Hudson's Bay-by Surprise Jacket

As I was sitting there working on the HBC shawl a few weeks ago, one of my knitty girlfriends was working on a Baby Surprise Jacket.  I was thinking about all the leftover coloured yarn I would have from the shawl and then I had an epiphany: an HBC BSJ!

I was intending to wait until after the summer to start it, since I have a few time sensitive projects these days, but then I realized I have a bit of time before the August Camp Loopy project starts, and I couldn't bear to think of finishing the sweater I'm working on in this oppressive heat, and a BSJ only takes a few days...  So I cast it on and knit it up, squeeing all the way.

I thought about a few ways to incorporate the stripes, either right at the beginning (i.e. just after the sleeve cuffs) or through the main part of the body, but because the jacket itself is so wee, the stripes would have to be thin single ridges of colour to fit in most positions.  In the end, I decided to put them in the "work the middle 90 stitches for 10 ridges" part of the pattern so they would just be in the hem area around the bottom, but had to upsize that section to 14 ridges to accomodate all of the colours in a 2-ridge width.  The jacket ended up looking a bit long, but when I blocked it, I tugged it a bit wider and shorter and it turned out fine.

I was planning to get some little blonde wood buttons, but then I found these darker dyed wooden ones with little leaves on them, and they were so enchanting and perfect for a little outdoorsy baby that I bought them on the spot.

I still have tons of yarn left over, so I might just make this my new go-to baby gift.

Topographie Sweater: the Big Reveal

After a skirmish or two with my photographer, I was able to get some photos of my finished sweater this morning, in the bright blinding sun.

I am super happy with how well it turned out. After blocking, it's a little bit longer than I had planned, mostly because I didn't really bother with measuring it much after I blocked it out to dry (read: the measuring tape was in the next room.) The sleeves, however, remained the perfect length. As predicted, the stitch pattern did smooth out a lot, the kool-aid stayed fixed in the yarn, and it looks pretty cool, I think. And the thing fits like a handknitted glove.

I did a lot of short row shaping in this sweater -- the back has a couple of short rows, right above the bottom hem, to add some extra length to the back of the sweater. I hate it when shirts ride up in the back.
Then I did some decreases to the waistline -- I did three in back and only two in front, every two rows. This had the added bonus of making a subtle curve in the back, which is reminiscent of a bustle. It fits well over my also-curvy fanny. Then I did some short rows at the bustline to give some added length there, so the sweater won't ride up in front, either. It fits there just perfectly. Then near the top of the yoke, I added a few short rows in back, to raise the back neck a bit. In future, I would extend those short rows around the side of the neckline, to bring the sides up a smidgen more than the front, as well.

I agonized a bit over how to finish the neckline, but opted for a basic hem to match the sleeves and bottom hem. It is about half the width of the other hems, though. I was worried that it might stand up all weird, but it just barely stands up, and I really like it, actually. I had considered doing a rolled hem (the easy way out) but couldn't stand that it wouldn't match the other hems.



I am totally enamoured of this sweater, and love how it fits (and how easy it was to do.) I didn't entirely use Zimmermann's percentage system to make it, but used a lot of my own calculations and adjustments. That's the secret of a well-fitted knit, after all. I am really excited at the prospect of making another yoke sweater in the future, with some nice fair isle in the yoke. I will have to add one to my always-ridiculously-long To Do List.

Catching Up

I did manage to set aside the scarf long enough to make some progress on the sweater last night, and will likely finish it today (or tomorrow if I take my time.) But first I wanted to show off some little projects that I've made along the way but didn't show off until I could give them to the recipient.

One of my fabulous coworkers and her man are having their first baby very soon. We all got together and gifted her a bunch of handmade things and some other useful items, last night.

Firstly, a little Elizabeth Zimmermann bonnet that I made with some leftover Koigu KPPPM. It is very wee but so cute.


Then I made one of my requisite EZ Baby Surprise Jackets. This one used Socks that Rock Heavyweight in the colour Fire on the Mountain. My HLM refers to it as the technicolour dreamcoat and I can't say I disagree. I love this little jacket so much. Since my camera can't even handle the colours and pattern of this fabric at a distance, I am only giving you a close-up shot. (After all, you know what EZ's BSJ looks like, right?)



I found this little pattern for a Toadstool Baby Rattle on the Purl Bee, and once I stopped squealing, I grabbed some leftover yarn and whipped one up. Love.



Lastly, remember this little berry quilt? Well I didn't say so at the time, but that one was for her, too. I went for something with high contrast (for baby's developing eyesight) and wanted to incorporate food in the design, since daddy is a chef.

I honestly had a really hard time stopping. Once you start finding cute ideas for little baby things, it's hard to put the brakes on. Fortunately I got selfish and started making more things for myself. And on that note, it's back to the sweater...

February Baby Sweater

Well, I am finally giving away one of the baby projects I was working on, so y'all finally get to see it. It's Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Sweater on Two Needles (ravelry), better known as the February Baby Sweater, from her Knitter's Almanac. This is the first one I've ever made, and very quick, easy, satisfying. I used Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Socks that Rock in Heavyweight for it, and I really like how it turned out. The variegated colour pools a bit and stripes a bit and is random for a bit, but I think it looks cool. And the shiny little taupe buttons that I dug out of the bottom of my sewing kit are just about perfect. It's a bit bigger than I had anticipated, at this gauge... If I make another, it will more likely be in the light or medium weight instead. But then, babies do come in all sizes.

As for the quilt, I have spent a couple of days just Being With It. Once I arranged the diamonds and partially sewed them together with some sashing, I started to get concerned that it was not just bright and cheery, but perhaps... dare I say... garish? Like on the verge of clowny? Oh dear. So rather than panicking about whether it will turn out beautiful (since I can somewhat recognize that this is just the moment in my relationship with a project where I start to think it might be regrettably horrible and unwanted by the recipient) I have instead decided to just live with it and look at it for a few days without judgement and worry. (Particularly since the recipient is me.) Likely tomorrow I will grab the rest of the sashing and take the next step toward sewing the top together. I will take some photos when I can, and let y'all be the judge.