Best Of - Small Girl Cardigans

So small girl cardigans are something I know a little about. Over the years I would have made at least….hold on a sec….I just went to Ravelry and counted….at least 30 of them. I have actually made more than 30 as I am sometimes too lazy to post them on Ravelry, or don't get around to taking photos of them before a child mucks them up. There are so many patterns to choose from and yet at the moment, I keep coming back to the same one. Knit after knit after knit. 

The pattern in question is Granny's Favourite by Georgie Hallam, who you all know is one of our teachers. She released it last September* and at last count I had made four. Five soon as I have just been asked to make another by my daughter, as her original has been worn so much it is starting to look a little too well worn (read: stained) and small. You may remember that version from last year as we used her cardigan on our postcard.

So what do I love about it.

1. The fit.

The yoke has a beautiful shape that both emphasises the beautiful lacework and their shoulders at the same time. It only has three buttons which gives a lovely swing shape which is great over frocks. Plus at the start of the pattern Georgie gives you great advice on how to get a good fit, rather than just suggesting that you knit for age. 

The cardigan in the photo at the top of the post (Rav details here) was actually knitted for my niece, who is two years younger than the girl in the photos. But it still fits and that is one of the things I love about it - it's longevity. Due to the circular yoke hugging the shoulders, and the fact that as she grows the sleeves just move from full length to 3/4, then you have a garment that looks good on a range of ages. Often a cardigan that is too big just looks too big - this doesn't.

2. How fun it is to knit

I love how quick and simple the yoke is once you get going. And when you have made it a few times you can knit the yoke in your sleep. Quick and addictive. Then, once the yoke is complete you don't want to stop, because you want to see a finished knit because the yoke is so pretty. 

3. The details 

Two things in particular here. The first is the slip stitch edge which means that the button bands don't curl. This technique is so clever and simple and yet I hadn't come across it until I made this pattern. 

I mean look at that - this is the inside and that little seam means no flipping button bands - Georgie is a genius.

The second is the technique that Georgie suggests when you start knitting the body and sleeves top-down from the yoke. Normally this results in a hole that you have to darn up at the end. This technique means that there are absolutely no holes and a beautiful join. I now use this technique everywhere.

You can just see the join on the left hand side facing us.

4. The yoke!

I mean - c'mon! Timeless and beautiful. Old fashioned - but not in a lumpy way. It has a refined heirloom feel to it. Pretty without being fussy. 

The last one I made - there is a photo on instagram here - was the newborn size. Super quick and super super sweet.  

Now I know this post started by saying small girl cardiganS with an "s" and I have only given you one. So here is a couple of others I love ….

For babies - my all time favourite, would knit it over and over again even though it is a bit of a bugger to start the yoke, would have to be Maile. It is just a beautiful pattern. Read other people's notes on Rav. They will help. I have three versions of it on my project page if you fancy a look at some others. Not for beginners though (a suggestion for beginners in a minute!) as the join may make you want to give up knitting altogether. And that is never good for the soul.

For small girls an absolute favourite is Little Buds. I have only knitted this once. And we managed to lose it (I blame the child!) but for garter squishiness which looks fabulous on small girls I love this. I do plan on doing it again at some stage. In real life I spend a lot of time squeezing this child, but with this cardy on she was practically irresistible. She may have got a little impatient with me. I may have ignored her impatience due to the irresistibility of the garter.

For slightly older girls another favourite is Go Buffalo. I have actually made two of these (only one on Rav) and plan on making more. I love how it sits on her shoulders and the tomboyness of the V. Super cute. I made a few alterations to the neckline to make the V a bit deeper so check those out if you like what you see. I also used garter stitch for the button bands and gathered cuffs. Modification can be addictive….even with a great pattern.

And finally for beginners - I would try In Threes. I have never made one but have started a few friends off with them, as they make the move from scarves to garment knitting. The combination of the worsted weight yarn and the simple sleeveless shape means they race through them, to a very satisfying result.

