My First Baby Surprise Jacket
This pattern is truly amazing…….and was a PITA at the same time. The first time I saw one hanging up in a LYS I was impressed with the key words no seaming….except at the shoulders. I bought the DVD as I do better seeing and following along……well Meg Swansen is not the best knit-a-long teacher I have seen compared to other pattern DVD’s I have worked along with. She carries you along for about 7 rows then smiles and says…..see what you are doing…..now continue in this manner until…..well at that point I lost it<G> I don’t do math and needed a row by row stitch count of how many stitches you knit to the first marker, how many between the next marker and how many are left at the end of the row. So I did a search in google who is my friend and found a neat message board at yahoo called knitbabysurprise and is located here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/knitbabysurprise/ membership is closed but you can request a membership here: MEMBERSHIP IS NOW CLOSED. YOU CAN ONLY JOIN BY INVITATION.
IF YOU WANT TO GET ON THE WAITING LIST,
WRITE TO knitbabysurprise-owner@yahoogroups.com or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babysurprise/
Once you get accepted you have access to all the groups files which includes pictures of completed Baby Surprise Jackets which gave me more ideas on different colors and strip patterns……but the best for me was a wonderful blow by blow cheat sheet…or help sheet with a row by row break down<G> which I could not have finished my sweater without! Ok here’s the pix…lets see if it goes in the right area. Oh good it looks ok…..
Ok that is what it looks like after your finished……it looks like a blob of knitted fabric…..but after you line up the arms and fronts ………surprise!
The yarn used is Plymouth Encore worsted weight Colorspun Island Print. The colors are more muted/pale than what the camera shows……pinks, blues, golds and mauves. Oh and needle size was 6.
4 comments Monday 27 Aug 2007 | dabsy | Baby Suprise Jackets, FOS
Your baby surprise jackets are wonderful and thank you for posting the links to
get permission to the knit along group for BSJ. I am having so much trouble
getting it to work to even ask permission, do you think it is actually closed off
to everyone and disbanded? Are you currently able to access the group? It
seems a shame to keep the information so hidden, I guess they want to make
sure everyone purchases the original pattern, which I have. Thank you for any
help you can give – Jessica jesschittum@gmail.com
Hi Jessica…sorry I missed this post…..did you have luck getting into the group?
I will follow-up with a email if I don’t hear from you in a few days.
Donna
Your BSJ is so cute! I too am working on my first BSJ. I have tried and ripped several times already. I own Elizabeth Zimmerman’s book but I keep getting lost in the numbers. I feel like her instructions are quite vague and open to many ways of interpretation. I tried and found that there isn’t even a waiting list to be invited to join the Yahoo group to which you refer. In fact is appears to have been disbanded, not just closed. Do you have any idea where I could find a copy of the cheat sheet you mentioned? Thanks for any help you can give. Cshores
CShores, sorry I haven’t checked the blog in a while. Ravelry has a very helpful group Baby Surprise Jacket, also a re-write of the original pattern:
A-B-C-SJ (Adult, Baby, Child’s Surprise Jacket)
Elizabeth Zimmermann, Meg & Cully Swansen
http://www.schoolhousepress.com/patterns.htm
With row by row directions, price is $10 but IMO worth it. If you are on raverly in the Baby Surprise Jacket group are links to many sources of info, also the Wiki is a great starting place:
http://www.knitting-and.com/wiki/Baby_Surprise_Jacket
Happy Knitting
Donna