Five-Day Baby Sweater

When I wrote about the baby sweater earlier this week, it really was just a rectangle. But with four more days of dedicated and focused knitting (and one really late night and one really early morning!), it's done!

I finished the pieces last night and got one sleeve on and sewed up by about 3am. I got up at 7:30 to finish that side seam, put in the other sleeve, do the neckband, sew on the buttons, and weave in the ends. I even have time to throw it in the wash (and a bit in the dryer) before I have to head to the shower. Hooray!

(not washed yet)

I pretty much stole the pattern from one I saw in a Better Homes and Gardens Learn to Knit booklet at the grocery store at the beginning of the week.* I made a little sketch at the store, whipped out the Ann Budd Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, grabbed some bright Cleckheaton Country 8 Ply DK superwash, and set to work. Mom even had the cute buttons that matched wonderfully.

(Click for big, but don't look at that sleeve...)

Well, I've done a better job of sewing sleeves, but when it's on, hopefully no one will notice. Next time maybe I won't have to sew them at 2 in the morning!

*I have to say that, although I didn't want to pay $7 for the magazine, I thought they did a very good job of explaining a lot of things that don't alwyas get mentioned to beginning knitters, like increases and decreases, using a crochet hook to pick up dropped stitches that have run down several rows, and probably other things I've forgotten about now. There wasn't much in it that I would knit, but there was a lot more than just scarves! I would have paid $4, which is the price on the Lionbrand site I linked, though, to support a pretty good product instead of just stealing this cute sweater.