Macho, Macho Girl…

Pebble (Henry’s Cobblestone-inspired manly baby vest)”
free pattern available here

Why, you may well be wondering, would I choose to knit something described as “manly” for my baby daughter? The answer is that it simply couldn’t be helped.

You see, the very first version of it that I saw, happened to feature the two elements that I find absolutely irresistible in infant attire; creamy wool and wooden buttons. It’s a winning combination and one that I would be hard-pressed to resist, hence the term irresistible. Factor in the cute, clever design and I was hooked.


To tell the truth, if it weren’t for the name, I wouldn’t have thought twice about knitting it. As it is I only had to think it over approximately one and a half times. The wool garter stitch at the top makes it perfect for keeping baby dry. Wool, unlike cotton, not being a wicking sort of fiber, means that the inevitable spit up and dribble that’s bound to find it’s way there, doesn’t lead to a terribly damp and chilly baby, cutting down exponentially on clothing changes, a huge bonus in my book.

Happy baby = happy mommy
Happy mommy= happy baby

It’s a win-win situation.


And I have to say, this particular cream yarn is especially yummy. In my humble opinion, this warm wooly shade of cream is just exactly right. I’m really loving this yarn right now. It’s Cascade Ecological Wool. These undyed, untreated yarns comes in 10 color combination, all variations on naturally occurring colors of, well, sheep. It even still smells like real, raw wool! (I mean that in a good way of course, though I doubt many others would share in my enthusiasm) It’s soft too. And the whooping 478 yard skeins can be gotten for a really reasonable price.

My version ended up with a collection of mismatched wooden buttons, as it was cold here this past week so I wanted her to have it a.s.a.p. and this is what I happened to have on hand. And hey, that’s a look, right?

I made a couple of minor adjustments to the pattern. I used a thicker yarn and larger needles to create a larger version. I also switched the button band to the other side, thus making the button holes on the right, transforming the whole thing and making it ubber girly (Ha! Listen to me making it sound like I did that on purpose! Actually, I didn’t have the pattern in front of me when I was ready to place the first button hole and I erroneously assumed that they were worked on the right side, when in fact they are worked on the wrong side. So, pure coincidence that it buttons up on the left. Have you read Yarn Harlots, Button Thing, by the way? Scroll on down to the February 6th entry. I found it entertaining. And perhaps you might too. That is, if you’re into garment making history and humor. I’m thinking I’m likely in the minority here too. Much like the sheep smell thing.)

So, there you have it, incredibly cute and practical to boot!

Oh, and I’ve since did some poking around Ravelry and I think it’s safe to say that Màiri is not the only baby out there sporting both XX chromosomes and a Pebble vest. So at least on this point it’s safe to say that I am not the only one. Phew.

By

10 thoughts on “Macho, Macho Girl…

  1. gardenmama

    That is a beautiful (see, it must be girly) vest. I love the touch of the mismatched wooden buttons.

  2. Katie

    It’s gorgeous! Going to have to play around with it to check sizing.

    BTW, you’re not alone in your love of sheepy yarn. FWIW, though, I weigh in on the side of buttons that make it easier to dress, rather than gendered buttonings, especially for teeny ones!

  3. Jenn

    Beautiful!!! I’ve seen a few of these and I still love it, just to lazy to resize it to fit my growing girl. I also love knit kimono’s for little ones with buttons instead of ties. And how can you not like the smell of raw wool??!!

  4. taimarie

    I have one of these on the needles right now! Yours is lovely (and I the look is pretty gender neutral I think…) I love that wool you’ve got, and I like that smell too- I always like it when it’s time to lanolize my babe’s wool covers, |I think that smell is so homey and nice!

  5. Jessica

    it is beautiful and totally works feminine or masculine. The mix and match wooden button look terrific. I am going to get the needles started right away. Thanks for sharing.

  6. nova_j

    aww very cute! lol to me the smell of Baby isn't baby powder or anything like that, it's breastmilk & lanolin!

  7. Claudia

    It´s gorgeous for your baby girl!!! And I just LOVE the way you chose the buttons! Perfectly! I love the colour, the wool and your perfect knitting. I´ve made one of this for my nephew, but it isn´t as beautiful as yours…
    I´ve linked you on my post. If you want to take a look…

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