Two Finished Cardigans

I have finished the cardigan which is a present for my mother.  I hope she will like it.  Normally she puts a new cardigan in a drawer – to keep for best and carries on wearing her usual ones.  I am the same in a way – if I don’t immediately start wearing something new – I forget about it.

 

This second cardigan has been unfinished all year – but it is also now finished because I have sewn on the buttons. 

I found during lockdown that I had a button shortage – I have got a lot of buttons but none of them were suitable for what I was knitting.  As soon as Banbury Sewing Centre reopened – I went in and stocked up on metals buttons which can be used with any yarn.

This week I have also ordered a Christmas present for me!  During this lockdown I have had a chance to think about what I would like to knit next.   When I say next – I probably mean next year.    I choose some more shades of Rowan Felted Tweed with the idea of knitting 2 shawls and a scarf.  I did an email order to Oxford Yarn Store and my parcel arrived on Friday.  I haven’t opened it yet.  I will save that for Christmas day.

Ella by Sirdar

For the last few weeks I have been knitting a cardigan as a birthday present for my mother.  Her birthday is in December.   I have knitted this design before a few years ago.  I am not sure where the pattern comes from – it has been cut out of a magazine.  It suggests various Sirdar double knitting yarns that could be used.   My mother needs something that is machine washable which will also survive the tumble dryer.   

The yarn I chose is Stylecraft Life dk Vintage Look which is 75% acrylic and 25% wool.  This shade is called Prairie.   Unfortunately the yarn is discontinued.  When I saw it in my local yarn store – it reminded me of my mother because these are the colours she normally wears.  I only bought 4 x 100g balls.  I thought it ought to be enough – mainly because that was enough last time I knitted this design in the smallest size.

Yesterday I was doing that favourite knitter’s habit of knitting faster because you think you are running out of yarn.   It was very close. When I finished the second sleeve – having already done to neck and front bands -  I had about 2 metres of yarn left!

I did have a plan B for if I ran out of yarn.  The first plan B was to unravel the whole cardigan and knit a design which used less yarn - but that was  bit drastic if it could be avoided.  My second plan B (or plan C) was to reknit the sleeves making them slightly narrower.  I always find that shop bought cardigans have much narrower sleeves than handknit patterns – so there is always scope to do this without the sleeves being too narrow.  However – I am really glad that I haven’t got to do it. 

All I have got to do now is sew it up.  I had better get on with it rather than start knitting anything else. 

Vanessa by Marie Wallin

Vanessa is a cardigan that I have been working on for more than a year.  I first noticed the pattern in November 2018 when I was in Oxford Yarn Store with my World War 1 Memorial Quilt.  I wanted to have another go at knitting a fair-isle cardigan. I still haven’t actually finished it.  I have finished the knitting unless I need to alter the sleeves but the garment is still in bits.

The cardigan is knitted in several shades of Rowan Felted Tweed – which is a lovely yarn.  I made a mistake and used the purple colour for the diamonds when I was supposed to use blue.  The chart is so small – I misread the symbol.  However I think it looks more cohesive to use the purple twice.  Also it demonstrates a point that Kaffe Fassett makes that colour look different depending on the colours that they are next to.  I think the purple looks like a different shade further down the pattern when it is next to the pink.

I don’t think I have ever finished a fair-isle cardigan  for an adult – I remember trying to knit a Debbie Bliss design in cotton.  I never finished that.  I have knitted lots of little fair-isle cardigans for babies and small children and I have knitted a fair-isle jumper that I don’t think I ever wore. 

In order to make this cardigan more wearable I have knitted the sleeves downwards (so I didn’t exactly follow the pattern - I knitted the instructions backwards).  This means that if the sleeves are too long (or too short) I can unravel or knit more rib.  I know I should measure them and I do but somehow I often still have problems. 

I have been to my local yarn stores more recently – and on one of my last visits to the nearest one (Banbury Sewing Centre) – I bought a lot of buttons.  For many years I have said I must start a cardigan with the buttons and then get the yarn to go with them because I always have problems the other way around.  Also although I have a lot of yarn and lots of odd buttons – if we have another lockdown – it would be good to be able to finish garments because I had already bought the buttons.  I still haven’t finished a jacket I knitted during lockdown because although I have now bought some buttons – I haven’t sewn them on.  I need to keep up the momentum on a project or it just drifts.

