Sunny Manda Ruth

I just finished up a lovely saffron version of the Manda Ruth pattern for baby Norah, and boy am I glad I picked a sunny color.

You see, summer was a bit, um, lackluster around here this year, and so I think I'm going to be grateful for colors other than gray once winter sets in. Plus this yarn is just yummy. It's Jil Eaton's Minnow Merino: soft, warm, and such luscious colors (this one is goldie).

The pattern is, of course, fabulous. You knit from the top down, which I love, and add the hood and button band after finishing the body. The only part that confused me a bit was getting the hood onto the neckline. I think you are supposed to pick up and knit more than once in each stitch of the neckline, which is how you get the sweet roundness to the hood. Instead, I picked up as many stitches as I could and then increased a whole bunch for the following two rows, which also worked.

I love that this sweater would be equally adorable on a boy or a girl, which of course makes it the perfect hand-me-down if you choose a gender-neutral color. Baby knits may work up fast, but babies grow even faster, so it's always nice when their super cute sweaters can be handed down!

Happy knitting!