the blue blog archives: I heart baby sweaters

This sweater (well the baby it's planned for) isn't due until the winter, but I just had to keep knitting it since it's so adorable. The little heart came out so sweet and the writing isn't bad at all - sometimes I find knitted lettering to look a bit crappy, but the letters here are kinda neat. I did stranding across the back for the letters because I just couldn't deal with the alternative. But even with the stranding, I still have all of this awaiting me!

I'm surprised to discover how much I really want to make these pipsqueak sweaters for my boys. NOW. I'd planned to make them eventually, but now that I've got the modifications all worked out for using all seasons cotton instead of sport weight cotton, I'm thinking, no time like the present. (Quick, before I o.d. on all seasons cotton!) So, I'm working on getting the yarn together that I would need. I've got the blue yarn from my first attempt at Smooch all ready for the body of the "little star" sweater and some red still leftover from my first tank girl tank for the heart. That leaves only yellow and white to rustle up. And then I'll be sure to knit 'em right up and toss 'em in the basket with the other baby knits that I don't feel like finishing. Notice: no progress since the last time I showed that picture. Apparently, I don't heart finishing baby sweaters.

posted by alison at 12:02 am | in pipsqueaks

Comments

At least you have a nice basket to store things away in! I have a sweater that I finished a year ago. Still waiting to be put together.

Was "the alternative" you referred to duplicate stitch?

Posted by: Melissa at July 2, 2003 5:24 AM

That really is the sweetest little heart, though. Nice job!

Posted by: Rachael at July 2, 2003 5:55 AM

Well, isn't that the cutest little sweater! You are in a heart kind of mood. It's a good thing.
Maybe you can answer me a question....
Where would I find the pattern for the Phildar sweater? Can't seem to google it up. Thanks, I heart you!

Posted by: Sandy at July 2, 2003 6:45 AM

Thatlettering is perfect. Well done!

Posted by: Linda at July 2, 2003 6:50 AM

The heart + lettering is the sweetest thing, ever. Lucky recipient!

Posted by: Becky at July 2, 2003 7:04 AM

I don't know, Alison. That white background looks awfully suspicious. Are you sure that's a baby sweater and not your white tank? Huh?!? ;) Beautiful job, you sweetheart! (If I was knitting it, the lettering would've come out "sweat"heart. 'Cause that's the kind of knitter I am.)

Posted by: Kerstin at July 2, 2003 7:08 AM

If it will make you feel better, I can show a pic of the inside of my Kaffe Fassett? Then again, maybe that is too scary...;-)

Posted by: claudia at July 2, 2003 7:10 AM

OMG - that has to be the cutest baby sweater i have ever seen. i love it love it love it.

Posted by: kerrie at July 2, 2003 7:29 AM

Actually, Melissa, I was avoiding doing the letters intarsia style, with separate pieces of yarn. With the stranding, I've got a tiny bit of puckering and I probably could have avoided that if I'd been willing to weave in 40 different ends. Of course, duplicate stitch never even occurred to me. But since I'm planning on making two more of these, I'll be seriously considering it. It's not too hard, is it? Will it come out looking as good?

Posted by: alison at July 2, 2003 7:38 AM

Even if there is puckering, it's very hard to detect. I think you did a great job with the stranding and the photo of the back reinforces my belief that you did the right thing. I think intarsia for the words would have been unnecessarily complicated.

Be brave with the weaving. You may want to consider splitting the strands and using a small needle to sew into a few strands of the purl bumps and double back (I'm not sure how thick this yarn is). I picked that up from the S.W.A.K. intarsia book. It's especially useful for preventing cotton ends from working out. I have a picture in my archives of how I did something similar for my Country Plaid Shirt.

Posted by: michelle at July 2, 2003 8:31 AM

Thanks for the tips, Michelle. Would you recommend that Intarsia book? I've seen it online several times and keep wondering if it would be useful. I did take a little two hour workshop on intarsia, but maybe the book has some particularly useful tips or photos.

Posted by: alison at July 2, 2003 8:44 AM

Alison, the baby sweater looks great! I'm sure that the recipient and her mom will love it! The lettering looks great, much better than duplicate stitch would have. I'm not a fan of things that are duplicate stitched.

As for getting together the yarn for the next two sweaters... I have three balls of the yellow cotton-ease sitting in my bag waiting for you! Will that be enough, because I do have two more in my own stash that I can always replace when I'm ready to use them myself.

Posted by: Johanna at July 2, 2003 9:32 AM

Great sweet heart sweater. I also love the Rowan boy's sweaters. Where is the pattern from? Thanks for putting me on the Smooch list (even though I don't have the stuff yet.)

Posted by: Steph at July 2, 2003 9:35 AM

Oh, I heart that adorable sweater! Nice work. I was wondering where your matching (mine) first-Smooch yarn was headed. I have Cotton Twist to make a sweater for a babe due in August, so better get to it soon myself!

Posted by: maggi at July 2, 2003 9:51 AM

Alison, I would recommend the S.W.A.K. book if you planned on doing some doing some complicated designs (something beyond simple geometric shapes that potentially comblines intarsia and stranding), especially in cotton. I think the book is a good primer for the kinds of kits that S.W.A.K. sells.

As I've said before, most resources that mention intarsia don't go into much detail about complex designs and weaving in; this book does. If anyone else knows about another comprehensive guide to intarsia, I'd like to hear about it (there must be something else out there).

Posted by: michelle at July 2, 2003 12:02 PM

Thanks Michelle for your opinion on the SWAK intarsia book. I think I'll put it on my wish list!

And for everyone else, here's the 411 on the sweaters. The Sweet Heart and Little Star sweaters are from Rowan's Pipsqueaks book. This baby sweater is just the Sweet Heart sweater done in red & white instead of red & pink, and since it's sized down I had to have two lines of text, instead of everything on one line.

I have four balls of blue all seasons cotton from my failed Smooch (one ball too short in a discontinued color!), so I've decided to do the Little Star sweater using that blue with yellow for the star and the stripes on the sleeves. The yellow Cotton-Ease might work, but I want to see how the color looks with this blue first.

Plus, I could always make another tank top with the yellow Cotton-Ease. I feel a ChicKami knitalong coming on!

Posted by: alison at July 2, 2003 12:55 PM

Just changing the subject away from intarsia for a minute: I was just wondering if you find the Smooch tank to be more comfortable than the Pagan tank? I'm thinking of doing another tank after i'm done with Smooch (which may end up having SLEEVES, horrors! LOL... I explained why in my blog...) I'll be making another tank with the ASC clone yarns..it's MUCH lighter/less dense than the brown sheep yarn...

The SWAK intarsia book is excellent...

Posted by: Jessica at July 2, 2003 1:18 PM

I have used duplicate stitch with good results. It wouldn't work for the heart but might be an option for the lettering (although it does add to the "topography" of the fabric). My advice is to make a swatch and try out some letters to see how you like it. The technique is easy.

Posted by: Melissa at July 2, 2003 3:03 PM

Allison as I told you earlier, my Chickami is in full swing. Now all I need is to hook the rest of you into joining me!

Posted by: Gina at July 2, 2003 4:44 PM