Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Finished Object


The baseball playoffs have been really good for my knitting. I finished up a baby sweater the other day that is on its way to New York for my friend Abby's new little one. This is a famous pattern, apparently--Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. The surprise is that it actually makes a jacket--when you're finished knitting, you have a thing that looks like, well, nothing much.

Then you do a not-terribly-complicated origami fold, sew up two seams (hint: they are across the shoulders), put on some buttons, and voila! A jacket! It really does feel a little bit like magic.

I knit this one out of sock yarn (Patons Kroy Stripes, if anyone cares) with little needles, and it's still way bigger than the pattern says it will be. Somehow I have to learn to tighten up my gauge; I knit everything bigger than the pattern. When I'm felting--or knitting for a baby, who will grow into almost any size--that's fine, but sometimes it matters. Then again, I could just keep knitting scarves, shawls, baby things, and felted stuff, and then I'll be ok.

4 comments:

Magpie said...

That is insanely adorable.

Is the pattern in Knitting Without Tears?

Magpie said...

Never mind - I checked your embedded link...

:)

Libby said...

Magpie, you can buy the pattern as a one-off from Schoolhouse Press,and I think it's also in The Opinionated Knitter. Schoolhouse has a pretty good website; I ordered three patterns and they came really quickly. This link should get you there: http://www.schoolhousepress.com/spunout.htm

Caroline said...

wow, that is cute & gorgeous all at once -- so rare in baby clothing!
Is it shallow to want another baby just so that you can knit for her? hmm... And here I thought I was done...