Knitting: The Belfast Cardigan

A few weeks ago I finally cast on my Belfast Cardigan and promptly finished all of about 10 rows of ribbing with what-feels-like only 10 million more to go (ugh, ribbing...). I don't know what it is about ribbing, but I'm not a fan of doing it, and since this is knit from the bottom up, it's first up on the list of things to do.

I know I won't be able to finish it in time to wear it by the end of this winter - I'm not the fastest knitter and following a knitting pattern requires all of my attention, but throw in a 10 week old (!!!) also requiring all of my attention (and refusing day-time sleeps - apparently day-time sleep is for the weak according to Oscar), and you have one very long term project. It's also a really big pattern in terms of the fact that it's a long, loose cardigan with a hood, so it's going to take some time to make purely because of it's size. It's almost like a coat and cardigan combined - a coatigan??

The wool I'm using is Bendigo Luxury wool in Ghost, a really lovely soft light grey, and the pattern is by Quince & Co. I've never made one of their patterns before, but for a person who hasn't followed many knitting patterns (Miette being my first!) it's going along relatively smoothly (I know, I know, I've only done the ribbing...and not even all of it! Tehee). I'll still need my computer close to YouTube for most of the techniques, but I'm sure it's going to be doable. The bulk of it is done in stockinette with just the perfect amount of detail to make it interesting, but hopefully not too hard.

I am actually really excited about getting this coatigan finished though, and keep having mornings where it would have been the perfect extra layer, I just really need to make myself get past the ribbing!

I'll be Raveling it over here. What are you knitting at the moment? Any ribbing involved?

xx
J

Knitty Gritty...

We've been having some really random weather lately, winter is still hanging around but we've had a few promising glimpses of summer. The cool temperatures and with Christmas just days away, has had me thinking about knitting quite a bit, or rather, getting back into it. I've knitted a dishie or two, but I've been dreaming of warm wooly shrugs and cardigans lately.

I'm still yet to finish my Aiken - I got to the bottom of the body, and I'm not so sure about it. The arm holes are huge (they seem to go down to my waist!) and it feels a bit like it's on the larger side, both in width and length (even after removing rows and increasing the decreases around the waist). So, it's in my 'I can't see you' pile. Everyone has one of those right? I don't know how to frog back to a certain point, and undoing the entire thing would be heart breaking, so, I'm ignoring it. The best way to deal with a problem, yes?

This means I'm officially onto shiny-new-knitting-project planning - it's almost as good as finishing projects in my opinion. So, what's in my Ravelry queue at the moment?

1) I seem to be in a shrug mood at the moment, and as soon as I saw the Maeve pattern, I needed it. How gorgeous is it?? While I want to challenge myself in the knitting department, I also don't want it to be so hard that I end up putting it into the I-can't-see-you pile (which honestly, is not actually that hard to get into). I'm thinking Luxury wool in Denim Blue. It'll go with pretty much everything in my wardrobe.

2) The Quick Silver Lace Shrug. I've had some 8ply Wild Barley Luxury wool (now discontinued but very similar to Leaf, it's in the photo above) just waiting to be turned into this. Perfect for layering in this chilly weather.

3) The Owls Sweater. I've had this pattern in my favourites for a while now and I've seen a fair few people make it. I'm a bit worried about it being knit from the bottom, since I'll need to take quite a bit off to hit me at my waist (my preferred length) which means some scary knitting math (oh the horror!). I'm thinking Stellar yarn in Lapis Lazuli for this. I was considering Garnet, but realised I'd get much more use from another blue knit. What can I say? I really like wearing blue...

4) Boring, but essential I-can-watch-stuff-while-knitting-this dishie knitting. I've got a bunch of lovely coloured cotton yarn sitting in my shopping basket from Bendigo Woollen Mills (seriously, that place! I could buy it all). I currently just do the standard one with lace borders, but I'm keen to expand my repertoire and try out this one (which they technically call a face cloth).

I'm a veeeeery slow knitter, so I'm pretty sure this list will easily last me until at least this time next year.

