Miscalculation

It would appear that my nephew is so sneaky that he grew while I was knitting, which makes me very glad that I noted the number of stitches and the method of concocting down here – because this one? It’s cute and all, but it fits him the way that 15 year old girls like their jeans to fit, which is to say that it’s too small for my taste.

This little sweater is clearly not going to last him any time at all – his Aunt Kelly took these pictures the other day while they were playing in the park (isn’t she a good photographer?) and I can see the whole thing is skimpy. The only place it looks like it fits is through the torso. Look at his little arms poking out of those short sleeves. (Those sleeves, by the way – I was absolutely confident that they were going to be rolled up. Way too long. Kindly deduct the required points from my knitter card.) 

I suppose I’ll be figuring the math for the next size up, and having a scrounge through the stash for two skeins of something that would be just right. (I think I might skip the stripe matching thing this time. That was killer.)  

I’d be upset, but there’s another baby on the way in this family, and I know Katie will share Luis’ little things, and besides, Lou doesn’t look like the sort of kid who’s going to be an only child.  The sweater will get used.

I do wish he’d stop growing quite so fast though – for more reasons than I can tell you.

147 thoughts on “Miscalculation

  1. My goodness he is a charming little guy. He is adorable. And it doesn’t look like he minds that the sleeves are short. I love that he is wearing it at the park. And I love that you get to make another.

  2. Also, that hat is brilliant. Perfect for spring. Not too warm, brim for shade, and keeps the ears toasty.

  3. It’s so crazy… my little grandsons are both in school now… I swear they were only born a year ago. The littler one has the most devilish grin and I know someday it will become a snarl (a cute one, like Trevor Boris).

  4. The sweater and baby are both wonderful. The way you matched the striping is awe inspiring. To me. I’m happy to hear the sweater will be used again and again.

  5. I absolutely understand. My nephew DJ is only 6 weeks old, but he has already grown and changed so much. It’s lovely and also heartbreaking. 🙂

  6. He looks very happy in his sweater.Some kids grow every 20 minutes,so I dont knit for babes anymore.

  7. My nephew just turned 1 yesterday & it’s killing me, how fast they grow! If course, I still think it’s a crime that my baby brother is 30…

  8. I experienced this with my daughter the other day – I could have sworn the skirt was still long enough, but no, it is decidedly skimpy. They just grow 2 inches overnight.
    And my daughter wore her sweaters with 3/4 sleeves – as long as they were still wide enough, this was fine.

  9. I know babies grow quickly, but that’s incredible!
    Both he and the sweater are beautiful, what a doggone shame he had a growth spurt right now…

  10. As we say here in Maine – Both he and that sweater are cunnin’! As in cute, way beyond cute!

  11. Gosh, this photo is darling…if it weren’t for the 21st century crisp colors, I’d say this photo is straight out of the 1960s. That hat especially! Very retro. It’s so sweet a) that he’s still wearing the sweater that he’s clearly outgrowing faster than a wayward dandelion on a summer day. b) his mother is so fond of the sweater she forces her rapidly growing toddler to wear it. c) mom dutifully documents growth and sweater at the park…and sends to the Yarn Harlot (YH). I think there’s a secret message here….read between the lines…..the mom wants another sweater from you. Possibly for herself. Don’t tell me you weren’t warned, YH!

  12. You guys better watch out. Lou is turning into a fashion model! Golly he’s cute, and a great turn for the mind from this week’s disasters.

  13. Yeah, the more the kid grows, the longer his sweaters will take, and the more he’ll grow while you’re knitting. I’ve reflected upon this dilemma. It’s possible I should just start knitting adult size sweaters for my nephews (3,5 and 7)…after all, the oldest one will be ready for them in less than a decade!

  14. sweater is adorable and you’re brilliant to just whip it up out of your head – that hat is so awesome too.

  15. Totally off topic, but you and Joe should make a point of getting to see the Great Big Sea XX tour — it’s AMAZEBALLS.

