Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Last minute knitted gifts is right!
Well, nothing like finishing your gift 12 hours and five minutes before the baby shower starts. Yikes! After a strong start last week, the baby sweater took a bit of a dip over the weekend. Saturday I was busy having a birthday party and didn't touch it, although I did get quite a bit of Rachel's sock done. Sunday, I wasn't in a very knitty mood due to some bad news about my grandma, and then I went for yet another birthday dinner with my in-laws, where again, good sock progress was made but the baby sweater continued to be ignored.

When I got home on Sunday night, I buckled down and knit 90% of the first sleeve while watching the Amazing Race. I finished the first sleeve off tonight before dinner, and then started the second one before heading out to Stitch n Bitch.

Of course, because I'm an idiot, I left the book at home, so I had to trust my memory (always dangerous) and do frequent comparing between the two sleeves. I got home just after the main increases finished to discover that I was actually right, which was quite encouraging. I finished up the sleeve around 10:45 or so and then began to seam.

For such a teeny sweater, seaming was surpringly time consuming. The good news is, although the yarn is kind of a bitch to seam with (yeah, I know, use a smooth matching yarn - didn't have any, and did I mention the twelve hours to spare thing?), it is also very forgiving to seam with.

I wove in the eleventy million ends (damn intarsia!), and with 12 hours and five minutes to spare (aka at 1:25am), I finished.

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Of course, I immediately got out Mr. Bear for a modeling session. His shortcomings as a non-baby-proportioned bear were quite obvious, but you get the idea.

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Pattern: Sweetheart Pullover from Knitting for Baby.
Yarn: KP Crayon in red and yellow. I didn't use very much yarn - maybe two balls total?
Needles: Addi Turbo Lace Needles, sizes 4 and 6
Started: March 7, 2007
Finished: March 12, 2007 (ok, technically it's the 13th, but whatever.)
Modifications: I changed the intarsia on the front from a heart to a flower. I think I could have done a better job with the charting of the flower, but I still like it better than the heart. Lessons definitely learned for next time, if there ever is a next time with intarsia. Don't hold your breath.
I also modified the neck. I really didn't like the fairly constrictive neckline of the original pattern, so I just picked up stitches around the edge and knit a few rows of stockinette. It rolls in the same way as the original neckline, just several inches further down so it will hopefully be easier to stuff the baby into.

This is my second sweater of the year. I'm a member of the Sweater a Month Knitalong for 2007, and although I'm not optimistic that I'll actually make twelve sweaters this year, this does get me technically caught up again. If I can finish Rogue by the end of the month, which I really want to, there might be hope yet! I've got the yarn ready for my next baby sweater, and between that and the Central Park Hoodie maybe I can knit another two sweaters by May. I'm not so convinced that the summer is going to be sweater knitting weather, though. Maybe I'll sub in a few shawls.

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10 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Hey it looks great...good job...and thanks for sharing the pic..it is amazing..and hey i'd also like you to drop by my blog on Birthday Wishes for some really cool ideas and suggestions!!!

Anonymous Anonymous said...
That's a wonderful sweater! I agree, a heart is a little too cutesy for a baby sweater. The flower looks good.

Blogger Poops said...
Actually, finishing a gift 12 hours before the shower isn't bad.

Starting it 12 hours before is!

Lovely sweater!

Blogger Unknown said...
looks awesome! and that yarn....so squooshy. Love it!

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Great job on the sweater! It's super cute!
-Your knittyboard SP

Anonymous Anonymous said...
So cute! I love the flower and the color choices just rock.

How'd the baby like it? :)

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Oh my god, I knit this sweater in almost the exact same way! Same yarn, similar colors, same flower-in-place-of-heart! Seriously, here it is.

Okay, enough about me -- yours came out great! I completely agree that Crayon can be a pain to see what's going on in the stitches, but it's true that it hides mistakes really well. Also it's just the softest cotton I can imagine. It's my favorite Knitpicks yarn.

Sorry to hear about your grandma -- I hope she's doing okay.

Blogger Unknown said...
The sweater is supercute. The daisy on the front reminds me of the pretty sweaters that they always have in places like Grateful Threads.

Hmmm maybe when I make it to SnB you can give me some intarsia pointers. I've only done a little bit, and I think I'm just not quite getting it.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
YOOOOOOO chicky hip. love the site guna make one too about me and my pals down at hemford green. Like you we enjoy life and all it has to offer. if you like we could enjoy life togther on an island made of pears . love those pears chicky hip. I once made a sweater from pure cattle skin. it rashed like a bean bag. ouchy. so drop me a line and it'll all be fine. m a fan thats me keep up your good blogging and ill kepp up my reading. peace out davey jones XXXXX

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Im gunna arrest you for racism