Are you knitting at the moment? What's on your list? And are there any easy shrug patterns I should be keeping an eye out for?

xx
J

A Victorious Miette in Navy...

I know we're only one month into 2014 (already?!), but I feel like it's going to be safe to say that my newest make will probably be the one I'll be most proud of in 2014. This Navy Miette is my first, finished knitted garment ever!

It's also wearable, comfortable, warm, soft and, if you don't mind me saying so, it's DARN (yarn?) CUTE!

Navy Miette worn with my Christmas Anna Dress

I posted the beginnings of my Miette adventure in September last year and since then, my knitting sessions have come in fits and starts. You see, I've realised that I can't really pay much attention to anything else when I'm knitting. I can't watch anything I need to follow a plot line for, David ends up having a conversation with himself, and I'm there, on the couch, counting stitches, holding my breath and watching my needles. I just can't seem to focus on anything else.

I originally cast this cardigan on about 5 times all up. For some reason, I just couldn't seem to get past the first three to five rows without either adding a stitch or somehow dropping a stitch, no matter how careful I was or how slowly I went.  Eventually, on my 6th try, with an extra stitch somehow making an appearance yet again, I ended up knitting 2 stitches together to get the correct number and moved on. Sometimes, you've just gotta to admit defeat and come up with a creative solution, otherwise you'll never get anything done.

In November, Tasha announced the Knit for Victory challenge and I knew that having a deadline like that would be the boost I needed to get my Miette finished. And guess what? I finished with a whole two days to spare. Who would'da thunk it?

My Miette is in no way perfect. There are places where I lost count, couldn't remember what row I got up to or dropped stitches. There was even that time I knit my first sleeve on the wrong sized needle and I didn't have the heart to frog it so knit my second sleeve on the wrong size as well so that they would at least match...um, yeah. I also probably should have knit up a size larger in the bust - it's not a major issue fit wise, but the shaping around the bust stretches a little too much for my liking. I guess figuring out negative-ease comes with time.

The only major thing I changed was to add 30 extra rows to the sleeves to make them longer and therefore more winter appropriate. I found that if I stopped where the instructions told me too then the sleeves would have been a weird length on me - too short for bracelet length, but too long for short sleeves - and I probably wouldn't have ended up wearing it.

I also opted to leave out the buttonholes in the pattern instructions. Instead, I hand-sewed on navy grosgrain ribbon to the back of each button band before doing them by machine. In hindsight, I'm not sure I'd do it this way again, but it works for this cardigan and I'm happy with how they turned out.

These cute wee buttons were bought especially for this cardigan. They were rather expensive buttons that David found in London last year at the V&A. They are ceramic with 2 little blue birds fluttering around on a white background. I'm not sure I'd ever buy buttons that expensive again, but they are gorgeous and go with the cardigan perfectly. As much as I loved the buttons, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend so much on them. But David, as he always is, was rather encouraging and told me that they could be part of a wedding anniversary gift so I wouldn't feel as bad about being so extravagant. 

Only a seamstress could be excited about getting buttons for a wedding anniversary, right?

All in all, I'd have to say that I rather like this knitting lark and have already bought a ruby-red wool for my next project - the Aiken Jumper.  

I knew that the hardest thing for me about being on a clothes buying ban this year would be that I couldn't buy any more vintage cardigans. I live in cardigans and love a having a big selection to choose from. Now I know that I'm perfectly capable of knitting my own, and I'm so proud to have mastered another creative skill.

So, have you ever thought about giving knitting a go?

xx

Jen

Knitting for Victory - An Interview with Tasha from By Gum By Golly

Tasha from By Gum By Golly has some of the most amazing hand-knits I've seen. Her blog is a smorgasbord of knitting (and sewing!) inspiration, and as a novice knitter, I can only hope to get as good as her some day.

Tasha has been running the Knit for Victory challenge for the past three months, and as we near the finish line (victorious, I hope!), today I have a special little treat for you, an interview with Tasha herself.