I have started knitting a few things for Christmas.  I did do some in April but now the deadline is a bit closer.  This is good because it does focus the mind on finishing them.  I hope I am doing better this year because – at least it isn’t December yet.  Unlike some knitters who are still knitting on Christmas Eve – I have to be more organized because most things need to be posted – so I have to complete them before the last posting date!

Afternoon Tea Throw – Butterfly Cake and Flapjacks

I know it is ages again since I wrote anything – I have been working on a fair-isle cardigan which I hope to finish soon.  Now it is getting chilly – it would be good to wear it.   However I also took a break from that project and knitted 2 more blocks for my Afternoon Tea Throw.  

This first block represents a Butterfly Cake.

 

My mother used to make Butterfly Cakes.  I remember when I was small being fascinated that by just cutting off the top and cutting that piece in half – a cake could have wings!

The second block represents 2 flapjacks – probably not a feature of a posh afternoon tea – but we used to have them whenever we visited my mother’s sister. 

I have a few more ideas for edible blocks – but I also want to include some that represent china.  I also ought to include tea and sugar – and even a tea-cosy!   However – I think before I do any more for this throw – I had better finish the cardigan I am working on and make a few Christmas presents. 

In the last week – I may not have written this blog but I have been to all 3 of my local shops which sell yarn and have ordered some online.  I always say I am going to use up some of my yarn mountain but then I haven’t quite got the right yarn – so I have to buy some more.

Jewelspun Tea Cosy

I am aware that I haven’t written anything for weeks.  I haven’t done much knitting recently. My cousin asked me if I would knit her a tea cosy for her tiny teapot.  This is what I have come up with.

It is double-sided.  It is 2 tea cosies in one.  This means it is very thick to keep the tea warm and she can decide which side she likes the most.   The teapot is about a 2 cup size.  I made the pattern up as I went along.  I used 4mm needles and Sirdar Jewelspun yarn  which is aran weight.  The shade is 844 which is blue and pink, and green and orange.   The balls are 200g in size – so I have quite a lot left over for something else.

The tea cosy is mainly made up of diamond modules.  I cast on 17 sts and the first row was K8, P1, K8.  I then decreased in the centre on the front facing rows maintaining the centre line on each diamond.  I fill the base with triangles which I made up as I went along.  I shaped the top by using a 3-needle cast off to join the diamonds together.

I am now going to knit some more blocks for my Afternoon Tea throw.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Fondant Fancy, Chocolate Tiffin and 3 More Sandwiches

I am supposed to be knitting other things but I have knitted a few more blocks for this throw.  The first was inspired by a pink fondant fancy.

I like the fact that it has a random wavy line across the knitting.  There is an idea that knitting has to be regimented – it doesn’t - it can be random and wavy!  The Chocolate Tiffin block has a much more regular pattern.

I was eating some Chocolate Tiffin when I decided to knit this block.  It isn’t a very traditional “afternoon tea” ingredient – but I like it and I wanted to include some more chocolate in the throw.

The last 3 blocks represent different kinds of sandwiches.  The first one is Tuna and Cucumber, the second Ham and Mustard and the third one is Cheese and Tomato. 

I did think about Coronation Chicken and other more sophisticated fillings but they are not very interesting colour-wise.  I also wanted to pay tribute to the sort of sandwiches I used to eat. 

I am now going to have a short break from the throw and knit a tea cosy for my cousin.

Afternoon Tea Throw – Iced Bun, Viennese Whirl and Sandwich

Last week I knitted two blocks inspired by my grandparents.  When we used to visit them – which was not that often as it was quite a long journey – my grandma used to give us iced buns.  They were her favourite. 

 

Then we used to go into my granddad’s room and he would open a box of Viennese Whirls which were his favourites. 

 

Both of these are not very typical afternoon tea ingredients but I have included them because of the personal connection.  The background represents a Cornish ware plate which can be found in many English households.

The third block is inspired by 2 sandwiches.  The turquoise background is similar to the Poole pottery plates that my parents had.

 

This design has been very difficult.  Originally I thought of a striped block representing a pile of sandwiches – but I thought that was boring.  Then I thought I could just divide the block with a diagonal line representing the filling but this does not work out because the block is not square.  I also tried making the sandwiches smaller and having 4 – but that looked very odd when I knitted it.  My second attempt at actually knitting a block inspired by a sandwich – had just one sandwich – but that looked odd as well.  In this version the sandwich and the filling are thicker which I think looks better.

The filling was originally intended to represent cucumber, then I changed it to lettuce (which is not very traditional but the sort of filling I had at home) and now it is more egg and cress!  I will now knit a few other varieties.