FO Friday: Latte Baby Coat
Two FO Fridays in a row! Baby sweaters are addictive, yo.
Again, apologies for the non-modeled, craptastic blocking shot. My niece lives about 1500 miles away, so getting her to model the FO wasn’t really feasible.
The specs:
Pattern: Latte Baby Coat by Lisa Chemery (Ravelry link). I made the largest size (3T-4T). The pattern was well-written. It included tons of options, which makes for a slightly more cluttered pattern, but I always appreciate having choices.
Yarn: Cascade Eco+, 1 skein in Purple Jewel Heather. The pattern calls for 1.5 skeins for the hooded version in the largest size, but mine took only one, and I had a good sized ball left over. I did rip out my swatch, though–if I had kept a decent-sized swatch, I might have been closer to the end of the skein.
This yarn has been marinating in my stash for more than a year, and it was good to finally use some of it up. I usually avoid baby/toddler knits with non-superwash yarns, but since this is more of a coat anyway and likely won’t fit her next year, I’m not going to be terribly upset if it gets ruined. Plus it was really quick on #10 needles!
Notes: It turned out really cute! I was worried about rippling on the edge, so I bound off very tightly the first time… and then had to rip it out and re-do it when I realized her face wouldn’t fit into the tiny head opening. Doh. But I think I got the tension right the second time.
The balloon is something I’ve recently started using to block hoods. It works like a charm! No more flattened or weird-looking hoods.
When it’s dry, I’ll sew on buttons. I’ve got these neat Celtic knot ones in my button stash that should be perfect.
And it’s good that I’m done with baby knits… because a huge box of yarn just arrived for two commissioned designs that will be due in the new year. Unfortunately, they need to be kept secret, but I can tell you I’m about a fourth of the way through a gorgeous cabled pullover in one of my favorite colors. More on that later….
I started using balloons in hats, which I feel kind of neutral about. But using one for hoods is an awesome idea!
Lovely project. Nice use of the ballon.
The hooded jacket is absolutely darling! The balloon is a great idea to show the shape of the hood!
What a clever idea – a balloon for blocking. Oh and the little sweater is cute too! Purple – my fave :)
So sweet! Beautiful, and a lovely color. Should be well received.
That is just darn cute! I love the balloon idea. What a wonderful Auntie–and awesome designer!