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Friday, December 12, 2014

michigan seems like a dream to me now








This coat will be etched in my memories of my boy's childhood. I finished it in time for our trip to Michigan back in October, and he has been wearing it on every outing since. Now that it's winter we layer a jacket and hat underneath for extra warmth, so he looks like that roly-poly kid in the snowsuit from A Christmas Story.

My memories of him will be as a bundle of navy wool with an elf hood pointing jauntily toward the sky. I follow that little elf as he races to the dogwood, then the maple, and back to the gate. His hands poke out from garter stitch sleeve cuffs as he scatters sunflower seeds for the neighborhood birds (and squirrels and rabbits, he tells me, indicating this by sucking in through his teeth to make a squirrelly noise and then saying "hop, hop").

As soon as we are back inside, this coat comes off. He rushes to hang it in his room, shouting, "Hook, hook!" And then he requests a snack because that's his favorite thing. He loves chocolate and clementines ("little oranges," he says) and cheese because that's what mice eat. He's enamored with mice these days, so I knitted one up for him. He loves carrying it around, and it fits perfectly in his coat pocket, so it can tag along on all his adventures.

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Do you have any special clothes etched in your childhood memories or in memories of your children?

I had a some red pajamas--a matching shirt and pants--that I got when I was three or four years old. I remember thinking I was so grown up with my matching pajama set. My parents called me "Big Al" (my childhood nickname) when I wore those pajamas, so obviously the pajamas meant I was a big kid. ;)

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My notes on the Latte Baby Coat.


7 comments:

  1. oh my gosh my parents and aunts and uncles used to call me "Big Al" too

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  2. Oh, I want a mouse too! It's so cute! I remember many of my favorite articles of clothing from when I was a child and I have favorites from my childrens' childhoods too :)

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  3. I had a wool set, a jumper and a short sleeve sweater. Itchy as all get out, but I felt so stylish in that outfit as a 2nd grader. And it was the deepest, brightest tone of orange, with cream and olive plaid design. How I wish I had that outfit today. Oh, and a yellow long flower girl dress I wore in my cousin's wedding. It had daisy trim sewn across the bodice/skirt seam.

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  4. I love this little one in his navy hoodie. It's a splendid one. I love how you described his world, his likes and motions. Too cute.

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  5. I remember hot pink stirrup pants when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. My favorite memory is with my children. My oldest son got a gift sweater with "boy stuff" on it. It was passed on to a cousin and then back for a little brother. To a friend for two boys and then a few others before coming back for my youngest. I think every little boy had his picture taken in it. Great memories!

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  6. I want to see little man's mouse! Love, "hook,hook".
    The hoodie is absolutely adorable, so it is the model.

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