What to Knit When You're Expecting

introduction

My daughter Maile was born on 16th December 2009. I spent the months before her birth knitting constantly to keep my hands busy and to help the time before her arrival pass more quickly, and to reassure myself that everything was going to be all right during my very difficult pregnancy. I knitted sweaters, blankets, burp cloths and stuffed animals. And I put my hopes and my love for my child into every stitch.

Every pattern in this book has a story. And while I confess that I did not knit 28 patterns in nine months, I did knit many of these for Maile, and the others were knitted over the years for those friends whose lives have touched ours.

In the course of Maile’s first year, I learned which knitted items are useful, and which ones are, shall we say, merely decorative – those that sat in her drawer, never to be worn – and I’ve included the best and most useful projects in this book. The patterns are all relatively simple, so that they can be knitted while your mind is elsewhere, and they are all practical: they can actually be worn, used or played with.

This book is organised by trimester: the ten patterns in the chapter The First Trimester are slightly more difficult as, during this trimester, your mind is still likely to be relatively clear, and you probably have plenty of time to finish a longer project, such as a baby blanket or a more complex hooded jacket. The Second Trimester focuses on patterns specific to gender, for those of us who choose to find out ahead of time. They are also at the intermediate level, but are on the faster side, as time grows short during this phase of pregnancy. The patterns in The Third Trimester are strictly easy and short because, by now, that ‘pregnancy brain’ is likely to have kicked in, and you are both distracted and impatient.

What To Knit When You’re Expecting is intended to satisfy, in part at least, that nesting instinct that can only be fully sated by creating things yourself. Whether it’s painting the nursery, putting together the cot by yourself (not recommended), or knitting an entire wardrobe for your baby, a pregnant woman’s needs must be honoured.

tips & techniques

Techniques

Casting on stitches

There is a variety of cast-on methods you can use, each with its own benefits. The methods below are used in the patterns in this book.

Long-tail cast-on method (A)

Most of the patterns in this book use long-tail cast-on. If the pattern doesn’t specify a cast-on technique, long-tail is the one I had in mind, but feel free to use whichever method you like best.

Pull out a strand of yarn approximately three times the length of your first row. Err on the longer side to avoid having to cast on twice. Make a slipknot here, then insert your needle into the loop. *Holding the needle in your right hand, loop one strand of yarn around your left thumb, and the other strand around your left index finger. Keep your fingers stretched out, as shown. Slip the needle into the front of the loop around your thumb, then into the front of the loop around your index finger, then drop the thumb loop onto the needle. Pull tight. Repeat from * until you have cast on enough stitches.

Knitting in the round

All the sleeves and trouser legs in this book have been written to be seamed – the pieces are sewn together after knitting. Personally, I find seaming is easier than knitting in the round, and makes for a neat, sturdy finished garment. However, not everyone likes seaming. Many savvy and dpn-loving knitters will want to work the sleeves in the round. If you want to do so, you may want to decrease the stitch count by a stitch or two, since the patterns are written to allow for a couple of stitches to be used for seaming. Also bear in mind that joining trouser legs that have been knitted in the round is a tricky (but not impossible!) business.

Finishing

How you finish off your garment makes all the difference to the final piece. There are a variety of methods you can use to cast off your stitches, and to sew your knitted pieces together, each with its own advantages. Make sure you block your knitted pieces before sewing them together.