The weather is amazing – not so very long ago there was frost on the ground, but last week it warmed up, and everything seemed to suddenly spring into life. This kind of seasonal spontaneity reminds me of a North American Spring, but the kind of spontaneous human behaviour hot weather inspires could only happen in Scotland. As the temperature rose to the 80s yesterday, a mad carnival atmosphere seemed to grip Edinburgh. Every available green space in the city was festooned with folk out enjoying the sunshine. The crowd in the Meadows was gigantic – it looked as if a music festival was in full swing – students were posing and walking around barefoot, everyone was clad in their jolly summer clothes, and the air was thick with the smoke of a thousand barbecues. The frantic nature of our collective sunbathing / boozing / sausage eating may seem rather bizarre if you are not from round here: I remember having to explain things to a Dutch friend who was completely bamboozled by the sight of blokes walking around the city streets with their shirts off on a hot day. But this is Scotland: who knows what the Summer will bring? Anyway, the weather really is just lovely and has happily brought out the daisies, which provided a fitting backdrop to our mini manu photo shoot this morning.
Here is Freya examining the representation. . .
Before matching it up with the reality. . .
would you like a daisy?
are they better over there?
daisies this way!
oh yes, we were supposed to be taking pictures of a cardigan. . .
so, the specs:
project: mini manu, by me. Pattern coming soon!
yarn: ornkey angora “St Magnus” angora,
yardage: 2 skeins, 400m
size: 21″ (18 months)
gauge/ needles: 6 sts to the inch on 3.5mm addis.
ravelled: here
Massive thanks to Megan, and particularly to Freya, for a fun morning and superlative modeling!
Edited to add: the pattern is now available
KDD & Co 
Ah ~ not a grey manu, but green! Hot here as well, we had to go in search of our fans last night and set them throughout. Lovely photo shoot.
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who’s the sweetest? The pattern or the little girl ;)?
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What an adorable little girl! The Mini Manu is every bit as lovely as the full size, too. Congratulations on the completion of a new pattern!
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Amazing, beautiful photos. The perfect child, the perfect sweater.
Loved your descriptions of sun-mania. We have it in Maine too.
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Oh the baby manu is just adorable and so are the pictures!
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The sweetest photos!
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Wow! I thought I loved adult manu more than any other cardigan I’d seen lately, and then I saw baby manu…
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That is so precious! I can picture a Mom and Daughter combo for the ultimate in cute!
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Those of us in the far north of the U.S. have our own brand of “spontaneous human behaviour.” I witnessed kids jumping with enthusiasm into Lake Superior the other day–a lake so cold I can barely stand to take a dip in late August.
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Very, very, darling, Kate. The angora was a perfect choice and it appears that the kid-testing went off without a hitch. Congratulations on a sweet pattern downsizing.
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Lovely pictures…cute cardigan…cuter girl! I’m sporting my own New England version of the Scottish tan today here in Massachusetts. Spent all of a half hour along the river watching my daughter’s crew regatta. I seem to have seasonal amnesia on how low the tolerance of my fair irish skin is to that first burst of summer sunshine….that is until I stepped into the steaming hot shower this morning…
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The photos of the little one, she wears that sweater wonderfully!! And the daisy buttons along with the photo of her holding the real thing… Precious!!!!
Mary, Mid-Coast Maine USA
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In San Francisco, there is a brisk business selling tourists sweaters during the cold and foggy summer While other Americans celebrate July 4th with cookouts and watermelon, hot chocolate and clam chowder are better choices here. So, of course, my city is also packed with people moving about outdoors on a nice warm day — and all the palm trees finally seem appropriate.
Hope the publication of photos of your lovely miniature means that your are doing well!
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Thoroughly adorable child and sweater. Thanks for sharing them. Love your description of everyone frantically enjoying the fine weather :o)
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i have a 15 month old niece who is definitely getting this as soon as the pattern is released. Just beautiful.
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lovely!!
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What a delightful model and sweater! Just darling.
