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.

My First Proper Pattern

Yes! I have finally done it and released my first ever pattern all fresh from being test knitted and ready for downloading from Ravelry or you can also get it from the Patterns tab above

I've been playing around with ideas for easy to knit items aimed both at beginners who would like to try little bits of lace or cables and those who have more experience but want something quick and satisfying so I give to you the Ambient Cave Cowl.

The pattern is both charted and written out in full and uses a super chunky yarn - the grey one is Hayfield Chunky with wool held double and the blue one is Wendy Serenity Super Chunky which is knitted on 9mm (US13) needles. It takes less than 3 hours to knit so could be done in a evening while the wind blows and the snow falls.

This cowl was inspired by my love of caves, well more archaeological caves but you catch my drift. Caves in the UK have an ambient temperature of 11 degrees Celsius or 52 Fahrenheit. This means that within the body of the entrance cave and from about a metre of the mouth, the temperature is fairly constant no matter what's happening outside. If it has water running through the cave mouth it drops a few degrees but most archaeological caves do not have a waterway.

So 11 and 52, 52 and 11. This cowl was designed to utilise those numbers. The pattern is an 11 stitch repeat and is cast on over 52 stitches. The main design is also 11 stitches high. Also the reverse stocking stitch at the top and bottom of the cowl is 6 rows and 3 rows which is 5 + 1 and 1 + 2 (although I didn't realise this until I had finished the pattern).

But best of all, I think that the pattern looks like hills with little caves peaking out.

First Pattern Jitters

Grrrhhh!

How is it possible to have so many jitters about a relatively simple pattern?

Self test knit 1:

Nannh! Possibly a bit too tall but just about. Maybe more a bloke’s cowl.

Self test knit 2:

Kind of but not quite and is might be too soft and collapse and not really be that functionally at keeping out the cold

Self test knit 3:

The best so far: but no quite. What does it need?

I know more rows. That’s what’s amiss

Self test knit 4 (or rather an addition to test knit 3)

Better. Got good height and width and fits and . . . is it everything I want this cowl to be

Yeah, I think it’s a pretty close 

Now to make sure I get the pattern written in a way that's understandable to the people not inside my head

End of the week round up

I've been enjoying my Ice Pond socks and it's a great bus project as the pattern is easy to remember and doesn't require any extras like cable needles or pattern to keep it going. I take the photos on the morning as I get onto the bus so really they are the day's before efforts.

Sunday cast on and a bit of tinkering

Monday morning and the pattern can be seen through the yarn

Tuesday seemed a bit of a slow knit

Wednesday was a fast bus trip so not much time but managed to add a few more rows

Thursday and it seems to have jumped up overnight

Friday and up to the heel turn but I ran into a problem . . .

Quick to Knit Cardigan KAL

Over a the All Things Vintage group on Ravelry we are having a 3 month KAL that started on 1st Jan. There was a choice of tops - a striped jumper or a Quick to Knit Cardigan from the 1950s and I choose the cardi.

Although the original was knitted in a double knit wool, I've decided to go with an aran weight as the pattern stops at 38" and I certainly have bigger bumps than that. The tension was 6 stitches to the inch and I got 5 to the inch so think that I should be okay.

The back, both sides and one arm has been done and because I was a little concerned about it being too small but it fits

So I shall now crack on with the rest of the knitting and then I just have to sew the whole thing together (which I am not looking forward to.

Bus knitting

This is my bus knitting project for the week (and probably beyond)

I started it yesterday evening and it was at this state this morning as I got onto the bus at 8.20. I'm only going to knit it while I'm on the bus, or waiting for the bus - which is a bit tricky at the moment as it's so cold that my fingers freeze the second I take my gloves.

This is my January lunar socks for the UK Sock Knitters: each full moon through the year we're doing a different sock pattern based on different cultural associations and using 3 keywords to limit our patterns. It can be either a direct pattern name link, or the designer's name, or maybe the yarn you're using or some vague way to the word. This month it's Wolf, Ice or Rowan.

I'm going with Ice so have chosen Pond Ice Socks by Meg Croft Designs and is a free download through Ravelry. The yarn is Regia Design Line  Kaffe Fassett. I wasn't entirely sure if the yarn was okay for the pattern but it's growing on me so shall stay.

Resolution: The First

A New Year, A New You!

Before

After

At the beginning of the year we are assaulted by articles, images and suggestions on how to be better, stronger, more healthy, wealthier, thinner, fitter, more attractive, taller but there seems to be an overwhelming amount of pundits who can make us all better - if only we follow their advice. So we listen to them and make resolutions that we will eat this and exercise with that and sleep for 9 hours a night and have less stress in our lives and find the ideal partner and save a third of our incomes and donate to charity and be able to fit into the size 6 dress by the weekend.

I'm not much of a resolutions type of gal: far too lazy and easily distracted to stick at something but even I am planning on trying to do things that make me a happier with the things I have and to sort out those things that are less agreeable.

My first resolution is to write more - that's it. Nice and simple. I plan to write every couple of days (so be prepared for some of my ill-informed ramblings) about what I am doing and how things that are happening in the world affect me. Yes, it is self-centred but it's a starting point and if I go on who knows what I might be able to come up with? Okay, we both know that it's likely to be mostly about knitting but I also have knitting patterns trapped in my head that want to get out, there's a story or two up there too that escapes periodically so this could be the year.