More Golden Oldies

Knitting cotton is like working with mop string but cotton sweaters are nice to wear. This sailboat sweater is probably my first foray into mop string knitting, 1986 I believe. It measures about 14" long and Son1 wore it when he was 2-3 years old. The pattern probably called for something smooth but I had this textured cotton yarn and made do.
It is a delight to see your child wearing something you made by hand. This is the picture from the Hayfield pattern book that I used so often when the boys were small. The cover says, "Hayfield Make Prettier Babies" number 7062.
Here are two of the sweaters that I made from it. I purchased yarn to make one as a gift for Stacy's baby, but yesterday, when I went to cast on for it, I revisited the pattern. No chart! Just prose. I had a cup of coffee and thought it over. I have come to prefer charts over prose when it comes to cables and such. I considered graphing my own chart. I knew I had enough time and ambition to cast on OR graph, but probably not both. It didn't occur to me that I certainly could have used one of my own sweaters as a chart...
Instead, I changed patterns and cast on the Pea Pod baby set. I found it attractive that the back and front are knitted together without seams and the sleeves are expeditiously done in stockinette. I don't see it as laziness but as taking a realistic view. I've go to go back to earning a living in another week and that is so seriously going to cut into my knitting time.