  16. I remember that happening when I knitted a sweater for our toddler son many years ago. It put me off hand knitting for a loooong time. 🙂

  17. No need to explain the reasons! My kids, like yours, have stopped outgrowing their clothes every few months, and while it’s easier on the pocketbook it’s melancholy, too.
    And that’s another lovely gender-neutral sweater. All set for Luis’s hermanita or hermanito.
    Pat

  18. The epitome of cute, but I think there’s also a glimpse of a future lady magnet. My sweater plan, when my kids were little, was to aim for a “6-year plan”. My kids were 3 years apart in age, a boy and a girl. I made each sweater to fit for 3 years–the first year too big, the second year just right, the third year a little snug, then on to child #2. Of course, it didn’t apply at the baby stage, when they just grow, grow, grow!

  19. I’d swear our twin nephews and twin godsons were just this age, but in reality they’re 19 this year. Funny how time only seems to move slowly when you’re at the dentist.

  20. She does take really good pictures. Happy to know that some other lucky child will get a chance to wear the sweater. Good way to look at it.

  21. I am thinking the sleeves are a good length, kind of. They won’t get in the way, or wet, or dirty, or tangled up in little toy wheels. All the better to show off those adorable little chubby hands!

  22. OMG – again!
    He is adorable and so is the sweater.
    But the hat – can you please ask Katie to give you the brand & post it so those of us who also have little ones to knit for could seek it out to accompany the hand-knit gifts? Pretty please?

  23. Awwww. What a cutie! Our family of 9 kids thrived on hand-me-downs. I was 16 before I bought something that was mine, and hadn’t been handed down, out of babysitting money. A friend of my dearly departed mom sent me a picture of a christening outfit made for and worn by me, on a sweet little babe who had inherited it from who knows where in the family – 65 years later. Handknits and crochets last!!
    Nancy FP

  24. He’s a beautiful little boy. My little guy was 2 lbs. when he was born and now he’s a hefty 25-ish lbs and 2 years old! Where did all that time go?

  25. So flippin’ cute! The kid, the sweater, the hat, the photos… Wonderful! I may just have to start knitting baby stuff for strangers and casual acquaintances…

  26. She is indeed a terrific photographer!!! Wow !! Outstanding images of a very cute kid.
    RE: matching up the stripes. Yeah, Steph, it was worth the effort, and looks really fine, but I wouldn’t try it and I don’t think you should very often. 😉

  27. Oh, he’s such a cutie! And yes, she is an excellent photographer. It’s a lovely sweater, and I’m sure you’re right that it will be pressed into service for many little people to come.

  28. It’s Katie’s fault. The knitter’s job would be easier if she didn’t insist upon feeding him!

  29. My grandson insists on growing far too rapidly also. I’m now starting to knit 12 mo. size that he’ll probably be wearing in Sept. – at 9 mo. at the rate he’s going.
    But, at the same time, how blessed we are that they are healthy and growing so well! I’ll knit to that!

  30. Thanks for getting my priorities straight. It’s 70 here (19 for you? Or so?) and I was out trying to get the dead stuff out of the garden before the next rain/wind come through — but now I see I need to go up and riffle through the baby yarn to see what I’ve got for the one I just heard is due in December. (No relation, but all the more reason.)

  31. I don’t knit anything smaller than 2T for babies, and that is for the shower gift. Everybody oohs and ahhs over tiny clothes at the party, and then my present is unwrapped, and everyone goes “whoa, it’s huge!”
    My last 2T is now being worn by the third baby boy in the family. I love it.

  32. You could always re-knit the cuffs – that way you can add length to get the fold over look without having to deal with the stripes!

  33. If the torso is OK (for now) can’t you undo the ribbing on the sleeves and knit down new ribbing that is (much) longer?

