Reference

Well, with the help of one of our little spies, the baby sweater was delivered to the parents. I know the spy gave it to his parents because I heard this:

Father: Did you say thank you?

Spy: Thank you, Pat.

Despite numerous attempts on Mr. Penney’s part, we still don’t know whether they are expecting a girl or a boy. All that they would ever say is that the baby would be a tiebreaker. (They currently have two daughters and two sons. This addition will give them a basketball team.) Because of still not knowing the gender of the one that has yet to make an appearance, I had to make an adjustment to the pattern, since the pattern was rather specific in how to do the buttonband dependent on the child’s sex. Thus:

 or

Instead of working all of the buttonholes on one side of the sweater front, I did the one row of buttonholes on both sides and sewed a button on each side of the sweater front. It was no more difficult to sew two buttons at a time as it was to sew one. Actually, I think it was a little easier since the other button helped keep me from pulling the thread too tight.

To close the sweater, the mother doesn’t need to do all of the inside buttons. Just doing the bottom inside button seems to be enough to keep everything in place.

The pattern’s instructions called for the buttonband and collar to be knit as two pieces that are later seamed together at the back of the collar. To reduce the sewing, I just did the thing as one piece, although after doing that, I can see why some might want to do it as two separate pieces. There were over 200 stitches to the collar and band, and it took me about a half hour to do just one row.

One modification to the pattern that I wish I had done but didn’t is for the shaping of the collar. The instructions doesn’t call for full fledged short rows with the wrapped stitch, but rather just slipping the first stitch after turning to knit the next row. This left holes in the knitting that I don’t care for, though I really have to look for the holes in the finished sweater since this is all happening in 1×1 rib. But I know they are there….

In any case, all of the baby sweaters are done now; and I can do more adult things now.

Thanks to all for the concern for Mr. Penney’s head. He is doing fine now, and I managed to make it through the weekend without injuring him any further. Woohoo!