Baby Oliver's Sweater

My brother and sister-in-law just had a baby--little Oliver Francis! So adorable. I'm so excited for them, and I'm excited for us since he'll be a playmate for our 2yr old son. Here's a cardigan designed by me in the 3mo size that I just finished for him. His Mom and Dad like classic, non-fussy baby items, so I wanted to make him something basic. The yarn is Filatura di Crosa Zara, which is washable merino wool. Super soft and fun to work with! I love using simple wooden buttons with my knits--its nice to keep the materials all natural.
I will say though, that I'm leaning more and more towards knitting top down, raglan sweaters for babies. I hate the bulky seams that you get sewing even the most delicate knitted pieces together. My next baby item will be just that: a top-down raglan cardigan for my other sister-in-law's 9-month old baby girl. I'm going to have fun with it and decorate with all sorts of knitted flowers.
When we adopted our son last year, a friend commented that I must be having a ball knitting for him. Well, in fact, that saying, "the shoemaker's children go barefoot" is apparently true, at least in my household. I've only knit him one thing--a cotton sweater from a nifty Debbie Bliss pattern. However, its time to remedy that. I have an aran sweater I designed and knit a prototype of in a baby size. I'm still pleased with the design, but it is knit in worsted weight yarn and a little too bulky for babies, so I'm going to redesign in toddler sizes.
Luckily we're having a rainy Saturday here--a big tropical storm is passing by New England so I can stay home and do some knitting.
PS. What am I reading? I'm about half way through "Red Earth and Pouring Rain," by Vikram Chandra. A tale set in India and southern California featuring college students, a reincarnated monkey, various family members of both, and a selection of Hindu gods. Chandra is a fabulous writer, this book is not always easy to read since there are so many characters to follow, but I marvel at his beautiful writing.

Free Pattern!! The Vixen Cowl

To celebrate the coming of fall I'm offering a free pattern for my Vixen cowl. I hope you enjoy it! Please leave a comment if you copy it. I'd like to know where it goes!

This is a super-easy cowl to knit. I offer it in one size which should fit most adults, however, the rib stitch pattern is a two-stitch repeat so you can easily make the cowl larger or smaller by adding or subtracting an even number of stitches. Lengthen or shorten by adding or subtracting pattern sections of 4 rows of ribbing.

Yarn: 200 yds bulky weight yarn

Needles: #10.5 circular needle, #11 circular needle

Gauge: 14 sts and 18 rows = 4 inches/4cm on larger needles

One size fits all: 22 inches around at bottom edge and 9.5 inches long.

Rib stitch Pattern: Repeat 1, Rounds 1-4: k1, p1 to end.

Repeat 2, Rounds 5-8: p1, k1 to end.

(When working back and forth in rows, work rows 2 and 4 as p1, k1 and rows 6 and 8 as k1, p1)

On larger needles cast on 72 stitches, do not join to work in the round. Work in rib stitch pattern back and forth in rows for two inches ending on the right side. Work to the last stitch of the row. Join to work in the round being careful to not twist knitted piece. To avoid loose stitches at the join, hold the last stitch to the back as if making a cable. Perl the first stitch of the round. Place the last stitch back on the needle and knit it. Continue to work rib pattern in rounds until piece measures 4.5 inches. Switch to smaller needles and work until piece measures 9.5 inches or desired length. Bind off all stitches loosely. Weave in ends.

Note: To make the striped version of the cowl you’ll need about 100 yards of two colors and 30-40 yards of a third color.

Wear and enjoy!

PS. I forgot to mention I've been doing a lot of wonderful reading lately! The Homecoming mentioned below just didn't engage me. I put that aside and read: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. He revisits fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty to create a moving story about a young boy retreating into a fantasy world to deal with grief, loss, and resentment. It's dark, but not depressing. Highly recommended!