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Lovely model and cardigan! I feel like no one appreciates spring properly like a ‘northerner’. Here in New Hampshire once the temperature goes above 45F (7C) the college students begin wearing shorts and flip-flops and once it gets even nicer everyone is outside. In your case it may have to do with having an ‘iffy’ summer, but in our case it has to do with an all too predictable winter (all 7 or 8 months of it!)
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Precious sweater, precious child! Beautifully done. Enjoy the warmth.
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That’s an adorable cardigan and ridiculously cute model. The weather has been really nice here in Montreal too. Everyone out in the park, without shirts, enjoying the beautiful weather.
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A beautiful sweater for girl!!!
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Beautiful cardi and enchanting little one – just lovely Kate. :)
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What a beautiful little girl!
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Absolutely adorable – I can’t wait to see the pattern.
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How cute is she!!!
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Love the Scottish Monday morning tan…scarlet with a few white bits where they actually covered up followed up a few days later with peeling skin like something out of the Singing Detective. Lovely ;-)
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Absolutely adorable!!! And I do love the daisie buttons!
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adorable!!! (both the sweater and the bairn)
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Beautiful weather, beautiful knitted object and a beautiful model — what more could you ask for? :-)
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Totally adorable! Sweater color and buttons are perfect for spring!
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Mini-Manu is adorable, as is little Freya! We have some of those tiny little daisies growing in the strip of green between our sidewalk and the road here, and I love them. Such happy little flowers.
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What a poppet and the mini Manu is the perfect thing to make from the gorgeous Orkney angora. I love the hankie in the pocket, too!
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Oh my, the angora yarn looks like fuzzy grass in which the summer daisies just pop. Can’t wait for the pattern.
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How utterly lovely this mini Manu!
Freya compared the buttons with real daisies but did not she compare her own cardigan to the adult one?
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adorable!
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Ooh it’s gorgeous..love the fuzzy green and the daisies are so right for it.A perfect day and perfect model! Just going to add it to my list.I must know someone it will fit.
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Beautiful sweater – so cute in the mini version! Perfectly darling model and lovely photos. I’ll be awaiting the published pattern.
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The british propensity to strip off in this weather even infected me this weekend! Not bare chested mind, just loads more flesh than is truly decent.
Anyway…
Really love mini manu and Freya is a gorgeous model.
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Beautiful. I love the buttons with daisies featured next to the real daisies, and the lovely soft green angora is perfect for this pattern!
I am most intrigued by the pretty details of that pocket and the jolly fabric that appears to be lining it!
I do not have any young companions to knit this for, but it is so gorgeous I am almost considering resizing it for Monkl.
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Way cute! It’s always fun to knit for kids. Love the angora yarn, perfect for the pattern.
Sounds like you’re feeling a bit better.
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Gorgeous! I have to admit I got completely distracted away from the cardigan and pulled into Freya’s little exploration adventure! But I’m loving Manu in this small version!
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Lovely in all respects! Manu is particularly charming with that fluffy halo, and your little model is darling! Daisies are wonderful. We have the same kind growing at the lengthy green strip under our train tracks and they always make me smile.
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Oh, that’s beautiful! Definitely going on my list. Sweet model too.
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Just adorable! And you did well keeping that cardi on her on such a hot day!
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I’ve never seen wild daisies like that! All the pictures are adorable. SO looking forward to the pattern!
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Such sweet photos!
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Lovely photos of an adorable model!! (and the cardi is super too!!)
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Absolutely lovely, Kate.
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adorable- there is nothing sweeter than a babe in a sweater unless it is knitting a sweater for a baby.
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It’s certainly scorching here in Glasgow too, and there will be plenty of those chaps with their shirts off, I call them ‘lobster men’ as they invariably have more than a hint of pink about them at the end of the day. I love the cardigan, it’s so pretty, and such a gorgeous colour; modelled impeccably too :-) .
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Hooray! Earth is a wonderful place!
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