Baby Surprise Jacket

Here we go again, yet another BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket), designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann, my knitting guru.  I found it first in Knitting without tears, way way back when, and every time I need a baby present, out comes the pattern.

Usually I knit it in fingering wt yarn, but this time, I decided to go for sport-DK weight, with the idea that the baby will grow into this.  OK, a lot of growing in this case, but babies grow, and always need cuddly sweaters.

Not in wool, however.  I know, wool is the best fiber going, but let's face it, what mom of a little baby has time to either wash by hand (uh huh.  right.), or machine wash and then lay flat?  All the mommies in the family want to toss into the wash, put into the dryer and be done with it.  Soft acrylics are the way to go for drooling, pooping, peeing, cheesing and generally adorable bits of slobbiness.  I'm using Sirdar Crofter, 55/45 nylon/acrylic.  Seriously soft and cuddly. 

The picture on top is where the jacket stands at the moment.  Another 2 rows and then I'm ready for the back increase. 

Here's how the front will look.

And here's the back.

That slightly darker stripe is another colorway, 'cause I need a stripe.

Now, I'm thinking that maybe I ought to do one in skinny SW wool, and I have a very very soft yarn for that.  I could dye up a couple of skeins just for the fun of it.  Mom will toss in wash and dryer, and if it shrinks, which it shouldn't, I don't care.  Given that the future munchkin will live in the frozen northland, a very soft woolly BSJ just might be in order.  I tend to get obsessed over BSJ's. 

And after BJS happiness, I might have to make a Tomten jacket, and a couple of jacket's from Knit one, knit all.  Whatever would I do without EZ?

Of course, you can buy directly at the source:  Schoolhouse Press.  And then you can drool over more and more EZ books.