  34. Hey, I think Luis looks pretty cool in the skinny sweater! He’s a hipster baby. 🙂

  35. He’s so adorable! And that sweater!
    Congratulations to the parents on the coming baby. And one quiet thought: I always wanted the babies to stay little, like we all do. Then my last one did. Grew for three months and then stopped for nine, and at a year old could still get into some of his newborn things. I found myself fervently wishing he could leave some of those clothes behind, even though I knew I’d never have another baby to put in them. He got tested for growth hormone deficiency and threatened with a shot a day for something like ten years and suddenly shot up in growth on his own. No shots. Phew. 6’1″ now, 8″ shorter than his brother, but hey.

  36. He is adorable and the sweater is beautiful, short sleeves and all.
    I love it so much (and will have to try the recipe with my own stash).

  37. It’s a beautiful sweater, and he’s SCRUMPTIOUS!!!
    That does make me wonder, though. I made “size 12 month” sweaters for new twin grandbabies – and one of ’em is 7 pounds!! I’d better get them stitched up so at least they get a photo in them!!

  38. So sweet!
    “Lou doesn’t look like the sort of kid who’s going to be an only child” made me laugh, mostly because yesterday my Grannie looked at my daughter and told me she was so cute I should have 12 more. And, logistical issues aside, she kind of has a point.

  39. Dear God he is an adorable child!!! But are starting to feel like you are in the Groundhog day of children’s?

  40. That little sweater is so darn cute, I’m going to replicate what you did, exactly, except for the things I’m going to change 🙂 and that baby, he’s adorable! As always, thanks for sharing!

  41. Luis doesn’t seem to mind in the least. He looks smashing in his new sweater & fun hat. I’m back to the drawing board also. I started making 0-3mo size for 9lb6oz 22″ long newborn…don’t know where I put my brain when I thought that was a good idea. I realized my error reading your post. Thanks for the save (confession: Haven’t ripped it out yet as I’m looking to see if I can save it-I should get a grip. It’s only 3.25cm!) Looking forward to Luis new sweater.

  42. way cute!
    and the sweater is great too!
    but could we see some Hank pix. I think i need a Hank fix. he’s the gold standard in little boy cuteness (i suspect he is not so little since last we saw him…)

  43. Gosh, he’s cute. Yes, I can see the sleeves above his chubby little wrists. See, Luis is a smart little guy; he knows you love knitting so now you’ll just have to knit him another sweater (with way longer sleeves). Beautiful sweater, and adorable hat too.

  44. Dang it why do kids have to grow? It is really problematic for us knitters. 🙂 Can I tell them that’s not how you do it? But, seriously, the stripe thing on the sleeves, I’m sure it was a total pain but it certainly looks awesome. Just sayin’.

  45. How does Luis have teeth already?! I feel like he was born sometimes last week…. Jesus.

  46. What a cutie! (the sweater too!) He has the most gorgeous eyes and will break alot of hearts one day.

  47. He is an adorable little boy and is lucky to have a “knitting” aunt. I was a “knitting” aunt for a while, but, they’ve outgrown that stage now.

  48. Wonderful photos – good looking young man! Heartbreaking to see the work into a sweater that is really a bit small right out of the gate. Thankfully, more babies coming, and it looks like this family loves your handknits. 🙂
    This is also the reason I have a “grandma stash” – baby things I’ve been knitting for 10 years or more, waiting for babies to wear them. Of course, some also were donated over the years, but my favorites have been put away, “for now!”

  49. What a gorgeous little guy, and equally beautiful sweater! Doesn’t it just push your buttons when you are so sure of something and it just barely fits??? So much for gauges and measurements, lucky it will go to another sibling, great work!! xox
    With you on skipping the stripes!

  50. Lou is such a delicious little fellow! I could just eat him up. 🙂

  51. Yep. You’re right…he looks like a sneaky one! Better watch him, and watch him, and watch him ALL the time. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

  52. Steph
    I just want to say that in the midst of a pretty crappy time right now that Lou’s little face always brings me a smile!
    Thanks 🙂

  53. What a beautiful boy! Thanks for posting this and reminding us all of how much joy there is in this world. And also for a great simple sweater tutorial too!

