B's Shocking Pink Cardi

This is the cardi for little R#3

As with the other 2 cardigans I used the pattern as a guide

I used size 2 for stitches but size 4 for length

It still looks quite big but that's better than being too small

I designed a decorative border for the body but left the sleeves plain so that fingers don't get caught

Knitted the button bands up with the sweater which worked well for R's cardi

It's much easier than picking up or knitting separately

Pattern: Child's V Neck Cardigan by Yarnspirations Design Studio
Size: 2
Yarn: Red Heart Comfort Solids
Colour: 3194 Shocking Pink

R's Blue Sweater

 Here is the second sweater by request.  It is a soft baby blue in reality not grey at all.

This is a good basic pattern but the chest measurements are rather large
Used size 6 for chest measurement and it may still be too large
Finished chest is 30 ins and R is a very slim 24 ins

Adjusted lengths:
Arm length 13 ins
Body to armhole 14 ins

Added decorative border as chosen by R
The tulip buttons were also chosen by R


Really pleased with this
Just hope it isn't too big

Pattern: Child's Knit Crew Neck Cardigan by Yarnspirations Design Studio
Size: 6
Yarn: Red Heart Comfort Solids
Colour: 3175 Baby Blue

K's Red Sweater

 We had some young visitors last month.  We hadn't seen them in such a long time due to all the Covid19 restrictions and had a great time

Just before we were getting ready to leave to take them home, R asked if I would knit her a sweater.  Of course I said yes and we discussed what colour and style she would like and then we measured her

As we were doing this K asked if he could have one too. So we talked about colour, style and measurements for him too

He was really very serious about this and said "You know Gran maybe you should make them a little bigger than our measurements because we will have grown by the time it is cold enough to wear them!!"

I was so impressed by his thought pattern

What a great little guy!!

So here is his red sweater a little bigger than he is right now but hopefully big enough to last for the winter

 

I used the pattern as a base but had to make several modifications as the chest measurement was huge.  I added rib panels to both fronts and sleeves and 2 rib panels to the back.

Arm lengths had to be adjusted as well as he has much longer arms than the pattern

I put a zipper up the front as that seemed more boy like than buttons

It went in fairly easily.  First sewn by hand and then machined in for extra strength

Now I guess I have to start on R's sweater so that they each have one

Pattern: Child's Knit Crew Neck Cardigan by Yarnspirations Design Studio
Size: 6
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver Solids
Colour: Cherry

B's Navy Cardigan

 Had quite a bit of yarn left over from K's sweater - way too much for hats so decided to make another little sweater for B

I used the basic raglan v neck Cardigan and added a decorative border

This yarn is very thin so I used a 4 mm needle but stuck to the 2 year old size. 

I think it should fit as the Cloud cardigan I made for her was definitely a little big

No issues at all 

Found these bright coloured buttons in my button box.  They have little white flowers on so they brighten it up nicely

Pattern: Child's Knit V Neck Cardigan by Yarnspirations Design Studio
Size: 2
Yarn: Lion Brand Pound of Love
Colour: Navy

B's Pretty in Purple Cardigan

Had quite a bit of yarn left over from R's Pretty in Purple so decided to make one for B
As I was using up different lengths, I knitted the body in one piece
As it turned out I didn't like the dark grey as it seemed too heavy
Managed to find some white DK yarn and used that to lighten things up

There probably would have been just about enough yarn without the white but it looks better to my eyes

Of course I now have some grey, purple and blue yarn left over!!
Definitely not enough for a sweater but may be some charity hats for next year

Pattern: Sirdar 4229
Size: 3- 4 years
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish DK
Colour: Amethyst Heather

Colour: Sugar Plum
Colour: Marble Heather
Colour: Wonderland Heather
Colour: Twilight
Yarn: Mary Maxim Mellowspun
Colour: White

K's Navy Sweater

 Needed to make sweater for K as I had one for each of his sisters

Bought a huge ball of yarn which seemed thin enough to knit up as  DK knit UK style

I found this old pattern which seemed just perfect for a growing school boy

so here it is:

If I was to knit this again I would change the raglan to cast off 5 at the armhole and then decrease one stitch at each side on every knit row.  Decreasing 2 for the first 2 knit rows gives a very steep curve

Pattern: Bellmans 608
Size: 26 ins
Yarn: Lion Brand Pound of Love
Colour: Navy

R's Pretty in Purple Cardigan

 This yarn came from a kit for a scarf and hat
Finally realized that I am never going to make that so I used the yarn to make this cardigan

All the yarns are DK and coordinate well
There maybe just enough of the other colours to make a little one for Miss B too

Quite happy with the way it turned out
Knitted the body in one piece to the armholes so that the stripes match exactly
Had a bit of a panic that there wasn't going to be enough purple yarn so added the green stripes.  
As it turned out I had a whole ball of purple yarn left at the end but I wasn't about to rip all that knitting out

Pattern: Sirdar 4229
Size: 7 - 8 years
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish DK
Colour: Amethyst Heather
Colour: Sugar Plum
Colour: Dove Heather

Colour: Wonderland Heather

B's Cloud Cardigan

Had enough yarn left from my Cloud Cardi to make one for little Miss B.

