happy new year (from the surliest little ewok)

Let's be honest here. We all knew the minute I made this:

that someday I would make this:

If not for my own kid, then for someone else's, but clearly at some point or another it was bound to happen.

Hey, did you know it's hard to photograph a toddler when they're watching "Yo Gabba Gabba?" There's some unspoken rule where one must not interfere with their DJ Lance Rock time. The whole time I was trying to photograph him, he kept looking over me or around me instead of at me. I might have had an easier time when photographing the dog. He did give me a different pose at one point though:

I should note that this is not my own design or invention. I saw this woman's awesome baby cowls on pinterest and had to have one right then and there, so I made one. I do not have a pattern for this; I just winged it. I do not plan on making a pattern for this because that would be seriously undermining the original designer who makes these custom order on her lovely etsy shop. Besides, hers are a million times better than mine as she has perfected the process by now. Mine took a bit of trial and error and still fits the kid a little snugger than I would prefer. Also, please note that she does not have this available as a pattern, and I don't know if she has any plans to release one. I just feel the need to put that out there. Sometimes people ask about patterns. Sometimes I have answers, and sometimes I don't. This is a case of the latter.

Anyway, back to the cowl itself.... It's a little snug. I kept going back and forth, crocheting a few rows then ripping them back until I found the right width more or less. I used Quince & Co. Osprey in Twig with the accents in some leftover scraps of Chanterelle, I really really REALLY love this yarn. It is so squishy and dreamy and knits/crochets into such a soft, dense fabric. And the colors are just so beautifully nuanced. Not that he necessarily appreciates the same things I do about it, but the kiddo seems to enjoy wearing it:

that is until he decides it's time to get back to Gabba Gabba. Then I just get his best "Bitch, PLEASE!" face as he tries to wedge himself between the TV and me:

Happy New Year, people!