Purple Bliss Baby Surprise Jacket in Progress

I'm cruising along on the Purple Bliss BSJ and I only have five or so knit rows to go before I have to pause. I have a contrasting color for the buttonband, but I don't want to add it until I know if the baby is a boy or a girl. The body is fairly unisex - primarily purple - but the pink yarn for the button band is very feminine. If I'm told it's a boy, I'll have to find a different yarn.

I did something different this time around. Previously, I happily did my decreases and increases until the point where the pattern says put the stitches for the front button bands on holders while you knit more length. On both of the previous BSJ's, my metal holders weighed down the knitting and stretched the stitches between the held stitches and the active stitches.

This time, I got to the point where I had to put stitches on holders, 34 stitches from the end. I simply turned my work and knitted back the other way, leaving those stitches on my cable needle, but ignoring them. I did the same thing on the other side and worked my way back. I've been adding the length and the point where the stitches diverged is crisp and tidy. I'm really loving this! I got the idea after reading about short-row heels in socks and thought it might work here. My mom is knitting a BSJ at the same time and we're near the same point. I only have three stitch holders, so something was going to have to be done. Now neither of us need them!

Look at how pretty this fabric is!





Now, doesn't this look good with it, albeit very girlie?

399 knitting terms on the wall..

I'm glad I finally got the terminology online. After all the work I did putting it together, I would have wept bitterly if something happened to the spreadsheet. I don't have a lot of formatting options for a chart and it would have been nice to have gridlines, but at least it's saved somewhere besides just my hard drive. Now I can translate German patterns to my little heart's content. I have three books and a lovely pamphlet waiting for me and they're full of stitches I haven't done before.

It's funny, because I first taught myself to knit way back in high school. I mucked around with it for a little while and never really made anything. I blame the ancient needlework book I was using - there weren't any inspiring patterns listed so I never saw the potential. Now I've learned to knit again and it bears no resemblance to my high school attempt. It's full of math and repeated motifs and texture and fibers and my nerdy little heart has so much to keep it entertained. Gardening is the same way for me. I love balancing different textures, blending colors and plotting how to arrange plants so they bloom evenly all over the garden and all season long. I'm so fond of lists and journals and I have notebooks full of plants I've bought, garden maps and photos to prove it.

Now I'm torn between lace and Baby Surprise Jackets. I just don't get it. Lace is painting pictures with yarn and it's so much fun to see how a new combination of stitches gives surprising results. How do I knit a diamond? How is mesh made? How can I make the central motif swirl instead of expanding like the spokes of a wheel? It's mathematical and magic and every new pattern is a challenge that I want to knit once and never repeat.

Baby Surprise Jackets are lowly garter stitch. Nothing but knit stitches for days, with the periodic increase or decrease thrown in to create the shape. I'm working on my third and already have the yarn for a fourth. I don't even know that many babies, but these rotten things are like potato chips. I'm using variegated yarn right now and each stitch is a different color. I'm endlessly entertained by the different colors slipping over my needles. My brain keeps up a running commentary as I knit. "Ooh, here's some orange! It's lining up over deep purple on the previous row. Look at the contrast! Oops, here's a little patch of pink on two consecutive rows. Wow the dye is so dark here it's almost black." Ever see the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is clapping as the tires go around? That's me with this yarn. I am so easily amused..

I think I'm addicted to BSJ's

I just bought two skeins of Araucania Pomaire for another Baby Surprise Jacket. It's 100% pima cotton and so soft, it's hard to believe it's cotton. This is definitely not the old dishcloth cotton I am used to. I think these BSJ's are my way of enjoying variegated yarns without having to knit socks. I can't use these colorways in a lace blanket because it would be too much. In garter stitch, they're perfect.

Can you imagine these colors on a little girl? I love it!

Baby Surprise Jacket #2!

This is my second Baby Surprise Jacket. I knit it with Plymouth Encore Worsted in color #7333. The buttonbands are done with leftover yellow Cascade 220 Superwash from the first BSJ. It's the same yellow that's in the Plymouth, but since it's not marled with white, it looks darker. I like the solid accent and it really shows off the flower buttons I found.

Because the buttons are larger, I made my buttonholes with a ssk, 2yo, k2tog instead of k2tog, yo. With six stitches between them, they're spaced nicely in the upper half of the sweater. I like that it has room to flare over diapers without binding and it's a fun look. I used embroidery floss to stabilize the edges of my buttonholes because the petals on the buttons tended to snag any loose loops.

Knitted on US5's at 18sts/4", it has a chest circumference of 22". This should fit an 18-24 month old child. I'm knitting another one in sport-weight yarn so I can compare it to the size I get with worsted. I think sock yarn will be too small. I would rather make it large and let them grow into it than be too small from the beginning.

A few finished projects

Finally, the Araucania scarf is finished. The colors are even more beautiful in person. Although this took two months to finish, I think this was my favorite yarn to work with because every stitch is a new and interesting color. This was knitted on US2's and it's really long. Draped around my neck, it comes almost to my knees! I had a wad of yarn the size of a peach pit left over when I finished.







The Alita blanket outdoors in the sunshine. It's really a lovely solid blanket and the texture is fascinating. I'm really happy with how this one turned out.



My first Baby Surprise Jacket, complete with buttons. The pale green was a perfect match, especially against the cobalt blue button band.





Coming soon, the second Baby Surprise Jacket!

I love spring

Gardening is one of my favorite things and this time of year is wonderful. Something new is blooming almost every day. I wish I had this camera while I was studying Botany, but I'm making up for lost time with the macro function. I try to take pictures once per week or so, so I can keep track of what blooms when. We're a couple weeks behind this year, but I don't mind and the plants don't seem to either.

(Click each photo to see a larger version)

Korean Dwarf Lilac:

This is so fragrant right now, it's almost overpowering. One waist-high bush is enough to scent the entire front yard.



Soapwort:

I love the bright blue anthers. You have to be really close to notice, but it's such a fun surprise. The leaves and roots can actually be used as a soap when crushed.



Spirea "Walburna":

This is a stunner in the front garden. It's up against plants with burgundy foliage and the chartreuse leaves with red tipping stand out like a beacon. I have one on each side and the pink flowers are just getting ready to open.



My only peony bud:

The ants are very excited about this peony. They've been all over the bud since it was smaller than a pea. I moved this from a shadier spot last fall and it's rewarding me with a flower this spring. It never flowered before now so the color is going to be a surprise.



Meadowrue:

It has foliage like a columbine, but it has these wonderful pink puffs for flowers. Looking closely, the pink isn't petals - it's a large cluster of stamens with little anthers at the tips. The flowers only have simple green sepals and no petals. Right now it's hiding my white irises that are much the worse for wear after our storms. It's an underrated plant, but one of my favorites.



Prairie Smoke seedheads:

They're similar to Pasque flower seedheads, but more delicate. Pasque flowers look more like troll dolls when they go to seed. This is a delicate wisp that is so light, you almost miss it if you're not paying attention. The flowers are nothing much - little dusty rose bells - but these bits of "smoke" make it all worth it.