Knitting layette garments in the softest royal alpaca yarn has got to one of the best ways to await our new grandson!  The pieces are done — and we expect the baby to arrive any day now.  I seldom have such exquisite timing.  I have also had some lovely compliments about my knitting from my 5-yr-old granddaughter, Coco.

She told her Mom (Sonja):  She is knitting winter clothes for Julian, a hat and a sweater.  She even makes her own clothes.  She is a talented one.  We should enter her in a contest!

Thank you, Coco, for all that affirmation!  It is always glorious when your grandkids think you rock!

Well, here are photos of the layette — knit in Blue Sky Alpaca’s Royal Alpaca.  The sweater is Vintage Baby Cardigan by Kristin Spurkland and the socks are Simply Blessed by Deb Buckingham.  I based the striping on “fade knitting” techniques.  Sarah knit the hat first — which prompted me to knit the other pieces!  

I have knit another sweater-hat-booties set too — which I had ready for Sasha’s Virtual Baby Shower some weeks ago.  I confess that I love these sets!  Tho I have found that the pieces never seem to all fit the baby at the same time!  The hat will be too small by the time the booties fit..or vice versa….Even when the patterns come as a set — those classic pattern photos showing adorable babies dolled up in adorable layettes?  Lies!  But I make them anyhow!  I figure that 2 of the 3 are likely to work together at one point or another — the sweater and socks or the hat and socks or the hat and sweater.  

To finish off each set, I hang the sweater on a padded baby hanger with a tag that gives the fiber content, washing instructions, and a little love note.  The tag is hung with yarn from the project — so the parents will know which sweater the instructions go with.  The little hanger is, I think, a nice touch so that the sweater stays handy in the nursery closet.