My blog has been pretty Coat & Tailoring heavy the past few weeks, I decided that I was going to change it up and talk about my current knitting projects instead.
Last weekend I commenced picking up stitches and doing the short row shaping for the second sleeve cap on my Accessory to your Spring Suit Jumper. This means that I do have the first sleeve all done, after having to frog it 3/4 of the way back since I realized that I had made it too snug for my arm. (There’s nothing so worse as having my arms feel like sausages stuffed in meat casings!)
I’m very happy I did that since it fits perfectly and I am using that one sleeve as the template for my second sleeve. Plus it seemed to go really speedy the second time around.
I worked my sleeves differently than the original pattern. Instead of working straight stockinette I added in the same cable-lace insert as the bodice, down from the shoulder to the wrist. I’m actually not 100% that I did the right thing by having this pattern going all the way to my wrist, but Felix was the only person on hand to help me figure out the styling of it and he thought it should go all the way there.
I’ve left the stitches live at the one wrist, in case I decide to frog it back after completing the second sleeve to change it up again.
Additionally I want to check the final length once I get the other sleeve finished as well as block them both.
Now… I’m not sure if I chatted about my yarn conundrum on here with this jumper. But I went through an online, frenzied search looking for more of this yarn in the same dyelot & colorway since I thought I was going to run out of it. I was never able to find more in the same dyelot but I did buy 2 additional skeins of it from my LYS that seemed to match just fine to what I already had on hand.
After completing the first sleeve, I still have 1 full skein plus some extra yarn from the scarf which I think will be *just enough* to finish. This has left me with 2 skeins of the same colorway that I could return or use somehow.
Surprisingly, this yarn is a 100% perfect match with my Gertie Coat contrast trim color, a wool charcoal grey. Soooo, I’ve decided to put these two skeins to good use and am knitting myself up a vintage turban to match.
I’m making the moss-stitch turban on the left.
It’s not much yet, but here’s what I got done over the past 2-3 days:
The construction of this hat is completely wonky! You knit only 1 half of it at a time (which is the first strange thing) and then it’s knit from the nape of the neck towards the crown (the second strange thing). If I didn’t have Ravelry to read everyone’s notes and see additional images, I would have NO IDEA what is going on with this pattern. Luckily there are 137 completed or WIP’s that I can view and mull over.
Most of the comments about this pattern have been about how large it is. Knowing this from the get-go, I decided to knit mine two inches smaller than indicated. I swatched like a good knitter and proceeded to knit this up. But when I went to compare to my work-in-progress gauge I realized that it’s still too large for what I had intended. But seeing it in front of me, I don’t think it will be too bad. I’ve decided to just plug ahead and I’ll check the fit when I get to a more complete point where my hat actually looks like a hat. heh So far it’s a quick knit and as long as I get it done by the time my coat is finished, I’ll be a happy camper.
Once I’m more confident that the hat fits and that I did adequate changes to the pattern, I’ll post up my modifications if anyone else is interested to knit this one. I nearly forgot to mention that this is a free pattern from the archives at the Victoria & Albert Museum. (There are other vintage knit patterns/goodies posted there as well.)
Be sure to stop back here tomorrow. I just got (aka won on ebay) some new stitchcraft magazines from the late 30’s and mid 40’s and I intend to post one of them up here tomorrow for you all.
In: Knitting
You are one prolific needle-worker. Not just he coat, which is coming along so nicely I might add, but your jumper is one of those timeless patterns and colors that you can wear for years. I really like the cables going down the sleeves, nice touch. Is there a nice tweed skirt in your future? Do you ever sleep?
Awww thanks Corinne! The best part about this jumper is that they’re not even cables! They’re mock cables. You basically swing 2 stitches around the others which creates a “gather” which ends up looking like cables.
Hmm… I didn’t even think what I was going to wear with this. I think this sweater will need a lovely red or purple wool skirt or perhaps some chic 40’s tweed trousers. Thanks for enabling me some more. heh
I think I saw the Stitchcraft’s that you won. I was going to email you and to see if you had spotted them, but it sounds like you did! A friend of mine just lent me a few vintage knitting magazines, so I was going to start sharing some patterns as well.
YES! I paid waaay too much for them, but the early ones always get snagged out from underneath me (in ebay bids).
And yay for sharing patterns! The more the merrier.
I aspire to knit even 10% as well as you, because you are my knitting idol for sure!
I love the cable detail on the front, that’s such a nice sweater.
How/when did you learn to knit? I am in awe. I’d like to learn, but I do not know where to start.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful pieces.
Hey there SewSavory! I learnt to knit maybe around 2+ years ago. I first learnt how to crochet and did that for a year before I started knitting. That helped get me experience on how to hold the yarn working with 1 hook before proceeding to working with 2 knitting needles.
Honestly, I have two coworkers that showed me the ropes one day and after that I used youtube. Youtube is great to learn how to knit since you can pause all the time to watch how people’s hands move to do the stitches.
If you’re wanting to learn, I’d say go and find yourself a local yarn store with a friendly, helpfull staff. Most likely they have knitting groups or even have classes to teach you the basics. If this isn’t an option, get a book from the library and then simultaneously hop onto youtube and search for everthing that is too hard to ‘see’ in a book.
And lastly, go join the website called Ravelry! Tons of free patterns and you can connect to lots of other knitters on there (as well as local groups in your area and local yarn stores).
Wow! This looks amazing! I love that you added the cable to the sleeve– it’s a great detail!
Thanks so much Ginger! The sleeves needed “something” and it seemed quite natural to add them on. Let’s hope I still stay warm with the open-ness of them. (I’m thinking it actually may be a good thing and will cool me off when I get too warm in it.)
Thanks for the link to those patterns! Question for you (and the other better-than-me knitters out there): on a pattern like the v-neck women’s sweater posted with the snoods, the directions say fingering-weight yarn and size 9 and 12 needles. Is that right? The picture doesn’t make it look like a super loose knit, but I would think a light yarn and medium needles would make it fairly airy…
Am I thinking about this wrong?
This is an excellent question Jane! If you’re looking at vintage patterns, the sizing of the needles is quite different than modern day needle sizes. Additionally UK needle sizes are different than the US ones. I tend to try and only look at the millimeter size which is the same for both countries.
I found that a UK size 12 needle is the same as a US 2 or 2.75 mm which falls in line for a fingering weight yarn.
I knit loose so I generally use a US size 2 needle on my fingering weights, but I do know some people use 3’s who knit tighter than I do.
Here’s a handy needle conversion chart:http://www.skiffvintageknittingpatterns.co.uk/vintage-knitting-pattern-tips/#needle
Along with this one: http://vintagestitchorama.blogspot.com/2006/09/handy-dandy-vintage-needle-conversion.html
Oh awesome. I figured there must be something wacky there that I wasn’t aware of. Thanks!
THANK YOU very much for the tips! I joined Ravelry this afternoon and watched several YouTube videos. I think I will pick up some supplies tomorrow while I’m fired up. Again, thanks!
Wohooo! :) Don’t worry about spending a ton of money on good supplies right away. I’d just stitch with some metal straight needles from your local craft store and try and use a wool (not acrylic) for your first project. My first project was a washcloth. I got something usable out of the project and I learnt how to keep a consistent tension by the end of the square. (Looked crazy at the beginning though.) heh Cotton would be a good choice if you’re making a washcloth too.
Your jumper looks really good! :)
I like the additional pattern you added on the sleeves. Maybe the stitch pattern is snugging them up a bit and that’s why they were a bit tight…? (I’ve heard cables/rib work this way. Not sure about what you’ve done here! :) )
Yay knitting :)