Merrystitcher and Crochet: Katrina's baby jacket

Just finished this about half an hour ago today: the baby jacket for my sister in law who is ''due'' 2 weeks from today...!!!!!

So really it could be arriving anytime now and not be a premature baby....WOW!

She's in Delhi right now and we haven't heard for a while but we're hoping everything is going well, I finished early so we have the time to post this and it may get to her and her baby on time!

She chose the colours and we don't know if this latest addition to the ''Koffler '' dynasty will be a boy or a girl....

I made this from the Melody Griffiths book: ''Crochet in no time '', but don't you believe it I think this took at least 15 to 20 hours or so of crochet time as it uses a 3mm hook!!!

I used the prescribed baby cashmerino wool from Debbie Bliss which is divine to work with: so soft and smooth, warm yet cool to work with- it's the cream component in the above.

I substituted for the green: I used Sirdar's new baby bamboo yarn: a DK bamboo and wool mix,

I love the sheen it has that contrasts with the matt cream wool , but to work with was not so nice.

It splits easily, it had 2 knots in both of the entirely new balls purchased, it also had a fluffy bulky spliced bit right in the middle of one ball.......

When I mean knots: I mean the yarn was not continuous: it had ends which were knotted together!ON a NEW ball of yarn that I paid the normal price for!!!

So I had to undo a bit, cut the knotted parts out and work in the ends which should not have been there..!!!

But hey, what a lovely little jacket - I made the 3 months size and you can't see it but it feels very very SOFT.

It can probably be machine washed at 30 degrees...:

Baby cashmerino is 55 % merino wool, 33% microfibre and 12 % Cashmere. and is a fine DK/ almost a 4 ply: 125m to 50 grammes.

Baby Bamboo is 80% bamboo and 20%wool- 85m to 50 g.

As you can see from the photo it's all in dc ( UK) OR s.c for the U.S.A. readers among you and the shaping is very simple, it's sewn up the back seam to minimise bulk for baby's comfort.

I just love the star buttons made from shell linings: abalone I think.I sewed them on really REALLY tightly and thoroughly as I know the new mum -to -be is very worried about buttons and the risk of choking......After all I have two kids of my own and they didn't choke on any buttons.

Let me know what you think? YOU , OUT there in the ether ??!!!!

And here are the matching bootees that have already made it out there to India in the Royal mail!