love is all you need

I love this sweater but I hate that I have to show it off using my cell phone camera, because the pictures just don't show the depth of the color or the lace pattern. You'll just have to use your imagination, folks.

My favorite part is the garter stitch yoke. For the longest time I was adamantly against garter stitch because I thought it looked too "beginner." The minute I learned to purl I longed only for smooth swaths of stockinette. But now that I'm maturing as a knitter I understand the cozy, cushy allure of garter stitch.

The garter edging sets off the lace pattern nicely. The lace seems to add an heirloom quality to this sweater; it makes me think of a time when all of baby's sweaters were lovingly hand knit. I'm glad my new nephew will get to experience the feel of being wrapped in a big cozy hug from Aunt Kimi while I'm 1500 miles away.

Pattern: February Baby Sweater on Two Needles from Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Yarn: Arucania Nature Wool, Color 40
Started August 13, 2008
Finished August 30, 2008

(Please bear with my cell phone pictures, our camera has gone kaput. Hopefully it will be up and running again soon.)

The FBS is now full speed ahead as I've conquered the hardest parts: seaming up the sleeves and picking up stitches at the underarms.

I'm quite enamored with this little sweater; I think it is the most beautiful thing I've knitted and I'm not even done with it yet. Imagining the rosy-cheeked and undoubtedly blue-eyed baby that will be wearing it come December leaves me even more in love.

Here's a little peek at what I've been working on today.
The neckline of my February Baby Sweater (FBS) looks like a certain alphabetical character, so I thought I would try and see how many words I can come up with that start with that letter can be used to describe babies.
cute, cuddly, coddle, coo, colic, care, comfort...
Okay, I'm stalled on this one. Maybe you guys can help me come up with some creative C words that describe baby to keep my poor pregnant sister, who has sentenced to two weeks of bedrest due to a "gaping sacrum," entertained.
Ooh, I just thought of another one: contractions.

Yesterday Joey and I decided to ride down to a nearby park to sit on a blanket in the shade and enjoy the beautiful weather we're having in New York this week.

Joey read aloud from Cash by Johnny Cash while I cast on for a February Baby Sweater.

We headed back home just in time to miss a sudden cloudburst. It only lasted about 10 minutes, but it rained so hard that the drops were speeding down sideways. When we headed back out for some dinner, the sky was absolutely stunning.

It was a wonderful and peaceful afternoon.

I've had two skeins of this green Arucania Nature Wool in my stash for over a year. I remember when I got it in the mail I was disappointed that it wasn't as soft as I had hoped. At the time, I was completely mesmerized by all the soft baby alpaca and merino yarns out there and quickly threw this into the nether regions of my stash and moved on to softer, squooshier yarns. My tastes have changed a little since then and I find myself longing for woolier, more hardy yarns that won't pill like crazy before you're done knitting with them.
When I decided I wanted to knit a pair of dashing, I felt like the Nature Wool was a perfect choice- I wouldn't have to worry if it was too scratchy to be around my neck and I wouldn't have to worry about it pilling like mad. After knitting with it, I realized that I love this yarn! I like the wooly feel and I don't think it would be too scratchy against my neck after all, especially after a cool dip in Soak. The subtle variation in the color is my favorite part- it gives more depth to your stitches without overpowering a pattern. I love this yarn so much that I'm swatching with it for a February Baby Sweater that will be next on the needles. Hope you guys aren't tired of green yet.