FO #25 Milan Jacket

I don't know what they're putting in the water at work. Everyone's pregnant again. This jacket is for Catherine's second son. I never was really interested in this pattern, until I saw this one by Pam of Flintknits fame. Her jacket manages to be sophisticated, which is not something one says often about baby clothes. Mine, however, is not sophisticated. I blame the limited color pallette of CottonEase left over at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio during the month of May. It was their featured yarn of the month for May (20% discount!) and I went into the store on May 31. So, you can imagine...

Pattern: Milan Jacket by Louisa Harding, from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms. Can I just say that I really could use another book of baby clothes? I'm getting REALLY TIRED of using this book, even with all the cute projects. And trust me, the projects are not only cute, but very wearable, which is why I've been consistently using it for years now.

This was never one of my favorites. I wasn't crazy about the colors they used in the book. They're natural colored, and they tended to blend into the background. Also, I'm not a fan of those big wooden toggle buttons for baby things. I mean that poor mom is going to have her hands full just putting it on the baby, let alone making sure all the toggles are closed. So when I saw Pam's, and she used regular buttons and non-baby colors, I thought, oh, ok, why don't I try that?

Also, I'm starting to see that my pink countertop is probably not the best place to photograph things, as I think it really distorts the colors.

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in blue and tan. The trim is tan. The buttons are sort of a golden mustard color. The particular blue that I picked is a real boy-baby color blue, but the tan trim and yellow-ish buttons keep it from being too macho.



I did like working with the Cotton-Ease, but the yarn almost felt a bit like it was leaving a residue on my fingers. Does anyone else feel that way? I can't really describe it any better. It was smooth, but almost too smooth--unnaturally smooth. But great for baby stuff! I'm totally using it again. I did buy a couple of extra balls when I was at the store and it was on sale, because I got that Creepy Cute Crochet book for Xmas last year, and that's the yarn she uses, so I figured I'd stock up a bit. I only have about 5 skeins of different colors total, but one day, I'm going to get it all out and make some creatures. Hey, maybe that's what I'll give everyone at work for xmas this year!

Needle: I used size 8 straight aluminum needles, and I think, actually, these were the needles that came in my gift bag from when I saw the Yarn Harlot in NYC last year (was that last year or the year before? omg, I cant' remember anymore!). Anyway, the point is that the straights worked fine, and I quite liked them. They're not super long, but the yarn doesn't stick either like it does to bamboo.

Notes: I copied Pam and crocheted a border in single crochet, and used the contrast color for the button loops. Also, I used the size 8 needles throughout, and didn't switch to smaller needles for the ribbing. I mean, what the hell? It's a baby sweater! This way the cuffs are a little bigger--the easier to roll back.



I like the collar up better, but I'm sure that Catherine will probably end up putting it down, as in the above pic.

Anyway, the coup de grace on this whole project was that I got it to work, wrapped it up, addressed her card, and then realized I hadn't seen her in a week or so, asked her assistant, and YEP, SHE'S AT HOME HAVING THE BABY RIGHT NOW, FOLKS. Damn. Missed it by a week. Luckily I made the 12 mo. size! That baby a) isn't going to need this present right now and b) isn't going to fit into it any time soon.

So that is that. A pretty standard, work-horse kind of present. The next up at work is an assistant that i don't really know all that well--sooo young to be having a baby but whatever. I'm the only woman at work my age with no children. I'm the freak here. I just gotta remember that (as if I could forget it with all these baby-makers around). Sigh. Anyway, that girl is getting a hat. I'm thinking about one from that Itty Bitty Hats book. Those are pretty cute. I'm also working on a blanket for a dear, dear friend of mine, which is made of squares and seamed up. After that, I have one more baby blanket to make--for my good friend Sarah at work. Then it will probably be time for round three.

You know what? I sound like a horrible curmudgeon who hates babies and feels obligated to churn out something for every one of them. And partly that is true. I don't hate babies, but I think we have enough around the office now. People can stop production for a while and let me catch up. Because sadly, I do feel that I have to knit them something. Mostly. I've knit for just about every pregnant woman at work, except one lady that I don't work with at all, to the point where I didn't even know she was pregnant. The problem now is that I've set the bar too high. I get bored, so I don't want to keep making the same thing, so I start trying really elaborate things, and end up over-burdened. I should just stick to hats or little raglans or something easy. But where's the fun in that!