5 Hour Baby Sweater - for Bean

I finished the yoke in Bean's 5 hour baby sweater. The sleeve stitches are on strands of scrap yarn, and I'm working slowly down the body of the sweater.

Now that I've seen Bean recently, I have my doubts that this will fit him for any length of time. It's only 21" around the chest, and the yoke is 6" at most.

I like the seed stitch that overlaps in the front; it will go over Bean's head and I won't have to mess with the knitted or crocheted button bands of a cardigan. I could have put a 4th reverse stockinette ridge, but I didn't know how many more rows I wanted to knit before dividing the stitches.

5 Hour Baby Sweater - revisited

I'm knitting another 5 hour baby sweater, this time for my 6 month old grandson, Bean. I knit slower than I did when I made a 5HS in 6.5 hours. This one will take 8 or 9, I'm sure.

The picture shows my progress after Saturday night's hockey game, minus time for a sandwich, then popcorn. I guess it's about 1.5 hours and 119 stitches. I'm not knitting on these dpns. My #8 circ is small and the stitches were mushed together, so I slipped it onto the dpns for the progress picture.

As usual, I'm not following a single pattern, I'm combining ideas from 2 or 3 patterns to get what I want. I am writing it down in my notebook, so I can reproduce it if Diametrag wants another.

I started with Gail Bable's Baby Boy Style 5 Hour Sweater, and took another idea from a 5HBS knitted as a pullover. I liked the purl ridge on Gail's sweater, but expanded it so I have 3 rows of reverse stockinette stitch, separated by 5 rows of stockinette. This spacing allows me to do my increases on a knit row, and avoid increasing on a purl row.

I also widened the 3 stitch border to 5, and changed it from garter to seed stitch. A regular 5HBS starts with 33 sts, increasing to 139 sts over 30 rows. Since Bean is 6 mo. old, with an 19" chest, I started with 49 stitches and plan to increase to 143 stitches, but am keeping the same 30 rows. I may have to change that plan, but I will measure him next weekend and decide then.

I plan to knit the yoke in rows, and knit the body in the round for a little pullover. I will bind off one of the 5 stitch borders and sew it down, making a little placket. It will give enough room to slip over his head; I have plans to knit 3 buttonholes in the placket.

I'm using TLC Essentials, Barn Red and #8 needles. I'm getting about 4 sts/inch, which should make a sweater big enough to go through the winter.

I also got a hint from Diametrag that Bean needs a new hat, preferably one with earflaps. Seems my little Travelling Man needs warm duds for the early morning ride in the car. Knitting Gramma to the rescue! I'll start an earflap hat this afternoon, 5HBS can wait a week.

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.

Finished Tofutsies, Started Sachiko Kimono

I finished another Pair of Socks For Me! This is my first pair of Tofutsies socks, and I'll need to see how they wash and wear. My first impression is I loved the way the yarn felt as it ran through my fingers, and the finished socks feel soft and squishy.
I love the subtle colors, and I must admit I've been window shopping here. Some of the colors are too bright for me, but their range is wide enough to please my oddball color sense. Even the bright ones look good to me today. Can't you just see #799 in a baby kimono? #802 would be even better! With 100 gram balls, I might eke out a matching hat and sockies! Honestly, I'm planning a trip to my LYS when the roads clear. I'd love to see those colors and squish that yarn in person!
The Socks for Me Project is on the back burner while I make a last minute push for a few sweaters for Bean. He's due in about 4 weeks, and that means his window of opportunity is approaching quickly!
This is the Sachiko Kimono by Erika Flory. I found it here while surfing for baby patterns before Christmas. I was searching on Ravelry, and many knitters are making the Baby Yoda Sweater, but I like the look of this one, plus it is sized for 6, 12 and 18 months.
I haven't used Mission Falls 1824 cotton before, and I'm not happy with the way my eyelets are so big on the diagonal fronts. I may knit extra I-cord and thread it through those holes just to cover them up. Next time I will remember to snug up the stitch after the eyelet.
I bought this yarn on sale, intending to make a Baby Surprise Jacket, and changed my mind. I had 2 balls of Lentil, and trimmed it with the Olive Green. I have only 20 grams of Lentil left, and I know that's not enough for the sleeves. I plan to divide the leftover yarn, pick up the stitches and knit till I have just enough left to sew the seam. I'll finish in green, and if I'm lucky, it will look like it was a Plan! There will be enough green to make I-cords and then I'm done!
In my opinion, this kimono rivals the 5 hour baby sweater for knitting simplicity, and I like the way it looks! I have three more balls of 1824 cotton, and will probably make another kimono just so I don't have the yarn hanging around. I'm not fond of knitting worsted weight sweaters for babies, but I'm reserving judgement till I actually see the sweater on Bean. I also don't know how this stuff washes and dries. Diametrag is going to be busy enough, she shouldn't have to worry about special washing instructions.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I started another pair of Socks for Me, this time in Tofutsies, color #807. It is actually a very nice heathery gray, but the light is quirky this morning, and the color is way off. I am knitting with #0s and my usual 64 sts, toe up, two at the same time. I read reviews that reported Tofutsie yarn was splitty, and they were right. It's not annoying yet, so I will keep an eye on my stitches when I'm working this pair.
As I knitted, I thought about Diametrag's baby shower, and all the wonderful gifts she got for Bean. He has enough bibs, t-shirts, onesies, socks, receiving blankets, sweaters....Oops! Sweaters? Tatt3r's first grandson, the one to be born in February, has No Sweaters? GASP! I will certainly flunk Grandmother's Knitting 101, be banished to the inner circle of Knitting H3ll, and never have access to yarn or needles again!
So begins my downfall, I started a project without finishing one. But I had to, right? It's for Diametrag's Bean!
Here is the yarn for Bean's sweater, after the dog got through with it. Last fall, Diametrag and I bought yarn on sale at ThreadBear in Lansing. I also bought this wonderful pale green yarn, not on sale. I put it all in a bag, in the spare bedroom, behind a closed door, and yet Kaylee somehow gained access to the yarn. I can't fault her taste. She turned up her nose at the $1/skein cheapo yarns, and went directly for the $6.99/skein yarn. You can see she demolished one skein, slobbered on a second and left the third one untouched.
I started the Baby Sweater on Two Needles from "Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac". (page 28) I am using Lanett and #4 needles. EZ uses Gull Stitch for the body of the sweater, a pretty little lace stitch. I decided Bean didn't need lace, and I am alternating bands of seed stitch and garter stitch. I was concerned there might not be enough contrast between garter st and seed st, but I think it will be good enough.
I try to finish one project before beginning another, but now I have quite a juggling act going on.