For the baby

I'm waiting for a phone call about a sweater we mailed off a few days ago, so while I hold off posting about that, here's a different project that was recently completed.


A co-worker is having a baby in the next couple of weeks. Well, she's due in another week but she's being induced for health reasons on Monday. Last weekend, a few of us from the company got together with gifts for the, as yet unidentified gender, little one.

A couple of months back I showed you a simple garter stitched afghan, you may remember I referred to another one on the needles. Well, here it is.

Started on August 4th and finished on September 3rd, this is the same square knit from corner to corner with a lace edge. I was using up sport weight in my stash, but still I ended up needing to purchase the lighter blue (I chose blue, not because I suspect the baby will be a boy, but because mommy's got an affinity for it ~ when I filled in for her last spring, it was blue all over the office . . .) because I didn't have the quantity I thought I had and also two skeins of the white to finish the square and complete the edge. The edge, by the way, was from the book 'Victorian Lace Knitting Today' that I have borrowed repeatedly from the library but this was the first time I attempted any of the patterns.

Apparently I didn't get a completed shot of the back of this, so I may have to post the in-progress shot, if I can find it.
Anyway, this is the same raglan sleeve top-down that I've done many times, again adding the collar. I thought I would do the whole thing in mini cables, but then realized it would be too snug and not make the gauge. I began to think of a sleeper I had for my daughter that was a tuxedo style that I loved because it seemed to celebrate her introduction to the world. (In fact, it was the outfit I dressed her in for her first studio portraits at 4 days old.) So I sort of went with the bib design in front and tails in the back. Moss stitch for the bottom, to keep him rooted to the earth and stay with us a long time. This was worsted weight acrylic, and I know you can't see it but I made the button with some of the leftover and one of my stitch marker rings.


Socks, in a fine, possibly lace weight acrylic. I've made this pattern a few times, blue ones for the UPS guy, pink ones for the grandbaby girl my husband's friend was blessed with. And I have just made some yellow ones for the bank teller's baby, who doesn't know if its a boy or girl either.

If you are on Ravelry.com, the pattern for the socks were free. Look for 'Baby Cable Bootie Socks by Dawn Brocco'. Actually there is such a wealth of patterns there, for free and to purchase (some are purchases with profits to charities) that I would recommend anyone who is not already on Ravelry and who knits or crochets needs to get themselves over there.

Hope your fall is starting off smoothly and I will be posting again with the latest project in just a couple days so don't forget to stop back by.

Oh, and just a note about all the acrylic used here: I have been knitting for about 30 years and, while I would prefer to knit with some of the finer fibers, I really can't fit what I would easily consume into my budget. That may be the primary reason but even if I could afford it, I would probably still use acrylic for such as blankets and kitchen potholders (I have crocheted many and my husband loves the ones in our drawer) but for new mommies, I feel very comfortable with making items of acrylic for them. New mommies can get easily overwhelmed, remembering as you toss the little things into the washer 'How was I supposed to wash that?' is not where I want them to be focused. Also, until any allergies the baby may have can be determined, acrylic is less likely to cause problems. I would hate to be the auntie that gave my kiddo that nasty rash.