A Welcome Surprise: Baby Cardigan – Oh Natural!

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There weren’t many occasions when Jean was at a loss for words, but when Ben stopped by after work with the news–“Mom and Dad, you’re going to be grandparents!”–she was speechless. After she’d finished hugging her son and husband while giggling uncontrollably; after she’d finally regained composure and they’d discussed the due date and how Lara was feeling (tired, queasy, thrilled), then Jean felt a tremendous urge to get out her needles, find some beautiful yarn, and knit, knit, knit. Besides bringing so much joy, a new baby offered a great knitting opportunity!

Jean liked her knitting simple. She viewed projects as emblems of a lifestyle she wished to cultivate–clean designs, quality materials, form aligned to function.

When she saw the online photo of the “Oh Natural!” baby cardigan, it fit these requirements perfectly. The sweater–utter simplicity, classic style–and the organic yarn the pattern specified, were everything she wanted. Only the softest, only the purest, only the best for her grandbaby.

With every stitch, Jean thought how adored this child would be. She and Doug told Ben and Lara they didn’t want to know the baby’s gender beforehand. “Surprise us,” they’d said. That made her color choice easier too–warmest ivory of velvety-soft cotton, suitable for a boy or girl. “Dear little one,” whispered Jean as she shaped the winsome sweater, which seemed as it developed, to make her grandchild ever more real. “May your life be as happy as mine is now, as I wait with delicious anticipation, to welcome you whole-heartedly into this world.”

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All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Selma Moss-Ward is a freelance writer who combines her love of writing and of knitting in her columns, stories, and blog posts. Selma is also an active classical musician and the caretaker of five wonderful pets. She lives with them and her husband in Rhode Island.