Knitting!

I finished this cardigan for Cate awhile back (October 2012, according to Ravelry) but neglected to post it on the blog.

Pattern:  Anya Cardigan from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies
Yarn:  Knitpicks Comfy Worsted, Blackberry colorway


The stitch is a simple eyelet pattern that was easy to memorize.  On Ravelry, several people mentioned that it was confusing when doing the decreases and maintaining the stitch pattern, but I just winged it and that worked fine for me.  I had a bit of trouble with the sleeves; despite getting row gauge I couldn't get all of the increases done in the specified length.  I ended up reworking the sleeve pattern to increase more frequently.  I must have been doing something wrong because nobody else on Ravelry mentioned they had problems with the sleeves.  Oh well, it worked out fine in the end!

I started the project in May 2012 and knit a 6-12 month size.  By October, Cate was 10 months old and it was a little big on her, mainly in the sleeves, but she's small for her age.  I just rolled the sleeves up until she grew into it more.  Cate is now 15 months old and it fits her just right.

I really love the yarn.  It's 75% Pima cotton/25% acrylic, feels very soft and snuggly and smooshy, and hasn't pilled at all.  It's a pretty, deep purple color, but I haven't had an issue with the dye bleeding in the wash.  Despite the fact it's mostly cotton, it doesn't seem like a yarn that would be suitable to summer clothing because it seems like it would feel yucky on hot and sticky skin.  I haven't tried it for a summer garment, though, so that's just my impression.

BONUS:  Cate is also wearing a pair of Big Butt Baby Pants (pattern by Made By Rae) in this photo.  I made them out of a lightweight stretch denim remnant that I had laying around after a failed attempt at a maternity skirt.  They have a pretty deep hem so I can let them out when necessary (I've noticed Cate grows more up than out) and I've left a small opening in the waistband to make it easy to adjust the elastic when needed.  I've made two pairs of these pants and I am a huge fan, I really need to make more of them.  They fit Cate's little cloth-diapered self really well--much better than RTW pants.  The knit leggings type of pants are very popular with baby clothing manufacturers right now and they end up looking a little strange because of the bulkiness of the cloth diaper.  With other types of RTW baby pants, if they fit in the butt, the waist is too big and the legs too long.  These days, it's getting more reliably warm in the Bay area, but Cate would still get a lot of use out of pants and/or capris made out of a quilting cotton--especially since it's still in the high 40s in the mornings when we go for a walk.