"If you were to ask any Elizabeth Zimmermann fan to name on project that captures the essence of her knitting legacy, odds are that the answer would be, “Her Baby Surprise Jacket, of course!” Still, if you were to follow her instructions in The Knitting Workshop, you may feel a bit like you are stitching off a cliff, as it were. Elizabeth’s mind was mathematical and she could see things that other people simply didn’t understand. The Surprise Jacket is an excellent example. Totally shapeless until the last possible minute. This pattern is a bit of a funny joke which also highlights Elizabeth’s sense of humor.
Along comes Elizabeth’s daughter, Meg Swansen. She definitely inherited the knitting gene. And, I suspect, her mother’s empathy with knitters. She recorded a delightful DVD showing how to knit the Baby Surprise Jacket. Meg knows exactly what parts can be a bit tricky. She uses stitch markers to keep track of the mysterious shaping so that when you fold it up, you have a Baby Surprise Jacket! Voila! After that, they become addictive. BSJs are ideal for using up all sorts of bits of yarn you have laying neglected in your stash. It’s hard to resist the urge to see just how your selection of yarns will knit up!" Kelley Petkun, Owner
Kelley reviews Elizabeth Zimmermann's "Baby Surprise Jacket DVD" in podcast episode 89.
Kelley also mentions this video in podcast episode 107--Pool Party--which is all about knitting with handpainted yarns.
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