Found a basic v neck pattern

It used 5mm needles which are too thick for this yarn so I went down to 4.5mm for the whole sweater except for the button bands. 

The 4mm needles I used for the button bands showed that this yarn is closer to DK weight than worsted

I added a vertical eyelet panel to each of the fronts to add some visual interest to what would otherwise have been a very plain sweater.

I think the finished cardigan may prove to be a little slim but I hope not.

Pattern: Child's Knit V Neck Cardigan by Yarnspirations Design Studio
Size: 2
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes
Colour: 23432 Cloud

Sort of Gray Cardigan

Over 10 years ago, I bought a kit to make a Kimono wrap
Well it sat in the cupboard and never got started
Decided to use the yarn to make a sweater

Loved this pattern last time I made it so I modified it to make a sweater for me

I am calling it Sort of Gray because of the modifications I made:
Went up a needle size as I have Aran weight yarn
Made the entire sweater 15 ins to armhole cast off
Sleeves and armholes as per pattern
Made neckband and button bands wider - 6 rows
Used 10 buttons
Started both cables at the bottom of the fronts
Started to move one cable just before armhole cast off so that it finished at mid shoulder cast off (near enough!)

May be a little roomy but then it is thick yarn so it will be an outer layer

Love this pattern. It adapted well too!!
Would happily make another if I thought that I needed another sweater


Pattern: A Gray Cardigan by Sally Melville
Size: 122 sts
Yarn: Mary Maxim Aran Irish Tweed
Colour: Aran Tweed

Cloud Rhona Cardi

This has had very chequered start to life

I bought a pattern from Knitpicks for a Fiddlehead Cardigan
I loved the intricate cables and the all over design
Well there were numerous errors in the pattern
I did get an updated version so ripped out the partial sleeve and started again. 
This time I don't know if it was me or the pattern but I could not get it right so once more a sleeve ripped out.  Put everything away for some months

Decided to try using an old raglan sleeve pattern and adding the cable pattern to that .  
At least this time it all worked out and I had all the pieces for the cardigan
Then I  stopped to check the measurements
Oh my I am not that slim!!!  I had not allowed enough for the extra for the cables
So once again ripped it all out

This time I decided to just buy another pattern
So it became the Rhona Cardigan
The pattern is clear and easy to follow. The measurements all match

I am disappointed that the cables on the front don't meet the cables on the back but am not about to rip everything out again.  The yarn wouldn't stand for it!!

I went up several sizes as the sleeves are very slim. They fit but do feel tight.  Will they loosen with wearing?  I do hope so 
I was knitting to gauge but didn't block to full size as it would be too big

I love a cream Aran style cardigan.

For my taste the fabric is very loose with a 4.5mm needle. I would rather have used a size smaller needle but wasn't going to try to alter anything this time around


Pattern: Rhona by Glenna C
Size: 126 sts
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes
Colour: 23432 Cloud

Silver Berries Cardigan

Here's the Christmas cardi for the big sister

Knew I didn't have enough red yarn so added the light grey stripe pattern





Used up most of my red yarn but enough left for a hat





The yellow table isn't the best background but there you go

Pattern: Child's Knit Crew Neck Cardigan
Size: 66 sts
Yarn: Berocco Vintage

Colour: 5150 Berries

Yarn: Red Heart Soft Solids

Colour: 4743 Light Grey Heather

True Blue Cardigan

I had no intention of knitting any more sweaters for the two littles but then I found this wool and some for his sister at the back of the yarn cupboard. So here it is - one last cardigan for a little boy who is now a big school boy!!!





This is an old pattern bought in the UK from a mail order yarn manufacturer I used to patronise.

I added rib panels to both sleeves and the back but forgot about the fronts until I was well on the way. As I wanted this for Christmas and I still have to knit the one for his sister, I decided to leave them plain.

I thought he was big enough to use most of this yarn but surprise - I still have a whole ball left.

Maybe there is enough for a hat if I have time

Yes definitely enough for a hat.  Used the ball of worsted that got mixed in with the DK.  Just enough yarn for a simple stocking stitch hat on 4mm needles

Pattern: Falcon Family cardigans
Size: 78 sts
Yarn: Patons North America True North DK
Colour: Blue

Sapphire Sweater Vest

Recycled the yarn from my hoodie that just didn't fit

Lots of odd bits of wool so not enough for a full sweater

Used the stitch pattern from the hoodie but followed the sweater vest pattern

Very pleased with the result

Pattern: Magnolia Sweater Vest by Elizabeth Smith

Size: 234 sts.