I'd love to hear about your favourites if you have one. I'm always on the lookout for something new to try….

Felicia x

* Georgie released an update which is a bit more concise than the first iteration so make sure you have the latest version.

The Great Colourwork Monogamy Strategy

So before we had our first baby, we went to a “Having a Baby” class. A great class with a great teacher – she had wisdom etched in the lines of her face - which is what you want. At the time, with our heads full of the sparkle and static of having our first baby, I didn’t understand that one of the things she taught me, was going to be one of those pieces of self knowledge that changes your life forever.

Sitting crossed legged on the floor, facing our partners, she asked us this simple question. “In stressful times, what is your natural reaction – fight or flight?” Now as I am hhmmming and ahhhmming, my partner is grinning and almost guffawing. Obvious to him and not so much to me, until that moment.

I am a runner. I run metaphorically and I run physically away from the pain. Any pain*. And although I am not a natural runner (if you meet me one day that will make sense) I can run fast when the need arises. When I have a problem, am feeling uncomfortable or unsure, I avoid the whole schmozzle and go to a happy place somewhere else. A little bit “run away, run away”, a little bit “ignore it, it will go away” crossed with a little bit “if it can’t catch me it doesn’t exist”.  

Running can look like lots of things. I can turn anything negative into something positive (otherwise known as running). I can find “solutions” to things that don’t need solving (more running). I can just pretend something isn’t a problem at all but pretending it doesn’t exist (and even more running). I do happy. I don’t do any of that other stuff. Or at least I used to.

About now I can hear you start thinking “but what about the crafting” and “who cares about babies”. And so here comes the lifechanging bit. Learning that piece of information (fight or flight), and really understanding what I do in any situation that is uncomfortable/sad/blah/blah - means that I now have much greater control over my life. Now I watch myself start to run, and often I stage a coup!

And so was born The Great Colourwork Monogamy Strategy. Otherwise known as Monogamy is The New Black.

I’ve talked about my love for multiple projects before on this blog. I think I even titled the post “Multiple projects are the way forward” and I totally still believe it. Some projects for comfort, some for utility, some for presents, some for art etc. Crafting to fit the need or mood you have on the day. Crafting for your life.

However in this case I knew that having multiple projects wasn’t going to get the job done. I knew that this sweater was going to be uncomfortable for me. And I knew I would avoid it. Even though I really wanted to see the outcome, I would avoid the discomfort.

Discomfort because I don’t know that much about colourwork. I don’t know for sure how to combine colours and patterns to achieve the effect (gorgeous!) that I want. It could just as easily turn out to be really ugly. And I like getting things right. Discomfort because I don’t have the internet like I normally would. I couldn’t check my “how-tos” at a moments notice when I wasn’t sure about something technical, like what to do with a float longer than five stitches. And while I was ready to “Rip with Joy” because I wanted to make this jumper something I could be proud of, I knew that there was no way to do this without making lots and lots of mistakes. And mistakes are sometimes uncomfortable. And many many mistakes can take me well into running mode.

Almost finished!

After getting a little way into the knitting  – and realising it had sat in the pile for a good month untouched because I wasn’t sure what to do next – I knew that I needed to act. In this case staging a coup meant looking at all the things I was doing instead of the cardigan and getting rid of them. It was clear that the solution boiled down to some monogamy. I needed nowhere else to turn in my time of need. 

No sweet little Pebble vest calling to me with its ease, constancy and guarantee of a good result.** No brand new, me-designed sweater for the girlchild which I had swatched for in a brilliant blue. No other options. That way the only option available to me – as I would still have to knit – would be to get on and do the colourwork. Sometimes that would mean I would have to sit with the discomfort of not knowing what to do and not knowing what was right. Because I was monogamous. Take that you runner you! You have nowhere to hide.

After posting the instagram picture (from the start of this post) where I thought I was nearly finished, I realised it still didn’t sit right and that I would have to rip it out again. I ripped the yoke three more times after that last photo; at least five times in total. Then I did the neck and got that wrong. And then ripped it and did it again.

This is not the way I normally work. I would rip once and then walk away for a while to recoup. Monogamy was totally working for me. I had to think about the problem rather than avoid it. I had to try different options and step into the unknown*** with no guarantee it would work. I had to be brave. And tenacious. And all the other words you don’t get to be if you are busy running and being happy.

And I feel pretty proud. I’m thinking I might try monogamy again the next time I really want to achieve something difficult.

A week or so ago my monogamy finished (read: was tossed aside with joy) and I am yet to finish the sweater. But I didn’t start anything else until the hard part was done. All that is left to do is the steek and the bands. And they are purely technical. No hard decisions left. Just a requirement for a bit of time and space and light, which are currently in short supply as we are between countries and campsites. When it is done, I’ll get back to you with a little steeking post.

What monogamy was tossed aside for….

In the mean time – do you feel like telling me about how many projects you have on the go?  Or are you a one project kind of gal? Ever tried monogamy?

Felicia x 

* Hence why it is a useful thing to understand if you are about to give birth to a baby.

** I had actually just started one, that I then pulled out – only 3 inches or so – just so it couldn’t sing it’s siren song to me.

*** Indianna Jones style obviously.

Learn to Read Your Knitting - Part 3 - Increases

So my apologies for the big break in this series. I had camera gear issues and travel issues.

In order to take the photos for this series you really need a macro lense. And I had one. A lovely birthday present a few years ago from my family. But then a week or so before we left on holiday my camera died. The fixing shop said that my only option was to buy a new one as they no longer make the part I need. OK - not a great time but I got on ebay and found one. But then my old macro lens won't fit the new camera. So bit by bit I've been trying to sort it out.

In the mean time I finally came up with a way of taking the photos I need. I purchased a little macro thing for the iPhone and off we go. Most of them are OK but the odd photo is a little crappy so my apologies. 

If you are seeing these posts for the first time the two previous subjects we covered are linked below.

Learn to Read Your Knitting - Part 1 - Stitch Structure - This post was called The Secret to Becoming A Great Knitter

Learn to Read Your Knitting - Part 2 - Decreases

And now on to the post….

Increases

Now this is a fun post - if you like this sort of thing. Learning to read your increases will mean that you no longer need to count rows between waist increases, nor will you need to count increase after increase when knitting a top down sweater. You will be able to knit knit knit away, counting your increases when you think you are close and then when you arrive at your correct number of increases, doing a quick stitch count to ensure you are where you need to be. 

We are going to cover the three most commonly used increases (in my experience). They each have different characteristics so it is really important to understand how they work in order to accurately read them.

The three we are going to cover are

• M1 - Make 1 in the style of Elizabeth Zimmerman.
• M1L/M1R - Make 1 left and Make 1 right.
• kfb - Knit front and back which is also sometimes known as kfab or even k1f&b.

And there are three key things about learning to read them.

• The first is to understand where the stitch is occurring.
• The second is to understand what they look like.
• The third is how to count rows since the increase and how to count the number of increase rows you have done.

As I have said in the two previous posts - the best way to understand this for yourself is to actually knit these stitches with some scrap yarn and then have a look at what they look like. Look on the row you have knitted them and then at the end of a few rows. Again - skip the wine while you are at it - this requires a little bit of brain space. 

I am using a different colour yarn for the increase row in order to try to make things a little clearer. I finished with the blue yarn on a purl row and then start on the grey with a knit row that is the increase row. I hope that helps to make it a little clearer.

Where the stitch occurs!

So let's start with where the increase stitch is occurring. What I mean by that is what row is the increase occurring on. Each of these three increases occurs in a different place. 

Make 1

A M1 occurs in the actual row you are knitting as it is just making a twist of the working yarn and placing it onto the right needle. I love this increase for it's simplicity and speed.

