FO: FebROOary Baby Sweater

One of my very dear friends is going to be having a little girl just about any minute now.  And new babies mean new excuses to knit tiny babby things.

There is nothing quite so satisfying as a wee sweater.  They knit up quickly and their cuteness is often in inverse proportion to their size.  Plus you get all of the satisfaction of sweater knitting at a fraction of the real estate.  Seriously, baby sweaters.  You can't go wrong.

No really, I mean it. Even if you have a disastrous gauge accident, it's fine.  Too small?  Find a bear that needs a jacket.  Too big?  Babies grow.   About the only thing you have to worry about is making sure the neck opening is big enough if you're going the pullover route.

Anyway, do you remember a couple of months ago when I was all "Uh, yeah.  I knit a thing.  But I can't show you."   Well, it's been delivered (ha!), so here I am now with my FO post, nearly two months later.

Meet Elizabeth Zimmermann's February project from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. This is a "Baby Sweater on Two Needles" -- which does exactly what it says on the tin.  It's my first real EZ pattern (the Baby Surprise Jacket is also on my to-do list), and it was charming, easy, and fun to knit.

Truth be told, if I were to do another, I'd modify the sleeves to knit them in the round.  Just because you can knit a yoke sweater on two straight needles doesn't mean you have to.

I used a microfiber yarn I had in my stash to make life easier for mother and baby alike.  She's a crafter herself and would be absolutely able, willing, and prepared to care for a wool sweater, so that wasn't a concern ...but this is Tennessee.  In May. Microfiber is just fine, thanks.

I did a bit of fiddling here and there to get the sleeves to match, and to have the solid purple land on the garter hems.  I love how it turned out.  That little bit of fussiness just makes the whole thing feel more polished.

I didn't even mind the extra ends to weave in.

Project Notes

Pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Premier Yarns Serenity Garden, in the "Hibiscus" colorway
Yardage: 239 yds
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)
Size:  Wee
Started: March 5, 2015
Completed: March 15, 2015