Quick to Knit Cardigan

At the beginning of the year I joined in with the All Things Vintage group on Ralvery for a Knit Along (KAL). We had a choice of several categories and within that several items as not everyone wanted to knit the same sweater or cardigan.

The choices for the clothing category was either a striped sweater from 1955 or a cardigan from the early 1950s. I went for the cardigan partly because I had yarn in my stash and partly because I thought that it would be easier to up-size it from a 38" bust to a 42". The tension came up slightly larger than recommended so I figured that it would work. It was meant to be 6 stitches to 1" and I got 5.

I used Sirdar Bonus Aran in a lovely lavender colour - well I think that it was bonus aran as I bought it unbanded in two 400g balls for the grand total of £4.99. Whatever it was, it worked really well producing a nice fabric that was not rigid and is just perfect for that awkward time between winter and spring.

It knits up very quickly and I really enjoyed making it despite stalling on the top of the second sleeve for near on a month. And this was the first project that I have actually had to sew up in a long time. I dreaded it but again it didn't take long and looks grand.

I chose some lovely red buttons which contrasts nicely with the purple and makes it look a bit more vintage (I think) and it's great to wear.

It might look a bit short but the style of sweaters in the early 1950s is for garments that showed off the waist so this fits perfectly into that genre of garments. I did notice that the upper art of the sleeves came out a little large but I think that was entirely from knitting it in aran weight wool rather than double knit and I'm not going to be frogging them so it is now a design feature.

It's now inspired me to knit more vintage patterns and I know that I am larger than many of them are designed for but this has given me an insight into what to watch out for net time round and I also know that I have experience of many vintage knitters should I get into a pickle.

New Year Plans (and a sock)

Happy New Year everyone (if you celebrate it). Do you have any resolutions? Why does the new year bring such things on in people? Anyway. I hope that this year is better than the last and that you enjoy yourself and make your and other people's lives easier.

I felt a bit lost a midnight but things have settled slightly and I am beginning to be a little more perky. Probably just that old feeling of being left out on things when I want to be in the middle of it all. However I know that when I'm in the midst I want to get out. See there's no pleasing some people!

I'm not sure what my plans are for this year. To keep working. To get things more sorted in my house. To be more creative. To smile and laugh more that's for certain. To buy less and use more of the things that I have about me. To not take people for granted and to try more. I'd also like to be fitter. So there you go - not much to that list is there. I should be able to get a few of those done in 365 days.

As part of my being more creative and using things I already have I have made a start on my sock for the UK Sock Knitters group on Ravelry. I'm doing Achilles Sock by Ingrid Marie. I'm using some space dyed 4 ply from Wingham Wools that I got years ago and from the looks of things this will be a quick knit (but only time will tell on that one).

Spring Vines in Blue

Yesterday I started on Spring Vines by Dao Nguyen using a right bargain of a yarn buy - 12 balls of Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo for less than a fiver. Atkinsons in Sheffield have got a fair amount of this "unbranded" yarn in (and others) at the moment and it's £4.99 for 500g. Not entirely sure if I like the yarn but I'm going to have to like it as I am knitting the Spring Vines for the the Sexy Knitters Club KAL and I also got some in purple for Intolerable Cruelty.

Anyway back to Spring Vines. The pattern is a bought one and I'm not usually a pattern buyer since I have enough vintage patterns to build a house from but I wanted to join in with the KAL and I wanted to do something that isn't socks or small things. The pattern is a bit of a mish mash with some of the numbers not quite adding up but there seems to be enough scope to make do.

I started with the back and got about 15cm in but realised how sloppy but purl has become and so frogged back and started again but working it in the round. I had a moment of panic when the stitches didn't add up. The front is 4 stiches bigger than the back but I think that'll not really nticed come the finished article.

From GlamGirl Knits