Jan 2nd, 2007
All done!
Shortly after I started knitting about four years ago, I bought Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss. At the time I had no clue that Sylvia would be in my future, but I wanted to knit baby stuff (since it’s small) and had plenty of new-parent friends to give it to. My LYS at the time was a fifteen-minute walk from my office, and one day during my lunch break I found five balls of chocolate brown (same dye lot!) Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for four bucks a ball. I started on a cardigan with seed-stitch edging in Bliss’s book, and got as far as the entire back piece (which is a rectangle) and half of one of the front pieces. Then I put this sweater down and got distracted by other projects for a few years…
…until several months ago, when I rediscovered this yarn in one of the many tote-bags-as-project-bags in my closet. I resolved to finish the sweater in time for Sylvia to wear it this winter. I actually finished all of the knitting and seaming back in October, but was nervous about blocking (since I had never blocked anything before) and put it off for another two months. I finally blocked it in mid-December and took it to my local knitting group’s monthly non-coffee-house gathering (we meet once a month at a local community center, and once a month at Starbucks) for advice on sewing on the buttons. We discovered that I’d somehow neglected to make a buttonhole for the button at the very top, but everyone at the meeting said not to worry about it: “Toddlers hate having those top buttons closed, anyway!” I sewed on all of the buttons that night, and Sylvia wore the sweater the next day and during our trip to Illinois over Christmas weekend.
Considering that I did not knit a gauge swatch for this (I started it back in my reckless “Gauge swatch? We don’t need no stinkin’ gauge swatch!” days), it fits pretty well. The sleeves are a bit long, though. One day I will get over my fear of having too-short sleeves and bind them off when I’m supposed to rather than knit several extra “just in case” rows. But for now, her sleeves get rolled up. With luck, the sweater will still fit next year!
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: I love this yarn. I love the colors it comes in, and I love working with it. So far, I’ve used it for one blanket, one cardigan, and one pullover sweater–all three in baby sizes. One day, I’d like to make something for myself in this yarn. It’s not cheap, though, so that would be a pretty decadent project!
LOVE IT — love the color & the style! she looks great. :) i will have to try that yarn, from the way you rave about it! (and, to be perfectly honest, i would NEVER have noticed that you missed a buttonhole — it looks like it was designed to have only the buttons it does. yay!)
congrats on a long-time-coming FO! ;)
Thanks! Do give the yarn a try–it is fabulous stuff!
Oh WOW! It looks really fabulous! And it looks so good on Sylvia too!
Very, very nice. I love it!