Goldfish

The weather is finally turning here in wet Vancouver, the sun is shining occasionally, and my little ones Hunter and Jones are itching to get outside.

It is still a bit chilly, so I’m keeping them well wrapped up in woolies. For Hunter I have designed a bright and bubbly new number:  the Goldfish cardigan.

My partner Gary recently started a quest. Harmless enough at first, he began with a small fish tank in his office. Gary and Hunter feed the fish and change the water together, and Jones watches them swim in that weird zoned-out way that babies watch moving things.  This father-kiddie bonding ritual is all good right? Nope. There is now a 120 gallon tank in the garage, that will soon be taking up most of the office (which we actually need for work!).  Innocent interest has become a growing obsession!

Goldfish is really as much about the colours as it is about fishes and bubbles.  I used Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK in the ‘seabreeze’ and ‘orange blossom’. The orange is reminiscent of both real goldfish and those charming crackers small people seem to love. It was the perfect combination for a fun little sweater. I also designed the North Shore pullover in this beautiful hard-wearing superwash yarn, and I am totally hooked!  You can admire the rest of Tanis’s fabulous colours here.

This cute and simple cardigan is knit from the top down, with fair isle motifs in the yoke and a whimsical bubble cable at the hem.  Although I am often warned that mothers do not like many buttons on their children’s sweaters, I threw caution to the wind because a million mismatching buttons was too cute to pass up in the name of practicality!

GOLDFISH CARDIGAN – $6 CAD – buy it here
Sizing: 0-6 mo (6-12 mo, 1-2 yrs, 2-4 yrs, 5-6 yrs, 7-8 yrs, 9-10 yrs)
Finished Chest: 18 (21.5, 21.5, 23.5, 26, 28, 29.5) inches
Materials: DK Weight yarn in 2 colours
Main Colour: 300 (325, 350, 400, 500, 600, 700) yds
Contrast Colour: 50 (50, 60, 60, 60, 70, 70) yds
sample shown in Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK in ‘seabreeze’ and ‘orange blossom’
a plethora of little buttons – the exact number of buttons will depend on the length of your sweater, but approximately 16 (18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 32)
Construction: goldfish is knit seamlessly from the top down, in rows through yoke and body, with sleeves knit in the round.

Other Fun Kiddie Knits: