Name that sweater
So I’ve finished a wee stripey something:
I would be cuter on a baby, if only one were at hand for modeling sessions.
Behold, a tiny gender-neutral pullover! It features a semi-solid background color (“Burnt Ember,” from A Verb for Keeping Warm; this is their Annapurna cashmere-blend sock yarn) with stripes of a bright solid, although you could just as well go the other way and use a neutral background to show off stripes that change color, as in Whitney’s adorable Stripes! design. It’s my riff on the classic white and navy nautical sweaters, down to the boat neck and overlapping shoulders:
Yes, I’m planning to write up the pattern, so what I need right now is help thinking of a name for it. It should be a gender-neutral name (and no, we’re not calling the sweater “Pat”), something playful and bright and maybe even sailing related, and I just don’t have any good ideas. If you do, won’t you leave them in the comments? If you’re interested in test-knitting it, I’d love to know that, too. All you need is one skein of sock-weight yarn, remnants of a contrast color, and two little buttons. At this point it only exists in one size — I’d say for a three-to-six-month baby, depending on the girth of your little cherub — but I’ll be working up some math for a couple of larger sizes. I knit mine in pieces, just for the heck of it and because I liked the way the semi-solid was behaving in my “swatch,” but picked up the sleeves at the shoulders and worked down, so there are only two real seams to sew plus a bit of tacking at the shoulders. It would be very easy to adapt it to work mostly in the round if you prefer.
Oh, you want to see the chicken buttons? Of course you do:
Sorry I didn’t get a real close-up of the chickies. I bought them ages ago because they were so darn cute, and it turns out they’re the ideal colors for this project.
Switching gears, who am I going to see at Madrona? I can hardly believe it’s this week already. I’m taking the train up on Friday evening so I can attend Amelia Garripoli’s “Productive Spindling” on Saturday morning (I sure hope she’s tolerant of self-taught beginners!), Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s “Knitting for Speed and Efficiency” on Saturday afternoon, and Carson Demers’s “Knitting Happily Ever After” on Sunday afternoon. This is the first time I’ll be staying overnight at the hotel instead of just zooming up and back or staying off-site with relatives. I’m hoping that means I’ll have more time to hang out and meet people and practice what I’m learning. If you recognize me, please do come and introduce yourself!
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
how about spinnaker? I did a quick ravelry search and didn’t see anything with that name, either. 🙂
Those buttons work perfectly with the sweater! so cute.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
How about Lee, if Pat doesn’t float your boat ; )
Windward sounds nautical.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
What a beautiful sweater – I love the colorway you chose. I am so bad with names…what about Sweet Horizons?? By the way, perfect buttons!
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
It reminds me of a crabapple, so that’s what I’m submitting. Of course, that has absolutely nothing to do with sailing. What about gooseneck? It’s a random sailing term, and for some reason I like it for babies. Babies love geese, right?!
I’ll testknit if you need someone! I’ve got lots of babies arriving in spring, and this looks like it might be a nice layering piece for the chilly indoors of summer.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Skipperdee sweater? Whatever you decide to call it, it’s adorable!
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Umm, I’ll knit one in every size considering there’s an overflow of babies atm and more on the way?
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Cute, cute, cute! I love the colors – one of my happiest early sweaters was the one I made for Nora in a deep red-orange with bright green trim. I called it her carrot sweater. Carrot doesn’t seem right for your stripey cuteness but I’m reminded of that sweet little sweater when I look at yours.
Along the carrot-y lines, though, how about Karoton? It’s apparently the root word for carrot, and I just think it’s pretty, and gender neutral to boot.
Sailing…hmmm. I know nothing about sailing, but these terms all struck me: Trim (because it is!), Leeward, which I think plays nicely on the gender neutral thing, Ketch, which can be punned easily, and Sloop, just because it’s fun to say. There’s also yar, which I know only from The Philadelphia Story.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Hi Sarah,
We aren’t finding out the sex of our baby, so the code name we came up with is “Gonzo.” Maybe you can call your sweater Gonzo too! I’d be happy to test knit it for you! Take care!
