Elven FO
Posted on 13 February 2009
I know, I know. Two posts in two days! But I finally finished this, and I just couldn’t wait to show you all.
Pattern: Tomten Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Yarn: Sundara sock yarn, “Bronzed Forest” and “Mossy” (both from Autumn Seasons Collection I)
Time Elapsed: I finished the knitting in around a month of “work time”, but waited ages when I ran out of yarn and then again (for a whole month!) before putting the zipper in the finished product.
Notes/Modifications: I used a smaller gauge than she recommends–fortunately, the pattern is modular. For those interested in the numbers, I cast on 168 stitches and wound up with a 6-12 month size jacket. I lengthened both the body and the sleeves to make it a larger jacket-style sweater.
There is something to be said for writing up a FO entry as soon as you finish a project–I’ve mostly forgotten all of the in-progress stuff for this sweater!
I used two different colors of sock yarn, both from the “Autumn” season of Sundara’s first Season’s Collection. Convinced I’d run out of yarn well before starting the hood, I begged and bought and traded my way through several other hanks of these colors before finding two from the same dye lots. In the end, I needn’t have worried–the sleeves went extremely quickly and I’m sure I would have had enough yarn for the sweater with a mandarin-style collar.
All’s well that ends well, though–with the extras, I’ve already knit Jacob some socks and I have plenty more left. The yarns look gorgeous blended together (I did 2 rows of each and avoided all end-weaving–thanks, Ms. Monster Yarn, for the suggestion!
When I finished the sweater, I knew it needed a zipper. Nothing else would tame Daniel’s adorable pudgy belly so nicely, and nothing else would be half as quick to get on him. Poor Tomten sat for over a month, waiting for its zipper. I finally screwed up my courage last night, and it was far, far easier than I thought it would be to put in.
I guess the only downside to the whole project is that I feel like the shape of the arms is weird when laid out flat. This might be me–looking at the finished product, it seems to me that I should have decreased on the underside of the sleeve instead of the top. But I’m too lazy to check, because it looks just fine when worn.
All in all, this is a very successful first hand-knit for the new addition to our family.
Well, I think so, anyway. And Daniel can’t talk to argue.
31 responses to Elven FO
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Adorable jacket and adorable baby again!
He is just so beautiful, and the sweater is perfect!
Very cute! I’m making one of these right now, too, but can’t figure out when to stop knitting the hood. I don’t want to make it too short, but don’t have a baby to use as a guinea pig. Would you be willing to email me the length from the top of the hood to the shoulder?
Holy cow, that’s adorable! I love it — very foresty. The zipper looks like a great idea, too. I ran out of yarn on mine (handspun, with no potential for more), so I need to start over with something else.
I absolutely love this! You have the cutest kids to model your lovely knits. :)
Oh my god look at him! I just want to eat him up! The sweater is very cute – but the color is the best. Congratulations on another successful knit.
If he isn’t the spitting image of his big bro :)
Great sweater, the colourway is perfect!!
The sweater is great and the colors are fabulous. He looks so cute!
That’s just gorgeous – LOVE that colorway. He is starting to look a lot like big bro!
So wait. How much yarn did you actually end up using? I’m considering making a baby tomten, and am wondering how much I’ll need.
Wow, both your knits for the boys are gorgeous. And they look wonderful in them. Little baby D is getting so big!
Oh my goodness is he cute!!!! The color really suits him!
Adorable!!
OMG! He’s getting so big!!! What a cutie. And he looks especially handsome in his new sweater. Well done.
scrumptious!
I judt put in my first zipper as well. Nerve wracking!
I don’t know what the pattern calls for, but the shape of the sleeve kind of makes sense like this — I mean, we don’t run around with our arms at right angles to our bodies, right? Regardless, it looks great and it’s going to be a great little spring jacket!
I admit I was surprised when I saw your feed had been updated again already! I love the effect of alternating the yarns. So many BSJ’s use bright colours that I think compete with the beauty of the babes for whom the knits are made – yours has just enough variation to keep it interesting but doesn’t compete with that angelic face!
Wow, you’ve been busy. I love your latest creations, as do your kids apparently!! Isn’t it nice when your time and effort is appreciated. I love it when my boys wear my knitted items. It gives me a warm feeling inside!
So cute!!! Love the green. Looks great on your little guy.
Perfectly successful! So cute.
It’s gorgeous!
This is one of my favorite baby knits. Yours is so, so cute.
Adorable! (Both sweater and your son!) I love the color on him.
it is SO adorable! Do you have a rav link with your mods? I want to mark it as a favorite, and totally would like to knit one for the new baby!
Those chubby wrists are too cute! He is such a beautiful boy! The cardigan is extra nice too in such woodsy shades of green and brown, complementing his eyes and skin.
I love it!!! And Jacob’s sweater is awesome, too. BTW, I showed off your bear quilt at our knitting meet-up last weekend – everyone ooohed and awwwed over it.
I love how the sweater turned out! The colors are wonderful. He is an adorable baby; he looks very happy.
That sweater is lovely but I must say that it pales in comparison to your gorgeous baby boy.
Love love love those colors! That jacket was such a great choice to show them off. He looks so adorable in it. :)
Very cute! The color is great and he looks very warm and snuggly in his hoodie.
Great jacket!! Daniel looks adorable in it too!
That is absolutely adorable, as is baby:-)
Is there a pattern anywhere for this, that actually tells you exactly what to do and doesn’t leave the math to somebody who has never knitted anything other than a blanket without a concise step by step pattern.