Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Baby Surprise Jacket

Every knitter probably has a bucket list of things they would like to knit if they had more time or more skill.  Ever since I had heard about Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Baby Surprise Jacket I have wanted to knit one.

In 2016 Cully Swansen published a book called The Complete Surprise which includes a step-by-step pattern for the Baby Surprise Jacket and lots of variations.


I had this book for Christmas in 2018 and added the Baby Surprise Jacket to my list of things to knit one day.  Towards the end of last year – I started to knit one but soon realised that I did not have enough yarn – so I unravelled it and used the yarn to knit a different baby’s jacket.  However I did go to my local yarn store and buy 2 balls of multi-coloured yarn for another attempt.


Last week I decided to have another go at the Baby Surprise Jacket.  This is the jacket as it appeared when I was knitting it – blindly following the instructions.


This is what it looks like now it is finished.


I am not sure that I would have chosen green buttons - but I have got green buttons.  They don’t look too bad.  Also I think when I folded the knitting I have got the wrong side outwards but I thought it looked the better side of the two.  

The only seams in this pattern are along the top of the sleeves – so it is ideal for those of us who hate sewing up (probably everyone) – and I also like the fact that you knit button-holes on both sides of the front and then sew buttons over one side.  This eliminates a problem I often have of how to space the buttons and where to sew them so that they line up with the button-holes.

Now I have finished this little jacket – I am hoping that I will be able to finish several other partly finished items that I have found.  Several of them I had forgotten about completely.

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