This is not going to be a long blogpost but pure delight about a pattern that pleases me every time I work with it.

The Tomten jacket, designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann and released in 1980, is an easy knit, easy to customize and simply beautiful. Children look like little gnomes in it.

I knitted the first one in 2016, (unfortunately) using cheap yarn. A test, not meant for eternity, but happens to be worn to this day … However, no longer by the little goddaughter – it’s way too small for her now.

In 2017, when the goddaughter’s little sister started walking around the house on her own, I knitted those two colorful Tomten jackets for the sisters, made of (doubled) sock yarn. So cute, when they wore them both, even though they were more of a coat for the little one.

Since 2018, there is N°3, the baby sister, who is no longer a baby but already one year old. Three jackets are waiting for her, to be worn in fall.

Lately I have knit another Tomten jacket. Made from a skein of hand dyed yarn in the colors of the sea, it is much smaller than the others and a little bit more elegant. It wasn’t made for someone in particular – only to make use of the beautiful skein.

And finally – after the Tomten jacket is before the Tomten jacket – I cast on another one last night. It is supposed to be a sock yarn stash buster in a toddler size and I am looking forward to see it turn out colorful. As it is meant to be a “mindless knitting take along” there is no time pressure. Once it’s done, I will show pictures.

You may want to knit one yourself! Why don’t you?

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It’s been a while since I have sewn in a zipper. The picture is long overdue …