Surprise!
Marie was observant enough to notice that the WIP in my Sunday post was a Baby Surprise Jacket. And I have a shocking confession . . . In all my years of knitting, this is my first BSJ. To be perfectly honest, the look of the finished sweater never really appealed to me. Mostly, I attribute the disinterest to my intense dislike of garter stitch. But now that I have made one, I realize how wrong I’ve been about this pattern.
I used a skein of very lovely, sport-weight acrylic yarn sent to me by Rachel (who has been churning out FOs and handspun like a madwoman). My original plan was to donate the several skeins she sent me to an organization that teaches children to knit, but at the last minute I decided to hold this one back since there was enough yardage to make a baby sweater for a charity silent auction item. It had been sitting in the stash for a while when the pattern+yarn lightening bolt struck.
I have to say that I like the BSJ knit up in variegated yarn more than solids. Perhaps a busy yarn is just what I need to make me forget that the entire sweater is knit in garter stitch.
If you’ve never knit this pattern I have to warn you that it is both brilliant and addicting. IMHO, it solidifies Elizabeth Zimmermann’s position as the greatest knitter of modern times. Seriously. The cleverness of the pattern is unsurpassed by anything I’ve ever knit in the past or probably will knit in the future.
I did change one little thing. I used centered double decreases on the sleeves instead of the sl1-k2tog-psso decreases EZ recommends.
Although I didn’t love Elizabeth’s method, I think I like mine even less.
Then, while I was knitting the sides–and having a difficult time keeping track of exactly where to work the increases–I had a light bulb moment. What if I knit one stitch in stockinette stitch and increased/decreased on either side of it. That would solve the “problem” of the bulky decreases and also make it incredibly easy to see where to place the increases.
Well, of course, I had to cast on for a second BSJ and test my theory.
Unfortunately, I had to frog this new BSJ right after I took the photo but I think my idea might work. Actually, I bet there’s someone out there who’s already tried this. Is it you???
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Susan | knitting, sweaters, charity
Your BSJ is beautiful. Have you considered adding it to the Zimmermania blog, which supports your feeling in spades about EZ’s genius? It would be a worthy addition.
I did a baby surprise using a skein of medium-weight Socks That Rock, and think variegated yarn adds a lot to the design. Can’t remember which decreases I used, but I have a feeling they were not the ones EZ recommended either. I do like yours quite a lot - it’s very pretty.
Call me a follower if you will, but I knit mine as written. And I’ve got a ball of that STR that Jane mentioned waiting in line to be #3.
Oh, yeah. Congratulations on the new addiction. I practically have the pattern memorized, now.
http://needlesnotesandnews.blogspot.com/2007/04/striped-surprise.html
I love it! My LYS has a beautiful BSJ done in Koigu (double stranded - I think) and it’s catching everyone’s eye. Now with your positive reviews, I’ll have to get my EZ book out and decide when I can knit one. Thanks! It looks beautiful.
Not me. I haven’t knit this sweater yet either.
I got the BSJ spunout in the mail recently, and have one skein of STR medium weight left - I never would’ve guessed that it would be enough! Maybe I’ll use it for my first one…
BSJ saved me a while back when i was overwhelmed with ‘change’ stress; and my lace making was suffering. all that wonderful garterstitch, best use for it EVER!!interesting to see this in a single color.
betcha could go to school house press and just ask them about your idea for the single stockinette stitch.
It has taken me a long time to overcome an aversion to garter stitch. I am only newly ready to try a baby surprise. The solid color one is darling, but it’s true it doesn’t show off the creativity of the construction method as well as multis do.
Leave it to you to improve on EZ.
This sweater has been popping up all over the place lately and I really, really want to try it out. Yours came out very pretty. I think it’s time to break down and get the pattern now!
PS: I am not an EZ expert, and I’ve not tried one of her patterns yet, but it seems to me her patterns meant to be a template or learning tool of sorts. You can follow it exactly or you can follow it and make alterations as you go.
I started one but quit because I didn’t think the directions were all the clear and I “got” lost.
However, I may try your route as it would be very easy to follow.
I really like the BSJ! It is in the queue and I am knitting my 7th Rib Warmer Vest and have knit 2 simple little EZ sweaters from the “Knitter’s Almanac”. Wouldn’t you love to sit down and spend a few hours with EZ? I will watch for your changes!
I think the lady was brilliant! That is a cute little sweater and some baby will be cozy wearing it!
Susan, Elizabeth herself would be the first to tell you to change the decreases if it suits you. She wrote the pattern the way that she liked–but as the champion of intelligent, thoughtful knitting, she would be seriously disappointed if everyone followed her patterns as though they were tyrannical little dictators.
Wouldn’t I love to sit down with Elizabeth Zimmerman and Barbara Walker together and hash over Elizabeth’s patterns . . . can you imagine?
Your BSJ looks fine, I started once at that jacket, but I frogged it. Maybe I will try again later, much later.
So THAT’s what you were working on Tuesday night! I was going to ask you, but, well, you know!
Boy, everyone in the land seems to be knitting this jacket. The latest run in on this jacket was listening to Kathy and Pixie (Webs) discuss their strategies of keeping track of increases/decreases via the Ready, Set, Knit podcast. Webs is hosting a BSJ knitalaong.
No wonder about your aversion - the stitch looks kind of “cheap”, but is actually not easy to knit a clean-looking fabric with it.
Congrats! Your looks nice, and I do like the idea of decreasing around the center stitch.
Yup! I’ve done it that way and liked it a lot. I don’t always (laziness swoops in sometimes), but it gives a nice vertical design element too that helps offset the garter stitch.
I’m knitting the BSJ in a solid color. This is the first one I’ve knit, and I’ve had to start it over three times. I do think I like your decreases with the stockinette though. Maybe next time as I am not frogging this one again.
Thank you, Susan. I’m being seduced into knitting yet another baby sweater and in garter stitch, yet,which I’ve always intensely disliked knitting.
Am working on the bsj but did have to make myself addl instructions since I am not the master knitter that ez was. Am about 1/2 through it and have been able to figure out that the beginning is the top.