What's up, Shorty? also, Books! Now with Pictures!

So, a year ago back in June, a church member (awesome woman with tons of connections to my hometown) had a baby. This past June, Baby Ben had his first birthday. And because this kid is so awesome -- and his mom is so awesome -- I decided that I couldn't just show up at his birthday party with a card, watch him get cake all over his face, and then leave. No, I needed to knit this kid something as awesome as he is.

Like Baby Cargo Pants!

I used some olive green superwash wool I had lying around -- not enough for something adult-sized, but far too much to justify making just a hat and mittens -- and stitched this baby up in about a week. Complete with front lawn bake sale for the neighborhood festival. I even sent out my husband to buy buttons for the pockets and elastic for the waist. Twice. (He did great with the buttons; those he only had to buy once.) I stitched up adorable little pockets and sewed them on, buttons and all. I stitched up the waistband and threaded the elastic through it. And then I never sewed up that last inch in the back. And never gave it to my church member.

Which is fine, because I haven't seen her since June. She hasn't been to church.

And really? These pants are still way too big for the kid.

And what with the wool, and the June birthday... I've still got time to put the finishing touches on, right? Right?

(The yarn is Laines du Nord Giunco. That's a worsted weight 100% superwash merino. Color #600. I think I did the medium-big size. I think I used 4 balls. Helpful and informative, huh?)

There are no pictures of the kid wearing the pants, because he doesn't have them. But around the same time, I did some bargain-buster Amazon.com shopping, so I'm showing a picture of that happiness instead.


Bart Ehrman's The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A new look at betrayer and betrayed. Good stuff, I'm reading it right now.
Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark's Knit 2 Together
Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits (I'm working on a project from this right now, look for a future post complete with pictures and story!)
Erika Knight's Simple Knits for Cherished Babies