Sunday 17 August 2008

Recent Knitting

Knitting seems to have disappeared from this blog lately. Partly this is due to the time of year, I am busier outside with the garden and also its the school holidays so no knitting in the car at the station car park. Another reason for not posting is that I don't much like my photographs of my finished knitting. There must be a knack to taking good knit-photos which I don't seem to have.


This cardigan is a good example. It is my favourite cardigan of this summer, I've worn it a loads, I'm really pleased with the way it fits yet when I try to photograph it, it ends up looking like a limp dish-cloth!

It is knitted from a bag of wool I bought in a charity shop. Eight balls of Sirdar Balmoral Natural Tweed (double knitting 75%wool/25%alpaca) for £5. A bargain, but unfortunately not really enough for an adult garment. I decided on a deep V neck to reduce the amount of yarn required and then had to choose between a cropped cardigan with long sleeves or a longer cardigan with 3/4 sleeves. I went for the second option.

This is the second top down raglan cardigan I have knitted and I do like this method, much easier to adjust the shaping as you go along and no sewing up.


I kept the design very simple, just a little waist shaping, a narrow garter stitch edging and nice shell buttons from my button box.


Of course there has also been some sock knitting. This pair is knitted from some wool I bought in Belgium last summer and again they look better than the photo.



All the socks I have knitted up to now have just been a simple sock pattern so I thought I ought to get out of the rut and try something different. I am knitting these at the moment, one finished, one to go.


I've enjoyed knitting the lace pattern though I do have to concentrate a bit more. I've made a few mistakes while watching television and thinking more about the film than my knitting.

This cushion cover however was perfect television knitting. Another charity shop bargain, six balls of cotton yarn for £1.99. I was intending just to knit dishcloths but I liked the look and feel of the knitting and decided to make cushion covers to replace my old worn out ones. Again, one done, one to go.


So, one sock and one cushion cover to go and I really should try to get them both finished because my husband is bringing some wool back from America next weekend and I know I will want to cast on as soon as it arrives. Wool seems to be so much cheaper in the States than here so I placed an order with Knit Picks to be delivered at his US workplace. I have 13 balls of swish double knitting in lemongrass heather - easily enough to knit a cardigan that is both long and has long sleeves! To qualify for free delivery I had to spend $50, so sock wool for two pairs of socks will be arriving as well - I wish we could get yarn for that price over here.

1 comment:

Heather L. said...

Beautiful knitting! I'm nearly done with my very first sock! Your lace sock is so beautiful!!!