Thanks to a few well-scheduled TV programs, I finished the knitting for the Baby Sweater on Saturday -- watched "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" that night, and a few days earlier an episode of "Secrets of the Dead" called "Titanic's Ghosts". Despite the lurid title and opening sequences, this was actually a serious documentary about using DNA testing to identify survivors of the Titanic disaster. I've always been fascinated by archaeology, which manages to be both romantic and scientific at the same time -- recreating past lives, researching history, and using analytical techniques to gather and record information. This one was fascinating for its use of genealogical research techniques to identify and locate surviving relatives, the still-amazing way that DNA evidence can be used to identify blood relationships between the living and the long-dead, and the photographs and personal stories that made us identify sometimes nearly unbearably closely with the people on the Titanic and their families. (Imagine having one seat on a lifeboat available, and looking at your five children there on the deck.)
Anyway, this was an easy-peasy knit. I used less than two and a half balls of the Merinogold, so it takes almost as little wool as it does time.
I also loved that the Gull pattern fit perfectly into the shaping that Elizabeth devised, with the repeats ending just at the places where you divide for the sleeves (and adding on 7 fits another repeat in just as perfectly). I actually added eight stitches, instead of seven, on the sleeves, because the lace pattern made a rather wonky edge and I wanted to firm that up to make seaming easier; I just knitted the first and last stitch of every row.
The sleeve shaping gave me a bit of pause, and I had to think about it for some minutes until it made sense. It is essentially a T, with the crossbar to be seamed along the underarm and the downward stroke becoming the sleeve seam. This is how it goes together --
That extra K stitch on each side of the sleeve seam came in very handy, as the seam turned out almost invisible. I am, I confess, rather lazy when it comes to finishing (Reason #47 to Love Shawls: There are no seams), so I faithfully followed a little tutorial on seaming by Theresa Stenersen -- good practice for the Swing Jacket coming up.
These white pearly buttons were the only shanked ones I had in the button jar, so they are merely prodded into place for the photo. Obviously I am starting to get into swing-jacket mode -- I thought this jacket would look as pretty with three buttons as with the six of the original, and it does.
"Result: a beguiling baby sweater with only two seams to sew"!
Just lovely! I don't think my sleeve seams will be as perfect as yours. You did a great job on this little sweater.
Posted by: Janet | February 07, 2006 at 06:41 PM
How cute! Do you have an actual baby to bestow this lovely little sweater on or will it just be put away for a rainy day. I've always wanted to try this pattern and the baby surprise jacket but don't have a baby to knit for!
Posted by: Jessica | February 08, 2006 at 05:16 AM
That is so lovely! What a perfect little knit.
Posted by: Lolly | February 09, 2006 at 06:49 AM
Oh! I started this one last month and just ripped it out last week. I was using some yarn I had picked up on sale and wasn't enjoying it at all. The pattern is ingenious and sweet. I'm going to give it another try once I find a more appropriate yarn. (I also really like limiting it to three buttons.)
Love the color of yours and it is knit beautifully. Lucky recipient!
Posted by: Kerstin | February 11, 2006 at 03:48 AM
Where would I find this pattern? I make a similiar one for my daughter and would like to make another for friends but I lost my pattern.
Posted by: Lavonne | July 03, 2007 at 09:40 AM