It’s been a while since my last update, but I am still knitting! I have done lots and lots of doll dresses (which I still love doing, even after 20+ of them), and lately I’ve been making baby sweaters. A few months ago, I found out that three of my friends at work are expecting! So of course I had to take the opportunity to take on some knitting projects.

The first cardi is the popular February Baby Sweater for M. She loved it and got a little verklempt at her baby shower. :) I used Gedifra Extra Soft Merino in a pale pink. It really is so very soft and perfect for a baby! The shank buttons are vintage. M’s colors are pink and brown. She had her baby girl on 9/10/11!

The 2nd cardi is also a February Baby Sweater. I think this brings the total to 8 of all the Feb Baby Sweaters I’ve made. I swear everyone loves them, and thankfully I’m not sick of them yet! It’s for my friend Y who is having a baby boy. Y loves white and so I kept everything classy white, from the yarn (Gedifra Extra Soft Merino again, I love it) to the shank buttons. I decided to play with the pattern a bit to make a little collar. I think it turned out nice.

And last but not least, I made a fun cardigan for my friend J who is also expecting a baby boy. J likes stripes so I took the opportunity to practice knitting with two colors. I had forgotten how fun it was!

The yarn I used are Classic Elite Yarns Classic One Fifty in Blue Sky, with Gedifra Extra Soft Merino in White. The pattern is “Little Coffee Bean” which is available for free on Ravelry. It’s a seamless sweater knitted from the top down, and the button band is picked up along the front and knitted on after. I used plain white 5/8″ buttons but added a little splash of color with bright orange thread!

I knitted the last two sweaters in 2 weeks, which is a record time for me. I just wanted to see if I could do it! It felt like cramming for finals 8-)

Phew. After these, I think I’m going to continue finishing some projects I’ve had laying around that are for myself. Then it’s time to start thinking about holiday knitting! This year has gone by so fast.

Yes, another February Baby Sweater! I have been getting good practice with my gull pattern thanks to my friends/family who are having babies! So far I have made six of them, four for girls and two for boys. Everyone just loves these so much!

One thing I love about knitting in lace patterns how different it looks from the average stockinette. It makes a garment look so much more special. And if you have made this sweater, you know the instructions are really just two paragraphs!

I have to say, Elizabeth Zimmermann was a genius :)

Yarn used is Rowan RYC Cashsoft Baby DK (Microfiber, Cashmere, Wool) in Cloud. It really is so very soft! Buttons are vintage.

And of course, the pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac.

Finished my third February Baby Sweater tonight. I used 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere that were given to me by Caroline (thanks!) and I love how it knits up – substantial and warm, with a subtle sheen. This is my first baby item that isn’t knitted in a “baby” color yarn and I really like how it turned out. I hope the mommy (and baby) I’m sending it to will like it.

After doing this pattern three times, I feel confident with the gull pattern (love it!) so it’s time to move on to my next project. I’m going to knit something for myself and hopefully have it be ready for Spring!

Pattern from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac

Okay, is that super-duper sweet or what? I’m so proud of myself for finishing the set: Elizabeth Zimmermann’s February Baby Sweater, with an inspired-hat (pattern from Ravelry), plus a little crocheted flower for a little extra sugary goodness, just in time for a February baby!

Now that I’m pretty comfortable with the gull pattern from the sweater and the gradual decreasing needed with the hat, I’m probably going to make a few more sets to give away. There have been so many babies arriving in my circle of friends that I feel like a baby sweater factory, but hey, the more practice the better :)

Ah, I finally figured out EZ’s pattern and finished my second February Baby Sweater! The second time was definitely easier than the first. I guess I was too excited and didn’t read the pattern correctly the first time and made the increases around the collar too soon. The second time around, everything started to look right. Yay! I love this pattern so much!

The only thing I did differently from EZ’s instructions – I put the two sleeves on waste yarn and finished the body first, then I picked up the sleeves and continued. I added seven stitches under the arms and they felt just right to me, not too bulky like a few people mentioned on Ravelry.

With more friends having babies this year, I think I’ll be making a few more of these EZ sweaters!

Pattern from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac

I started the February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann during my weekend of recovery. I’m sure quite a few of you heard me whine about my wisdom teeth extraction so I shall spare you.

EZ’s pattern took some getting used to – the way it is written is not like any pattern I’ve learned, there is a lot left open for interpretation. Plus I’m not very good at doing lace – it always takes me at least a few runs before finally “getting” any lace pattern.

This was my first EZ garment, and I have to say she is quite a writer. She is such a funny lady, and I love how much of a wool snob she is. That said, I bet she wouldn’t approve of the Berroco Comfort I’m using here, but it’s for good practice. I don’t know about the babies around EZ, but most of my friends would probably not let their precious babies wear wool in fear of allergies. Whatever happened to the good ole days when babies actually wore wool?

After a few days, it started to take its shape, but not without hiccups. I could totally see what I did wrong here too!

Here is the completed February Baby Sweater, complete with dark lilac buttons. It kind of looks cute in its own wonky sort of way. Another great learning experience! Now that I know what to do the next one will be much improved.

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Pattern from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac