Ella's Baby Outfit

Before Ella was born I started working on an outfit for her, and I didn't finish it until a few hours before she was born (what can I say, it was a looooooong labor and knitting helps me relax).

I am very happy with how well it came out, but I'd definitely not recommend this pattern to a beginner.  It's not written in the typical standard knitting pattern fashion, and several parts I was only able to figure out because I've been knitting for awhile and I knew what was intended.

The cardigan I worked with the edging in green before switching to the white yarn. 

I didn't add any buttons or button holes, because I wanted to use a ribbon to tie the neck closed.  I sewed a simple green embroidery flower underneath the rosettes and attached the ribbons to the rosettes.

 

The bonnet was fairly straightforward, and I also used the green edging to match the cardigan.  Ella has a large head for a newborn, and the hat barely fits, so I'd recommend using a larger needle if knitting this outfit for any but a newborn.

I'm least pleased with the booties.  Handyman commented (and I agree with him) that they look like frilly moon boots.  I think there are too many ridges worked before the top is decreased, and if I ever knit this again I would definitely ignore the number of repeats for the ridges.

I altered the directions for the dress quite a bit.  For one thing, in my opinion the pattern as written is far too short (hitting just at the knee), so I knit several more repeats of the lace before working on the bodice.

Also, if I could do it again I'd just work the stupid thing in the round instead of having to mess with all that unnecessary seaming and purling.  I was just a tad irritated to find (once I'd knitted the entire front) that I could have saved myself a lot of time and bother by ignoring the directions to knit the back and front sections separately.

 

The pattern calls for knitted straps, but I decided to make adjustible straps out of the ribbon.  To do this, I sewed to lengths of ribbon onto the front of the bodice, and then pulled the lengths through the button holes from inside the bodice to the outside.  I then tied the two ends together into a bow.  (So essentially the back of the dress pattern as written becomes the front).

 Ravelry information can be found here.