February Baby Sweater

I knit this sweater for a Christmas present and only just mailed it, so ironically, it really is a February baby sweater. Although I finished knitting and seaming last October, I couldn't find good buttons until January. The coating came off in the wash of the first set of buttons I had sewn on... even though they were supposed to be washable. Argh, darn shell buttons from JoAnn Fabrics, darn you!

Oh la la, these colors match my blog!

Every time I look at these sweater pictures, I smile. My boyfriend says this is his favorite item that I have ever knit, and the mommy loves it too, and she says that her baby girl wears it all the time. I'm dancing the Happy Dance.

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's "Baby Sweater on Two Needles," aka "February Baby Sweater," from Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Washable wool, for the mom's sake.... Knit Picks Swish in color "Indigo Heather," about 2.25 skeins
Needles: 4.5 mm (US size 7) Knit Picks 24" Options (for body) and 4.5 mm straights (for sleeves)
Recipient: Friend's baby girl... the mommy is the person who taught me how to knit

Mods:
I added a half-inch in length to the body and sleeves. I compared the finished sweater/jacket to store-bought clothing, and the shoulder-to-shoulder width was comparable to size 3-6 months. I estimated the size correctly because my friend says that her 3.5-month-old girl is wearing this now.

Sweater in progress

Once I got to the sleeve divide, I knit the sleeves first on straight needles (leaving the body stitches on my Options cord), then I picked up stitches to knit the body, but I ended up with this hole - whoopsy. I don't think I picked up those stitches properly.

Oopsy hole

All turned out well once I seemed up the sleeves.

Nice!

Review:
A simple, fun, beautiful pattern. Zimmermann's pithy directions are short and sweet, and I can't wait to tackle more of her patterns. I love how this cardigan looks like a swing jacket, which is fitted across the shoulders but swings out from the body - they are in style again. I only included three buttons on the top and left the sleeves “short” (three-quarter length) to emphasize the look. I also love the smooshy Swish yarn and its rich color because I didn't want to create a stereotypical pastel pink baby sweater.