Illanna
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
It’s such a cute sweater! I have no suggestions for names but I will test knit if you still need test knitters.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
It’s so pretty; I only wish it came in adult sizes!!!
Have a wonderful time at Madrona. You’ll do very well. I hope Mr. G arrived back safely from the east coast, and you are having lots of together time right now before it’s your turn to go away.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
This sweater is so great, the colors are perfect. The first name that came to my mind is Barnacle. Maybe that’s too craggy for a baby sweater, but there you have it.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Lovely. I’m always happy to do a test knit on your little sweaters!
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Sherbet.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Well, of things both watery and undersized, my immediate thought was Kipper, which curiosity showed to be possibly derived from the Icelandic/Norwegian Kippa (“to pull,” appropriately, though unfortunately that’s also a common spelling of kippah/yarmulke).
I suppose there’s plain Kip, which really ought to be a gender-neutral name, even if I can’t find any women using it. Sounds to me like one of those (New) England nicknames Granny’s & mom’s generations all had. Playful and bright, ready for the jouncing board.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
This is very cute indeed and the wide neck looks like it would be so practical for the wee ones. How about ‘Dinghy’?
Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
How about Breton? I think that the sailor tops originated in Brittany (but as a name that sounds too girly).
I am so jealous of you doing the Madrona classes – so now you will be a superfast ergonomically efficient knitter (my heart pitter patters at the thought).
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 4:34 am
This is a highly adorable little jumper. One of my favourite places in Nova Scotia is Digby, a harbour town with a nautical history. I vote for Digby.
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 5:43 am
Adorable. How about the “Ahoy” sweater?
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 5:46 am
Such a cute little sweater! I love-love it and would be happy to test knit in any size (I’m surrounded by babies). Great colors you chose. Oh, I have plenty of sock yarn and no desire to actually make socks.
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 6:48 am
I’d love to do a test knit for you. Three of my friends are having 4 babies this summer so I’ve got a lot of knitting ahead of me. A cute sweater pattern sure would help!
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 6:51 am
I have no naming ideas, but I love the stripey boatneck! the button detail is lovely.
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 10:32 am
If you need a test knitter for a 11/2 year old toddler, please think of me. I would so love to knit this for my son!
Maybe something German:
Smutje, the ship’s cook ( hubby, the sailor in the family, insists this is gender neutral)
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Barnacles. After all, they tend to be a bit clingy at that age.
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
This is not a sailing related name, but in honor of the cute buttons, I’d say “Chicken Little”
Posted: February 10th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
What about “Galley” considering that it has the chicken buttons on it and that a galley is a kitchen in a boat where chicken would be prepared.
Posted: February 11th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
A very sweet little sweater!
I agree with ‘spinnaker’ for the name. I think that is very cute. If you still need test knitters, I’d be happy to give it a try..
Posted: February 12th, 2010 at 2:16 am
Would love to make this for my first Grandbaby coming in September.
How about Sherbert?
Posted: February 12th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Wee stripy things are just the best! I also love Digby Nova Scotia, I think that’s a great idea!
Posted: February 12th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
What about Wayward? (As in the wayward traveler set out for destinations unknown…) Somewhat nautical without being overly so 🙂
Also, I’d LOVE a chance to test knit! Let me know.
Posted: February 16th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
If you still need test knitters, please pick me! I need to practice my kid/baby knitting!
As for a name, I would call it something fanciful like Summer at the Playground, because it makes me think of summer sun and sand and playing in the dirt next to the slides.
Posted: February 18th, 2010 at 5:36 am
I was in Costa Rica when you wrote this post and internet was a little finnicky, but I would love to test knit this cute sweater!! Maybe call it Sailing Okoboji in honor of our July 4th adventures of a somewhat nautical nature…
Posted: January 19th, 2012 at 7:42 am
I would love the pattern for this sweater! Please let me know how I can obtain it. Also, have you named it yet?
Linda