Osborn Fiber Studio

A few months ago, I put out a call: please, if you are so inclined, knit things for my baby! Because I don’t have time, and I am not actually judgmental about other people’s knitting! Well, good grief, all these loving hands around me have put me to shame – not just with knitting, but with crochet and sewing as well. And a good thing too, because I have NOT had time except in the past month or so to knit her very much. All of these will be modeled over time with a baby in them, but while I’m still in nesting phase I thought I would showcase all the lovely things she’s been made. You’ve already seen Mom’s blanket and Tammy’s first batch of cute things, and I have already been notified of several more fun things to come – but with her due date on Friday, I figure I’d better document what I can while I’m thinking of it. I make no projections about the state of my brain – or my presence on the internet – after babygirl turns up.

First, baby C has a lovely collection of blankets that keeps growing. The inimitable Barb made her an adorable little quilt made of cozy flannel, just the right size for a car seat or stroller. It looks wrinkley because I hung it to dry, but it’s too cute. Who doesn’t like little monkeys? And I have an affection for the particular combination of pink with green, yellow, and brown.

Along with newly made blankets, the family has passed on a number of outfits blankets that were made for previous babies. I won’t picture them all here, as I don’t even know who they were all made for. But this one is my favorite. Jared’s late grandmother made it for Jared’s older brother, and it matches a bigger afghan that lives in my in-law’s living room. It’s an excellently crafted example of cables and honeycomb stitch, and I love that it has one of those old-style customized labels in the corner that tells me it was made by “Gabrielle Osborn.” Not for the first time, I wish I’d known her.

A more recent handicraft from Jared’s side of the family is an owl blanket made by Jared’s mom. I don’t know why, but I kinda love all things with little owls on them. I have since been told that owls are a bit of a fad in baby things now, but I can say with honesty that I liked them before I knew that. (It’s a good thing, too, because I tend on principle to dislike things that are popular. I must be a secret hipster.) Anyway this bit of cuteness is very cozy and flannel and large; good for wrapping and snuggling for a good long time.

And then there are sweaters! Oh my goodness, so many little sweaters, of all colors and sizes! I just know I am going to assemble outfits, possibly even having to go shopping to make the perfect look to go with each of these at the right time.

The first I will show you is another Tammy creation; this woman cannot be stopped! It’s a Baby Surprise Jacket, that Elizabeth Zimmerman classic, with a few interesting twists. It’s sized for a bigger kid, so it should fit her sometime next winter. She made it extra long so it’s quite jacket-y, and added a fantastic ruffle around the whole thing (we all know how I feel about RUFFLES!!!). She used a yarn I’m quite familiar with, a Vanna White self-striping sock yarn in the best colorway it comes in, but I do believe she doubled it. This made the stripes a lot shorter, and made the whole thing blend very nicely. (And I imagine made it a lot quicker to knit.) I’m sorry the picture doesn’t do the colors justice, but it’s lovely.

Dearest Susanah, who now has a little man of her own to take care of, made her this beautiful wee vest. It’s made with Vintage, a washable yarn by Berroco, in one of their more nuanced colorways. I’m sure she told me the pattern, but I’ve forgotten – if you read this Susanah could you post it in comment or something? I’m afraid I blocked it rather badly, so I’ll have to redo it, but I don’t think it will fit her ’till next Christmas, so I don’t feel like I’m in a rush. But don’t you love the leaves in relief on the yoke? And the funny little cableage that makes a gathered effect on the body?

And now we start with another theme of baby gifts – rose. Now, I don’t mind pink, but too much of it wears on one. If I see too much pink, I get a little dazed as I look into a future of Disney princess bedding sets. But rose is another matter entirely. As the monsignor used to carefully remind us every year on the third Sunday of Lent, he was absolutely not wearing a giant pink chausible; he was wearing rose, and that’s another matter altogether. I couldn’t agree more.

Joan, the owner of Yarns Unlimited, has graced baby C with an incredibly classy sweater and bootees. Joan got so excited about Cyrilla’s nickname, because her dad’s name was Cyril, and he went by Cy. It was enough to make me wish that babygirl was a boy. Just a little.

I can’t get over the little vintage porcelain button. This baby is going to be ready for tea, and no mistake. I don’t know the pattern; I think the yarn is Baby Cashmerino?

Anne B made this precious little reverse tea leaves vest out of Tosh Sock, because in her words, “Every girl should have some madelinetosh.” This seems a fair sentiment to me. I love the greyish purple. It’s nice and wide, so I think it will fit her a nice long time as different types of garments.

Returning to rose, we have this masterpiece of chevrons by Joanna (who is convinced she is going to be baby C’s namesake. I will reveal nothing.) It’s made with alternating stripes of KPM and KPPPM. Pink and brown is another favorite combo of mine; I’ll need to find a little brown outfit to pair this with. And, like the other rose set above, this is small enough that I think she’ll be able to wear it soon.

Kitty  took rose to a whole new level with a child’s coat made out of Peruvia Quick. This is warm and sized for a toddler. It’ll be so fun to pull this out in a couple of winters, when she’s walking around on her own steam! She even included some extra yarn; I’ll have to make her a tiny cloche of the appropriate size whenever she’s big enough for this.

Auntie Emily O. constructed this masterpiece out of silk and merino. She was so kind as to even include the yarn label and the name of the pattern, which of course I promptly lost. The important thing that I remember is that it is machine washable! (Almost all of these are machine washable, by the way. Bonus points for y’all; I can’t say I’m doing myself the same favor with some of the things I’m knitting her.) This is sized for a 1 1/2 year old, so Em suggested it will fit for her second Easter… But you know me; I am hoping that she will be plump enough in a year to fit into it for her second Lent! Liturgically appropriate babies!

This little treasure I’ve had for some time – I received it from Jolene within a month, I think, of our making our pregnancy public, and it is quite the labor of love. Jolene is a master of cablework – a cabled sweater of hers won grand prize at the last sheep and wool festival – and this is a sized down rendition with a wealth of bobbles. It’s so sophisticated, with all those buttons and that wee collar, and so intricate!

Last but certainly not least, we move from sweaters to, well… other.

A crocheted owl earflap hat. With matching booties. Oh. my. goodness. love. Thanks go to YU manager Cathy for this bit of whimsey – apparently it impressed her husband more than anything else in her entire 30+ years of being both with him and crafting. I just KNOW this is going to make it into some goofy naked baby pictures. And the little tufty ears! Goodness gracious! There are only so many ways one can squee in writing.

This baby will be wrapped in so much love it’s ridiculous. I feel so blessed and inspired. Because baby girls are pretty much for playing dress-up with, right? And then taking to seminary to learn biblical theology and church history by osmosis. Good times lie ahead.