Colorful Baby Surprise Jacket done!

Just a quick note today to show the resulting Baby Surprise Jacket which I started years ago using Lion Brand Microspun yarn.  I had nothing but trouble with the yarn splitting and other things so I put pattern, yarn, needles, and started project away in my "knitting trunk".

A month or so ago I pulled said project out in preparation for taking a class at Country Woolens in Lebanon, NH on the Adult Surprise Jacket. I thought making a little one first might make the gigantic one easier.  We shall see. I have now knit two Baby Surprise Jackets:  one in the microspun yarn with size 5 needles which makes a sweater for an actual baby, and a second one using Bartlettyarn from Hilda Yates' farm sheep using size 8 needles with a gauge of about 3.5 stitches per inch and 3 (or maybe 4, I don't have the sweater and my tape measure nearby...) ridges per inch.

Here is the first, what I call colorful, Baby Surprise Jacket finished and ready to put in the mail.  It was originally started for one baby, who now has had a second sibling born for a family of three children.  I am thinking that if the newest baby has already outgrown the sweater that perhaps the big sister can use if for a large doll that she might have.

Colorful Baby Surprise Jacket finished October 2012

If you like this sweater, which is knit all in one piece in garter stitch and has two seams, you can find it at Schoolhouse Press, where they have a pattern for baby to child to adult sizes.  If you choose to purchase and knit this pattern, you will have fun.  It knits up pretty fast, too.  For me, it took several evenings to complete the knitting.