Baby Kimono

My friends Tom and Melissa welcomed their daughter into the world on Thursday. Also on Thursday, I finished the little one's welcome gift, a baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Thanks for waiting, baby! I thought I'd be late finishing this.

I knit it in Sugar 'N Cream cotton and used a little more than two skeins' worth. The pattern was really interesting because the whole thing is knit as one piece. When finished, you fold it in half (the top edge of the sleeves is the fold) and sew up the side seams. For those of you who don't knit, sewing isn't done with needle and thread or a sewing machine. You thread your yarn through an oversized tapestry needle, then use what's called a mattress stitch to seam the edges together. The ribbons, however, are sewn on with needle and thread.

The pattern called for 1/2" wide grosgrain ribbon. I really liked the colors in this 3/4" wide ribbon, especially since the baby's room is decorated in green, so I went with it. Next time I'll probably search harder for the appropriate size.

Now if I can just find a cute way to wrap it and get it into the mail...