Arrowigan instead of an owligan

I am stash busting this yarn like crazy at the moment! This is some pink Rowan soft tweed yarn that I bought a long, long time ago in the sale. I had already knitted a tank top with the stone colourway and £20 for 10 balls I'd thought I'd got myself a bargain. Trouble is I don't wear pink!!!

I've experienced moments of doubt about whether I should hang onto this yarn, what I should knit with it and even whether I liked what I was knitting, but I have a finished object and that makes me happy. I have been super quick of the blocks and knitted up the owligan pattern that was relased by Kate Davies on Friday. This is one very quick knit designed for bulky yarn and 9mm needles, so is great for beginners wanting to try out a bit of cabling. My yarn was not as bulky and I knit the second size on 8mm needles, but it's worked out perfectly in terms of fit, phew!

Now onto my changes! There is a lack of owls!!! As well as doubts about my yarn, I also doubted that owls were very 'me'. I love them on everyone else, but don't think that I am very owly. I sampled a few different ideas using an arrow motif inspired by a recent obsession with a Guatemalan skirt of my mums. I kept my new cabled motif within the same stitch chart as the owl so that I knew that it would work with the pattern and got to work knitting it.

 I was a bit nervous messing with this design to be honest seeing's as this is an incredibly popular pattern and if it ain't broke why mess with it, but I am really happy with the yoke.

 As well as changes to the yolk I knitted a shorter body and sleeves than the pattern suggests. I really don't like full length sleeves on knits and hip length seems to be the most flattering on me with trousers, skirts and dresses.

I haven't yet settled on buttons, but I have sewn on these mother of pearl ones for now. I only had three in my button box, so will look for another five when I'm in town on Saturday. Although, if I see some nice cobalt blue ones that jump out at me I may get those instead and replace them all. There is a blue and a yellow fleck running through the yarn, so my idea of blue buttons is not completely random.

I'm still not overly convinced that this cardigan is me as I feel it's a bit twee, but it's certainly pretty and flattering, so therefore wearable. I have a feeling that if this was knitted in a mustard yellow or a terracotta colour then I would love it, but I don't have these in my stash!!!!

Completed cable jumper

I have finished another jumper!

I wrote about starting this project here and it has been really good fun to make. I have had a knitting epiphany since writing the patterns for my last two projects from scratch. It has made the process so much more fun and also made the prospect of using up my existing yarn stash much more achievable. I met up with some sewing friends at the weekend and as we were talking about knitting it occurred to me that the reason I find it difficult to dip into my wool stash is a lack of suitable patterns. I went through a phase some years ago of buying discontinued Rowan yarns in the sales. It worked out much cheaper, but then the patterns soon seemed out dated and not what I wanted to knit.

There are some beautiful modern knitting patterns out there that I am dying to try, but I rarely have the correct yarn and I really have too much to justify buying more, especially with the threat of moths that seem to be gunning for my woollens at the moment.

Back to this jumper though. I have to say that I was sitting on the fence about it when I first cast off, as I am unsure of the sleeve length. I feel that they should be shorter and at first  was adamant that they needed changing, but then I proceeded to wear it all day and then the day after that and again today, so I guess they don't bother me as much as I thought. In fact I have been rotating this and my sailors jumper since I finished them. That thing about the yarn stash and not buying any more didn't count for the sailors jumper, as I really wanted it!

The thing about making it up as you go along I find most satisfying is the ease of changing elements as and when you please. I started off with this narrow orange rib hem that got scrapped and replaced with a deeper self coloured rib. I then did the same kind of thing to the jumper front and started with a grey narrow rib border and was intending doing a split hem, but then scrapped that all in favour of the bog standard treatment I ended up with.

This is how I was wearing it today and yes, I do wear this outfit ALOT!

It's a good length for jeans, but maybe a tad too long for dresses, so I have plans for another. Oh yes, this knitting thing isn't going away just yet! I'm going to refer to my self drafted dart less block and make a boxy cropped jumper with set in sleeves and a scooped neckline I think. This could change, but for now that is what I am planning.

It feels so good to use this wool after carting it around for almost 10 years. That is a stupidly long time and I still have some of this left!!! I'm on a mission to use as much of this yarn as possible so am knitting my boy a matching jumper, but I fear I will still have some left. This stash busting is not as easy as it sounds...

New knitting challenges

It's New Years Eve and I feel that there is alot to get excited about. Not this evening specifically, but more what's in store for the New Year. As well as the usual sewing and pattern cutting challenges I have set myself new knitting and refashioning challenges.

This post is about the knitting and it's happened very organically, but I have decided to join in with the (very relaxed) instagram KAL hosted by Jess (@shoplamercerie), Amy (@seamstressandtheband) and Jen (@grainlinestudio). They’re using the IG hashtag #sundaysweaterkal and it should be good fun if you fancy joining in!

I haven't actually knitted for at least a year since Maria was born, so it will be good to get back into it. I was just starting to pick things back up when I saw this KAL, which has really got me excited.