  54. My youngest son did this to me. He was 6 at the time and requested a sweater. Knowing that boys grow like weeds on a hot summer day, I measured him, did a gauge swatch, and knit the sweater on my knitting machine, making a larger size that what he was at the time. It took less than a week to make and came out exactly to size. In that week the kid grew two sizes!! He couldn’t even get it on for pictures! It went to the boy next door and fit him for several years.

  55. What a sweet, happy looking little boy! The sweater looks … snug, and cozy. 🙂

  56. Oh Stephanie, Please, please do the shoulder strip matching thing on your next striped sweater! it looks so super cool! Cute kiddo! and thanks for the smile. i really needed it!

  57. That is one beautiful child! I especially like that last pose with such a pensive expression on his face. Give him a kiss for me.

  58. You knit that sweater top-down, right? And the torso fits and looks long enough… why don’t you pull the sleeves back a little and re-knit them an inch or so longer?

  59. He’s a cutie! I never knit for their current size. I start at 18 months and work my up from there. My neighbour across the street had a little girl prematurely last August (she wasn’t supposed to be born until end of September). I knit her sweater to fit her at 6-9 months which placed me firmly in mid-winter. Her next sweater will be knit for 24 months as she’s now clearly caught up to her adjusted size.

  60. I suppose it’s fair to say he’ll get to wear it about as long as it took you to knit it! It looks awesome on him though, and I bet Mom & Dad are glad you knit it for him anyway! He’s a gorgeous little heartbreaker 😀

  61. Holy Instant MANCHILD batman! That kid is G-R-O-W-I-N-G !! Such a sweet face though lol 🙂 Adorable

  62. It should last until spring finally takes hold, so you have the summer to make a bigger sweater.

  63. He’s a beautiful little boy….
    My guys also grow fast, I make things for them between 2 and 3 sizes beyond what they’re currently wearing so that they last (they’re also teenagers, so things being a bit baggy isn’t an issue)

  64. Wow! He’s self-propelled now! Go, Speed Racer, go!
    The sweater looks great on him, and I’m sure it will also look great on its next owner. Why? Because your family seems to produce such photogenic kids! (The sweater itself looks good, too.)

  65. Any yarn left over? Could add on to the sleeves. Better double what you would add as he will grow past that first number while the sweater is on the needles.

  66. You got the neck right!! That’s where I usually mess up. One very handsome tot. Now on to the next one. This sweater will move among little ones and get the attention and appreciation it deserves.

  67. He is so gorgeous! What a little joy he must be. It’s an adorable sweater even if he only wears it the once.

  68. To this winter-weary Minnesotan, the picture of any child at the playground on a spring day is a sight for sore eyes. This child in this sweater is almost enough to take my mind off the newest layer of disgusting white stuff which is covering up the whole state’s feeble attempt at spring.

  69. Being an Aunt is less fun that being a grandma but so much more carefree and fun than being a Mom. Being a greataunt has it’s pitfalls as grandmas get their noses out of joint easily if you love their grands too much for their tolerance so ….auntie along, Steph. Just keep on sharing those photos!! They’re great!!!

  70. I think the sweater is just right for Luis to play in. Long sleeves get in the way when you are trying to crawl really fast thru sand and playground tubes.
    It’s a great play sweater.

  71. A beautiful boy and a beautiful jumper (sweater). It’s good he’s got at least one wear out of it, and what a lovely hand-me-down for the next baby!

