Maybe if this is your first time reading a knitting blog you've never heard of Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket. Otherwise, I'm sure you've either made this gem of a knitting project or have at least been regaled with tales of its brilliance. We've contributed our share of praise on the pages of this blog (Jacket and Pant Project Journal).

I've always knit my Surprise Jackets with 2 skeins of Koigu KPM and a US #6 needle for a perfect newborn size. This time, though, I thought it would be really fun to make a felted version that could be worn as a warm and funky outer layer. I forged ahead without any idea what size jacket I would have in the end but figured it was bound to fit my newborn son someday.

Materials

For this knitting adventure I turned to the most classic felting yarn out there, Cascade 220. I used six different colors, but for a solid colored version, you would only need two skeins.

The colors I used are:

• #7825 - tangerine
• #9471 - butterscotch
• #8011 - pale gray
• #8013 - heathery brown
• #8908 - aqua
• #8010 - cream

I also used a little bit of Blue Sky Alpaca's Sportweight Alpaca in "Capri" to line the collar.

I used a US #9 circular needle to knit the whole thing at 4 1/2 stitches to the inch.

You'll need 5 buttons about 1/2 an inch in diameter.

Knitting

Following the pattern in Elizabeth Zimmermann's book, The Opinionated Knitter, I knit the jacket without any alterations.

Here's what it looked like before sewing the sleeves together and adding the collar. The Surprise Jacket in its pre-jacket state always reminds me of a big floppy sting ray. It really tickles the brain that this crazy amorphous shape can so easily be folded into a perfectly structured jacket!

The Collar

To give the jacket an outdoors-y look I added a little standup collar. Here's how:

With the main yarn, from the right front corner to the right shoulder, pick up 17 stitches. Pick up 17 stitches across the back, and pick up 17 stitches from the left shoulder to the left front corner. (51 stitches)

Knit 1 row.

Next Row: Bind off 6 stitches, knit to the last 5 stitches, bind off 5 stitches, cut the yarn and pull the tail through the last stitch. (39 stitches)

Rejoin the main yarn and knit 9 more rows.

Change to the contrast yarn (something nice and soft) and, starting with a right side row, knit in stockinette for 13 rows, ending with a knit row.

Cut the yarn with a generous tail. First sew in any loose ends, and then use the tail to sew the collar liner down to the inside of the collar.

Unfelted Dimensions

When I finished knitting, I took a moment to measure the jacket. If you ever find yourself with worsted weight yarn and an urge to make a Surprise Jacket, here's what size you're going to get:

(Remember, these are the unfelted dimensions, at a gauge of 4 1/2 stitches to the inch.)

Chest = 21 inches

Bottom edge to top of shoulder = 13 1/2 inches

Armpit to cuff = 5 1/4 inches

Collar = 1 1/2 inches

Great for a 12 month old!

Felting

Felting is easy. Just toss the finished piece in a pillowcase, throw it into a washer, add a pair of jeans or a couple of baseball hats, set the temperature to hot, the water level to low and go! I have a very dinky, low power washer, so I ran the jacket through a few cycles, but you probably won't have to. Just check on your jacket's progress every ten minutes or so until you're happy with the look and size.

Finished Dimensions

Here are the finished dimensions:

Chest = 18 1/2 inches

Bottom edge to top of shoulder = 12 inches

Armpit to cuff = 5 inches

Collar = 1 inch

This version of the jacket would fit a baby about 6 months old. A little more or less felting and the size can be slightly adjusted for the little one in your life!