Not content with making things easy for myself, I have decided to write a knitting pattern for the Hemlock tee. It's a great shape for a knitted jumper and relatively easy to calculate. I was thinking of using this Brooklyn Tweed pattern, but then started looking through my existing knitting patterns and couldn't justify adding another one to the collection. If this fails though, I may resort back to my original plan as it's a really gorgeous pattern. A little known fact to you bloggy fellows is that when I graduated from uni, I dreamed of becoming a knitwear designer. I was 25 when I started my degree and had been sewing for ages already, but knitting was totally new to me and I basically inhaled knitting books, experimented with yarns, stitches and knitting scale for three years. Pattern cutting was an important part of the degree too, as I worked alot with wovens still, but it was the knitting that got me truly excited. I'm a bit all or nothing with it though, as I am a slowish knitter and it takes a while for my ideas to turn into something,. My energy peaks and troughs with knitting, where as I am always sewing and completing woven garments.

It's actually great to start out with a good jersey shape that I know already, as I know I like the fit and this is exactly how you toile a knitted piece anyway. You make a jersey version and once you are happy with the fit you then chart your knitting pattern. So I have squared everything of a bit and removed the sleeve head. I am making up and writing the pattern as I go along, but with these measurements as a reference. If the first sleeve looks weird without the original top shaping then I may go back and change it, but after knitting several jumpers for my children with flat sleeve tops I am confident it should work....should!!!

I have worked out my stitch repeat that goes across the width and am currently knitting the back, so it's just a case of knitting straight up until I get to the back neck shaping. This is hopefully what my design will look like.

And here is what I've done so far!

I am so excited about this project, as I needed something completely different to get my teeth stuck into. Now my problem is that I am so excited, I want to cast on another one right away. I am imagining all the knits that I don't have time for and want them all now!!!

Is it me or does this cold weather bring the knitter out?

Bluebird sweater - vintage knitting pattern

I promised to add free knitting patterns to my blog every now and then, but I now realise that it's been a while... I have this lovely pattern for a vintage cardigan/jacket in my folder that I found on an Australian blog, which is written by (and I quote)

"A vintage obsessed, rockabilly queer-Femme living in Sydney Australia. I hoard vintage knitting and sewing patterns, and shoes."

She has been very generous and uploaded so many great knitting patterns as well as given links to her flicker account where you can find some 1930's vintage knitting booklets. Really worth a visit, so go and take a look here.

Lacy stripe sleeve - vintage knitting pattern

This is a gorgeous knitting pattern. I have yet to try this, but it has been with me for some time. Not very many iustructions, but I'm sure it's all there!

Owl mittens - knitting pattern

Right, so I have designed a knitting pattern to follow. I don't know if I have done a very good job, as I have not followed it myself. I just tend to follow the colourful knitting charts that I draw out as it's easier. If anyone fancies having a go then please do let me know if it reads ok or if you need any help!

Vintage knitting - fishy jumper

Check out this superb vintage knitting pattern. If you don't already knit, I'm sure that this will give you the push that you need...

 

Puppet mittens - vintage knitting pattern!

I have been having a rummage through my knitting patterns and came across this lovely little number. I think I will try and convert the pattern to grown up sizes as I fancy a pair! Couldn't keep these beauties all to myself now could I?

 

Vintage knitted blouse

This is a project for the near future! This will be a nice little knit to get stuck into and I love the fine Lacey pattern and button up front. I found this on vintage purls website.

Freebies from Purl bee

I have just come across this great knitting blog, 'the Purl bee' via Mollie Makes, which has loads of gorgeous free knitting, sewing and crochet patterns, so thought I would share. I haven't had a chance to explore fully yet, but so far my favourites are the rabbit raglan cardigan and the Rocheford chapeau. Need more hours in the day...

Vintage knits

I don't know about you, but I start projects all the time and abandon them once something better comes along. Well, I am trying my hardest to resist doing this and part of my therapy is to finish off as many half finished bits as I can manage before being lured to the next big thing. Below are a few recently finished knits. Not only are they vintage in style, but they've been hanging around for so long they are literally vintage! The red cardigan was even starting to get moth eaten, how awful is that? I had to darn it before I had even sewn it together...

Elephantastic!

Ok, so I have been gone for a while and now I have found 2 things to post about in the same day, but I cannot resist talking about this cute knitted rucksack from More House. I don't know how this is going to manifest itself, but I feel I need to have a go at making something similar. Will keep you posted...

Excuse the post title, but I have alot of bad Dad jokes bursting to get out. Apologies!!!

Since I've been gone!

I have been busy of late having recently become a mum and feel the urge to return to the blog to show off all the new things I have made! I was really looking forward to Evans arrival and had a bit of a mass crafting hysteria in the lead up to him being born. Anyway, here's a snipet of what I have been up to in the last 5 months.

Knitted ducky jumper. This was knitted using leftover wool, so I have a co-ordinating cardigan.What a cool dude Evan will be matching with his mum!

Some close ups from one of the quilts. It was my brothers old quilt which I rebuilt and worked into. I attempted to embroider the goddess olympia, but she is looking fairly butch there.

My first ever knitted toy...

A lovely hand knitted blanket that used to belong to my husbands grandma. She used it to cover her legs whenever she watched TV, but unfortunately died before Evan was born. I was pleased to take it on and pass it down to Evan with a few additions. I couldn't resist adding his name to it!

My best make to date...Evan!