FO #15 Fred Textured Sweater

Boy, the FOs are just stacking up around here! It's pretty exciting, because I'll have stuff to post about all week, and by the end of the week, maybe I'll be finished with my WIP, which I started on one of my trips, and have been putting off, since you have to sew up the arms before you actually knit the collar, and I'm not used to that. Normally I don't sew up until I block (so the sleeves lay (lie?) flatter), but this is a circular shrug, so the collar goes all the way around. Hence, the premature seaming.

Anyway, this FO I finished before I left:



Pattern: Fred Textured Sweater from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding
Yarn: Jeannee, by Plymouth--not even close to being a natural yarn, but it is really good for baby clothes. The acrylic added to the cotton helps the drape and softness, and it can be machine washed. I think I used 5 balls and a bit, because I bought 7 balls, and I know I have one full ball and one mostly full ball left.
Needles: Size 6 aluminum for the body and size 5 for the bands.



Notes:
I made the largest size, because I didn't know how long it had been since the baby was born. I gave the sweater to the baby's mom last week, and she said she thought it would still fit. Whew! I was going by the size of her first baby, who was still pretty small when I saw her at 6 mo., but apparently this monstrous boy topped out at over 9 pounds at birth! Yikes! She said he's huge.



One other note, I couldn't really understand the neckline directions, and I'm sure I did it wrong, but I ended up making the button placket long enough to fasten on the backside of the sweater. That was the way that made the most sense to me, although I think originally the pattern shows the buttons right on the shoulder/neckline. I still think it looks cute. Buttons, as usual, from my Grandma's buttons. Also, those buttons are evenly spaced, although they don't look like it in the picture.

I'm so glad this is done. I hated every minute of working on this sweater, and perhaps the universe noticed, because the same day that I gave the sweater to my friend Amy my wallet was stolen right out of my backpack in the subway. I got it back, minus the cash of course, thanks to some good Samaritans in Brooklyn. BUT STILL. I love the finished product, but I will never make this sweater again. What a pain in the ass!