Here is the beginning
I had kind of heard of this jacket. I had a couple of Elizabeth Zimmermann's books, and had actually been a little disappointed. But I saw that there was a step by step DVD for this BSJ. I put it on my Christmas List, but I got a lot of other awesome knitting gifts, but not this one
I have cast on and begun the decrease rows, which you do immediately.
In January, I found a group on Ravelry dedicated to helping with this jacket. I joined, read through, bought some "practice yarn" (Bernat Baby Softee in a color called Rock a Bye Baby. I also found a fellow knitter who had created a spreadsheet for this pattern -- thanks, Kenny!
Here is a close-up of the decrease rows
And so I started. I am making the sweater for Katie's baby, due in June, I think, and I am praying for her, for the baby, for the baby's grandmother, while I knit.
In this picture, you can see the progress I have made with the decrease rows...
This has probably been the *most* fascinating knit project I have ever understaken! Elizabeth Zimmermann was *truly* a genius! The pattern is fascinating and wonderful. It is both very, very easy to knit and at the very same time, it is a huge *challenge* to knit, at least the first time.
The strange, unique shape is starting to be more visible here ...
The first time you knit this pattern, you do not know what you are doing, because it is knit in a way you have literally never encountered in your life -- unless you have made this sweater before or maybe closely watched someone. Even if you are familiar with EZ, this is still going to be new to you. Another reason is that the pattern is extraordinarily symetrical. That means you *must* have the right stitch count at all times. So there is a lot of counting. The knitting itself is entirely garter stitch, so it is "easy". But -- there is a lot of decreasing in the beginning, then a lot of increasing, a few rows with both, then a center section knit by itself (some leave this section out). At the end of that section, it requires that you pick up stitches, then more increasing, some buttonholes and you are done, except for two seams across the top of the shoulders and arms.
Even EZ admits that the finished project, before folding it into a sweater, looks like NOTHING you have ever knitted or seen knitted! She is right!
One of most spectacular Eureka! experiences I have *ever* had in my 63 years of living and about 50 of knitting, was the first time I folded this amoeba-looking object and suddenly, there in front of me, was a baby sweater. I am not kidding you -- it took my breath away! I was genuinely awed.
This is how it looked the first time I folded it ...
Here is a picture taken while I was working on the 90 stitch center flap
My most recent picture.
I had picked up stitches on each side, one of the more challenging parts of making this sweater. All stitches back on the needles and I still had the correct number -- whoo-hoo!
