I’ve been wanting to knit this pattern for aaaages (for a change ;-), especially as it comes in both child and adult sizes and anyone who knows me, knows how much I love twinning with my mouse! However, I was always put off by the obscene amount of wool it requires (600g for the Child’s version and 900g for the adult version!).
The versions I had seen knitted, had all been knitted up in Drops Eskimo, a chunky wool that is very economical (£1.95 per 50g last time I checked) but which I had used to make some hats last winter and found intolerably itchy. I knew that if I were to use this wool, the finished cardigan would never get worn.
By chance, just after I bought the pattern for the mini version of The Puffer (I’ve had the adult version sitting in iBooks for the past year) when I was tidying my yarn, I found some Drops Eskimo and We Are Knitters Petite Wool in the same bag. I noticed that they were of a very similar thickness and sure enough when I checked, they gave a very similar gauge:
Drops Eskimo:
| Ball Weight | 50 Grams |
| Length | 50 Metres |
| Needle Size | 8mm |
| Blend | 100%Wool |
| Tension | 10 stitches and 14 rows for a 10x10cm tension square using 8mm needles |
We are Knitters Petite Wool:
| Ball Weight | 100 Grams |
| Length | 140 Metres |
| Needle Size | 8mm |
| Blend | 100%Wool |
| Tension | 12 stitches and 16 rows for a 10x10cm tension square using 8mm needles |
Ok, the We are Knitters is slightly smaller but I didn’t really mind that as my mouse is quite slight for her age and Scandinavian patterns do come up quite large on her. Also, did you notice you get much more length with the We Are Knitters wool: 20 m extra per 50g! I therefore decided to get 500g of the Petite Wool during the last sale and hoped that that would be enough.
I knit the smallest size the pattern comes in: 3-4 years and it fits my mouse perfectly! I also only used 2 1/2 of the 5 balls of yarn I had ordered which gives my hope that I won’t need the full 900g when I knit the adult version, also in The Petite Wool. Despite giving a slightly smaller gauge, the measurements of the finished garment matched those given in the pattern.
In terms of knitting level, I found the pattern to be very well written and easy to follow. For those unfamiliar with the bubble stitch, here is a great video explaining how to knit it (it’s in German but that doesn’t really matter):
This is definitely an item you need to knit! I love it so much and can’t wait to start on mine!
Kat and Leni 
One thought on “The Puffer by Ministrikk”