Until now I'd only knitted the odd scarf or very simple hat. I'd never followed a pattern and had never made anything up. Having a baby on the way was the perfect excuse to make something small. On the recommendation of a lovely lady in a wool shop in Ludlow I picked up Sirdar pattern 1982 - an easy knit hooded baby sweatshirt.
We had decided not to find out if we were having a boy or a girl so I got a beige-brown bobbly wool - Sirdar Snuggly Tiny Tots shade 957.
I HATED this wool. It looks gorgeous but my inexperienced fingers ended up with the gorgeous bobbles everywhere. And if you make a mistake and have to go back the bobbles unwind. It gives the most fabulous texture though and I'm glad I stuck with it.
This took a few weeks to knit up and I got quicker and more accurate as I went along. I learned so much (how did people learn to knit before YouTube? I tried using books but got nowhere). I particularly enjoyed the accuracy involved in pick up and knit around the hood.
Finally I had all my pieces and stitched them together. And it looked like a real jumper. It was another step closer to thinking that I had a real baby in me. I was about 20 weeks pregnant, half way through, and it felt like forever before I'd have a little person to put in it. I was knitting in early summer and the baby wouldn't be here until mid autumn.
The sizing is size 0-6 months. I first put our baby son in it at about 5 weeks. It was very tight going onto his head. Luckily it's still going on, and much more easily so I think the neck is stretching. It's also washing really well. The hood is a good size and the fit is good although he'll be out of it well before 6 months. I decided not to put the pom poms on the hood as it looked so damned perfect without them.
Here he is the first time he wore it. I tell you what, he takes up a lot more of his car seat now.
