Dale of Norway Markblomst Baby Sweater

I had a neighbor who was pregnant this summer with her third pregnancy, a long-awaited baby girl.  As it turned out, it was a difficult pregnancy medically, so I decided to make her something very special, a Dale of Norway baby sweater and hat.  After beginning the project, however, I attended the Golden Gate Fiber Institute 2010 at Point Bonita, CA, working for 8 hours a day with my hands, with a drop spindle, spinning wheel, and double-pointed knitting needles.  A week after I returned home, I started experiencing nerve damage, ulnar and carpal tunnel injuries.  For at least a month, I could barely knit without my hands going completely numb.

Unfortunately, because of the medical issues, the baby girl was born early and needed to be treated in the NICU due to lung immaturity.  In the meantime, my hands gradually got better, and I finally finished the little garments and am going to gift them to my former neighbor this week.  I'm really looking forward to seeing her reaction.