Yarn Selection
for Sweater Club
Baby Surprise Jacket:
Yarn weight and needle # determine the size for this jacket which can be made for a newborn to a toddler.
There's no reason why cotton or any of the new yarns like soy, bamboo or corn-based fiber couldn't be used. If you use wool, we will learn the wet splice which eliminates all knots. Cotton or other non-animal fiber will have to be striped with new colors tied on, but that's not a big deal. If you want to make this for a summer baby (or adult) feel free to choose a cool fiber.
Newborn to 6 mos: Any sportweight, or Shetland yarn with #1 or #2 twenty-four inch circulars in bamboo or wood. My suggestions are Brown Sheep 100% wool sportweight or Jamieson & Smith Shetland. The latter is a little scratchy to knit with but it washes on gentle or handwash setting of your washing machine, dries on a towel, holds its shape. It becomes soft after the first wash.
1 to 2-year-old: Any sportweight with a #3 twenty-four inch circular needle or DK-weight with a #4 twenty-four inch circular will work. My suggested DK-weight yarn for this project is the Jo Sharp Classic DK. I have used it for years and it washes in the machine beautifully. It costs a bit more going in, $8 (less 10% with your class discount) for approx. 109 yards, but no dry cleaning bills. This is also my recommended yarn for the Adult Surprise Jacket. I'm using a #7 needle with the adult version for drape. For a child's garment, you want a bit more body so it will hold up over two winters, hopefully, so we'll use smaller needles for the BSJ.
2- to 3-year-old: Any worsted weight or heavy worsted will work. Choose a #5 to #7 needle according to the yarn you choose. I used a #7 needle when I knit the blue variegated toddler jacket with green buttons (shop sample).
Adult Surprise Jacket: My main yarn suggestions are to choose your favorite Manos multi and then choose solid DK weight Jo Sharp for the solid stripes. If you're using up yarn from your stash, choose some solids and knit up a swatch in garter stitch. Choose at least five solid colors, but use only small amounts of the lightest or brightest of these. A cream or white yarn will really, really show up with darker colors, so be careful when choosing.