EZ's Baby Sweater

Details:
Pattern: February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann found in Knitter's Almanac

Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy in Honey Dew (The picture is really close to the color. Think of the color of the inside of a nicely ripe honeydew and you've got it.) 2.5 balls

Needle: size 4 bamboo circular (I hate bamboo~~not slippery enough, but it was the only size 4 I had free)

Start Date: May 8, 2008
Finish Date: May 22, 2008

Mods: ;o) Sleeves and body longer; knit the body to armholes, sleeve stitches on holder, provisional cast-on (thanks for the reminder, Christine! Hope you're feeling better!) for underarm stitches, continued knitting body; came back and picked up provisional cast-on stitches and knit the sleeves in the round.

Thoughts:
This was a quick project for our next door neighbor's daughter who is having her first child. After finding out the baby is a girl, I knew I had to make one of EZ's February Baby Sweaters. I've seen them on Ravelry and have been itching to make one. Now I had an excuse!

Next decision was the yarn~~I had seen the new Comfy yarn at Knit Picks and the yummy colors it came in and wanted to give it a try, even though cotton and I usually don't mix. I had heard that Comfy was one of the softest cottons out there and a dream to knit with. In that regard I wasn't disappointed. I loved working with the yarn, but I think the 'worsted' designation for this yarn is a bit of a stretch. I started the sweater out on size 6 needles which is at the small end of the size needed to get 5 spi, since I tend to knit a bit loosely. But on a 6 it was huge and loose and floppy and messy. I pulled out a new ball and restarted on 4s. Perfect! The sweater is just the size I was hoping for~~not newborn size, although wearable by a newborn with the sleeves rolled up. I was shooting for 3-6 month size and increased the length of the sleeves and body to get more grow-into-room.

Pattern~~First my words of warning~~Read the pattern the whole way through before you start. As we all know, EZ's patterns are always a bit pithy, and this one is no exception. Although here her pithiness was almost too concise. I was forewarned, so I knew to read first, or I likely would have missed the first buttonhole. Also, the directions for casting on the stitches for the underarm are odd, but I knew what I was doing here since I've done it before. I can see where this one would leave some newbies to EZ scratching their heads. I'd definitely make this one again, and hope that the gal will like it for her babe. Almost makes me want.........gotcha.