  72. It might only be worn this once but, my word, you did a bang up job!! Love’n them matchy=matchy stripes!

  73. I love when they just fit, that means more shopping for yarn and another sweater to be built. Sweet!

  74. With those other babies and potential babies in the family, you’re right, it will be used. I’m one of 14 cousins on one side of my family, and one of the oldest three, all born in the same year. I had a purple flowered dress with a white lace collar that I loved at age 8, which was worn by another cousin when I outgrew it, and was still circulating through the family when I was out of high school, worn by a much-younger cousin. I think it eventually just wore out, and I’ll bet the same fate awaits Lou’s sweaters as well. (I’d go up 2 or more sizes for the next one, though. He’s sprouting pretty fast.)

  75. You may have miscalculated on size, but you didn’t miscalculate on how good looking that sweater is. I feel confident that your knitting time and effort wasn’t wasted.

  76. Would you do us a HUGE favour and document the pattern this time? I tried to wing a baby sweater ( http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Xeres/wild-thing ) and while it turned out desperately cute, it ended up rather too tight around the biceps. This little sweater would be *perfect* for bright handspun yarns! (Also, while not so expertly as you, I did the stripe matching thing too – many many ends!!!! )

  77. He is such a great sweater model! Please tell us where his hat is from, I need one for my little guy too!

  78. Yes your sister is a totally amazing photographer and she has a wonderful subject. Love that last photo! So serious.
    Okay so you missed on the arm length still a really nice sweater and it looks fantastic. Just needs a shorter armed child.

  79. I blinked and my Baby turned 13. It’s like you’re in an alternate universe that speeds up when you’re not looking. Heartbreakingly darling little boy.

  80. I have just finished a cardigan for my granddaughter she is just 1 and lives in the UK , I was confident that it would be much too big but now I am not too sure , I had better get a move on and find some buttons and send it to her .

  81. Ganseys had shortish sleeves like that, to keep them out of the fish glop. Just think of it as a gansey. Also, babies typically grow longer much faster than they grow thicker. Maybe the next one should have short sleeves with no ribbing, but buttonholes and extra sleeve lengths to button on…

  82. Luis has to be one of the cuties babies ever. Thank you (and his mum) for sharing him with us!

  83. These adorable pictures more than make up for the crazy week we’ve had here. Thanks so much!

  84. Take off the cuffs, knit another 1 1/2″ on the sleeves, knit the cuffs again. Easy Peasy.

  85. The one and only time I made a sweater without a pattern, I measured, cast on, knit confidently, kept measuring, proudly presented the sweater, and saw the beautiful little girl poured into it like a, er, well, like a 15 year old into her jeans. It was so dispiriting that I’ve never attempted another without a pattern! Is it mean to say I’m a tiny bit heartened that such a dilema even happens to the Yarn Harlot?

  86. My guess is that if the sleeves are knit longer, the stripe sequence will no longer match the bottom edge of the sweater. That would be a deal breaker for YH and this sweater. That goodness for other babies coming along.

  87. Ah, what a miscalculation, overhauled by a little boy in so short a time. Then again, he will be followed up by another little sweetheart who will fit perfectly in this as good as new sweater. You can expect children to grow, but I hate it when starting a sweater, knitting it, after measuring, to be fitting to a perfect T, only to find out that the person himself has decided to do a growing spurt like a youngster. Or less nicely said, has eaten himself a beerbarrel in front of his once sixpack in less then the five months it took me to knit his (already a big size) sweater on needles 2,5 mm! So, I will stick to socks and babythings, thank you. I love this sweater,it looks a bit like an English smock to me, without the extra width. I think it is because of the snowflakes and the spotlike purls above that.

  88. I meant of course I love this sweater with the matching stripes (I hate fraternal socks, they must be identical) and I think the sweater with the snowflakes, tec, see above.

  89. It was the time needed to match up those stripes that allowed him to get too big for it! 😉 Darling sweater, though, and he doesn’t seem bothered by the shortish sleeves!

