dusty Green, Lion Brand Wool Ease in Mink Brown, and other scrap greens

Needles: Size 9 circulars

Ravelry Project Page

DinoSweater!

Seriously? Seriously. I mean, seriously?

Duplicate Stitch Dinosaur Head/Tail

SERIOUSLY!

Dino Spikes!

If there are words for how cute this sweater turned out, I don’t have them.

I’m trying not to think about how big a pain in my ass it was to make all those spikes, seam them up, knit them all together, and then seam them to that sweater.

I’m also trying not to think about how much I hate doing duplicate stitch. The dinosaur head/tale part was super annoying.

Cute! But super annoying. I really hate when things have lots of colors.

There are a ton of pieces. I had to seam together. Like seven, not counting the spikes. It sucked.

Bear/Dinosaur/Bear/Dinosaur/Bear/DINOSAUR!

But if this bear looks this cute in this sweater, then imagine how cute a real baby will look in it!

Bad Bear/Dinosaur

Especially if the baby acts up and has to go sit in the corner as a punishment! Look at the back of that sweater! That is one hot back.

So, look at me sacrifice for the love of a baby! I think this means I’m a grown up!

Rav Project Page

When we last saw DinoSweater, he was just some bottom ribbing and a couple body rows.

Real Live Normal Sweater!

Then he turned into a normal baby sweater! Complete with PU button hole and button bands. I’m seaming as I’m going because there are a ton of pieces to this sweater! If I waited to the end this sweater would languish in a pile of pieces forever.

On With The Hood!

I knit this hood separately and attached it.

Baby Sweater+Hood=CUTE!

I’m not around babies very much. My friends who have babies don’t live in Chicago. And when there is a baby around I’m not one of the first to jump up to hold it. I just figure I’d let the baby loving girls hold the babies while I just keep knitting. So the idea of something fitting into this sweater blows my mind.

Bear Sweater?!

Like, my teddy bear from when I was three fits into this sweater. Very well, actually. He looks quite dashing!

But yeah. Someone fitting into this sweater makes me nervous. It seems like it would be easily kicked or squashed, like my cats are constantly.

What Now?

This also makes me nervous. Stegosaurus spikes, why you gotta? So much seaming. So much crap! If I were to make this sweater again I would change the entire pattern.

… Yeah I said it. And I know you are all going to hold me to it. I’m ok with it.

Also! Anyone reading this living in Portland?! I’d love to meet you! If you are in the Portland area send me an email at allyson[at]thesweatshopoflove[dot]com so we can have a knitting coffee meet up this Sunday, February 28th.

I’ll be there avoiding snow, so we should get our knit on together for sure!

So I’ve had my Ravelympics plan for quite a while. Hoodie Devoted, which is just waiting for some lining, (pictures soon), and the Bella’s Mittens, which I was going to switch to be hand warmers.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this on the blog before, probably because I’ve got some reservations about it and am trying to focus my attention on the good as opposed to all the issues, but my little brother and his girlfriend are having a baby.

As a sister of course I want my brother to be happy, and he is, and despite his age, etc etc etc, etc. etc. etc. He and his girlfriend are really excited about having a baby, and I, of course, have to follow suit.

DinoSweater!

I’ve had this sweater in my brain since seeing it in the Holiday 2003 Family Circle Easy Knitting Magazine. That is right. For SEVEN YEARS.

I Mean, SERIOUSLY?!

Adam was huge into dinosaurs when he was little, and even if he wasn’t, this would still be one of the cutest sweaters ever!

DINOSWEATER!

I accidentally bought yarn for it yesterday. Lion Brand Wool Ease Worsted in Avocado. And it was staring at me. I put it in a bag and hid it in the closet and I could hear it yelling, ‘DINOSWEATER! DINOSWEATER!’

What’s a girl to do?

And this is seriously throwing off my Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge! I’ve still got Dollar and a Half sitting on my work table like 90% finished. So I might just make this my February sweater, finish up Dollar and a Half as a bonus sweater, then knit something else for March.

You know what? I don’t even really care. LOOK AT THAT DINOSWEATER! It’s got stegosaurus spikes down the back! Come on, now.