The M1 is simply a loop of yarn twisted on to the right hand needle. You don't knit into it until the row after the increase row. 

Here is what it looks like next to the previous normal stitch. So if you look at the base of the second last stitch you can see that it is a loop pulled through the blue stitch below. The last grey stitch on the needle is simply a loop over the needle which initially tends to sit snug up against the last normal stitch until you knit it on the next row.

Make 1 Left / Make 1 Right

With the M1L/M1R the increase stitch occurs in the previous row to the one you are now knitting - so the last row. This is because you pick up and knit one of the bars that runs between two stitches from the previous row.  

Before doing a M1L or a M1R you pull the two needles apart slightly to show the bars of yarn running horizontally between the two stitches on the previous row. 

This is showing the beginning of a M1L which you can tell as the yarn is slanting towards the left. 

This shows the finished stitch. As you can see the actual increase stitch occurs on the previous row to the actual increase row as below the new grey stitch there is a blue twist of wool. I'm hoping that makes sense. 

When you are doing this stitch in wool that is all the same colour it is really important to understand that the increase occurs on the previous row because as you are counting upwards from the increase you need to remember that you actually have an extra stitch in your row count. Another way to think of it is that you have an extra loop as you are counting up from the increase - so if you have knitted one row since your increase row you will see what looks like three stitches in the row count - the twist of yarn that is the increase, the stitch from the increase row and the stitch on the needle. 

Knit front and back

Kfb or kfab is different again. The increase is created from a stitch in the previous row by first knitting into the front of the stitch and then twisting your needle around and knitting into the back of it. However you don't end up with an extra loop of yarn - instead you have a bar of yarn. This is created as you cross from knitting the stitch at the front to the stitch at the back. Have a look as you do it. It will make more sense. This feature of the increase means that it is very easy to count these increases as you just count from the loop coming out of the bar upwards.

This photo shows the start of kfb. This is the knit stitch.

You leave the stitch on the needle. That is the blue stitch - the grey stitch is the one you have just pulled through it. You now put your needle into the back of the stitch. This is where the bar is created. Can you see how by now knitting into the back of this stitch we are pulling a loop through the blue stitch which will mean the blue stitch will be pulled horizontal - there is your bar. 

The second last grey stitch is the knit stitch and the last grey stitch on the right needle is the increase stitch with the bar below it.

What they look like!

So we have already kind of seen what they look like above but I thought it would be good to have a look at what they look like when you create them AND what they look like after you have knitted one more row. 

A M1 on the increase row.

Make 1

A M1 looks simply like a loop on the row you do the increase on and then after knitting one more row has a count of two stitches if you count the stitch on the needle and the increase stitch. This is what it will look like if you are knitting from a pattern that says something like this;

Row 1: Increase row

Row 2: Purl one row. 

You can see that there is a twist of grey yarn and then the stitch on the needle. So the increase row and one more row.

And this is what it looks like if you have an increase rows and then knit three rows.

Make 1 Left / Make 1 Right

I only showed a M1L above but the below photo shows a M1L, then two knit stitches, then a M1 R.

A M1 L after it has just been knit. You can tell it is a M1L rather than a M1R as the blue loop leans left on the top of the loop.

And here is the stitch after you have knitted the increase row and one more row.

Slightly crappy photo but you can see here (reading from right to left) a M1L then two normal knit stitches and then a M1R. Under each M1 stitch there is a small hole. Generally this is not too visible. I am slightly stretching the knitting to make the increase stitch visible. Please note that although you have only knitted the increase row plus one more row, so 2 rows, that there is actually three stitches counting upwards. The blue increase stitch and then then two grey stitches. 

A terrible photo but just about the pin you can see the twist of the M1L, two stitches and then the M1R. Then there is the increase row and three more rows.

Knit front and back

This increase is probably the simplest to read because of the neat bar. The bar means that sometimes you don't want to use this increase, especially if you don't want the increases to be as noticeable. 

