Lina

I've been thinking hard for a while now about what to make for my good friend Emily's first baby, a little girl named Lina who is due in September. Emily is very stylish and and always looks picture perfect(she's my exact opposite!), so I knew that whatever I made just had to have the right amount of style and cuteness.

I mulled over making a baby blanket, but I knew that she would probably receive more blankets than she knew what to do with. And I thought about making little booties or a hat, but I just couldn't find the right pattern.

And then I turned to the old standby classic, the February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman (Ravel it). It seems like everyone I know has made one at one time or another and I figured now would be a good time for me to try my hand at it.

Project details:

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Eggplant - 1 skein (Yarn held double throughout.)
Needles: Size 7 24" circulars for body and size 7 dpn for sleeves
Notions: Tapestry needle & 5 small mother of pearl buttons

As usual, I can never follow a pattern completely and I took many liberties while creating this sweater. My modifications are as follows:

1. I did the entire yoke in garter stitch, as opposed to starting the pattern halfway down.

2. Instead of making stitches (m1), I did eyelet increases for a different effect.

3. I changed the front to a side opening instead of right down the middle.

4. I used a different lace pattern than the gull lace stitch. (Horseshoe lace pattern from Harmony Guides Lace & Eyelets)

5. Instead of bringing the sleeves down to full length, I capped them and bound off with a cute picot edging.

6. Instead of a straight garter border, I added a row of (y0, k2tog) in the middle of the garter stitch rows for a little bit of added decoration.

I loved making this little ditty and it was a super quick knit. I hope to make many more as my friends keep having more babies!