Gingersnap for Bigger Kids

Hello! I'm floating on air today because I've just published the Gingersnap Cardigan for Bigger Kids. Finally. It's been years in the making and I worked so hard that I cannot help but heave a big sigh--equal parts relief and pride.  Gingersnap for Bigger Kids is sized for 1 yr, 2 yr, 3/4 yr, 5/6 yr, and 7/8 yr, with a bonus 6 mos size. The sweater above is the size 3/4 (modeled pictures soon) and the sweater below is the size 2 with my grandson modeling it last year. It is knit in worsted weight yarn with a gauge of 20 sts and 25 rows for 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch. The pattern has been tech edited and tested. I knit my sweater with three colors of Rowan Pure Wool Worsted, but this is meant to be a real scrappy sweater and as long as you make gauge and use a soft, machine-washable yarn, you can be thrifty and raid your stash using 3, 4, 5 or more colors. The color possibilities are endless and I can’t wait to see what you come up with. 

A little backstory: Pattern writing does not come easy to me. The original Gingersnap in one size (1 yr) was a struggle enough. After its publication 5 years ago, I've had hundreds of requests to add larger sizes. I really wanted to do that, but instead I stalled for a few years. And then I stalled for a few more years. In June I had a surgery that kept me off my feet for 6 weeks so I planned to use the down time to finally rewrite the pattern. To say that it was not an easy process for me would be a distortion of great magnitude. Just ask my patient test knitters. After six weeks of writing and revising with the help of a math minded friend, then testing and rewriting again, then sending to a tech editor, (yep, I did that part backwards, rookie mistake) I have come up with a pattern I'm very proud of.

If I'm making this little pattern sound like a big deal, then yes, it was a big deal for me and an uncomfortable stretch of my abilities. A very kind test knitter who knew about my anxiety, sent these words to me, "When we embark on any project as a newbie, there are always unforeseen obstacles. To be philosophical, it’s actually rather wonderful in its own way, albeit frustrating. The learning process is pure gold and something to be cherished. It teaches us patience, broadens our scope of understanding, humbles and yet still gratifies." This lifted my spirits tremendously and I knew I had to push on.

I'm happy and proud to send this pattern, my baby, out into the world. I hope you knit it and I hope you love the process. I hope your little one feels warm and cozy and gets loads of kisses and cuddles while wearing it. I hope (s)he outgrows it and passes it down again and again until it's raggedy and frayed and needs to go into the rag bin. The perfect ending to a well loved hand knit!