baby · baby surprise jacket · jacket · projects · sweater

Surprise! It’s a Baby Jacket!

What in the world…?

Yay, it’s a new knitting project!

I haven’t been knitting much in the past few months because I moved! The new place is slightly bigger and I now have a larger craft room/studio! We’re still living amongst boxes and stacks of books/clothes/etc., so it will take a while for things to be back to normal.

So those of you who are seasoned knitters or are “EZ fans” already know what this is. For those who don’t – doesn’t the WIP above look like a rectangle gone terribly wrong or a sad attempt at knitting a rainbow-colored animal hide?!

This is actually the Baby Surprise Jacket! Designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann in 1968, it remains one of her most popular and loved patterns today. My friend Jun has been knitting quite a few of these in the past few years to give to friends and family members who were expecting babies, and I’ve always watched in fascination as she knitted this odd shape in wonderful variegated Koigu yarns. Supposedly, when it’s done, you are to fold it a certain way, only seam up the sleeves, and SURPRISE! It’s a baby jacket!

I’ve been a big fan of Elizabeth Zimmerman ever since I knitted her February Baby Sweaters. After knitting eight (Yes, eight! See below) of them, I decided I should really try another EZ pattern just for fun. Everyone loves the February Baby Sweater and I can probably knit them ’til the cows come home, but I don’t want to be a one-trick pony. 😛

My February Baby Sweaters.
L-R from top: gifted to Weaver, Adelle, Ellis, Jake, Leonard, Averie, Evie, and Angela

For my BSJ, I decided to try the Ornaghi Filati Oslo Print yarn in a variegated colorway (Orange, Pink, Lilac). This is definitely a project you need a row counter for. I also found the page on KnitWiki especially helpful. I’m about 75% done and I can’t wait to fold it up and magically see a sweater appear.

I haven’t decided who is getting my very first BSJ yet…

:: :: ::

The Baby Surprise Jacket pattern is available via Schoolhouse Press

One thought on “Surprise! It’s a Baby Jacket!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.