patterns from Jaeger JB29

 

George in Rowan handknit dk
ted purse in blue sky organic cotton

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The fact that any pink animal face, especially one with a pointy nose, was going to look like a pig.

"ted purse" from Jaeger JB-29

Presenting Peg, the pink pig purse. I had to rename her. I mean, Ted is for a bear and this ain't no bear.

Hubby says it looks like a mouse. For some reason S keeps saying elephant. But I think it's a pig. Especially without the little felt piece over the hole at the nose (gotta find the craft felt still!). There is supposed to be a little embroidered mouth under the nose as well, but I kinda like it minimalist like this. And she does too.

So what does wee one think it is? Well, let's just say, she's already started sucking on the nose.

I have nothing active on my knitting needles! Can you believe it? I don't know how it happened, but after I finished the cardi, I looked around to pick up the next project and... nothing. (Wee one's bonbon sweater is all knitted but still needs buttons, so even though it's not done, it's not on the needles anymore!) Okay, I will be starting a baby sweater with my next knitting class tomorrow and I am already swatching different yarns for a fall jacket for wee one, but my hands were itching to start something this weekend.

So they started crocheting. This pattern is the super cute "ted purse" from Jaeger JB-29. It's small, it's simple, it's different. And wee one loves purses. And necklaces. It's perfect for her!

I didn't have any good bear-colored yarn in my stash at the right gauge, but then I remembered how much I loved that hot pink bobbi bear I knit for Shannon's baby. I've still got plenty of that blue sky alpacas dyed cotton and I know it makes a darned cute bear. So I snatched it up, stuck a hook behind my ear and went to Knitsmiths to crochet! So far I've only managed to crochet the back piece. I did start the front but goofed it up (hey, I'm not so good with the reading crochet!). And then I got distracted by the gang at Knitsmiths. But that's what playing hookey is all about, right?

George is done! All the finishing touches on this sweater - the cables, the pockets, that cool collar - were so worth it. In fact, they add so much to the sweater that I was really afraid to use buttons with any sort of contrast for fear of overpowering them. As I tried different buttons, that deep navy color just keep fading away as background, setting off whatever I put on top of it. No more cables - it's a button! I was lucky to finally find buttons in almost the same navy shade as the sweater itself and I think they're perfect. And I have to say that it was wonderful to use the Rowan handknit dk cotton again. I'd forgotten how good a good cotton can be. And how good a good boy sweater can be.

Cables and ribs. Pockets and collars. That's what little George is made of.

And now he just needs some buttons....

Any pocket. They're both the same. And they both work on either side.

Isn't that cool? I thought that because the cables are going in opposite directions on the two fronts that the two pockets would have to be knit differently in order to match. But no, just knit the cable from the right front (when worn) on the right side of the pocket and the cable from the left front (when worn) on the left side of the pocket and it matches both sides! (I'm not very gifted when it comes to intuitive spatial reasoning, so I'm always surprised by these things.) I am sorry to report, however, that the directions didn't quite make this apparent. In fact, the pattern instructions have you reverse the cables on the pockets so they don't "match" the cables on the front. Even though the pattern picture clearly has them matching.

Since I'd already reversed my front left and right side cables (oops!) from the ones in the pattern, I was, luckily, paying no attention to the specific cable directions for the pocket and only discovered the pattern error later when it dawned on me that the two pockets are the same. I read through their directions to confirm my conclusion (which I assumed must be wrong) and discovered that their cables didn't match up. (Let me tell you from experience, it is amazing how many times you can check and double check and test knit a pattern, and still little bloops like this will remain. Oh well, c'est la pattern writing.)

Either way, I've got two matching pockets and George is ready for his collar.

What's with the giant-looking sleeves on this George sweater? Holy wideness, batwing, um, batman. Luckily, babies are pretty funny shaped themselves, as wee one can demonstrate. See, fits just fine!

she making her "please" sign
"please take this sweater off me and give me more raisins"

Puddin' and pie. Showed the girls he only had one arm and made them cry.

George from Jaeger JB29 progressing

Good thing he didn't mention that his cables were crossed the wrong way!

In the last few years, I've come across a few knitting books with some awesome baby boy sweaters. But with the boys so big now, and everyone I know having girls, I've had no boys to knit for. The spiral geek sweater, the denim hat and the football hat are the only boy things I've made in years! (And the first two were made for the same kid!) But now friends of ours have adopted a little baby boy. When they adopted a girl a few years ago, I made her this sweater and they were very appreciative recipients, so they're guaranteed another sweater. Especially if I can finally make something out of this book!

Jaeger JB29 (now discontinued)

A few years ago, four or five of us knitsmiths all fell in love with this book at the same time. We had to have our lys order a whole slew of copies because none of us could live without one, or so it seemed. Shireen and Dina actually made several items from the book. Well, now that I have rediscovered this little gem on my knitting bookshelf, I'm determined to make some of these beautiful patterns. Starting with George for our friends' new baby boy.

Former Knitsmith Colleen took almost the same picture when she knitted this sweater!

I have a good amount of "boy yarn" in my stash leftover from sweaters I never made for my boys, so I quickly found this navy handknit dk and got started. I love it so far! I must admit I've missed the blue.