Charlie Pt.2

Do you have a system in place for baby gift knitting? I haven't developed a steadfast method, but currently, I have a two-fold plan in place. A project to be delivered during the showering of gifts and a project to presented post-arrival. My hope was that the distancing of deadlines would make it easier to manage. It's mostly working out. I imagine I will have a hard time refraining from an occasional indulgence in miniature knitting with all the new little people around and the abundance of adorable patterns popping up on Ravelry, but I'm doing my best to exercise self-control. 


Experience has completely ruined my desire to knit a baby garment with anything denser than  DK/Sport yarn. I used Swish DK for this and am pleased with the overall weight and flexibility of the fabric. It's entirely a matter of preference, but babies are already mostly immobile and have restricted movement, it just doesn't seem fair to stick them in bulky inflexible clothing. On that note, I have a bone to pick with the design team at Drops.  

First, you offer some really wonderful, beautiful, and totally free patterns, which I love. However, the construction on several of you baby patterns is HORRIBLE. I've never seen a baby shaped like the letter "T". Is it too much to ask that the sleeves on your baby patterns not be constructed in the most rigid manner possible? 

While we're at it, I admit, I've seen some pretty pointy looking heads, but there's really no need to accentuate the feature. 

That is all. 

As you can see, I opted out of the "T" sleeve and went with a raglan decrease up to the neck. I also side-stepped the pointed, right-angle hood by incorporating double decreases from the center of the row (back of the hood), outward, then used a 3-needle bind-off from the crown, forward. I didn't take a good picture to show how greatly this helps to round out the hood, so you'll have to take my word on it. The next time I knit a hooded project, I'll be sure to document the process more thoroughly. 

Construction complaints aside, I love the texture and cable detail in this cardigan. Overall, I think it's pretty darn cute. And, I'll likely use this pattern again- as soon as I get through the rest waiting in my favorites list. 

Pattern: b19-5 Jacket in Seed st. with Hood
Yarn: ~5skeins DK Swish in 'Moss'
Needles: U.S. 6