Whit's Knits: Little Baby Sweater

My son Bear is a rowdy, mysterious, extremely silly two and a half years old. I love his toddlerhood, its questions and observations, its vicissitudes and surprises, but there's one thing I really do miss about his infancy. Those amazingly tiny little clothes! With their itty bitty sleeves and miniature proportions, they seem to me now like they were made for enchanted elves instead of babies! This irresistible cuteness makes baby gear almost everyone's favorite thing to knit, me included.

And so to satisfy this hankering, I designed this charming Little Baby Sweater. It's a simple knit, inspired by the no-nonsense engineering of knitting great, Elizabeth Zimmermann. Its inset sleeves pay homage to her genius Tomten Jacket, and its easy, low maintenance finishing would maybe please the guru herself! If you love Elizabeth Zimmermann's style but have always felt a little intimidated by her approach, this is a very friendly place to start!

I was happy to have a great excuse to try out our newest yarn from Anzula, Sebastian, because it includes sea cell, a fiber I had never heard of.  It turns out that sea cell is a seaweed and cellulose blend with the rigor and breathability of a plant fiber, the feather lightness of wool, and the soft shine of bamboo. It also turns out that sea cell plus superwash merino makes Sebastian the perfect choice for a baby!

If you love knitting for babies as much as I do, please visit my Little Baby Sweater Project Journal!- Thanks! -Whitney

Comments

[ThatCleverClementine]

Am I a complete silly goose for wanting to make this adorable stripey cardi for myself? I might just have to give it a whirl ...

[Cerise]

This is so cute!! I can't wait to make it!!

[Chris]

You're not a silly goose, because I want one for myself too! I don't know how to enlarge a pattern but I think this will make me learn.

[norah]

Clementine, you're not a complete silly goose! I saw this and having not done any knitting for over 25 years I immediately thought I wanted to make this for MYSELF! Dang...

[Lucy]

This is so cute! I have to knit it for our new baby due in January.

[msstitcher]

This is just gorgeous - it is just the perfect little sweater for a toddler - however I agree with Clementine that this would look extra cute as a little shrug for mummy as well : )

[Pom Pom]

How perfect! I'm sure little Bear will stay warm in that cute little make!

[Martha]

So cute! I'd love to make it for my nephew, who is 15 months. Is there any way to scale it up?

I'd also like one for myself...

[Selina]

What an adorable little top!
I so wish I had another baby to make stuff for!

[purl bee]

To everyone asking about sizing this up:

Thank you so much for your interest in this pattern! Unfortunately at the moment we simply don't have time to size up this pattern for adults. We will consider it for sometime in the future, however we can't promise a time frame! Our suggestion is that you check out Elizabeth Zimmerman's Tomten Jacket which has a very similar look and method of construction, it can be found in her book The Opinionated Knitter if you'd like to give it a try. Here's a link: http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/816-Schoolhouse-Press-The-Opinionated-Knitter

Thanks again for your interest!

- The Purl Bee

[yvette]

Dude you are talented!! I LOVE this.