How wrong I was. Every knitter in the world should know and love Elizabeth Zimmermann. Her wit, talent, and, yes, opinion, is clear in every newsletter in this book. Here is my Tomten for an old friend's dear little baby. I enjoyed every minute of knitting this; I have deepened my knitting practice by allowing myself to design on the needles with the gentle guidance of EZ.
Pattern: Tomten by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Maggi's Aran Tweed (color 03) and O-Wool Classic (I can't seem to find the color name or number)
Needles: US8s
Pattern Notes: I adjusted stitch counts for gauge and improvised to get the right vertical measurements since the vertical gauge was so different. I will spare you all the number crunching, but suffice it to say, it was not difficult. This size is about 12-18 months.
I had planned on doing an attached i-cord for the borders but didn't like the way it caused the jacket to pucker. I also really liked the way the garter stitch looked going different directions, so I just knit a garter stitch border. I'm afraid of zippers and button holes (I'll need to confront these fears one day soon), so I chose these clasps. I like the Scandinavian look.
I didn't think the sleeves were loose enough, so I didn't seam the sleeves all the way and crocheted a simple border around them. I love the look. They can be kept turned down or flipped up for a more gnomish or elfin look ...
I will gift this tomorrow and immediately start planning my next Zimmermann project. (Maybe an adult Tomten a la Brooklyn Tweed?)
