Tomten Jacket | The Knitting Nurse

Project catch up:

A big box o’love I mailed to my sis last week. Would you like a peek inside?

Have you knit the Tomten by Elizabeth Zimmerman? It’s brilliant! I used up many beloved odds n ends as well as two skeins of yarn from my northern CA days, Windrush Farms yarn from Mimi. This is a modular, all garter stitch pattern. Sonja will look adorable and ever bit the mischievous, impish wee one in that hood. Notes can be found on my Ravelry project page.

A quickie Husky quilt goes to Sonja from fabric her mom sent me. This is my third time sewing this pattern. Super fast! Love it.

A Pumpkin hat went in for my nephew Chris because hey, babies get that sort of thing.

For a baby on the way I crafted up an apple hat. The leaves I winged.

You may know I’ve gone back to school and knitting time is at a premium. I need simple, can knit it while not looking sorts of projects. This is The Big Easy in Manos Maxima a merino single that is knit underwear out of it soft. I like the deep brim and it’s the perfect amount of slouchy.

The color is more accurate in this pic. Most knitting is done at night with Jane in my lap these days.

I also started Alieas, a cardigan by Isabelle Kraemer in a wooly-wool I bought at Madrona last February from Island Fibers of Lopez Island. Loving it so far and I’m much further that this pic shows. Top down, I got to the bust and decided horizontal bust darts are needed to provide some length to accomodate the girls to keep the sweater length in the front correct. I read somewhere that it is a good idea to get sleeves in before doing so as that will greatly change the fit on the shoulders and front. I’ve got one sleeve zooming along (really love knitting a sleeve using the short row top down technique). I put it on last night and the neckline and back width are perfect. I’ve done bust dart calculations per Ysolda Teague’s Little Red in the City book and will insert and con’t the body after I’ve done both sleeves.

This is my first Isabelle Kraemer pattern and it is meticulously written and clear. I adore her designs and have several fav’ed and queued. There is a mock cable on the fronts, the underarm and sides and hem that are a special detail.

Can’t wait to finish this and make another sweater! I’m in a sweater making mode…

A Tomten is a small Swedish elf who does good deeds. Sweet little Alex should fill those shoes.

Alex and happy mom Kim. Alex is drowning in the jacket! (Sorry for the horrid light in this pic.)

Wee ones should be blessed with wooly-goodness. Friends Matt and Kim are the proud (and tired) parents of Alex, now 7 weeks old. I hand delivered this gift to proud mom and dad. It is HUGE next to him being a generous 2 year-old size. However, babies sprout and before we know it he’ll outgrow the jacket.

Tomten Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman (Ravelry it HERE)

Mods: Many. Gauge is 3.5 SPI. Original is at 5 SPI for a 6 month old size. Being completely modular, using multiples of 8 I cast on 80. Split for the arms with 10 for the front, 20 bound off armhole, 20 for the back, 20 bound off and 10. Body had 20 garter ridges with one short row to prevent jacket creep-up-syndrome. Hood was grafted at the top. (A lesson in patience.) Picked up 31 stitched for the sleeves, knit for an 8.5″ sleeve. Joined sleeves to body using 3-needle BO (not grafting, just couldn’t get it to look presentable. Single crochet around edges with crocheted button loops. Wood buttons.

Yarn: Cascade 220 and Nature Spun worsted held double.

Needles: 9

Here, you can see the shape of the hood. (Or “pood,” as my mom told me I used to call them.)

If you’ve never knitted an E.Z. pattern, run, don’t walk to Schoolhouse Press and check out her books and leaflets. A genius she was, empowering the knitter to use logic, math and design to personalize basic patterns. She’s taught me much! There’s an adult version of this floating around. I think it would fun to make from left over worsted weight yarn that tends to fill one’s stash.