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted

Colour: Sapphire Heather

Flax Sweaters

Two little sweaters for NGH

Really simple pattern
Knit from the top down

Not very fond of the pink yarn. It feels a little harsh and the colour changes are too short for my taste

Pattern: Flax by tincanknits
Size: 2-4, 4-6
Yarn: Bernat Super Value, Redheart Comfort
Colour: Gingerbread, Shaded Pink

Hospital Knits for September

I continue to knit items for the hospital

Some more mitts
Used The World's Simplest Mittens by tincanknits
I added some cables to some and some stripes to others. This really is an easy pattern and it has instructions for different weights of yarn.

Some more hats
Used the Tristan pattern

Needed a change so made some small cardigans

I have used this pattern several times. It is knit in one piece from the bottom up.
I like the lack of seams so that once the knitting is done there is very little sewing


Pattern: Gib's Safari Sweater by Barb Bettegnies
Size: 122 Stitches
Yarn: Merit Worsted
Colour: Kelly Green

Yarn: KnitPicks Comfy Worsted 

Colour: Seraphim

Blue Cumbria Sweater

Bought this pattern and the yarn to make it a long time ago
Finally had time to knit it up

Love the colour. Think I really prefer DK or sock weight yarns. Worsted feels really bulky

The pattern has set in sleeves and I am really beginning to think that I prefer Raglan sleeves above all others.

Having said that, this pattern was clear and easy to follow. I did find it easier to write out the decrease/increase rows rather than try to count on

Pattern: Cumbria Sweater by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence
Size: 52 Stitches
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight
Colour: Ciel

Salmon Cables

I bought this yarn in  a half price sale several years ago.
I always planned to make a cabled sweater with it but had trouble finding one which I liked
I finally found this pattern and it looked just perfect
Should have checked more carefully!!

The cable patterns them selves are well written but when I start having to make multiple modifications then it is not a good pattern
As always I had to go up a needle size to get gauge but that was spot on. 

The length of the body and the sleeves is way too long. Who has 20 inch arms???
The back neckline is rather large.
The shoulders drop off mine and I am broad shouldered.
The armholes do not fit together nicely with the sleeve tops
The sleeves are very narrow. I ended up using the largest sleeve to get the width I needed which meant more changes to get the stitch count right for the armholes.
The amount of yarn suggested was way less than I needed  I used 16 balls as against the recommended 12 and the yardage in my yarn was longer!!

Despite all that I do like the cable pattern and the yarn was lovely to knit with.
It took being ripped back multiple times without splitting or fraying

I used short rows at the shoulders with a three needle cast off so that the cables matched perfectly

Pattern: Confident Cables by Red Heart UK
Size: 142 Stitches
Yarn: Filatura di Crosa Zara
Colour: Salmon

Purple Anne's Cardigan

This yarn has been sitting for almost 4 years waiting for me to make this sweater.  I made one for KJMR in a pink colour way and loved it. I used to have a cardi in a similar colour and loved that one so finally I have a replacement

Notes: I had to go up a needle to get gauge and that made for a looser fabric
Next time I have this problem I think I'll try going up a sweater size not a needle size
The arms are fuller than they need to be I think I could easily modify the increases to make the sleeves narrower
I used a 3 needle bind off at the shoulders which was perfect for matching patterns and a neat finish

Mods this time
I decided to use full lace panels on the fronts  and 3 lace panels for the back.  I lined these up with the front panels

Overall I am happy with it

Pattern: Anne's Cardigan by Kathy Broughton
Size: 154 Stitches
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Tonal
Colour: Blue Violet

Navy Twisted Grapes Cardi

I bought the yarn for this quite some time ago. 

I was intending to make a different cardigan but after reading the original pattern carefully, I decided that I really didn't like it at all.  I found this pattern on line and it proved to be reasonably straightforward until the sleeves. 

I couldn’t figure out the short row sleeve instructions so I switched to traditional seamed sleeves. Thank goodness that was an option!
More confusion at the end of the traditional instructions. My sleeve was going to measure way more than 6” from the first cast off row but then the armhole was way more than that too.  I took a deep breath and knitted as instructed.  As it turned out the sleeve fitted the armhole nicely.

Loved the top down construction starting with the back and then picking up the shoulders for the individual fronts

Pattern: Twisted Grapes Cardigan by Vera Sanon
Size: 102 Stitches
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Sport
Colour: 8393 Navy

Pink and Purple Cardi

A pretty little cardi for Miss R.

Used a pattern which I bought when ADHR was about the same age so it is an oldie but goodie!!

Love this pattern!!
Modified to use two colours not one.
The dark purple is Italian Plum the body is a variegated pink and purple called Princess Purple.  Just right for a little girl who is obsessed with princesses!

Modified the pattern panel on the body to add an extra row of holes
Modified the pattern panel on the sleeves so that it was only one row of holes
Made the 4 year old size but a little shorter in the arms

Pattern: Emu 6548
Size: 73 Stitches
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cherub DK
Colour: 508 Princess Purple
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cherub DK
Colour: 31 Italian Plum