This photo actually shows two kfb in a row which is a common raglan increase technique. You can see to the left of my thumb a grey normal stitch and then a stitch coming out of a blue bar, then another normal stitch and then another grey stitch coming out of a blue bar.

This is kfb after the increase row and three more rows. As you can see there are four loops coming out of the bar including the one on the needle.

How to count increase rows!

Make 1

OK - so in the photo above we have three increase rows. We have done six rows of knitting since the first increase (including the increase row), four rows of knitting since the second row of knitting (including the increase row) and two rows since the last increase (includes the increase row as well as the stitch on the needles).

Make 1 Left / Make 1 Right

So just to be super repetitive - this increase is actually made in the row below the increase row. This is very obvious in my two colour knitting but not so much when you are knitting in a single colour. 

So you can see here that the first increase is in the blue row. There are three increases each side of two normal knit stitches. And we have done six rows (including the increase row) since the first increase.

Knit front and back

So this is two kfb in a row which is a common increase technique for a raglan. The stitch marker (I should have left it in!) would go just to the right of the central row of knit stitches in the image.

In a pattern this would read - knit until one stitch before marker then kfb, slip marker, kfb then knit until…..

This image is the same as the last increase we covered - except that there aren't two knit stitches separating the increases. There are three increases each side of the marker and we have knit six rows including the first increase row. 

I have just realised that I have forgotten to do a yarn over (yo). I will cover it if I get time, but a simple way to think of it (knowing all you now know) is to understand that when you do a yo the increase actually occurs in the row after the increase row….another day maybe.

That is all I have time for tonight as I am about to get kicked out of the wifi place. Let me know what you think! Clear, not clear? Anything else you want me to cover….I have a few ideas...

Felicia x

Inspiring Nordic Knitters

This post could easily be a series. But I won’t go there as I already have a few series on the go…;). However I just found a couple of new knitters I needed to tell you about as I have found them so inspirational. The colours and style are classic Nordic. Pared back and simple, letting the colour, materials and simplicity of the design do the talking.

The first one is a brand new to me blog called Ullstrikk. The knitter’s name is Ingvild and she is based in Norway. Her knitting for her small girl is simply stunning. I have included her photos in this post and what they reminded me of was a point from The Craft Sessions manifesto – “You can make beautiful things with simple techniques”.  Often the things that Ingvild makes are not technically complicated. Their beauty is about colour and simplicity.

Image courtesy of Ingvild of Ullstrikk blog.

I think as our skills develop as knitters we are often tempted to make things that are more complicated due to simple fact that we have the skills to do so. Doing a complicated piece challenges the part of us that likes to be challenged. It is often more interesting to knit and so we go there. But for me if I look at my clothes – kids board then most of the things that I am attracted to and love, are simple designs in slightly muted colours (Yet again about the visual diary!). What I make is not that.

My kids are covered in beautiful (and some crazy) prints that we have found together over time. However when they wear them all at once – which they do – I often feel an urge to avert my eyes due to the chaos – all the while feeling total joy due to their crazy fashion. I’m starting to feel that if I was making slightly simpler colours and styles and using slightly simpler fabrics then we could achieve the same thing (the kids feeling joy about their clothes) without the visual overwhelm. 

I think the photos of Ingvild's little girl in the picture below illustrate this perfectly. I don't think her outfit could be cuter….

Image courtesy of Ingvild at Ullstrikk blog

One more thing that is super common in Nordic knits is the extensive use of grey. Now I love grey for myself but rarely use it for the kids. Not sure why. Nordic blogs have inspired me to consciously knit grey for them. The start of example number one that I made earlier this week is below - using a beautiful colour way called Confetti.

You can see the finished hat on instagram here. The whole outfit makes me happy.

So back to Ingvild. She uses soft colours, lots of grey and simple patterns. And I love it all. I have been back through her blog roll and found the whole thing incredibly inspirational. She has kindly allowed me to use her images in this post – so thankyou Ingvild.

