What's up with me? Knitting without internet.

I am trying another option with Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket. Through Ravelry, I found an old blog written by Panda Man's where he has converted the infamous BSJ to a Stocking Stitch pattern. The pattern has taken into account the additional length in the stocking stitch in opposition to garter stitch. For the most part, the pattern is only 66% of the original pattern of the BSJ.

I have not blogged in two weeks due to an internet outage. I started and completed another dog sweater for my sister's dog, Lindy Lu. She is an Italian Greyhound mix which is really skinny and spends even warm summers shivering from the cold.


This was done with the left over yarn from s pair of gauntlets that I made to wear at work last winter. It is made with Debbie Bliss's
Washable Ewe which is a 100% washable worsted weight wool. The color is 'icing'. Yum!


I finally got the internet back up today, so I am trying to catch up with a lot.

Happy Knitting!

Coat of Many Colors -- BSJ

My Coat of Many Colors is all but finished. I have only to finish seaming the shoulders. I had sewed up one of the shoulders, but ripped it out as I thought that the neck line was too small -- I don't want to strangle a baby with my gift. I am not sure if it only looks small because it has been so long since I have seen a really tiny one.

Boy did I learn a lot with this pattern. I also had a lot of fun with the colors and just the amazing artistry that Elizabeth Zimmermann has in this design. This was the first pattern that required button holes for me. I did the simple yarn over button hole that is written into the pattern and it was just big enough for the button. This was also my first try at doing an i-cord bind off. I love the look -- it is time consuming but so worth it!

I have seen many pictures of Baby Surprise Jackets and I am so taken with the techniques that can be used to make each one look so different. Differences in yarn, differences in trim, in solids or stripes done with yarn changes (as I have done) or with self striping yarn. I saw one with yarn over eyelets. I have seen them with as few as one button to as many as six buttons. I have seen them made with hoods or collars.

I can't wait to get started on the next one -- but let me get this one done first!

Elizabeth Zimmermann's work is genius

I have several baby gifts needed in the next few months. Way more for whom I can possibly get quilts done. So I decided that I would try to make little sweaters. I saw a couple of Baby Surprise Jackets on line at Knitting Paradise and was intrigued. Every single one looked different but each one was beautiful -- a work of art. So I looked up the pattern and purchased it.

Elizabeth Zimmermann designed the pattern and first printed it in a newsletter in 1968. It is a work of art. Knitted "flat", it is one piece folded almost origami style to form a jacket. The pattern as originally written was loosely explained in conversation style; however it has been re-written and is easy to follow.

I started the above BSJ last evening and have gotten almost half of the knitting done already. I call this my Coat of Many Colors. It is made using left-over Lion Brand Microspun yarn in several colors. I am so very excited to see it completed -- however, not so excited about weaving in all the ends. I think that I may try some long self striping yarn for BSJ #2.