Autumn rainbow jumper

This is the second version I've knitted of this pattern and I really like it!

I used the same wool as for the first one (Malabrigo sock), but in a different selection of colours.  I tried a few colour sequences before settling on one.

After a few inches I decided that I would change the sequence - cue rather a lot of unravelling, but I'm glad I did since I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

I've still got enough of this wool to knit another multicoloured top, but I'm undecided yet whether it will be another one of these, or whether I'll use a different pattern.

1940s Rainbow jumper

This was my next knitting project and was made from Malabrigo sock yarn in six colours (Ivy, Cote d'Azure, Impressionist Sky, Terracotta, Chocolate Amargo and Sand bank).

I've seen several versions of this pop up on my Instagram feed over the years, and it's also appeared in various guises on TV and film (JoJo Rabbit, Miss Marple A Murder is Announced - Geraldine McEwan version, and Housewife 49 spring to mind).

I made it slightly larger than the pattern (wider and longer) and I also changed the neckline and shoulders slightly so that I didn't have to bother with putting buttons on - it just goes straight over my head.  It was an easy knit and a great stashbuster, although there were an awful lot of ends to weave in even with carrying the yarn up the side!  I've got lots of odds and ends of leftovers from other projects so it's quite likely I'll make at least one more - the pattern also has a long-sleeved option so I might do that next time...

ETA July 2020 - pattern is available online free from Theodora's blog, or if you would like a pdf, it is available for purchase from Subversive Femme,and My Vintage Wish on Etsy. 

Bunny Ears top

So, this is the first finished item for my Home Fires Knitting Project, knitted  using Weldons 528 and Malabrigo sock yarn.

I didn't initially have any particular colourways in mind when I decided I wanted to knit this, but decided that since I liked the colour combo of character Claire Wilson's top, and already had wool in my stash that was pretty much the same colours this is what I was going to knit.

Worn by Claire Wilson in series 2

I made a few modifications

• I added an extra 8 rows (half a pattern repeat) on the body because my row tension was slightly off, and therefore added the same to the sleeves so that the colours would match up at the armhole seams.  To offset the extra length on the sleeves I only did 8 rows of the ribbing rather than the 14 given in the pattern.
• I altered the back neckline to lower it slightly - the pattern didn't give any centre back shaping and I decided once I'd knitted the back that it would be too high up my neck as written, even more so if I'd done the 13 rows of ribbing on the neckband, so I unpicked and redid it.
• I picked up and worked the neckband in the round - the pattern is written to work the back and front separately and then seam them.  I also only worked 7 rounds, rather than the 13 rows given in the pattern.
• I did short row shoulders.

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I didn't use a button closure, but as the pattern said that as long as the neckband was cast off loosely (and with a larger needle, which I forgot to do) buttons wouldn't be necessary.  My initial cast off in the twisted rib was too tight to go over my head, so I just casted off in normal rib, and that is fine.

The pattern gives the yarn requirements as 5oz main colour and 1oz each of the contrasts.  I actually used 180g of the beige*, 37g of the brown and 38g of the green (1oz = 28g), however, the extra 8 rows in the body and sleeves would account for some of this, plus, I don't know what the yardage is on the yarn the pattern was written for (Copley's 3 ply Excelsior) - it could well have been a skinnier wool than I used (400m/100g).

*So, according to the numbers above 180 + 38 + 37 = 255g, but the actual top weighs 242g.  I didn't weave in and then trim 13g worth of ends, so I wonder if the second skein of beige that I used was a bit underweight - I didn't weigh it before I started - I certainly wouldn't expect it to be out by that much though, so, either there was hidden water weight which evaporated as I knitted (yarn didn't feel damp AT ALL though) or,  maybe my scales aren't terribly accurate...

I'm very pleased with how this has turned out, it's a good stashbuster!

Cloud Illusions x 2

My sister asked me to knit her a scarf for Christmas, and even though she chose the wool and the pattern, and knew she was getting it, I've held off publishing this post until after she's received it.

Before and after - the magic of blocking

So, this one is for her, knitted in Malabrigo sock which she chose from my stash.

Front view

Back view

And this one is mine, knitted in Skein Queen Wisp which I bought five and half years ago at Unravel and just haven't got around to knitting up until now.  It's lovely yarn, like wearing a soft, fluffy cloud.

 As this is skinnier than the Mal sock I knitted it on smaller needles (3mm and 3.5mm as opposed to the 4mm and 4.5mm for the purple one) and decided to knit it straight after the purple one while the rhythm of the pattern was still fresh in my head.

Neither of them took very long to knit - I do like this pattern, I've made it five times now!

Penelope cardigan

I don't remember where I came across this cardigan pattern, but as soon as I did, I knew I wanted to knit it.

As it turned out I made quite a few changes from the pattern, the most obvious of which I suppose is that I ran the pattern up the front next to the button band, not in a straight line.  I also changed the pattern.  The smocking part is the same, but I changed the eyelet columns to be stocking stitch, not reverse stocking stitch.  Actually, I did that for the whole cardigan - the pattern as written has reverse stocking stitch for the right side and I prefer that to be the wrong side.  I also didn't do any patterning on the back or the sleeves, they're just plain stocking stitch.

