baby bonnet marathon

It's been all baby bonnets, all the time here. The pattern: Lacy Bonnet, from Knitting for Two

It started with the one on the far right, knit with super soft worsted wool from the last batch of cochineal dyeing. The knitting went by so quickly that I started the more delicate cream-colored one in the middle. Captivated by clever construction, overwhelming cuteness, and quick knitting, I started the third one, in hot pink ribbon.

Doing three at essentially the same time is a great way to learn about the virtues of different yarns. Each results in a very different garment, and each has its charms. The worsted wool (similar to Cascade 220) makes for a substantial and richly-textured fabric. The fingering-weight wool (Ornaghi 'Merino Kind Superfine') makes for a much lacier, girlier, more delicate fabric. It feels truer to the pattern, but I also miss the substance that comes with the worsted yarn. As for the the ribbon yarn (Moda Dea Ticker Tape), it makes a very stiff fabric on size 5 needles. The feel is neither baby-delicate nor winter-cozy, but it's a nice way to make a denser cap (with wild colors!) for babies in warmer climates who really don't want wool on their head.

I have a lot of finishing left to do. And I'm trying to find a good baby bootie pattern to match (I tried the book's "Delicate Booties" and was sorely disappointed. I think the seed stitch looks clunky, and I resented having a horrible tangle of seven ends to sew in - good picture here). So - yay! - there will be even more baby bonnet pictures to come in the next week.