No, not the flash! Woman, make it stop!
I love knitting for babies. I love the satisfaction of a whole garment finished in a little time, with all the elements and details that an adult version would have. And often even more since the light weight and different user requirements gives room for new constructions more than they riddle the knitter with limitations. And most of all I love knitting for babies whose parents love knitwear.
It doesn’t always have to be a surprise either, so when a good colleague was well on her way I asked her f there was anything they would like for the baby that hadn’t already been passed along from the first child.
Her answer? Something green with cables!
Pattern: Honeypie (Ravelry link) by Thorvalda
Yarn: Pt5 Sport, three balls green no 590
Needles: 3 mm
Modifications: The yarn was a bit thicker than the original yarn so to get something I vaguely assumed would fit the kid at some point between the 3 and 12 month mark I had to rip and cast on the body over 158 sts and make some adjustments to knit the jacket over fewer stitches.
The jacket is very very nice. It is also very practical for a baby, with the button band to the side minimizing risk of chewed off and swallowed buttons, and a good fit. It is also a relatively simple knit if you are experienced enough to follow a rough pattern that takes some shortcuts. The pattern is free so there is nothing to say about it, but the potential for being a good first jacket for a new knitter is so big that it is a little sad to see people give up on the explanations.
I see now that the pattern is no longer a free download, but for sale, so my above notes might not be valid!
I actually liked the back side of the buttons better than the front side, so I sewed them on inside out so to speak! I’ve seen this jacket getting so much wear and the parents praise how practical the garment is, machine washability, the wide neckline, and buttonband placement making it a winner. Kiddo seems happy too, but mostly interested in moving to placs he shouln’t be, and mostly too high above ground for his own good and his mother’s sanity. Ah well, plenty of wiggle room in the jacket. I foresee more honeypies in my knitting future!
Adorable baby and sweater. I love knitting for babies, too. Instant (almost) gratification, and especially nice when the parents really value the knitting.
Really cute!!