Ballerina Sweater and Leg Warmers

I bought this beautiful Manos Del Uruguay yarn on sale at Stitch Space, LLC in Webb City.  Blue is Elsa's very favorite color, and her leotard and tutu are pastel blue. Because it is cropped, she can probably wear it for a few years. For now, Elsa has taken a break from dance classes, because she wants her mom to stay with her through the entire class. She may or may not take it up again. No matter. She can wear it with clothes, too.

Before committing this soft merino wool to the project, I made a couple of little loop bracelets for Kasia and Elsa to wear, to make sure the wool wouldn't irritate anybody's skin, and it doesn't! This opens up a whole new world of yarns for things I will make for them.

The pattern was purchased on Ravelry. It's the Madeleine. Here is the link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/one-button-cropped-sweater-the-madeleine

It was really, really easy. You start at the neckline, do a series of increases to create the raglan sleeves at armpit width, and knit down to the bottom and work some decreases to create the open front. Then you pick up stitches and create the short sleeves. Then you finally pick up stitches beginning at the center bottom, up through the front, around the neckline, and back down to the other front to your starting space at the center back. You join it in the round and knit a certain number of rows of garter stitch to create the wide, stabilizing border.

I had enough left for leg warmers. There was a pattern available on Ravelry for super-bulky leg warmers, but they were knit flat and seamed. I just knit some tubes with ribbing at the top and bottom and used an apple to stand in for Elsa's leg circumference.

I still have some left over to make a hat or something. I also have two different shades of pastel blue eyelash yarn I'd like to incorporate.