As all booms do, the latest baby boom is coming to a close. Most of my friends and co-workers have had their babies, and many of these babies have already outgrown their handknit gifts, of course. But that’s how these things go ;). All total, I’ve knit 18 baby items between October 2009 and now.
There’s just one more, the 19th, that I have to share with you, which is for Stephanie’s little walnut, due to arrive in a few weeks. After that, I intend to re-train all employees of GFOAB (the Grumpy Factory for Outfitting Army of Babies) to knit grown-up things. Because, frankly, I think we’ve forgotten how to do that ;).
Pattern: No pattern, but I knit this sweater to Budgie dimensions, omitting the stripes, the zipper, and the contrasting cast-on.
Yarn: Hand-dyed and handspun superwash merino in the Retro Kitchen colorway from Missy, A Tree Hugger’s Wife on Etsy. The sweater used up about 250 yards of yarn. This was a custom order that I told you about a little while back. I loved working with this squishy, soft yarn, and I love how it knit up into these beautiful wide stripes! The contrast yarn is Berroco Vintage, acrylic/wool/nylon blend, in Sakura (5166). I thought these two made a good combination because they are both machine-washable.
Needles and gauge: using size US 6 circs this yarn knit to about 5 stitches and 8 rows per inch after blocking.
Finished dimensions: about 20″ chest circumference, 9.75″ from hem to shoulder, 7″ from cuff to armpit. This should fit up to about 3 months, just in time for little walnut to wear in the fall.
The buttons are another perfect match from Windsor Button. I know they look white/clear here, but they are actually a very subtle blue when not attached to the sweater!
For gifts, I always attach a care tag and an extra button. I make these tags in Illustrator (you can use any text + picture software, like Microsoft Word or Paint) and print them on heavy-weight matte photo paper. The little sheep I drew in Illustrator eons ago based on some picture, I didn’t get the actual drawing from anywhere.
And that’s that! That’s the end of baby knits for now. Get ready for some socks, a shawl, a fixed-up vest, and a knitaversary contest!
it’s a wonderful sweater and i love it! can’t wait to put walnut in it in the fall
xo
That’s a gorgeous sweater! Love the yarns. And the machine washability.
I think my baby garment factory is about to fire up. Everybody around me is getting pregnant.
Beautiful, as always. I love the tag too, such a very special gift.
I like that sweater best of the BIFOs* that you have knitted. The color is just great!
*BabyItemFinishedObjects
Shouldn’t you make just one more, to make it an even 20?
I just finished my first budgie, and took it to work to show a coworker. Another colleague who just adopted a 13 month old saw it and admired it… I see a toddler-sized budgie making session in my future!
It’s a gorgeous sweater and I absolutely love the little sheep on your care tags!
I have REALLY enjoyed all of your baby knits. Besides the wonderful knitting, I love the color combinations you choose. Not traditional baby colors which is totally awesome…..
The sweater is adorable of course, but I also love the gift tag. What a great idea!! Thanks for sharing this. I make a ton of gifts too (though not quite 19 baby gifts in less than a year, sheesh) and I might just have to mock up my own printable tag.
That’s such a sweet sweater. I just loved seeing all of your recent baby knits. You’ve got a great eye.
Very Fourth of July! And, ooh, a contest?
I’m normally a lurker, but had to come out of the shadows to says how fantastic this looks!…it is very fourth-of-july and looks comfy as well.Bravo!
Makes me wish I knew someone that was pregnant so that I had an excuse to knit one. Very sweet. I also love your gift tags. Great idea!
suzy
Just adorable. I’ve got to get working on the Budgie I have planned for my cousin’s child… before he’s a teenager!
That’s adorable. It reminds me of a Bomb Pop! (http://www.zanyholidays.com/2008/06/national-bomb-pop-day.html)
Just in time for Independence Day.
Nineteen babies since October must be some kind of record…what lucky babies to have you knitting such beautiful gifts for them! All that hard work…I would love to freeze them in infant sizes for just a little while so they could wear your beautiful hand knits just a little longer!
Aww, it’s so cute! It looks like a bomb pop!
It has been such a pleasure to watch the parade of baby gifts you’ve been making–they are always unexpected color combinations (yayyy I get tired of pastels), interesting yarns, and so beautifully wrought.
So cute! It looks like a Popcycle to me! So fresh and also patriotic!!!
Wow, that is gorgeous!!!!
oh, it`s beautiful!!!
I like the fact that you used some handspun in the baby knits. People seem to have the idea that handspun is too fragile for babies but I don’t think so. The colors are wonderfully bright!
Such cuteness! I think that will be a very happy baby.
I’ve enjoying the baby items produced from the Grumpy Factory. The colors of this one are great! Now I know what to do with some of my smaller skeins of handspun – baby items.
Very cute! I don’t have a reason to knit many baby knits, but they are usually such quick satisfying knits. Yours are exceptionally gorgeous.