A Knitted Snowsuit

On the way to Hemlock, I was able to finish this up.  It's for a baby named William.

Trust me, it looks loads cuter on an actual child.  The proportions look goofy in situ but, actually, they closely match the proportions of a real-live baby.  The baby's mother requested chocolate brown, which is the color of the moment in baby land.  That suited me just fine, as it's a pretty color and will wear well.  The other request she made was a little harder on my soul.  She didn't want wool.  Here's a little secret.  I'm a fiber snob.  I love wool.  I've had dalliances with alpaca and cotton, but wool is my favorite.  Cormo is my favorite wool.  I once made an eyelash scarf, but that was in a waiting room while a loved one was undergoing surgery, so that doesn't count, I wasn't myself that day.  I cheated a little and used wool-ease, an 80% acrylic, 20% wool blend.  The color is fine, and I have to admit the stitch definition is very good, but the yarn lacks the liveliness of pure wool.  And one is denied the pleasure of taking a misshapen piece of knitting and blocking it into submission.  The pattern is an old one.  I made it for the first time when my children were babies twenty years ago.  The pattern works up easily.  It features some nice short-row shaping on the pants to accommodate a diaper.