Several months ago I decided to make a baby sweater for Matt’s cousin, Rachel, who was having a baby in the late summer. She loves bright colors and I figured, hey, this is a great opportunity to knit in colors people don’t usually use for babies. And I had the perfect yarn – bright blues and greens from Cherry Tree Hill. I picked a pattern (the Gardi Stitch Baby Cardi I made for a school friend) and got to work. Stupidly, I decided to 1) not make real sleeves and 2) put the project aside for three months before I put on the buttons. In that time, I came to realize that the project was a dud and I’d have to – brace yourself – toss the project and knit something else. It just couldn’t be saved.
This sweater is the re-do. Sure, the yarn’s a much more normal color but, hey, the baby (named Vera) is already here and in need of a handknit sweater. The pattern was a little boring with all the stockinette but I learned something! I learned how to knit a raglan from the bottom up, one of those skills I have somehow skipped learning thus far. Seaming was a bit of a pain but that’s something I’ve only ever done once or twice before.
(Special thanks to the designer for distributing this pattern free. It was published in a book but, due to what I’ve heard are numerous errors by the publisher, has been released in corrected PDF form. You went above and beyond.)
Project Ratings
Yarn: 7 (soft and great colors but splitty and overspun)
Yarn/Pattern Combination: 8
Execution: 8 (suck at underarm seaming)
Pattern – Overall: 9
- Instructions: 9
- Finishing: 4 (“sew seams at underarms” may be enough for others but I’m an idiot)
- Stitch pattern(s): N/A
- Interestingness: 7
- Desire to remake: 6
Ravelry project page here
