Totoro Baby Gift Set

My friend Jess introduced me to Totoro a few years ago. She's a big fan AND she's a knitter. Let me tell you I really enjoyed putting this together for her and her future baby!

First up, a little cardi:
Pattern: Puerperium Cardigan by Kelly van Niekerk, free on Ravelry here
I sized it up a bit
Yarn: merino cotton DK by Drops

I was planning to do a very ambitious Totoro border in stranded knitting but it didn't quite work out (several hours to do a few rows on a swatch... no thanks!). So duplicate stitch it was.

Here is the chart for Totoro:

Next we have a simple drawstring bag that can be used as a laundry bag to put the cardi in the washing machine or as a project bag. I used some scrap fabric for the leaves, Bondaweb then narrow zigzag all around.

And finally, let me tell you about those stitch markers...
I have always been arts and craftsy (with more or less natural talent...) so I had some polymer clay in my stash already. Fancy stitch markers and clay charms are big at the moment so I thought I'd have a go... How hard can it be? (ha ha, insert crying emoji face)
After several hours feeling like i have sausages instead of fingers, I have a decent set of stitch markers.
I used a video tutorial from TheLittleMew to help me out (youtube video here)

Drawstring Bag

This is a really nice way to personalise a baby present. Monogram, cute bear, washing line... possibilities are endless and bonus points for using up cotton scraps or FQs! I used some bondaweb to fix the M to the green fabric, then zigzagged all the way around (slowwwly...). The bag itself is pretty easy to make. There are a lot of tutorials on youtube or blogs.

I'm really pleased that I have overcome my worries about picking up the sewing machine after so long. I've only done project bags so far but I could could thread the machine (and serger! woop!) without the manual, so that's a good start :p