  90. Big favor, is it possible to ask Katie where she purchased the little hat? I am looking for one like that. Thank you.
    Rhonda

  91. Love your sweater and how quickly he is growing…that is the same with my grand daughters. I just wanted to say how much we depend on your bringing reality to our chosen addiction-knitting. We will miss sock summit, but it is a ginormous undertaking. I suspect you are correct in ending this lovely undertaking. Economics are what they are…we are so lucky to be able to keep our connection through your blog and Ravelry. Thank you for being a real person.

  92. Cute sweater! Cute baby! I think the mismatched stripes are part of the charm, so don;t go to any extra matching effort on my account. That random factor adds something. Yes, do make another one much bigger. As in “I dare you to outgrow this”! My kids all swam in too big hand knits, which they promptly grew into, right away. Now i”m doing it for the grands, too.
    Julie in San Diego

  93. Just watching jane austen book club and I see a very familiar face, or at least I thought so. then the light went on: she looks like The Yarm Harlot. Her name is Amy Brenneman and she really has your type of face and hair. She is beautiful and so are you! Stop wishing for other hair and enjoy it.

  94. Love it. Would you ever consider a proper pattern for a very newbie knitter? Would like to give it a try for my grandson. He is 2 and also growing like a weed so need quick projects for my experience and his growth.

  95. Oh my goodness! What an adorable boy! And you’re right – fabulous photographs. Congratulations on the upcoming new arrival!

  96. I recently knit a 20′ clothes line’s worth of baby things and blankets in sizes 6- 18months for a baby shower, as the baby wasn’t due till the middle of June. The mom developed preeclampsia and delivered last Saturday at 32 1/2 weeks. Mom and baby doing fine, but I’m now frantically producing preemie caps and a sweater, as they expect her to go home the beginning of May, when she’ll still need a sweater or two.

  97. Oh my gosh…he is adorable!! The sweater is gorgeous even though it’s a little small. 😉

  98. Love the sweater..amazing how fast they outlove something..you blink and a year flies by faster than you ever thought possible. It goes by quicker with each babe. I have 3, my last is 8 mths and I swear he was born yesterday! Where did the pattern come from?

  99. Can that kid get any cuter? 🙂 He is adorable and I totally agree, there isn’t a chance he will be an only child.
    My wee girl is now 7 months old and outgrowing sweaters faster than I can make them and little people things go super fast.

  100. Very nice sweater on a very sweet little boy. That’s just short of perfection, isn’t it?
    And I do know what you’re going through: I have twins – can you imagine how far I have to plan ahead to make them actually ‘wear’ the sweaters I am knitting for them? And sometimes they grow so fast, they make me drop a project from my queue just because I haven’t got enough yarn any more to knit the size they would need.
    Ah, the sweaters I haven’t knit because of the fast-growing (insert ‘sigh’ here)

  101. It’s not too I wish to duplicate your website, however really like the design. Can you figure out which usually design have you been applying? Or even maybe it was made to order?

  102. Oh my goodness!! What a cutie! 🙂 Just looking at that smiling face totally made my day. And I agree with the other commenters, he doesn’t seem to mind that the sleeves are a bit short…he’s just happy to have a cozy new sweater from his favorite knitter.

  103. I’ll add to the chorus of requests for the brand of that hat! So darn cute! And better than most hats for boys.

  104. Steph – the sweater is darling even if the fit isn’t right for him now. However, I have to say – I didn’t even look at the sweater for a while as the child is so stinking cute!!! That little smile is gonna be a heart-breaker some day. So happy to hear that there is another baby on the way as well. Peace and joy… Diana

  105. I have an almost 2 yr old grand-daughter, already had the dismay of knitting something that barely lasted any time so now ANYTHING I knit will clearly be too big, perhaps she will even need to grow into it before she can wear it. Little kid things are so much fun to knit–almost instant gratification.

  106. My boys and I love that playground too! We were heartbroken when it fell victim to arson, but are so happy it’s been rebuilt. And I hear you about kids growing fast. I blinked, and suddenly my oldest is turning 3! He resolutely won’t wear anything I knit for him, but I’m going to chalk it up to toddler-ism 🙂

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