In terms of construction, I knitted the body in one piece up to the armholes, then did fake side seams and split for the fronts and back.  The shoulders are done with short rows and seamed, and the button band was picked up and knitted on.  I don't know why I did it in 1 x 1 rib when the waist and cuffs are 2 x 2, suffice to say that I didn't notice until I was half way down the first sleeve and had already made the buttonholes (one-row 2-stitch) and sewn the buttons on.  I wasn't going to undo all that.  The sleeves are picked up round the armholes and shaped with short rows and knitted top down.

I used Malabrigo sock yarn in the Water Green colourway to knit this, and I have no idea where the buttons came from (they were in my stash but I can't remember where I bought them).  I'm really pleased with it, even though it doesn't really look much like the pattern photo!

Helmsdale cardigan

I bought this pattern from The Vintage Knitting Lady - a treasure trove of vintage patterns, it would be very easy to spend hours browsing (partly because it doesn't have a search function and the website design is rather charmingly 'retro').  I have bought several patterns from her over the years and hope eventually to get them all knitted up!

Anyway, this cardigan.  I've had this wool (Malabrigo Sock in Terracota) in my stash for a while now and eventually started knitting this pattern in October.  However, I was also knitting a jumper for my daughter, a pram set for my granddaughter, and a couple of baby hats at the same time (plus I also started another vintage jumper which I haven't made much progress on yet), so it took rather longer than normal to get it finished.

But finished it now is, and I'm really pleased with it.

I made a few changes to the pattern as written - the first one was to knit the body in one piece up to the armholes rather than as a back and two fronts.  Unfortunately, I did all the waistline ribbing before realising that I hadn't put any buttonholes in (in the pattern the buttonbands are knitted as you go rather than added afterwards).  This was my fault entirely for knitting on autopilot - I always pick up and knit buttonbands.  So, back to the beginning and start again with fewer stitches so that I could add the buttonband later.  I figured since I'd already forgotten to add the buttonholes once, I didn't want to chance forgetting again!

I also charted the lace pattern and changed a couple of the increases to make the pattern symmetrical.  I've found this sometimes in other vintage patterns - they don't always use mirrored increases - or decreases for that matter.  What else?  Fewer side seam increases, short row shoulders and top down plain sleeves.

The buttons came from a visit to the Vintage Village in Stockport last year, or possibly even 2015.  I thought they'd go with this wool and bought them on spec - they turned out to be a great match!

I've got some vintage fabric which this cardigan will go really well with, so I should really get on now and cut it out!

Plomo jumper

And... finally getting to this year's knitting!  I finished this in early January and it's a vintage pattern from Marriner's.  I can't remember now where I came across it, probably on Ravelry.  I used Malabrigo Arroyo in the Plomo colourway and I got exactly the right tension - this hardly ever happens!

Marriner's 291

I like the look of the rib stitch, although it doesn't have much 'give' in it.

The saddle shoulders are a nice touch too.

As written, the pattern has a 6" zip in the back.  I wasn't going to fiddle about doing that so I altered the neckline, making it lower and wider, and also making the saddle shoulder sections a bit shorter to accommodate this change.  I then picked up and knitted the neckline in the round.

I'm pleased with how this has turned out, the wool was a delight to knit with and is very soft next to the skin.

Patina cardigan

This is another self-designed cardigan - the lace pattern is from Arielle, which is pretty much the same as the Swiss Fan pattern in the second Barbara Walker Treasury book.

I used Malabrigo Sock which is sooo soft.  I only had two skeins of the ochre colourway so I decided to pair it with the navy (colourway name Cote d'Azure) and I love how it's turned out.  It really does look like it has an aged patina to it (well to me anyway!)

The buttons are from The Swagman's Daughter.

Sparks in the stream

And there seems to have been another blogging hiatus...

Fortunately, I've now finished work for the Christmas / New Year break, presents have been wrapped, food has been bought and the house tidied and decorated, so I can do some guilt-free blog-catching-up and scheduling of posts for the next week or so.

At the beginning of last month I decided that I wanted a bit of mindless knitting - a simple stocking stitch jumper - and this is it.  Perfect TV knitting and possibly my most favourite jumper at the moment.  The yarn - Malabrigo Arroyo - is super soft and absolutely lovely to knit with and to wear.  The name is basically a translation from the Spanish Arroyo = stream, and the colourway is Chispas = sparks.  Not very original but there it is.

The body is knitted straight and seamed, with no shaping until the armholes and the sleeves are picked up and knitted top down.

As I was knitting I thought that maybe it could do with a bit of a lift, and on one of these occasions I was wearing a mustard cord skirt and thought 'well, I like that colour combination' and that's why there is i-cord edging round the hem, cuffs and neckline in some leftover tosh sock from this project.

knitting in progress

I'm rather pleased with how it looks.

There are actually quite a lot of colours in this yarn!

I'm very happy with how this turned out, and the fact that it fits how I hoped it would. It's a great casual jumper and makes a change from the fitted styles I've been knitting for the rest of this year.