Party hearty cardis!

Let's overlook the fact that it was 95 degrees with 400% humidity yesterday, shall we?  Because it's September, and that's technically FALL.  Back-to-school, dead-leaf, pencil-shavin' and lunch-box-totin' weather.  Woooo!  And what does the well-dressed baby wear in such a season?  What does he slip into after he hangs up his blazer and unlaces his kicks?  That's right, a cardigan.  A party hardy cardi! Toasty, yet adjustable comfort that allows him to board the Make-Believe trolley hit the beer bong in style.

Pete has two new cardigans to dork rock out in this fall.  His Cousinly Cardigan was supposed to be for summer, but didn't quite make it--and really, no one needs a cardigan here in the summer anyway.  There was a lot of grumpiness involved with this one.  To start with, the yarn wasn't the color I wanted, which seems to be a running problem for me with Knit Picks. 

Is it my monitor?  Their pictures?  Who knows, but what I thought was going to be a summery sage green turned out to be dead-of-winter pine.  (It's even darker than it appears here--the sweater pix are pretty true-to-life.) Perhaps I should have known this from the name, as Wikipedia tells me that the cypress is a member of the conifer family.  Alas, I am not in the habit of performing due diligence on color names.  It seemed ridiculous to return $11 worth of yarn, though, so I duly cast on.  Beef the second: Cotton yarn, I am over it.  This stuff didn't murder my hands a la the Rowan Denim, but I hate the drapiness, I hate the fuzz, and I hate the way holes grooooow.  Only wool from now on, folks.  Hold me to it.  And finally, a small scrap of disgruntlement with the pattern--hey Nashua, when I pay $14 for a booklet of patterns, I expect you to do the math for me, not give me bullshit "decrease 12 stitches evenly" type instructions. 

That's right--all those decreases for the yoke?  It's just you and the calculator function on your cell phone, my friends. 

On the plus side, it's cute, it fits nicely, and the stockinette for the 9 month size is (surprise!) much less onerous than for the 2 year model.  Hmm, which I don't seem to have blogged--

Pete's cousin Emma has the same sweater in lilac (which was basically as Knit Picks pictured) with some lovely flowered buttons.

 

Now, if I can just get a version of this shot with them both wearing their Cousinly Cardigans, my satisfaction will be complete.  Mmmmmmatchymatchymatchy.

For more traditional occasions (Glee Club, etc.) he also has a new cardigan from his Grammie:

She used a pattern from The Family Knitting Book by James Norbury, who appears to have been something of a knitting celebrity in the '60s, if we can judge from titles like Knit! With James Norbury. Ok!  I think I will!

  There are some hilarious patterns in Family Knitting, as well as some nice baby classics.  My mom found the pictures on the dust jacket "weird" and reports that she's better able to enjoy the book now that she's tossed it. She also tossed the ball band on the yarn, so I can't tell you what it's made of, only that it's soft.  And doubtless washable.  And Katybird-blue.

Ready for fall? Button up, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Comments

[gleek]

your little man has the cutest smile ever! :) both cardigans are super. i love them both.

[Veronique]

Man, Pete sure loves to smile! And smile BIG! He certainly is thrilled to be wearing such lovely hand knit goodies :)
PS: I hear you on the cotton yarn ban...

[Craptina]

He doesn't seem to mind the weather, in fact, he looks BORN for wool!

I wanna knit with James Norbury!

[carrie m]

oh my gosh, your son is stunningly adorable! i mean, i knew this, but he really shines in these pictures. seriously, make yourself some money and get him in a penney's catalog!

(oh, and the sweaters are nice, too!)

[Heather]

Look at that big boy sitting up!! And I have to say that I secretly hate Knitpicks, I always get screwed by them in some way...