If you've ever wanted to knit vintage patterns but have been a little put off by those pesky vintage instructions, Tasha goes into some pretty amazing detail about knitting with vintage patterns and how to modify the instructions into the modern day equivalent. But enough waffling from me, over to Tasha -

How long have you been knitting for and what got you started?

I’ve been knitting for 7 or 8 years now, I think. On a vacation about a year before I learned, I
taught myself to crochet from a booklet. During this time, my mom, who hadn’t knit since I was
little, was re-teaching herself to knit. In spite of my protests that I’d never be able to get the hang
of it, she was able to wear me down and teach me. It just goes to show you - don’t think you
can’t get the hang of it, too!

Stranded Cardigan

Tell us about how you came up with the Knit for Victory challenge?

Back late last winter, while Rochelle from Lucky Lucille was running her 1940s-inspired Sew for Victory challenge, she and I began talking about a similar challenge but for knitting. So the idea started nearly 9 months before the knit-along began!

Campus Classics Cable Pullover

You knit mostly from vintage patterns - any tips for those of us thinking of tackling one of 

these?

Well that’s not entirely true - I do knit a good amount from modern patterns, too! But if it’s a
cardigan or pullover, I give it a vintage twist, if it doesn’t have one already. I love supporting
modern knitwear designers as much as I love knitting from original vintage patterns, too. It’s
something I’m passionate about.

That being said, I think if you consider yourself a confident beginner or intermediate knitter, dive
in with a vintage pattern! Vintage patterns tend to have less hand holding than many modern
patterns, but the glory of the Internet is that you can look up almost any term with which you’re
unfamiliar. I’d also highly recommend getting on Ravelry if you’re not already. It’s an amazingly helpful online community for knitters and crocheters. I’ve gotten lots of help on Ravelry over the years!

*Note from Jen - If you do join Ravelry, let's be friends! My page is here and Tasha's is here.

Many vintage patterns tell you to use a specific brand of wool or needle that may not exist 

these days. Any tips for converting vintage instructions into the modern day equivalent?

I usually go by gauge and weight of yarn used to make my own determination on what needle
size I think I’ll need or yarn I may want to use. For example, I tend to knit loose, so by default I
know I’m probably going to use a smaller needle size than the pattern calls for. Of course, this
doesn’t work if the pattern is obviously a very open, lacy sweater knit with large gauge needles,
but it’s my modus operandi for most patterns.

With vintage patterns, needle sizes can be compared to a chart that shows current and old needle
sizes, such as this one. Note that it shows old US and UK sizes, but I’ve also found non-UK patterns using the UK sizes, for reference. (For example, I have Patons & Baldwin booklets from both Canada and Australia and they use the UK needle sizes.)

So here’s how I’d work something out: I’m looking at a pullover pattern from the 40s, calling
for Beehive Caressa yarn and No. 4 and No. 3 size needles. I can tell from the picture it uses a
pretty thick yarn (not a thin and dainty knit), so that gives me an idea already. Looking at the
chart linked above, in the far right column, I see No. 4 and 3 are equivalent to 6mm and 6.5mm,
or US 10 and 10 ½ sizes. Those are pretty big needles - perfect for a bulky weight yarn. And the
pattern tension/gauge is 3 ½ stitches per inch and 5 rows per inch, which also jives with bulky
weight. Of course you’d want to swatch and make sure you like the stitch definition and feel of
your knitted fabric, but with a few knitting detective tricks, you’re well on your way!

Dragonflies Jumper

Vintage knitting patterns and some modern patterns have mistakes in them. Are there any 

steps you use for eliminating these errors before you begin?

Fortunately I’ve rarely encountered mistakes in vintage patterns though perhaps I’m just lucky.
Of course, there’s no foolproof way to know ahead of time if a pattern has mistakes. However,
as a general rule it’s a good idea to really get to know the pattern you’re knitting before you
start. I talk about this in my Fitting a 1940s Pullover series where I discussed in depth how I broke down a vintage pattern and changed the gauge and yarn weight. It involved really getting to know the pattern.

