Let's Knit Magazine - Your knitting, your style

Hey Laura, as we can’t have our usual daily Baby Surprise update I had to post this to show you the state of mine as of this morning....I counted the stitches first thing and found I had loads more before the decrease on one side than the other, so my decreasing obviously went awry at some point - so I had to rip back right down to the increase row!!!! Arrrgghh!!!

And I couldn’t find the pattern at home, god knows what happened to that, but now it’s not the pattern it’s the cheat sheet I need!

I WILL get it done by 10th May!!!!

For those who wonder what I’m blathering on about, it’s Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Baby Surprise jacket - Laura and I are having fun and games with it (see Laura’s blog for more on this and pics of her much more impressive progress - although not without sweat and tears!) People who say it’s easy - beware, they lie!

I have heard of this jacket before, was it the 2nd dvd we got with the mag? Had a quick look for the pattern earlier but my sons were hasseling me to play Tommy Zoom on cbeebies so I didn’t get very far. Is it a free pattern that you could put a link up for or even a piccie of the end result? My curiosity has been aroused about this baby knit.

It’s not a free pattern, but I think you can buy it from knitncaboodle.co.uk. Be warned, it’ll drive you bananas! It’s written in a very conversational style rather than telling you exactly how many stitches you need to knit, the idea being that you don’t just blindly follow instructions, you actually get a sense of what you’re doing as you go along. Which is fine if you can get past the first hurdle, unlike me!

I think the problem is you have to start with a lot of stitches because it’s all knitted in one piece, and then you have to do mitring decreases in precisely the right place for umpteen rows, and she doesn’t give you a stitch count for where to put them after the first couple. So inevitably one of mine went in the wrong place and the error just escalates after every row then. So I’ve frogged about ten rows. I’m determined to soldier on though!

Surely life is toooo short to struggle like that when there are so many gorgeous baby patterns to be had.  This reminds me of those “Impossipuzzles”....a plate of baked beans or a dish of Smarties instead of a great picture.  IS IT ME????

I agree with you on one hand Gill knitting is supposed to be relaxing even theraputic and this project sounds anything but!!! but on the other hand I can see the need for people to prove how much they’ve learnt and maybe also become a member of a type of exclusive club a small elite who can punch the air and say YES I’ve done it. I’m usually far to laid back to be competitive but sometimes a personal challenge can be good. I think all those blood sweat and tears though would have to be for my own baby. I don’t think I could go through that and give it away after. Mmmmmm time to talk to Mark again about the possibility of the tiny patter of little feet.!!!!

I’m scared to try it now! But, that’s probably a good thing as I don’t really have any babies nearby to knit for (and I really shouldn’t be starting any more projects!)…

I feel your pain - I have lost count of how many times I have frogged mine! Just think how satisfied (read: smug!) we will feel when we have finally finished them!

Am happy to report that things seems to have turned a corner now and I am back on track, although this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the cheat sheet found by Laura at http://3gcs.com/adcock/
which gives you a stitch count for every row! So I feel a little more relaxed now. But I fear I will have to commit sacriledge when I come to put this pattern in my pattern log, and redraft the infamous Elizabeth Zimmermann freeform style into LK style where everything is spelled out, incase I ever decide to knit another one!

Have just checked this link out and for the few of you who were interested in msking your own needles a few weeks back theres a really detailed instruction page on here. Kathleen alice is it you who was interested? and a couple more but I’ve been to bed since then!!!! No sorry can’t think of names but I’m sure you remember who you are!!

Hi Sarah - Bonjour from France! Just thought I would update you on the BSJ! The good news is that I finished it last night! WooHoo! And all my own work I promise!! The bad news is that I think it looks a little wonky and I’m not even sure that I like it after all that work!!!
Im hoping that some pretty little buttons will make it look a little nicer! Hope you’re winning the BSJ battle too!

I have wanted to try this pattern, but having bought EZ’s Almanac I thought twice. As Sarah mentions, EZ writes as though she’s talking to you, there is no such thing as a regular pattern with her!

Bonjour Laura! I think your BSJ looks great, and not at all wonky from the photo - are you sure you didn’t bribe Jean Moss to put you out of your misery? Let’s just hope little Miles fits into it after all that! I still seem to be winning although not quite finished yet - will keep you posted and put up a pic, as I’ll have to give it away to the lucky recipient (still not born yet mind you!!!) before you get back!

Hope all’s going well over there

S x

At last it’s finished (as of last Saturday actually - bang on deadline!) I was actually quite enjoying it by the end, and certainly nothing beats casting off and only needing to sew up two tiny seams along the top of the arms to make it up! (Took a while to work out how on earth to fold this odd-shaped thing into a jacket mind you!)

Sarah - 15 May 2008 10:16 PM

At last it’s finished (as of last Saturday actually - bang on deadline!) I was actually quite enjoying it by the end, and certainly nothing beats casting off and only needing to sew up two tiny seams along the top of the arms to make it up! (Took a while to work out how on earth to fold this odd-shaped thing into a jacket mind you!)

That is beautifull and I bet the sense of achievement more than makes up for all the frustrations. WELL DONE

well done Sarah! Its lovely

Well done it looks great.