Cardi in 4 days? Day 4 :: Complete ::

I did it! With a little last minute crochet on the train and some late night weaving in and button sewing, I finished the cardi, though it's probably more of a shrug. I even made the buttons myself, with a little help from the toddler.

I made it a lot shorter than I intended, not just because of the tight deadline (promise), but also because the dress had such a high waist band, I thought it would look better if it stopped where the skirt began.

I like it a lot and I think it went really well with the dress (I didn't have time to block it, which looking at the photo it probably would have benefited from) and it did it's job of keeping me warm, though it was hardly required what with it being such a delightfully warm sunny day!

This is the only picture I have, because I tend to take all the photo's and truth be told Johnny really has no idea how to use the camera, but I think you get the idea.

I am a little behind with my pattern writing at the moment, but I will write this one up when I get a chance.

Cardi in 4 days? Day 2 ::

Almost finished with the bottom now :)

In fact depending on how I go it may be finished, as on trying it on with the dress it stops perfectly at the waist. Although I am concerened that it flares out a little too much. So I'm going to work on the sleeves today and if I get them done in time I may even frog the bottom and make it a little less flouncy, you know because I haven't given myself a tight enough deadline as it is!

Cardi in 4 days? Day 1 ::

So I am going to a wedding on Saturday, for which I have decided to make myself a cardigan to wear with this gorgeous dress from digforvictory :

Of course I have left it entirely to the last minute and started yesterday! I did purchase myself some Aran weight yarn to try and make the whole process a little quicker and I also intended to crochet it. However after doing a little swatch, crochet on the yoke with the Aran was just much to bulky, so now I am knitting the yoke (I'm working top down) and going to crochet a lace pattern on the bottom and arms.

I have oh so nearly finished the yoke, but with 3 days left, I must admit I'm not feeling all that hopeful!

Wish me luck!

mustard hearts for me ::

 

my newest short sleeved sweater is finished!  It still needs blocking (which I'm really hoping will give it a bit more length as it's a teeny bit short) but otherwise it's all finished and I'm quite in love with it.

I made a few silly mistakes with the fair isle pattern, but for a first attempt I think I did pretty well.

I have to be honest I didn't knit it all in continental style as I had intended, in order to get some practice, it was too easy and quicker to slip back in to my old habits, but I did do enough to just about justify knitting myself yet another sweater!

• owls pattern available to download as pdf for £3.50 :: here (although this is fairly modified)


• my ravelry notes :: here  

 

another short sleeved sweater for me ::

so as I said, new knitting skills require practice and well, what perfect excuse to knit myself a new sweater.

I saw this beautiful Katia Peru yarn in my local yarn store a few weeks ago and fell in love with it.  It's super chunky and soft and I imagine it will be oh so warm too.

I found a fabulous book of fair isle in the charity shop this week, it has some really interesting history of the technique along with some patterns.  I'm using Kate Davis' Owls pattern for the main body of the sweater, though I'm going to try and amend the bulge that appeared on the back of the last one I made.  I am going to be omitting the owls this time and instead working in some fair isle hearts (I think anyway), where the owls would be.

I'm really pleased with my colour choices and it just so happens they match the crocus's, that appeared on my window ledge this morning perfectly!