I’d suggest swatching the pattern stitch and reading through the pattern to get an idea of what’s
going on. Make some notes. I’m personally a big proponent of not relying on the pattern’s stated
measurements alone, so I always double-check measurements, on modern and vintage patterns
alike. For example, I’ll see what the number of stitches are at the full bust, and compare it with
what the pattern says the garment will measure at the bust (or what size the pattern says it’s for,
because it doesn’t always tell you the finished measurement, and you can only guess at the ease
unless it’s explicitly stated). Even 2” of difference can make a big difference on your body. You
may have to dig a bit in the pattern to find this information, but it’ll be well worth your effort to
make sure the finished garment will end up the size you think it will. I never leave this to chance.

Anyway, these are all things that will help you better understand a pattern and feel more
confident with knitting in general!

The Flag Jumper

You've just released your very first knitting pattern, the Victory Beret. What was the 

inspiration behind the pattern and how long did it take to write a pattern like this?

The inspiration to design Victory was based on the Knit for Victory knit-along! As I said, the
knit-along was planned months before, so I decided I wanted to release a pattern concurrent with
it. I knew I wanted it to be fair isle, and I wanted fans of 1940s styles to like it, but I wanted it to
have a broader appeal, too. So Victory was born!

There’s so many phases to the design process so I can’t really say how long it took to write it,
although actually writing up the pattern was probably the shortest part of the entire process,
honestly! I definitely spent more time learning how to layout a pattern for self-publishing than
writing it, ha ha. I started work on the actual design in early September during a relaxing trip and
the pattern was released at the beginning of November.

You can purchase the pattern to download on Ravelry here.

The Victory Beret

What favourite knitting vintage knitting patterns would you point beginner knitters like 

me to?

I recommend starting small if you’re more of a beginner and would like to test the waters with
vintage patterns, especially because there’s likely to be less unfamiliar terms in a pattern for an
accessory than, say, a cardigan. The very first vintage pattern I knit up when I was pretty much
a beginner was a bow knot scarf. There’s a couple of modern versions, like this one, but I’ve seen it in vintage booklets, too, and the instructions are pretty much exactly the same - very cute and chic, and easy. I’m actually working on another one right now!

A great resource for vintage patterns online is the Vintage Pattern Files. Wendy has done an extraordinary job collecting links to free vintage patterns. Across the top you can search by decade, and down the right sidebar you can search by time. Accessories are a great place to start! And soon you’ll be clamouring to branch out into sweaters, and by that point vintage patterns will hopefully feel a little less daunting!

The Red Queen Fair Isle Pullover

Any encouraging words for those of us who haven't quite finished our Knit for Victory 

makes yet?

I know I personally have had some challenges thrown at me during our 3 months of Knit for
Victory! I just finished up my little bolero (which I had almost finished but frogged it because
I wasn’t completely happy with it), and only have to weave in ends and block it. I expected to
complete a whole lot more than I was able to accomplish, but that’s okay! I’ve been having a
blast seeing all of the creative projects that participants have been working on.

As far as I’m concerned, everyone who has participated in Knit for Victory is a winner!

So Neat and Sweet Jumper

Thanks so much Tasha for answering all my questions! Having pretty much finished my first ever actual knitted thing (it's currently blocking, then I'll sew on the grosgrain ribbon and buttons and then it's DONE!!!), talking to Tasha via email and having the Knit for Victory deadline has been a huge help for encouraging me to get it finished. 

I hope everyone has gotten the little boost they needed to finish their Knit for Victory make by the end of the week. I can't wait to see everyone's amazing creations.

xx
Jen

Knitting a Miette...

I finally started knitting a real proper thing. An actual thing that I can wear that isn't just a tangled mess of dropped stitches and broken dreams.

Okay, that's a little dramatic. But David has been waiting on his scarf for, ooh, I dunno, 5+ years now?

I've started knitting Andi's Miette Cardigan, and I gotta say, this pattern is awesome! If you are a beginner that is wanting to make a real proper thing that looks complicated but actually isn't really, then the Miette is for you.

