Knitted Goods!

I have officially knit a sweater. Sure, it is a small sweater, but it is still a sweater. I made it for Emma, Hanna’s baby that is due in December.

The stats:
Lorna’s Laces Swirl DK yarn in “Happy Valley”
Lorna’s Laces Simplest Sweater for Baby pattern
(Offers instructions for both knit and crochet sweaters)
Newborn size
Knit with US 4 needles, the size they called for in the pattern! (A first for me!)
Gauge: 22 stitches = 4″ in garter stitch

Started on October 13 at the Friday knitting group at Twisted Yarns. Worked on at the Blue Man Group concert that night because the guards didn’t care at all that I had knitting in my purse and I can do garter stitch in the dark. I can now use my hand to measure approximately five inches, so I would know when to stop. I brought a small ruler with me, just in case. I worked on it some more on that Saturday, making it through the first sleeve. Set aside during the school week, worked on again while I was laid up in bed with my sprained ankle last weekend. Finished the knitting on Saturday, October 21. Figured out a tie solution at the Friday knitting group this past Friday (I did a crochet chain for the ties instead of the ribbon that the pattern called for), and finished seaming the sides and sleeves Friday night.

The yarn was quite lovely to work with and I would happily work with it again. I used my Options needles in the US 4 size, and they worked very well. When I had to put the one sleeve on a holder, I just popped endcaps onto the first 24″ cable and knit away with the second one. Could not have been easier!

I am extremely careful about knitting for other people. It takes a lot of time and work, and I tend to be stingy about it. This was a successful gift knit though – Hanna loved it, and pointed out to everyone that I had made it, along with the shawl I was wearing on Saturday. It was fun to knit it for her, and I can’t wait to see Emma in it!

Now I need to step away from the computer and work on my sweater. I really want to have it done in just under two weeks so I can take it with me to Kid & Ewe. (Are you coming to Kid & Ewe?) I’m not sure if I will make it though. One can hope! (Computer time and Bejeweled are NOT helping the cause though.)

Update – to clarify! I am not sure if the *sweater* will be done in time for Kid & Ewe. That is what I am not sure I will make – my deadline of knitting time. I will definitely make Kid & Ewe. Walking is improving daily, although there is some wonkiness still to my ankle. So I will be there, but the sweater might not.