the blue blog archives: my, oh mya

Mya - aka, the tiny-gauged baby sweater - is all sewn up. There's only the fasteners left to add. Well, to settle on and then add. The pattern calls for button loops to be crocheted on at the side of each front panel (one inside and one outside). I tried doing the loops and felt like they were stretching out the edging too much. So, I ripped them out. I briefly considered afterthought buttonholes (cutting a hole into the finished edging and stitching around it to secure the yarn, but that seems like a last resort option). The next best option seemed to be to sew in snaps. Now that the snaps are in, I don't like them. They pull too much on the stitches in the body. Even with some grosgrain behind them, I think it's too much strain on the fine yarn. So out they'll go. Fellow Knitsmith, Gina, suggested some tiny little i-cords at the sides, just like in those wrap-around baby onesies. I'd love to attach pretty ribbon, but given that one of the ties is on the inside, I don't see how I could sew in ribbon without it showing on the outside. So little i-cords may have to do. Any other brilliant ideas out there?

(No knitting pictures from me today. Sniff, sniff. But if you want to see lovely knitting, don't despair. Just check out the links in the sidebar to some recently finished Banffs. They're beautiful!)

posted by alison at 7:34 am | in baby (sweater) factory

Comments

I made a similar sweater recently. I wanted to attach I-cords as closures, too, but my yarn was too heavy. The cords would have been too thick. I used a chain stitch of crochet. I attached it with two single crochet stitches. One chain on the front flap; one chain on the sweater body. Two in the front; two on the inside of the sweater. Each just long enough to tie into a bow. I usually don't like adding crochet to my knitting, but these ties turned out very stylish.

Posted by: Roseanne at February 11, 2004 8:16 AM

That picture of the 2 of you sleeping on the sofa is pricless, much more valuable then knitting update pictures.

How old is the baby you've made the tiny sweater for? My only concern with ribbon or i-cord is the choking aspect - I used to be really nervous about Brooke's clothes that had ties on them.

Posted by: kerrie at February 11, 2004 8:19 AM

i like the icord idea - or borrow claudia's lucet and make little braids! :) if you are sewing ribbon onto inside, can't you just sew to pieces of the yarn from that side, but not go all the way through? hmmm, not sure i can explain what i mean in writing...

Posted by: carolyn at February 11, 2004 8:25 AM

I have a few lucettes hanging around. I can bring one to Knitsmiths, if you can hang on for another week. (Can't make this week AGAIN 'cause we're heading north.) The lucet does make a pretty braid and may be worth the wait. Beautiful pic of you two!

Posted by: Kerstin at February 11, 2004 9:48 AM

Love the picture of you both...enjoy them!

Posted by: Cindy at February 11, 2004 10:13 AM

Hey, is that a Land's End reversible t-neck you are wearing? LOL, I was wearing mine in the same color yesterday too!

Posted by: Sharlene at February 11, 2004 10:48 AM

What a cute photo! Good luck with the sweater, too. I'm sure whatever you end up doing, it will look mahvelous!

Posted by: Amy at February 11, 2004 11:56 AM

I wish I had a solution for you. You seem to have explored the most obvious choices though.

Were you dreaming of knitting?

Posted by: michelle at February 11, 2004 1:40 PM

Now that you are almost finished with this baby kimono sweater, would you compare and contrast this project with the other baby kimono sweater in your "finished" works section? Could you give a full run-down of pros/cons of finished project, actual knitting, other considerations for those of us who are trying to pick which would be the best bet for our own little people?

Thanks,

Laura

Posted by: Laura at February 11, 2004 6:24 PM

I-cords -- My first knitting project was from Jil Eaton's book "Minnies" and I did i-cords for the kimono-type baby sweater. Go for it!!! Your knitting is fantastic (tks for the constant pics).

Leslie

Posted by: Leslie at February 11, 2004 6:33 PM

I-cords, lucets, crochet hooks, oh my!

Kerrie, the size I'm making is for like a 1 1/2 year old and the ties would just be at the armpits where the sides wrap together. I think that's a fairly safe scenario. Would you agree?

Sharlene, Land's End all the way. Wooo!

Laura, when I finish Mya (tomorrow?), I'll post my thoughts on the two kimono designs. The first one I did was the same one Leslie mentioned.

Posted by: alison at February 11, 2004 8:34 PM