I knit an old buddy...

[tribhreagnu.livejournal.com]

This pattern (available here) is honestly just the best. It combines the joy of crafting with the unadulterated childish delight that was Calvin and Hobbes. I'm pretty sure that strip is the reason that a part of me will always want to be a child growing up in rural North America.

Another reason this pattern is wonderful is that I learned new techniques! I usually learn techniques by picking a project that incorporates them, so it's nice to have it go the other way around. Intarsia in the round is the biggest new skill I took away from this project (though I sometimes substituted my own sloppy version, as you can see on the right of his face), and the pattern also uses loop stitch, and toe-up cast on.  None of them were daunting, but I wouldn't have gone out of my way to learn then just 'cause.

I didn't follow the pattern exactly, though that was partly accidental. I was knitting five rows of orange rather than four in the torso stripes, so knit one less orange and black repeat so that he wouldn't look too long.  I also knit seven stripes on the tail rather than nine, as it was starting to look a little bit long as it was.

Last night I was happy with having finished, but a little disappointed that it looked different to the pattern photos. It took me longer than I care to admit to put my finger on what was missing.

Not even joking. I wish I were.



My Ravelry page for this project is here and I also posted it on my blog (with a bit more talking to myself because eeeh, Hobbes) here. Friends or followers on either are always lovely!