The green blob Baby Surprise Jacket is done!  Take a look:

And with a bit of a folding it turns into this:

Crazy and amazing, isn’t it?  Even if you don’t care for knitting, you have to appreciate the genius of the design.

For those who know this pattern, I did make a couple of changes.  I added two rows of eyelets (yo, k2tog) and made bobble buttons.  I knit it using Mary Maxim’s Baby’s Best yarn in colour Mint, and it took me just under 2 skeins.  My gauge is 6 stitches per inch, and this looks like it will fit a baby up to about 6 months, assuming they aren’t too pudgy!  I just need to seam up the sleeves, which I will do after I ask a couple questions at my knitting finishing class tomorrow evening.

It was a quick and easy knit, just knitting every row with decreases and increases where necessary.  I used the new line by line pattern that Schoolhouse Press released a little while back, rather than Elizabeth Zimmermann’s original “pithy” directions.  I’m still too much of a novice to try to decipher what she is trying to say.

I haven’t been cross stitching much.  Well, that isn’t true.  Yesterday afternoon I spent a couple of hours out on the balcony stitching on Baby Man’s stocking.  I was making good progress until I was chased inside by a couple of bees.  I’m terrified of them.  So much so that I will abandon my stitching to get away.  I wonder, does anyone know a pretty and free bee cross stitch pattern?  Maybe if I stitch one I won’t be so afraid.  But don’t get me started on wasps!   I think I will never get over my fear of them.

You stitchers out there might be interested in this: Volarium is having a contest for Cross Stitch Letters Bible by Valerie Lejeune. It is a 712 page book with patterns for over 800 alphabets!  Isn’t that fabulous?  I’ve been looking for a great alphabet book for ages, something that isn’t all children’s theme stuff, and it looks like this book is it!  If you are interested, head over to their blog for more information–Volarium: Contest and summer vacation

Green Blob is a post from Reflections in the Pond

If you follow my Twitter feed (@silverlotus152 or posted in my sidebar), you’ll know that I’ve been working on Baby Man’s Christmas stocking.  I’ve made fair progress on it so far, aided by the fact that Dimensions likes to use a lot of half stitches in their designs.  Yes, I’m doing a Dimensions kit.  They do tend to drive me crazy with their use of all full stitches, but I’m soldiering on this time and not worrying about trying to adjust them like I usually do.  I want to make sure I get it done in time for Christmas this year.

It is Dimensions’  Naughty or Nice Stocking, but I have changed the fabric to a 28ct lugana.  I’m not sure what I will do with the Aida the kit came with.  I so rarely use it any more–mainly when I want sturdy fabric, like for Lynne Nicoletti’s fortune tellers or for simple kits that are mainly done to pass the time.  I might, though, use Aida to do the Wheel of the Year pillow that is in the new Joan Elliot book since I want that to be sturdy too.  But I digress.

I’ve also mentioned on my Twitter feed that I’ve been knitting Elizabeth Zimmermann’s iconic Baby Surprise Jacket.  Here’s my progress so far, done in Mary Maxim’s Baby’s Best in colour Mint.

Yes, it really that will be a baby jacket.  Amazing, eh?  Elizabeth Zimmermann was a genius.  (To those who know the pattern, I added an eyelet row just to jazz it up.  I might add another one on the back 90 stitching.)

I did finally get that first pink sock bound off.  I went up two needle sizes to a 3.25mm to do it, and truthfully, it is still a bit of a squeeze to get it over my heel.  Maybe toe-up socks aren’t for me.  I’ve never run into this sort of problem with top-down.  I’ve cast on the second sock and made a bit of headway with it.  I really want to get these done so I can get started on these Lily of the Valley Socks.

For those who don’t remember, the pattern is Toe-up Socks with a Difference by Wendy Knits in Mary Maxim Bamboo Soft Stripes in colourway Hibiscus.  The colour is just a little bit off, but they are very pink.

And, to go back to stitching, I have made a little bit of progress on Part 3 of Castles in the Air.  I might work on it more this week, since I feel that I have good progress with the stocking.  Ultimately, it depends how the spirit moves me.

And a couple pieces of news.  First, it looks like Lynne Nicoletti is feeling better and designing again!  Her new Baby Booties design is adorable!  I can’t wait to see her next paper doll.

Also, check out this post by Stitch Bitch: Crafta-tista-liscious-ness.  While I would love to see more young people stitching, I have to agree with what she is saying.  Those “hipsters” who have turned to stitching aren’t really all that hip and are just a little annoying.  Yeah, I can be a bit hypocritical sometimes.  I don’t only want people to stitch the things I like, but I do want people to take the time to learn the craft and have respect for it.  And it would be nice if they released that nekkid people have been done to death.  They aren’t shocking and cool.

Constructing Santa is a post from Reflections in the Pond