Garter Stitch Love Fest

Surprise! This glob of garter stitch is a...

Baby Surprise Jacket! Almost, anyway. I kept waiting to update my blog because I was so close to being finished. I figured I'd wait until I seamed it and added the buttons. And then nearly 2 weeks went by and I still don't know when I am going to go find buttons. So there you have it. My 95% complete BSJ.

I used Noro Silk Garden Lite in color 2015. I wanted to keep the jacket on the feminine side so I cast on using the coral color. Luckily the coral showed up again on the bind off. I am thrilled. It's giving the effect that I was hoping for.


Over all these colors are new for me. They still have the dusty quality that I like, but a bit brighter than normal, plus the striping which isn't typical of my style. I am not usually a fan of yellow and yet I love the stripe of golden goodness in my garter stitch love fest. Yes, love fest. I loved working on this jacket. This is my second BSJ, my first real go with Noro (other than the coffee cup cozies) and I found it all delightful. I hope the recipient feels the same!

3 Strikes

After a long day of changing poopy diapers, cleaning up food that has been flung and stepping on toys and books, I look forward to an hour or so of evening knitting time in front of the tv. After kissing Cashew goodnight, I quickly put away her toys, turn on the tv and grab my knitting. Ahhhh.

A perfect tv project is Cashew's sweater. It's based on the February Sweater and the EZ "taming with percentages". Round and round I go with stockinette, stopping every few rows to take measurements. Wait, did she just say "stopping every few rows"? Surely something is up if she has to keep taking measurements every few rows. Could she have a case of Knitterly Denial?

Yes. The sleeves are HUGE. My calculations for increases under the sleeve opening were correct. Just not for a sweater for a soon-to-be one-year-old! So I hooked up that sucker to the ball winder and ripped as fast and painlessly as I could. But now there are stitches to be picked up and provisional cast-ons to be fiddled with....gah. I'll work on my socks.


Ok, fresh off of Knitterly Denial, I am catching this one early. The yarn? Lovely. The pattern? Lovely. The yarn and the pattern together? Not so much. Plucky Knitter yarn knits up beautifully, but perhaps not so good for stranded work like Minty's Leyburn Socks. The yarn is fluffing up where left unknit. I have barely begun the sock and the strands are quite fluffy which means the yarn will be destroyed by the time they make it to full sockdom, much less worn. Back to the Ravelry queue I go.... maybe Nutkin... but it's tv time! Surely there is something I can knit right now!


Dude. Lace and the weigh-in on the The Biggest Loser do not go together. Did I insert a life line first? No! I was desperate to knit! This project is meant to be worked during day light hours with a fresh brain after a meal and a reasonable amount of coffee. Somewhere before the adorable stitch marker by Harlem Purls there is yarnover mayhem. It's fixable, but after 3 strikes I think the best thing to do is just take a time out.

Spring is in the Air

A friend of mine had a baby girl February 1st. I thought it was very fitting to make her little bundle of joy the February Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann. The sweater sized out to be about 6 months which will be perfect for walks in the park in the spring.


The pattern was pretty easy to follow once you get the hang of the EZ way to do things. My only modifications were to put three buttons on the yoke and to knit the arms in the round. Otherwise I followed the pattern. Well, as much as the pattern was written! The yarn is Rowan Wool Cotton and the buttons are from Tender Buttons.


My friend is a wedding dress stylist. Fabrics and textures and all the details that go with them are her thing, so it was much fun for me to work on something so detail oriented. It was beyond the knitting for this one. The dress, the shoes...


Nothing is ever too pink when it comes to baby girls, me thinks! This is probably one of my favorite baby gifts yet. I just may have to make a February Sweater for Cashew. She's grown out of all her sweaters. What's a knitter to do?!?

I Shouldn't Be Surprised

With all my UFO's of '07, I find it hilarious that my first FO of '08 was started in '08. I present to you the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Yarn is Brooks Farm Acero which I purchased at NYS Sheep & Wool Festival, aka RHINEBECK.

I admit, the first time I saw a BSJ, I though "eh." The second time I saw one I thought "hmmmm." And then the third time..."I wanna! I wanna!" To be honest, there are a lot of, shall I say, interesting yarn choices used for the BSJ. Since it is a very popular pattern, there's a whole lot of ugly out there. Thanks to Ravelry, I found myself coming around to this little sweater. It's all about the yarn! And the sweater looks adorable on. And now my friends, there is no turning back. I want to make more!!! Next on my list, a BSJ that will fit a baby.


It all started with my brother announcing that he and his wife were expecting. This little surprise came not so surprisingly early. Woulda, coulda, shoulda made this sweater in December as we all figured this baby would come early since their other two did. My niece arrived a few short days before Christmas, 2 weeks before her due date. But who am I kidding, the holidays were crazy and although this sweater took roughly a week to make, I could barely finish (and still haven't finished) Cashew's Christmas stocking in time for Christmas. Since my niece was born at a healthy 5lbs, I figured that whipping out a little sweater after she was born would be no problem. I had never made a BSJ before and as many of you know, there's no real sizing with this thing. I was slightly under gauge (first clue, duh) but I really thought it would be ok. (Denial.) Cashew stayed at a NB size for the first 2 months and she was 7 1/2 lbs at birth. Surely a 5lb baby would fit in this sweater even if my gauge was off a smidge. So I knit a little this way...knit a little that way, bada bing, badda boom I had a surprise jacket for a surprise baby.

Except one thing. My niece gained 3 pounds in a month. Woulda, coulda, shoulda remembered that all my sis-in-laws babies have gained weight right quick. This sweater fit like, last week. So. The Annie Knits BSJ remains a display piece for now and will perhaps someday be worn by another brand spankin' new baby. Or Cashew's doll. Whichever comes first.