Completed Baby Surprise Jacket

Sittin'and a Knittin'

Here is my finished Baby Surprise Jacket. I added a collar and ribbing to the cuffs. It turned out nice, however I didn't really care for this yarn. The little sparkly strands in the yarn would split easily which was aggravating to say the least. I do plan on making more. I am making a blue one next for a friend who wants it for a gift.


I love the way changing colors makes it look. Above is the back view and

below is a close up of the details.

I found these cute little flower buttons!
As I stated in my last post I found this PDF file to keep track of rows as you are making the jacket/sweater very helpful. However, I changed a few spots in the guide to more closely follow the directions that Meg Swansen gave in the DVD where she explains how to make it.

When I have permission from Dawn to post the revised file here for downloading I will.

Update: Dawn Adcock has graciously agreeded to let me post my revised file here. You can find it on my sidebar under Knitting Helps. I have also placed a link to her gorgeous knitting patterns (Dawn's Dream Designs) on my sidebar under Knitting Patterns. Be sureto check them out!

Knitting with Moma

Sittin'and a Knittin'

I try to visit my mom every week so that we can sit and knit together. I thought I would introduce you to my mom. This is Carol and she just learned to knit mid February just like me. We are learning together.

Here she is knitting her Something Red which she is making in a cream color.

I am making mine in a Carolina Blue and here it is still on the needles.

My last visit I stopped in to see my sister at their bird store...

Wild Bird Mart in Denver, NC.

Here is Kim, her husband Alex and their daughter, my beautiful niece Alexis.

Adding to my stash of knitting stuff!

Sittin'and a Knittin'

It seems that there is just not enough time in my days to get accomplished what I want to accomplish! Is there ever?

Isn't that always the case with knitter's or any one that crafts? Lately I seem to want every pattern I see or I want every book that has even one pattern in it that I want to knit. Above is just a few of my recent purchases, there's the scarfStyle book that I adore, the Baby Surprise DVD, and the new yarn I just got from www.elann.com
The dark green is called Lara and I want to use it to make another pleated skirt for my daughter, of course once I am sure the one I made fits her. Then there is the Austermann Mayfair Color in 103 Spring Bouquet, that I am not quite sure what to knit up using it. I have to say that I was so impressed with my purchase from elann as this was my first purchase.

If you haven't visited them, be sure you do. Just the FREE pattern page is enough to get your knitting needles
clicking away. Also, if you ever need knitting help just ask the nice ladies in their Chat Center and I am sure someone can help you.

Last but not least is my latest trip to my local Michaels to pick up some yarn for making some Baby Surprise Jacket's. I don't even know anyone with babies...LOL

I also picked up some Caron Simply Shades. I made my sister a One Skein Wonder Shrug from this and just loved it, so I want to make another. Oh well one more thing to add to my WIP list.

Now just for fun, here is a photo of my DH making me laugh as he pretends to be a lawnboy fountain.

Isn't he adorable? This man isn't happy unless he is outside working in the yard. That is one of my 3 toy poodles, Zoe right there at his feet. She loves to be outside anytime the hose is on she is ready to pounce!

Until next time... knit on!

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket

Sittin'and a Knittin'

EZ Baby Surprise Jacket is currently on my needles...or at least on one set of them...LOL
I found the instructional DVD very informative and helpful.
Meg Swansen did an excellent job of explaining it's process.
Here is mine in process now... and I will post again once it is finished. I have found a few sites with great info and help on this sweater. Here they are listed for you. Be sure to print out the guide BSSnotes.pdfwhich I found at the 3rd link below. It helps you to mark off and keep track of your row count.However if you are following the DVD instructions they differ from this row guide at this section below. It really wouldn't matter if you did the M1's on this row, but I waited and knitted them on row 59 to keep to the instructions on the DVD.

57: 28; M1, (K5, M1) 10Xs, K4, M1; 28

59: 29, 68

http://www.knitting-and.com/wiki/Baby_Surprise_Jackethttp://babysurprise0.tripod.com/index.htmlhttp://www.3gcs.com/adcock/free%20patterns/BSS%20Notes.htm

Blue Sky Alpacas Pleated Skirt

Sittin'and a Knittin'
I wanted to knit something nice for my daughter's birthday in late June.
This is Jennifer.
I decided on this cute little pleated skirt. I thought that this would be a hard and time consuming knit, so I started early so that it would be finished by the time we go to St. Petersburg, Florida on the day of her birthday... June 28th to visit her for a few days.

This skirt really was very fun to knit! I used Shine Sport yarn in Willow from Knitpicks. The pattern calls to knit the back and front separate. So, I used a size 4 Addi Turbo in a 47" length so that I could knit both front and back at the same time. It is so neat how you get this pleated look, just from knit and purl stitches! Here is a close up of the pleats.Once I finished the pleats I joined both sides to complete the skirt in the round. This way there was no seaming at the stockinette sides or the 1x1 ribbing at the waist. This is supposed to sit low on the waist or high on the hip. I didn't do a test gauge and made it using the largest waist size of 29". Waist Sizes: 25 (26.5, 29)" My daughter is 25" at her waist? So why did I make it that size...I looked at the pattern wrong and thought that those were hip sizes and not waist sizes! Yikes! Although, I should have realized this sooner, I mean who has hips that are that small... a barbie doll? Luckily for me, it came out perfect. Or at least I think so, going by the dress form I have at home that is set to Jennifer's measurements. I won't know for sure until she tries it on when we visit her. If it is too big, I plan on crocheting a little picot edge around the waist and stringing it with a knitted I-Cord tie to keep it up. I just am hoping and praying it fits...LOLJennifer, we love you !

Update: It fits!

Georgette's Arm Warmer

Sittin'and a Knittin'
Well it has been awhile since I have posted, as I have been very busy knitting... LOL So I will try today to get everyone caught up on what I have been working on lately.

Here is an arm warmer that I made for one of my clients, Georgette.

She has problems with her arm hurting when she sleeps at night because it gets cold. So, I made her this arm warmer to keep her arm from getting cold.

I used a varigated sock yarn that I had purchased from KnitPicks. It took most of one skein. I really like the way the yarn self striped. Unfortunately they don't sell this yarn anymore! Here is the link for the pattern... Arm Warmer sold at kpixie.com I did change the pattern a little. I didn't change colors at the elbow and I added a little ruffle at the elbow bind off edge.I hope you enjoy your new arm warmer Georgette!

Bird House Bags

Sittin'and a Knittin'

Here are the Bird House Bags that I have just finished. You can find the free pattern at www.elann.com in their free pattern section or click on the title of this post to go there.

On the second one on the left with the red top, I decided to decrease the top of the body of the bag by doing two k2tog on the last two rows. This gave it a slight decrease at the top body of the bag which allowed the top of the bag to seat nicely.

I also decided to add plastic canvas to the inside of the bags to give them more firmness. I cut a circle for the bottom of the inside and a long rectangle for the sides of the bag. I then sandwiched these plastic pieces between cloth and serged around the edges.

Next I placed the pieces inside the bags and voila....lined insides!

Lastly, I needle felted all of the little flowers to the sides of the bag.
Now, go and knit you up a little Bird House Bag!