It’s the owl that really got me. Definitely making the owl at some point. And there are several cute cardigans I’m tempted to make, too. But a friend who’s a ballet enthusiast is having a girl baby in July, so I knew I had to cast this on first:

Yep, it’s a ballet rabbit. Incredibly girly, and don’t get the idea I wouldn’t knit the owl for a girl, but pretty freakin’ cute, right? I’ll do the skirt in some other color so the whole toy is a little less pink. I made both halves of the body already, so now I’ve got to produce a bunch of rabbit appendages, and then some clothes. I’m actually borrowing the feet from a different doll in the book so I can make cute little ballet slippers, too. I may also change the ears, but we’ll see. I’m not sure I like them so stuffed. And doing the pink linings in seed stitch might be sweet, no? The pattern calls for Rowan 4-ply cotton, which I’m quite liking. It’s smooth and soft on the fingers, and it comes in a lot of great colors.

I was skeptical that a bedtime theme could amply support a whole book, but a lot of these projects make the transition to daytime wear with ease. There are plenty of clever ideas to help shake up your normal baby-and-toddler knitting routines. And while a lot of us can’t see the point of knitting something like an adult bathrobe, there are adorable robes for kiddos in here that certainly changed my tune. (Plus, a kid’s robe is a whole lot smaller!) Throughout, this book is whimsical and full of unexpected fun. Great design, and the illustrator clearly had a rumpus of a time. Unless the pattern writing turns out to be majorly flawed, two thumbs up from this knitter!