Surprise!

I've been knitting Baby Surprise Jackets like mad. It all started with a request from my husband for a baby gift for a colleague who was having a baby. I had noted that the Elizabeth Zimmerman BSJ was a very popular ravelry pattern, and decided to check it out. Coincidentally there was a BSJ Knit Along just about to start, so I joined up and began my first BSJ. I used a variegated fingering. I decided that the first BSJ was too small, so I decided to use a more substantial weight of yarn, and moved up from fingering to sport weight yarn.

I checked in the stash and found some Patons Astra that I had left from a Franklin the Turtle sweater which was 100% acrylic and would be totally washable. I just started in, playing with the colours and making my selections as I went along.

It was fun to imagine what the jacket would look like when done. I was pleased with the resulting BSJ, and then looked through my button box for four buttons that would match. Would you believe that with HUNDREDS of buttons I did not have four that would work? So I decided to make dorset buttons. They were a nice touch.

By this point I was addicted. Two done ... but more yarn left in all of the colours ... so I decided to keep on going ... and made another ... and then another. It was interesting to see how DIFFERENT each of the jackets was, using the same palette of yarn, but adjusting the balance of colours, and making different coloured buttons.

This became a real stash buster experience and in the end I used up almost all the colours. In fact, I did not put a button band but decided to insert a zipper in the last one, as I decided to use brown yarn around the jacket and found I did not have enough. I was worried!

In fact I did not have any brown left. I used it all when I crocheted around the jacket and then sewed in the ends. This little bunch of yarn is all I have left!

Now I have two BSJs completed, waiting for the next baby shower. Surprise!