Tag Archives: knitting

The Baby Surprise Jacket….

One of those Elizabeth Zimmerman masterpieces.

This ravishing one is by Adrian at Hello Yarn and one of my favorites.  The inimitable  Brooklyn Tweed has one that I LOVE as well here with a baby hat pictured by BT here that would complete the baby-cuteness freak-out.

I am working on this for my upcoming Spring Cloverhill class.  I am making it in cotton and a riot of color.  I really like how the cotton feels after making past ones in various wool mixes . I am using Dawn Adcock’s totally genius sweater notes which makes it such much more straight forward.  EZ is lovely in all of her Zimmermanisms, but it is nice to have it all spelled out logically, with no space for  interpretation of her sometimes quirky instruction. That said, make no mistake that I LOVE her madly.  I love her Cowgirl-knitting sensiblitiy.  I love her no-nonsense simplification of pattern, knitting and life. Her forthright sassiness.  I love that she says things like–

There is no right way to knit; there is no wrong way to knit. The way to knit is the way that suits you, and the way that suits the wool and the pattern and the shape that you are currently working on. Show me any “mistake” and I will show you that it is only a misplaced pattern or an inappropriate technique. There are patterns that include dropped stitches and twisted stitches. There are projects which should be as tight as you can possibly knit; there are others where you have to relax to the point of lethargy in order to make them loose enough. I’ve not yet found a pattern which includes a split stitch; this is the only real mistake I know.

The BSJ is simple enough in its pattern to make it an easy knit, as long as you don’t mind counting.  It is also interesting enough in its brilliant origami construction and gauge versatility that it makes you want to make it over and over.  Plus, it’s just a damn fine sweater!

A Zimmerman pattern is so fun to teach in a class because it  provides an opportunity to think about your knitting. To think about Knitting ( the BIG K), in fact.  To loosen up your ideas about what is proper-technique and form, to push the conventional knittng rules with “it just makes common sense” wisdom.  To think outside of the usual gauge an row-count box.  Nothing like a little Zimmermania to breathe new life into your knitting.  Give one of her books or patterns a try if you haven’t. Be free!

Esme thinks EZ is the knitting Duchess as well.  While I have been recuperating, Little Ms. Prickles has been spending a lot of time hanging out on me as seen below.  She likes to hang-out in my knitting– to curl up in whatever I am working on.  She is very proprietary about it sometimes… grabbing it and trying to drag it away from me.  All those needles on her, it’s only right that she has a knitting fixation.  She’s getting big, right??

There is a gardening super-icon that I love similarly to EZ.  It’s just about time to start going on and on about things dirty and green, n’est ce pas?  I’ll sing praises of her and her wise ways soon.

xo.