FO #1 Kerns baby dress

Actually, this FO was one of the last I finished before the holidays, but I'm going to count it here since I'm the only one who really cares about this anyway.

As I may have mentioned, I try to give all new babies at work a little hand-knit goodness. I love the people I work with (most of them, anyway!), and I love having an excuse to show them. I think it would be weird if I just started giving out random presents (I know because I tried it once, and it definitely was AWKWARD.), so I like to show off a bit when people have babies, because you get an excuse! Anyway, when I decided to do this, I didn't realize EVERYONE would start having babies at the same time. I think within the last two years, I've made ten or so baby presents just for people at work. Maybe more! Then it died down for a while and now it seems to be cranking up again, or at least there are a few stragglers from the first group. Anyway, I'm back in production.



Pattern: Knitted Dress by Claire Montgomerie, from her book Easy Baby Knits, which Sue gave me during her big destash 2008. Size 6-9 mo.

The book is really simple stuff, but for quick baby shower pressies, who cares? A lot of the projects are in garter stitch, and have simple shapes with clean lines, and I think if this was the only baby book you owned, you'd get bored pretty quickly, but it is great to dip into every once in a while. Sue helped me re-jig the numbers one night at knitting, because my gauge was completely wrong, and the first time I started it, it was sized for a four year old!

The book also shows the dress with a ribbon around the waist, but I really don't think that's necessary or even desirable in a baby dress. Anyway, this is more like a jumper, and I figured that the kid could wear it later over pants.

For maximum wear, I left little vents in the sides of the bodice:


Also, check out those sweet doggie buttons I got in Salt Lake at a craft store that was near the hotel and going out of business:


Yarn: Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in pink and white, obviously.

I'd gotten this yarn during my second trip to Utah at a Joann's in Provo, just to see if it was any good. I have to say, I think it is almost as good as Blue Sky's organic cotton, although when I washed it (in Soak), it did end up with this REALLY IRRITATING STREAK right across the back that wasn't there before:


You may not be able to see it too clearly in the photo, but it is in the pink section right under the bodice. I told the recipient that it was just because of the dye in the organic cotton not taking right, but what the hell do I know except that I spent a long time on this project, just for it to be f*d up when I'm finally finished with it. So I would say, be wary of the dye doing weird things when the garments are washed.

The yarn also ate the paint off my cheap metal size 9 straight needles, but I don't really care so much about that.

Needles: Size 9 US straights

The dress was for one of the other editors' babies, and he did send me a picture of her wearing it:



I don't think she likes being held that way, but the dress looks really cute!



I have a couple more FOs almost ready to go (one just needs pictures, and one needs to be seamed up (both will be done by the end of the weekend), and I'm almost through with part of Matthew's Christmas present, and then I need to start planning my next few projects. I know the first few: 1) booties to go with the sweater I made for my cousin's baby (shower next weekend), 2) sweater for my friend Amy's second baby, that I didn't know about until I got her xmas card family picture, 3) bib and burping cloth for next work pregnancy, for someone I'm not as close to (in other words, no garment for her). After that, I'm free to start working on other things.