Finding the mental and physical energy to blog is a bit of a struggle as I’m in the defective weeble stage of my pregnancy (I wobble wobble, but I can’t get up!) I’ll just have to get on with it soon because it’s looking hopeful that we will be able to move into a two bedroom flat before the little one arrives. Judging by how hard and how often she kicks these days, she’s just as excited at the prospect as we are!

Although I do keep starting new projects, (I can’t help it! It’s an illness!) I am getting better at finishing things properly. The baby cardigans I made earlier in the year, during our long weekend in Rome have finally got their buttons and button bands.

I love the wooden flower shape buttons I picked up at the local market for the pink and blue cardigan I knitted in Sirdar Smiley Stripes (shade 263).

The plan for the purple and green one in Stylecraft Special DK was to use plastic snap fastenings, but I couldn’t find where I’d put them. I decided it was easier to re-knit the side of the button band that needed button holes than search for the plastic snaps, so that’s what I did. I’m glad I went with buttons now, as they look great!

I know I’ve posted pictures of these ones before, but now they are finished, and that deserves celebrating! The pattern for both is Louise Tilbrook’s Fuss Free Baby Cardigan, which you can download from Ravelry for free, and I can’t recommend it highly enough! It’s clear, concise, and even picking up the stitches for the dreaded button band is made easy!

I have no excuse for posting another picture of my sunflower yellow crochet baby cardigan (also made in Stylecraft Special DK), other than it’s satisfying to include it in a post about the cardigans I’ve made for the baby! The pattern is one I bought via Ravelry, Claire Collier’s Sweet Yoke Baby and Toddler cardigan. I think I will be making this again next year in a larger size.

My newest (and current favourite) baby cardigan is this beauty crocheted in Drops Baby Merino 4 ply in cerise and orange, using the free Drops pattern for the Sweet Shells Jacket. The colour scheme (NO PASTELS!) is inspired by the fruit salad chewy penny sweets I loved as a kid.

The sleeves seemed a little long to me, which is why I turned the cuffs back. Drops patterns seem to be a little vague at times, telling you to increase or decrease a certain number of stitches evenly across a row without specifically stating where to do it, but it’s really just common sense (and when that inevitably fails, trial and error!)

I did attempt to make the matching hat, but I think my tension was off as I didn’t get very far before frogging what had mysteriously turned into an knotted orange worm. I think I’ll hook up something with similar treble shells without the hellish crown the Drops pattern tortured me with.

So far, that’s all I’ve finished making for Baby BAM, but there are some baby blankets still in progress, and plenty more cardigan patterns bookmarked. Perhaps I should start making them in the 3-6 months size now…

Beth 🙂