Seamless Baby Kimono - Done!

The kimono is done, and I have about 32 grams left from my 100 gram skein! I could make 2 pairs of matching baby socks, I don't think a hat would be used much. I made 2 ties at the corners but am wondering if I need 2 more ties inside. Or maybe a button and a loop. It's pretty lightweight, and the fronts might not stay put.

I notice the seed stitch borders tend to flip around, too. I'll see if I can't gently block it before I send it off.

The kimono is a good size, bigger than the 6 month size I expected. The sleeves are 3/4 length, and that was intentional. I found a partial skein of Opal Petticoat in my stash that is delicate pink, yellow and white. I have enough to make another kimono for a girl that will arrive this summer. I'm going to stop at the dime store tomorrow and find some #4 circs for that sweater. I think I'd prefer a firmer knit for the next one. #5s are just too big.

Seamless Baby Kimono in Sock Yarn

I'm expecting to be a great aunt this month, and I guess I'd better pick up this little sweater again. I have had this skein of Regia Cotton Surf for years - it's so old it weighs 100 grams instead of 50. I've tried to make a scarf or socks with it several times, and each time I frogged it. There's something about the colors I don't like, but it will be fine for a baby boy.
My nephew lives in Georgia, and the weather is hot in the summer. I thought a light weight kimono would be useful for a summer cover up anywhere the A/C is too cold. I find it hard to imagine too much A/C, but I don't live in the South.

I'm using the Seamless Baby Kimono from the Complete Fabrication blog. It's really just a top-down raglan sweater with surplice fronts. The original pattern is written for 8ply, so I've had to make some modifications for my little sweater. I'm using #5s with sock yarn, which is almost too big, but the resulting knit fabric is soft and light. I'm getting about 6 sts per inch, and I decided I wanted a 6 month size sweater, and 112 sts for the body.

I saw her kimono had 100 sts for the body, and so I multiplied everything by 112% to get my numbers. So far it looks pretty good, even a bit larger than I expected.

I also am keeping 3 stitches in garter for the front border, and it's nice and stretchy. I finished the yoke and put the sleeves on scrap yarn; my skein has 70 grams left. I should be able to finish the sweater, and maybe even a pair of little socks!

Bean's Green Kimono is Done!

Finally! I procrastinated until yesterday, then sat down and knitted the i-cords, sewed in all the ends, and declared the bog kimono finished!

I think this will be big enough to be used as a sleep sack. With an 18" chest, and 13" from neck to hem, I think this will serve as an extra warm layer for quite awhile.

I made progress on the Tomten Jacket, but it is slow going. I took a picture, but the orange is so bright, I'll try again tomorrow. I finished picking up and knitting the stitches on the holder, and am now knitting the sleeves in the round.

I don't mind knitting garter stitch in the round, the purl row slips through my hands as quickly as knit these days. I tried to knit the sleeves on dpns, but the ladders offend me. I switched to a circular needle, and used the Magic Loop method. Oh, how I dislike that ML. I try to convince myself that I'll become more comfortable with it the longer I use it. In the evening I put my knitting away sooner than I normally would, it breaks my rhythmn when I have to shift the loop.

Anyway, the Tomten is creeping toward the finish line. The BSJ still needs buttons. I was going to treat myself to a trip to the JoAnn Shop today, but when I saw the ice, I decided to bake bran muffins and wash dishes instead.

Mr. Bean's Green Kimono - Almost Done

This kimono is a modified Baby Bog Jacket (Zimmermann), and its assembly is unusual. I made sure the camera was by my chair, and I took pictures this morning as I folded and grafted Bean's latest kimono.
First, I unravelled the stitches on waste yarn, slipping them onto 2 needles. The big challenge for me is to make sure the stitches aren't twisted. The waste yarn grows as you remove it from the knitted row; I snipped the yarn when it got too long.

Here's an overall view of the kimono. I've finished grafting the right side. The left side has all the stitches on dpns, ready to be folded and grafted.

Now the sleeve and front is folded into place - sleeve to sleeve, front yoke to front yoke.
Grafting is done, don't look too closely! If I make any more Bog Jackets, I will have to practice on some swatches. I tinked my first seam, then decided I would apply the Galloping Horse Principle.
I need to weave in the ends and make some ties. A matching/contrasting hat and sockies would be good, too. I used most of 150 grams for this kimono. My kitchen scale says I have 28 grams, enough for a pair of sockies, and not much else. I may add dark green ties and extend the sleeves with garter cuffs. For now, I'm tired of green and fingering weight yarn. I need to "cleanse my palate" with some worsted weight slippers.

