BSJ

BSJ
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Design: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman (ravelry)
Yarn: diVe Zenith, (2) skeins Pink, (1) Silver, (1) Charcoal
Needle: US #5
Started: June 19, 2008
Finished: almost

The PSKC voted on a project for it's first knit along and lo, it's the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. That wasn't my first choice, but I decided to go ahead and dive in.

EZ is the knitting goddess. She redefines fearless knitting. Her books are amazing, they give you just enough information to do a project, but also she leaves so much up to the knitter. I've been following other knitters on their blogs as they wax poetic about EZ. I lurk on their blogs and drool over their finished EZ projects.

But. I have to admit. I am (or was) intimidated by knitting an EZ pattern. Because that whole leave it up to the knitter thing can be a bit intimidating. And when it comes to this project, there's the pattern and then there's an excel spreadsheet some genius invented to help get through the pattern. I mean, c'mon, that's pretty intimidating!

Okay so last weekend I mustered up the courage to cast on, and I followed the excel spreadsheet. It turns out it's a whole lot easier than I originally reckoned. I'm almost finished with the project and plan to take it to my circle tonite. I did make some sort of error when I picked up the stitches after knitting the back fullness. That needs to be corrected and will be.

The challenge turns out to be how to knit garter stitch nice and even. It would seem so basic but really it's not. It reminds me of dancing. When I was in college I took ballet and modern dance classes. I remember thinking Ballet was so hard and I didn't want to do it. But in the end I realized if you want to be a good dancer, you need to master the basics. In the case of dance, it all boils down to Ballet. In the case of knitting, it all boils down to the knit stitch. And since garter stitch is knit knit knit, if you want the garter to look good, you have to be consistent in tension. Otherwise things start to look pretty sloppy real fast.

This project is being knit with no recipient in mind. This is a Process Knit. Not a Project Knit. I knit this to learn. To experience the Process. To understand the construction of the garment. I made up the stripe sequence as I went along. (and it looks it).

Somehow going through all this will make me a better knitter. Just like all the other work I am doing will make me a better person.

I will add more pictures as soon as the sun comes out.

BSJ
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn