The peach wool challenge.....the result is a draw

Here's the finished peach dress.  The pattern called for a moss stitch bodice but I decided that the knobbly peach yarn and the bobbly moss stitch would have been too much.  I tried a ribbed bodice but the weight of the dress just pulled it down into holes.  I didn't think garter stitch would look good, so I tried stocking stitch.  I'm glad I did as it made the most of this beautiful pink yarn.  It is called Soft Cotton by Sirdar and definitely lives up to its name.  I can't remember knitting with cotton before but I am now a convert.  I think I had a strange idea that cotton yarn would be hard when, in fact, it is as soft as feathers.

This dress is my least favourite of the dresses I have knitted from this pattern.  The peach yarn was hard to knit with and has made the dress very "full".  On the plus side, there will be plenty of room for a baby to kick its legs.

I had enough yarn left to knit a matching hat.  To coin a phrase, "the photo doesn't do it justice".  The cotton yarn is so soft and perfect for a baby hat.  As both items are going off to a charity in Africa, it is unlikely that they will be worn by the same baby.  But they are both newborn size, so the possibility remains.

I won't give a link to this hat pattern as I found it very difficult to knit.  To be fair, lots of people have knitted this pattern and left good comments on Ravelry.  So maybe I was just not in the zone.  I have been meaning to knit this for some time and I'm glad I did.  But I found the topknot part VERY fiddly to knit.  It took as long as the rest of the hat and I even dreamed about it.....more of a nightmare really.  I was unhappy with my first attempt, ripped it out and knitted it for a second time.  Boy was I pleased when I finished it.