Cabled V-neck Cardigan
I’ve been meaning to post this pattern for ages. I actually created the pattern last year but kept forgetting to publish it. Having created a cabled jumper for K in 2010, I had decided it was about time I created something cabled for myself. I flirted briefly with the Karisma Cardigan but absolutely hated the pattern, so I went back to basics and created my own pattern instead.
Starting Christmas Early
I seem to be uber-organised at the moment. I’m knitting Christmas presents already! At least it gives me something to do at weekends whilst it’s raining all day and I’m listening to comedy shows on the radio. Since I don’t want to spoil any surprises, I can’t really say what I’m making but at least I can show off the yarn I’m using. The first is a wonderful soft double knitting yarn in a lovely shade of blue-green. I’ve completed the first part of the gift and I’m now onto the second part. The second yarn is a multi-coloured chunky…
I Don’t Like Toe Up Socks
I tried another toe-up sock pattern a few weeks ago and ended up frogging the sock at the heel in pure frustration. It’s not the toe-up part that I have a problem with. I can easily do a provisional crochet cast-on and then graft the toe later. No — it’s the short-row heel that I hate. All of those wrap and double-wrap loops drive me nuts and I think the whole heel just looks lumpy compared to the nice, neat, heel on a toe-down sock.
Illusion Bag Pattern
I had 2 x 50gm balls of Sirdar Illusion hanging around . I really loved the yarn colours but having tried to use Illusion for a scarf, I found it way too scratchy to wear. So it sat in my yarn stash for a long time whilst I tried to figure out some way to use it. In the past, I’ve crocheted market bags from cotton yarn and, one day, it occurred to me that perhaps I could use Illusion for such a bag. A quick test with a crochet hook revealed it’s not a good yarn for crocheting but…
Simple V-necked Shell
A combination of lots of raw silk yarn still in my stash (the yardage on that stuff is amazing!) plus a yearning for a new summer top resulted in the following pattern. The main body is worked in one piece using garter stitch with absolutely no shaping. So it’s perfect for a beginner. Or for some mindless knitting if you’re feeling a little burnt out. I’ve also made a version in a heavy cotton yarn with a 10cm 1×1 rib.
Child’s Ribbed Hat
I’ve been meaning to write this up for ages! When I made K a cabled jumper last year, I had enough yarn left to knit him a matching hat, so I same up with this pattern. It’s designed to fit a 20 inch head circumference.
Another Day… Another Scarf
Finished the Branching Out scarf last night. Unblocked length: 68 inches. It’s now drying but I’ve opted for a very light blocking as I want it to drape nicely. In a bid to continue de-stashing, I’m now starting A Grey Loop using the leftover Bamboozle yarn from the Aria camisole I made earlier this year.
Branching Out — Halfway
The Branching Out scarf is about halfway through and I’m really pleased with the way it’s going. Looks like the final scarf will have a really nice drape to it. As I only had 90gms of yarn to star6 with (which, given that it’s cotton, isn’t a lot of yardage), I’ll be happy if I end up with a scarf over 48 inches long. Not sure how much I will block the final scarf. I know that many lace items are blocked to within a inch of their lives but, as this is double knit and I want to keep…
What I’m Working On…
I’ve got 3 projects on the go at the moment: Navy Blue Cabled Cardigan Developing my own pattern for this. Currently about half-way through the first (left) side. So far, so good. Branching Out Scarf Like I really need another scarf! But I love this pattern. The last time I made it, I used a Kaffe Fasser cream silk/kid mohair mix. The final scarf looked wonderful but I couldn’t bear it against my skin for more than 5 minutes. So it ended up being sent to a charity shop (hey — you try frogging mohair!). Then I came across 90gm…
Sampler Afghan
This has to count as my longest project ever! Started it in July 2007 and didn’t finish it until April 2010. In my defence, the idea was to use only leftover scraps of yarn and it does take a while to build enough double knit scraps to create something of this size. It’s about 8ft wide by 5ft long (I haven’t actually measured it) but it fits a good sized double bed with ease and is made up of 42 squares. The other reason for doing this was to try out different techniques. Creating it confirmed that I hate intarsia…
