Baby Surprise

     I've finished my first "Baby Surprise Jacket", pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman.  This pattern has been calling to me for a long time.  I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to it.  Maybe it's because the whole thing is a real act of faith.  It's such a bizarre shape.  It doesn't look like it could possibly fold into a tiny sweater, but of course it does.  The ladies at my knit night were very curious about the whole thing.  They looked at me like I was some sort of knitting witch.  I think I'll have to show them how to knit one.  It's such a fun little trick.

    The yarn is Noro "Silk Garden" in two different colorways.  This yarn was bought for a scarf but I'm glad that it ended up as a baby sweater.   Let's face it, scarves are a drag to knit.  It took about 3.25 balls.  The garter stitch really eats up the yardage.  I have enough for the matching bonnet, but I started knitting the bonnet and ended up with the beginnings of a bonnet big enough for a four year old.  I'll have to rip back and re-size.  The buttons are wooden and pretty boring as buttons go but I suppose, with yarn this loud, boring is probably better.

    The sweater has ended up looking like it belongs to a very small pottery professor.  I'm hoping that the parents to be like it.  They are both professors, so I think it's appropriate.  It's always tough knitting gender neutral baby items.  I usually error on the side of knitting something slightly more masculine.  It's mostly because I know that if it's the least bit feminine the new parents won't put it on their boy.  I made of my boys wear blue lace and I can attest to the fact that they will both use a Barbie as a hammer.  I'm of the opinion that we should go back to making all new babies wear extra long dresses.  I hate dealing with pants over diapers.  All of this gender specific stuff is foolishness.  If babies were influenced by what they wore half of our children would grow up and decide to hibernate for the winter.
    I've got another baby sweater and bonnet finished, but I'll have to wait to post about them.  I don't want to spoil the surprise for the parents.