I definitely consider myself a beginner knitter and this pattern has already taught me so much, I've gotten over my fear of thinking that knitting patterns just look way too complicated for me.  Even though they do look complicated at first glance, they actually aren't as bad as you may think. Once you drill them down and look at them line by line, they are much easier to manage and do start to make sense.

Before I started knitting my Miette, I found an amazing knit along run by Gail. She has posts filled to the brim with useful information for the beginner knitting their first Miette and I found her pattern chart so useful (even though I didn't actually find it until I was well on my way).

I will do a proper post on my Miette when it's finished, but in the mean time, are you on Ravelry? Well, me too! Let's be friends.

Are any of you beginner knitters going to try out the Miette? Or have you already?

xx
Jen

PS) Thanks so much for your lovely comments on my new Introducing... feature starting with Melissa from Scavenger Hunt. I've had lots of emails from people already wanting to take part which is amazing!

Remember, if you would like to take part, don't be shy, email me at jenniferlauren.is@gmail.com

Pretty Little Colourful Things...

It's so satisfying getting things done and I've been happily getting lots of things done this week. I've finished 2 dresses, screen printed goods for a last minute market I was offered for Saturday, muslined a blouse, traced another blouse, baked, washed fabric, taken photos... the list goes on. But most recently, I finished these three lovely little granny square cushions.

You may remember my crazed granny square making? Well, these are the results and I am in love with them. David likes them too and has requested one in greys, greens and blues for his 'office'. I finished them off in vintage fabrics and a navy blue cotton canvas with a little wooden button to close.

I am going to be putting them up in my Etsy shop this weekend for custom orders. They take quite a bit of work, but they look so pretty all lined up in a row.

Now I need to make a start on a blanket...

xx
Jen

It's Official...

I posted this photo the day we left NZ for Sydney in February 2010...

We're moving back home. Back to The Land of the Long White Cloud, Aotearoa, New Zealand.

It's been official for a while now but it's become even more official over these past few weeks as I've been preparing for it. Flights are booked (30th August), Kitties flights and NZ accommodation is booked (they're leaving a few days earlier), quotes are coming for moving all our things back over the ditch and the time is flying by.

We are leaving for a few reasons, the major one being that David has nearly finished his PhD and our lease is up at the end of August where we are currently living. It's expensive living in Sydney and so we decided it would be best to move back home while we figure out the next step in the road.

It's exciting and stressful. David is racing to get his thesis completed and I am planning some awesome travels to Italy and the UK in October/November at the same time (more on that later!!).

I'm also trying to get as much sewing done as I can before my sewing machine boards a ship. I have things to make people! Like more comfy travel Vogue 8728's!

Once my machine has gone, if I don't prepare sewing posts in advance, I fear my blog will turn into a wasteland of granny squares and granny triangles... there is no escaping them... I even have an evil scheming plan to make a granny square in every city we visit on our big trip...

So, it's onwards and upwards!

xx
Jen

The Crazy Granny Square Lady...

Okay, I can explain...

About a week and a half ago I taught myself how to crochet a granny square (and by taught myself, I watched a youtube video). I've now officially gone a bit crazy and have crocheted a grand total of 72 (and counting...) granny squares, including one accidental triangle when I wasn't paying attention (which I actually really quite like, so I am seeing some granny-triangles in my future as well...).

The pattern I'm using isn't the one from the youtube video though. Once I had got the hang of the granny square, I ended up playing around with the stitch count and placement of stitches, presented the 5 different designs I had come up with to David and we both agreed on our favourite. I'm fairly sure the pattern is not new to anyone who crochets, but I am happy to give it to you if you want it (and once I figure out how exactly to write a crochet pattern...).

So, what am I making with all these granny squares? Well, some cushion covers are first on my list and then a blanket. After that, probably some more cushion covers and then perhaps another blanket. I don't foresee my granny square craze stopping anytime soon. They are too cute and quick to make!

And oh the colour combinations you could have! I've changed my mind about the colour combinations for my pillows so many times already, I just can't decide!

I'll get back to you with my finished cushions just as soon as they are done (probably in the next week or so).

xx
Jen