Well I know I haven’t written anything since my first post back in October 2008 but the thing is, I really, really want to blog. I really want to be doing it regularly, partly because I’m an ex long-time diarist who had to give up when I got a proper grown-up job and suddenly had no time to do it, and partly because I read so many great blogs and I feel like I should be giving something back to the internet in return. I don’t think I really even mind if no one reads it!
So anyway down to business. I realised recently that I spent most of this spring knitting purple cardigans, which is somewhat absurd as I already owned about four shop-bought purple cardigans. Also I am a librarian and it seems pretty stereotypical apparel (don’t even get me started on my large collection of sensible shoes, my glasses and tendency to put my hair into buns – it keeps it out of way! I’m just being practical).
Here is candidate 1, which is Pickadilly designed by Pamela Wynne:
Ravelled here:
I made this back in March, partly to have something smart-looking to wear to deliver a conference paper in. It’s in some Rowan Felted Tweed that I got for about £2 a ball in a previous John Lewis sale, not all the same dyelot so there is a visible line across it, which I can’t really seem to be bothered about. I really liked the pattern (and the finished article) but I did have to knit the body twice, as the first time I didn’t modify the shape enough for my body. I’m really high- and short-waisted.
Anyway I loved Pickadilly and wore it a lot… until my mother shrunk it in the washer at Easter. I’ve tried to block it out but although I can live it with being a bit more fitted than it was (for ‘a bit more’ read ‘a lot more’) but the problem is that the fabric has fundamentally changed, and instead of the light, soft, airy but warm texture that Felted Tweed usually has, it’s now the most itchy cardigan imaginable. I can wear wool no problem but I’m scratching at this even if none of it is directly touching my skin.
It’s therefore, I’m afraid, a total sweater-fail. I’ll make it again one day… maybe in superwash…
Next I made Blossom by Kim Hargreaves:
Ravelled here
I made this whilst recovering after some unpleasant minor surgery, and I’m not sure I would have made it through the pattern without having the time to do long stretches of knitting. The pattern is one of those that has increases on one edge every x rows, decreases on the other side every y rows, and a picot edge every z rows. I thought I was going to go mad holding three separate counts in my head at all times.
I ended up sewing a popper to raise the cinch of the waist a bit (which it doesn’t have in these weird overexposed pics, note to self, stop attempting to photograph knitwear whilst wearing it) and changing the waist was really transformative, it changed it from slightly unflattering to a really good summer cardi. The yarn is Sylvia 4ply by Posh Yarn and is a really beautiful silk/wool blend with a lovely rich sheen.
This post is far too long so I’m going to leave purple cardigan number 3 for a later post. In the meantime though, here’s a gratuitously cute picture of Gilbert, one of my rabbits, pretending to be a Rembrandt painting…
I love your wabbit! LOL Good impersonation he’s doing there.
Sorry to hear about the demise of your felted tweed! Blossom looks very pretty. Where did you position the popper to cinch in the waist? I am thinking of putting one into mine.
Thanks! I put the popper about an inch above the top button, I found without it, it was a bit gaping especially when I sat down. Now it looks more fitted and I love it. I’d definitely recommend the popper fix if you have a high waist like me.