Mr. Bean's Green Kimono - Update

This is looking pretty strange, but it's hard to fold because I didn't bind off for the sleeves. I'll undo the orange waste yarn and graft the top stitches for the sleeve, and the bottom stitches will graft to the yoke stitches which are not created yet.

I've knitted to the underarms, put stitches for the sleeve underarm on waste yarn, and continued with another 28 ridges. You can see I've bound off the center stitches for the neck, and continued on with one front. I've knit 14 ridges, and just started to increase at the front edge. By the time I've knitted 28 ridges to correspond with the sleeve back, I'll have added enough stitches to the front so it will match the front.
I was concerned this might be extremely large, so I put the folded BSJ on top for comparison. The green kimono is almost identical to the BSJ for sleeve length and width.
The body of the kimono is at least an inch longer. I imagine you could use it for a sleep sack, or another layer when Bean is travelling. It looks very wide, but the fronts overlap, same as the Sachiko Kimono.
Here's another shot that shows the varying lengths of the three sweaters. I'm not saying one sweater will be nicer than the others; I think this demonstrates that each style of kimono will serve a different purpose. The Bog Kimono will keep Bean's legs warmest, hopefully the wrap front will allow him to wear it this winter when he is still tiny. The Sachiko Kimono will be very nice this summer when he just needs a little cover up and a blanket is enough for his legs. The BSJ will be nice this fall, he'll be sitting up by then and his sleeper will cover his legs.

Mr. Bean's Green Kimono

I've made progress on Bean's latest kimono, the diagonals are almost to the armholes. I have 5 or 6 more ridges before I do the thumb trick for the arms, but I decided to take a picture before settling in to knit later today. They promise a snowstorm this afternoon, and it sounds like a perfect excuse to settle in with a mug of hot tea and get some knitting done.
It looks huge, but maybe it can be a sleep sack, or perhaps sub for a little snowsuit or jacket. It looks as though it will be long enough to cover his legs. Diametrag, I have yarn left from the pinwheel blanket I knitted, and maybe you would like a hat and/or sockies to go with this little coat. The green is a bit darker, but a little contrast is good, yes?

Knitter's Details: fingering weight yarn, #4 needles, about 6 sts per inch. Calculated X (desired chest inches X 6 spi) Cast on 1 1/2 times X (fronts overlap)Knit 1/4X ridges and put in a row of eyelets. Knitting to 1/2X ridges to division for arms.


Rob's Boolaroo, semi-mini trailer. The original plant was gasping its last breath, and I took a leaf as a last resort. I basically ignored the leaf, it sprouted and grew into a nicely shaped trailer. It has never bloomed with a lot of fantasy till now; it's the prettiest this plant has ever been.

Kimono for the Bean

I had a brainstorm while I was looking through patterns for Bean's next sweater. I considered EZ's Surplice Sweater, but decided I didn't like the sleeves. They are done like the BSJ sleeves and grafted on the top. I've done a BSJ, and wanted to do something different.

I considered a Tomten, but it looks more like a jacket than a sweater. I'll probably make one with worsted wool and a hood for this fall, and I wanted to use the fingering weight yarn.

Then I found the pattern for EZ's Bog Sweater. I haven't made one yet, so I studied it carefully. You knit it flat, then fold and graft the yoke and sleeves. I had to draw a diagram for it to make sense. (top)

Then I thought about transforming it into a kimono. (bottom) I decided to add 2 rows of eyelets for I-cord ties. I could have added a third row at the very bottom for decoration, but it's too late for this sweater. I've just started the decreases, and finished my first 50 gram skein.

I estimate I will use all 3 skeins, and won't have enough for matching sox and hat. I could have started my decreases sooner, but I think will fit Bean this winter. It will probably come to his knees or below, and that will keep him nice and warm. When he gets a bit longer, the weather will be warmer, and he won't need it so long.

The third sweater on the far right is a diagram of the Sachiko Kimono for comparison. You can see how short it is. They will be fine for summer, but I think the longer one will be nice for a newborn.

If this works well, I may find some nice dk and make a full set of hat, socks and kimono. I realized that Bean will be a Traveling Man, going to daycare while Diametrag works. He'll need a few more warm sweaters. Never fear, Bean! Grandma Tatt3r is knitting for you!