FO Friday: Beatrix Baby Sweater

Another baby sweater is off the needles and ready to be gifted - and this time I stepped outside of my comfort zone to try a new-to-me pattern, the Beatrix baby sweater by Courtney Kelley, which is from the Kelbourne Woolens Baby Collection.

While I absolutely love all of the Kelbourne/Fibre Company yarns, they do not make a machine washable option that I am aware of, so I subbed in with some superwash merino yarn. That's not my only modification, though - the pattern is written for a DK weight on US 3 needles, but since the yarn I subbed in was a worsted weight, I wanted to bump up a few needle sizes to US 6. I ended up knitting a gauge swatch to figure out what my corresponding SPI (stitches per inch) would be so that I could figure out what instructions to follow for the size I wanted to make.

I wanted to knit the 12-18 month size, so at 6 SPI, I ended up following the stitch counts for the smallest size, but the written measurements for the intended size. So, that meant that if the pattern had a specific measurement I needed to knit towards, I had to be careful to use the correct number (i.e. the measurement given for the third size option, vs. the first). To avoid any confusion on my part, I went through the entire pattern to circle the numbers I needed to follow, since there was a fair amount of bouncing between instructions specific to stitch counts vs. instructions specific to measurements.

How adorable is this little hippo button?!

The result is super-cute, and I think the new parents will be happy that I opted for something that doesn't have to be hand-washed...I know I would!

The Details
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Electric Blue (MC) and Gulfstream (CC)
Needles: Knitter's Pride Royale interchangeables, US 6
Pattern: Beatrix by Courtney Kelley

Thanks for stopping by, have a crafty weekend!

Comments

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

handmade by stefanie

Search This Blog