Baby Knits Part Two

Next in the baby knit cue last summer was the "Striped Sweater" from the Debbie Bliss "Simply Baby" book. It was knit over a long weekend and given away too quickly for photos to be taken. The collar detail is pure style AND pure function as the shoulder buttons allow it to open the full width of the sweater to accommodate big baby heads. On the link for the book there's a shot of the green and cream striped pullover. Clicking on it reveals the square neck detail and shoulder/neck structure that makes the knit such a great gift. Its entertaining to knit the square opening and mitered garter stitch trim. (Not so fun to sew in the million ends the striping creates!)

After that it was on to my second Teddy Bear from that book (the blue one) The white version I made on a prior occasion. I think its interesting how stuffing and placement of the eyes can so effect the ultimate appearance and character of toys knit from the same pattern. I LOVE knitting toys! Gauge doesn't matter and I seem to always have leftover yarn available in toy sized quantities.

The next project was the "Cable Blanket" from that same DB book. It was a tedious, slow knit that perfectly coincided with the worst heat of the summer. Poor planning on my part!

The size of the finished blanket (32"x20") and the stretchy quality of the cables along with the feel of the Baby Cashmerino make it something I think will be worth keeping long after babyhood has passed. I envision it being perfect for wrapping around the shoulders of a chilled toddler just in from a romp in the snow while the hot chocolate warms up or as a cozy layer under the covers after first getting into a cool bed in the winter. When you consider the work that goes into it what more could you ask for from a hand knit for baby than longevity?

I was proud to give it as a gift so its worth making for someone special in the future. Next time though I'll save this knit for working on in the cooler months of the year!


Next up from the book, two "Crossover Jackets" made for a set of set of fraternal twins known to be a boy and a girl long before they were born. I was drawn to the unique asymmetrical collar detail on these.

It was great to move to Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in Aran weight and larger gauge needles after the blanket. I finished both jackets in about 10 days - very satisfying!

I think the pattern, using two different contrasting colours for the trim worked very well for a set of boy/girl twins.

The ties are lengths of dyed leather thong I bought at a craft store - I lucked out getting colours to match the yarn. I soaked the thongs in vinegar and water to make them colour fast after rinsing and rinsing them in clear water to extract as much excess dye as possible. Can you imagine having both knits destroyed with the first washing if the colour ran from the leather to the knits? These were knit in the 3-6 month size so they would get worn before the issue of babies sucking on the ties would arise. I used the leftover pieces of thong to tie up the packages that also held identical denim overalls from Baby Gap.

The Twins' parents have a bit of a rocker style about them and I thought denim and leather would be cute for their first born babies.

Finally last September my '07 baby knitting marathon hit the home stretch with a gorgeous piece - again Debbie Bliss but this time from a book borrowed from the library. (I didn't record the title)

Its knit in Debbie Bliss Cotton DK in the "Stone" colourway. The gender of this baby was unknown until birth so I thought the colour (its quite true to life in these photos)would work for a boy or a girl. Imagine it with pink or blue or what about chocolate brown or white...its a colour that will work well with just about everything.

I love how the cables and wide ribs come together at the seams!

The collar detail is also great. It creates a nice finished front and you can easily see how it will effortlessly slide over a squirming child's head.

I made this in the 9-12 month size because it really is a three season sweater so I wanted it to hopefully last from before 9 to after 12 months. The sleeves will readily roll up when the sweater is still a bit big yet you can see how this could still work very well once its fitting more closely as the ribs give it a lot of stretch. As the pattern points out it will be great to pull on over everything from a bathing suit on a cool day at the beach to long pants and turtle neck when playing outside in spring or autumn. It would even work well as an added layer in the winter under a coat. As I've said I love baby gifts that will last beyond a few weeks of use.

By the time I was done this FO I had completed eight baby knits in about 12 weeks - each time working to a deadline.

I was satisfied with all the results but nonetheless happy to see the back side of this sweater along with the end of my baby knitting marathon.

This summer I think it will be all about ME!