Duck Soup!

There's a new pattern for wee ones hanging around my shop today, meet Duck Soup!


He came about one winter night as I tried to imagine the simplest, sweetest, freshest, and most practical baby garment ever. It would have to be really simple. That means no fancy stitches (just stockinette and garter), not too much shaping, as little counting as possible (aka, can be worked without looking at the pattern too too much), no buttonholes, no frilly bits, minimal seaming, supercute, current, warm, sized to grow with those kidlets who never seem to pause for the knitting, and fun to make. It took about 8 or 9 months of tinkering and tweaking until it was just right, but it's finally here!


It's is a fun to knit and wear (nearly) seamless jacket featuring a knotted hood (too cute), knotted i-cord buttons and loops (fancy lookin' but easy peasy, you'll see) and grow-with-me sensibilities.


Frustrated with sweaters that seem to only fit my tots for a few weeks, I designed this one with multi-season wear in mind.


This jacket will fit as a roomy overcoat with a folded brim and cuffed sleeves this fall and as a more tailored-fitting sweater perfect over a light layer come spring. I've also worked out sizing to fit wee ones from 3 months to 5 years so there really is something for everyone ;0)


The frog closures are such a fun (and deceptively simple) detail and I've included a thorough photo tutorial for making them in the pattern. Mine were knit from Knit Picks Palette (fingering weight) yarn I had lying around in the stash, but they would make perfect use of sock yarn oddments you might have lying around. You can make coordinating multi-coloured ones using the different colours in self-striping sock yarn since each only uses but a few yards of yarn.


As for the main yarn, I used Classic Elite Countess which I purchased from Webs during boxing week last year (told you I've been thinking about this one for a while!) The yarn is a beautiful multi and is made up of lots of strands of different coloured yarns which I picked up on when choosing colours for the closures. It is also so soft and cooshy and a pure pleasure to knit with it.

This is my favourite pattern so far and I hope you'll enjoy it too. You can it here or as a Ravelry download for $6.50.

Happy knitting!