Announcement, Pattern Suggestions and FO

It is official. My husband and I are expecting a baby girl.

The due date is Sept. 20th, 2 days before Paul's birthday. (Which of course means some time around then. *grin*)

Though, I keep crying - "no pink"! *laugh* Hey, purple is great! That works. *grin*

(There was testing done so we know it is a girl for certain. It isn't based on an ultrasound. So there shouldn't be any surprises in that department. I am sure there will be plenty of others to make up for it. *grin*)

So I am hoping to get some good baby pattern suggestions from knitting folks I know. Any suggestions?

I have been told a lot not to bother with more than 1-2 pieces in the 0-6 month range. By all accounts a baby will only get to wear them once or twice before they outgrow them.

I am also making sure anything I was is machine wash & dry. I have picked up some Knit Picks Sport Shine in cherry (cotton/modal) and Essential Kettle Dyed in eggplant (superwash wool). I figure Maryland Sheep & Wool will be mostly about baby friendly yarns, though I also know it will be in part about fiber as that is harder to get beside mail order.

Here is the finished object I mentioned. And yes, I will be redoing the pattern for my new addition.

Sweater for New Addition to George Jr.'s Family



Cast On:
March 28 2009

Completed:
April 1 2009

Pattern:
Soft N Seamless Baby Sweater by Lynda Ward
http://www.knitlist.com/96gift/giftsoft.htm

Made for:
New Addition to George Jr.'s Family

Size:
0-3 months

Needles:
US 8 / 5.0 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:
Bernat Silky Soft in 135 - Navy
~0.7 skeins = 192.5 yards (176.0m)
Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale (2007?)

I wanted a quickie sweater that would be easy to knit during my work conference. I also hate seaming. This fit the bill perfectly.

I have to admit, I didn’t care for the increase for the raglan. It is a m1, yo, m1. I tried it, but the hole just doesn’t seem right to me for a raglan seam.

Also, I clearly didn’t get what the author was saying about the increase placement. I had finished the increases. However, I had to frog the entire thing after discovering that because I had increased in the wrong place, the raglan line was not diagonals on two of the four increases.

I took the pattern as a template and used a typical raglan increase. I placed a marker before & after the center stitch of the raglan so there was no confusion on my part. I lifted the bar on the left before the marker and knit into it, k1, then lifted the bar after the marker and knit into it. So I got an even increase that was closed.

It was very simple and quick. I was glad I could give it to them when I saw them.