My Newest JoJo

Have you ever wondered about what makes for a re-knittable pattern?

I am a person who very really re-reads a book. Usually, no matter how much I love a book, I resign myself to the fact that there are so many others out there that I want to get to in my lifetime that I'm not likely to make it back to that same one ever again. There are some exceptions for a few all-time favourite classics. Les Miserables is one such example, but it's still different in that I've read it abridged, unabridged, in English, and in French. It has long been a favourite, but it has kind of grown with me.

Some knitting patterns are the same way - that was great, and I'm glad I experienced it, but I've done that now and I'm ready to move on to something completely different. On the other hand, sometimes I get so delighted with a particular pattern that I have to keep knitting it until I get it out of my system. The gnome episode in January is one example, but there have been other runs like that in my past, of kid's mittens, cabled hats, and toys. Usually it's because I think the outcome is so cool that I want to make one for several different people - those gnomes will make decent Christmas gifts next year, and I'll probably give some to a charity craft sale too. I've done three Swallowtail shawls, and I think it's just the perfect little project for a single beautiful skein of laceweight - interesting enough to keep my attention, and it has been a good way to get comfortable with laceweight.

The latest repeat knit is the JoJo baby cardigan. A few years ago, I knit a couple of Devan sweaters for friends who were having babies. Devan was a free pattern at Knitty.com by the same designer, and it is also a sock yarn cardigan, but a v-neck. While I think Devan is really cute, I like JoJo even more because the button bands are a little wider and therefore easier to manoeuvre on a wriggling child, and I love the little pocket and collar details. I think it's a really practical sweater in a baby's wardrobe.


So on that note, here is my third JoJo: primary colours edition. This time around I'm knitting it for a boy, in two colourways of DGB Confetti. I think part of the attraction for repeatedly kntting these sweaters is getting to knit in fun stripey colours that I would probably never wear in socks. I find self-striping yarn to be endlessly entertaining.