Debuting the cardigan!

So I took the finished cardigan in to show my Craft and Chatter group at work and they were very complimentary!  :-)   

I know they were mostly being encouraging but I am inordinately proud of my achievement.  I first picked up knitting needles on 12th January so have managed to progress quite far in a short space of time.

Now I just need to pick my next pattern to tackle - Caroline suggested this but I'm not so sure...

A hat for a cat - ravelry

Ravelry to the rescue!

So the lovely community at Ravelry helped me out with the confusing pattern and I was able to continue knitting my (too small for me to wear) cardigan!

And it's finished!  Sort of...

Just need to sew the ends in and then add buttons.

Plea for help!

I am lost mid-way through a pattern and it was all going so well!  

I am trying to make a Lion Brand extra easy extra fabulous sweater (pattern number 70517AD) and have got hopelessly confused.

The Right Front and Shape Neck instructions were fine, I ended on row 9 which was knitting and then it all went wrong when it said:

"Before continuing on the Right Front, read the section below that begins with ***

***AND AT THE SAME TIME, when sleeve measures 18ins end with a wrong side row.
Shape Body
Next Row (Right side): Bind off 18 stitches, knit 35
Continue to work in stockinette, keeping 5 stitches at front edge in garter stitch until piece measures 11ins from sleeve bind off row.  Knit 8 rows for garter edging.  Bind off."

I don't understand how to knit AT THE SAME TIME instructions when following on from what I was previously doing is so different:

"Row 10: Knit 5, purl 48
Rows 11-18: repeat rows 9 and 10
Row 19: Knit to last 4 stitches, k1, purl to end of row
Row 20: Knit 2, cast on 2 stitches, bind off 2 stitches, knit 2
Rows 21-30: repeat rows 9 and 10
Rows 31 and 32: repeat rows 19 and 20"

I'm a woman so multi-tasking should be second nature but I don't understand how I am supposed to be doing two things at the same time! 

Itchy needles

So I got half way through my baby cardigan and got bored and wanted to make something that I might be able to wear.

Unfortunately my lack of patience with checking my tension and my inability to follow patterns and count means that the lovely purple cardigan I am making probably won't fit an adult, let alone an adult of my size.  Oh well, it's practice...

 

Free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn (pattern 70517AD), 9mm needles, self striping yarn from http://www.milloutlets.co.uk/

Baby cardigan take two

Stitch holders: check

Row counter: check

Right size needles: check

Patience: hmmmm

I decided to have another stab at the baby cardigan, this time paying more attention to what I'm doing (no Tudors) and taking my time instead of racing ahead to the next project.  This is the progress so far:

Back to crochet

Oh crochet, how I missed you.  I find knitting such a palaver that crochet seems easy in comparison.  I'm still trying to finish the capelet I started, I made a practise version using doubleknit just so I could clearly see the stitches and then I started the real one in mohair.  It's almost finished, I just need to sew in the ends and make the ties with pom poms. 

Practise version made in doubleknit so I could see the stitches.  I had to make changes to the pattern for the real version as the neck was too wide and the drop on the shoulders wasn't long enough.

Almost finished version in mohair, I'm really happy with it, I just need to finish it now.

Close up detail of shell stitches

Poor child...

I decided to have a go at a really simple baby cardigan from Lion Brand yarns - worked in garter stitch it looked like a basic first attempt pattern.  How wrong I was...

Knitting the first part of the body was easy enough (except for the few dropped stitches caused by the terribly rude things going on in this week's episode of The Tudors). 

I managed to pick them up and carry on but when it got to the dividing section I got in a terrible pickle.  In trying to transfer stitches to my cobbled together holder (a crochet hook with pipe cleaners tied around the ends to stop it sliding off) I dropped most of them.  I then put them back on the wrong way (purl-wise not knit-wise).  Then I lost track of the number of stitches, then I got in a tangle, then I got in a strop.

I did eventually finish the blasted thing but I pity any child that might attempt to wear it!

Knitting is not just for Nannas!

My friend Mary bought me a knitting book for my birthday but this was a knitting book with a difference.  No cute little sweaters or baby booties in this one.  Just lingerie, corsets, whips, gags and strait jackets!

This may well back-fire on her when she sees her 30th birthday present in May.  Now I wonder if nipple tassels are one size fits all...

Naughty Needles website