Broadbeans mk II

Home-made Christmas presents? Only one, and that was this: 

Recognise it? It's the broadbean scarf, mk II. Actually I've been calling this version the neighbour scarf. Because it's in devil-red, and the numbers to remember while knitting it were 667 (6 stitches join the beans together, the beans are 26 stitches long and 7 rows wide). 

You wouldn't believe how many comments I've had on the broadbeans - and a few requests, but it is quite boring to make, in all honesty, so I can't see myself making another one unless someone really reeeeeeeeeeeeeally wants one.  

I would have made more Christmas presents (despite what I've said about gifting hand-made things), but it turns out that I would have needed to think about it in about September, and I wasn't that organised. 

Adventures in 4-ply

For my next project, I'm using these:

The book is Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters, and the yarn is Angora 4-ply from Orkney. 

4 ply angora turns out to be easily broken and not so easily unravelled. Here is the beginning of my tension swatch: 

As the yarn had already broken twice by this point (and also it's a scarf, so tension isn't a massive issue) I decided to ditch the tension swatch and get stuck right in. 

Although it's actually a simple garter-stitch scarf with just a bit of shaping, it has been difficult! Partly self-inflicted, admittedly, as the pattern wanted me to use 3 needles and I didn't want to spend the £2.50 on a second pair of needles the same size, so I tried to do it using a stitch holder. 

Big mistake. 

Anyway, I invested the extra £2.50 and a lot of time (no really, a lot) unravelling, swearing and fixing and now the project is moving along nicely in the way it would have done if only I'd have done it properly in the first place. 

Knitted shoes!

OMG I just have to upload a picture of my amazing tiger shoes - they're knitted! And they've got whiskers and ears and everything! I love them so much it almost overrides the pain of walking in them... 

Polka dot dress success

Although all I've done for ages has been knitting, I have completed a few sewing projects too, and finally I can prove it! I made a polka dot dress in the summer but recently not only did I have the opportunity to wear it, I also remembered to take photos of me wearing it - well done me. 

Yes, I am a bit short in the legs so low-cut red court shoes would have looked better, but I haven't got any. And yes, I am desperately in need of a haircut. The skirt is two full circles, so it's very full (the hem of the skirt is 400 inches around, and the dress takes 7 yards of fabric). Looking at the photo now though I think it would look great with a petticoat, so I might make one.

Back view:

And the pattern it came from is this (copyright date 1957): 

If I made it again (and I'm tempted, because I have loved wearing it) I would consider putting pockets in the side seams of the skirt. Just for, y'know, lipstick. You can't not wear lipstick with a dress like this. It would be amazing in chiffon, though I know I won't be able to manage chiffon, but it's very wearable in cotton so I might do another version one day in a different print. 

Oh and these vintage patterns with gussets under the arms... they're an absolute bitch. 

Secret project: baby basketball jumper

I have made my first garment! I couldn't blog about it as I was going because it was a present and that would have blown it. But now I can unveil it - a baby jumper for Google Baby. Here it is, in pieces, in progress: 

It's a simple striped stocking-stitch jumper with a shoulder opening. Or rather, it should be simple. It actually took me three tries just to get past the 6 rows of ribbing at the beginning of the first panel. Once I got going it was pretty straightforward though, as there's hardly any shaping. I was really pleased with managing the ribbing around the neck, and with how fast I was making progress. 

Until I started sewing it all together. Here you can see where I've invisibly sewn my shoulder seam (looks good hey?) and my brilliant neckband. Note to self: finishing takes almost as long as making the garment in the first place. 

There were two panics involved in making this. I was very nervous about having enough of the dark blue yarn, and getting more and more nervous as I got nearer and nearer the end of the second sleeve. I decided to hold my nerve and just hope for the best, and the blue just about held out. You can see in the first picture that there was maybe a yard left over. 

The other big panic was that Google Baby has turned out to be a baby basketball player. The day after I finished the jumper, I talked to Google Mummy and she mentioned how he was too big for 6 - 9 months clothes. *Gulp* 

So I blocked it. 

Some knitters I know have told me how they don't block things as it flattens out the stitches and they don't like the effect it has. On the other hand, if your carefully hand-knitted baby jumper is too small, what can you do? Block it so that it's bigger by half a size, is what. 

Happily, word is that junior Michael Jordan does fit into the jumper (and he looks really cute in it too, if I do say so myself). Although with all I've found out about miracle-blocking, I don't know actually know what happens to a blocked garment when it gets washed. But at the rate he's growing, he'll only be able to wear it for the next two weeks anyway so it might not even need washing, ever.