If at first you don't succeed etc.

I'm trying to knit a Baby Surprise Jacket again:

and again, I'm just not sure how this is going to go. (maybe my problem is not socks, about which we will not speak today, but knitting in general?)

I cast on for this one immediately after holding the tiny, adorable baby girl it's intended for, and of course I discovered the obvious - Cascade 200 Superwash knit at a tight gauge in garter stitch isn't remotely soft enough for a tiny adorable baby of any gender.

Having received good advice about blocking it with a little baby shampoo added to the water, I decided to carry on and here is what I've learned:

- it will take me about 50 hours to finish it at the rate I'm going.

- no matter which size you make, it's the same number of stitches and the same amount of time investment.

- if I make it too small, the baby will have outgrown it by the time I have finished.

- if I make it too big, the baby won't use it for a year and I'll have rushed needlessly, to say nothing of the fact that I really wanted her to have something special for this winter.

GAH.

This is a very tiny baby, did I say that? and even though I seem to have noticed that babies grow just crazy fast, this one is likely to remain on the petite size like her mama and other sibs, so she's likely not to hit the six month size in October.

It looks like the button band is just short of 6" - is that long enough to fit her soonish if I knit like a fiend for the next two weeks? Can I pick up stitches and make it wider, maybe add a frilly bottom border and sleeve cuffs if it's too small? Completely disregarding that the back will be pretty darn narrow if I have to do all that to make it fit?

Or should I give up and find bigger needles and start over?

* * * * * *

That last one - that's the answer.

I mean, my Denial muscles are plenty strong but not always my friend - when I got that jacket off the needles and folded it in I realized it might fit a kitten. So I dug out a nice needle three sizes up and am starting over. Stitches cast on, and - yep, 11 stitches into the first row! I'll be victorious yet, even if it means it's next fall before I'm wearing the Carrot...