Other people you should have a look at if you are feeling inspired by this post are Charlott Pettersen - she has a book that at this time is only in Norwegian but the patterns are super sweet and her instagram account is fantastic. Also Helga Isager. She is a true nordic genius, her books are absolutely beautiful and many of her patterns are translated to English. You can also get many of the patterns as kits using Isager wool here. 

Any others you know of I should look at? Do you have this issue between what you love and what you make?

Felicia x

Part 1 - Knitting Tips and Tricks - Counting

Another new ongoing mini-series prompted and inspired by the lovely Jen and Martine - my mates who I have been assisting through the process of beginner knitting. Working with them has made me realise that there are so many things about knitting (and also sewing but that is for another day) that it isn't possible to learn in books. And it is really valuable stuff. The kind of stuff you learn from experience and experimenting. From being in the right place at the right time with the right knitter. Or picking a pattern that usefully tells you how to do something. So much of knitting is assumed knowledge and I am only realising through working with them all that I actually know more than I think I do. It's the little things.

And so I have decided that occasionally, as I think of them, I will write them down for you in the hope they help you.

First up we are going to do counting. An oft overlooked annoying point for knitters. Counting stitches, counting gauge and counting rows. I can make it easier.

1. Counting stitches

This is possibly the best "trick" I know and it isn't even a trick. But it will change your life if you are a knitter!

I have no idea if I made it up or I read it somewhere. My apologies for not crediting the genius that came up with it (if there was one), but I have been doing it so long I don't know to not do it y'know?

Doing a stitch count to check you are on track is one of the only times where I condone counting in knitting. Generally I think you should learn to read your knitting and so there should be little reason to count. Stitch counts here and there however, are essential. Really important. 

The number of times early on I had to count my 300 stitches (my first project was Birch) and kept loosing count, over and over and over again and taking for-e-ver. Well you probably don't need the details. Incredibly frustrating, 1,2,3,4,5, .....145,146.....

Later in my knitting career I started counting in twos. 2,4,6,...you get the picture. Still loosing count and still wasting my life and my knitting time.

So the trick! - the trick is to count in FIVES!! Yes fives. I swear this is life changing.

Your eyes can actually clock five stitches at a time. They really can - five stitches look a certain way. They make sense to the eyes and make it so much quicker to count and much much harder to loose your place. You may need a small amount of practice but you can pick this up really quickly and it will save you SOO much time. All about the joy!

2. Counting your gauge

I often hear of people struggling to count their gauge and so I thought I would share what I do which makes it super easy. You just need a few sewing pins, a ruler or tape measure of some description and you are good to go.

Lay your swatch on a bed/couch/something firm but squishy. Take out your tape measure and lie it towards the top of your swatch. Make sure that you follow the line of stitches across from your first stitch so you are measuring along the same row and not crossing rows. 

Mark out the start and finish of your 10cm/4" with pins making sure that you start on the left hand side of a V - see our Learn to Read Your Knitting post - Part 1 if this doesn't make sense. Put your final pin in exactly where the 10cm/4inch mark is. 

Mark the start and the end, making sure you begin on the left hand side of a V.

I find it easier to use a different colour pin to mark each 5 stitches. Look for the Vs.

Leaving the ruler/tape measure in place put a pin in every 5 stitches. You can do this easier because you know that you are looking for the Vs - right. Five Vs then a pin and then another five Vs etc until you reach the 10cm/4inch mark.

Leave the pins in and then count the number of left over stitches between the last marker for a five and the final pin that marks 10cm/4inches. Make sure that you count 1/2 stitches and even 1/4 stitches at the end if you have them. Be as accurate as you can. 

And here is the critical bit....Repeat towards the bottom of the swatch. It also helps if you do it before and after you have washed your swatch. This tells you what gauge you will be getting when you are knitting, as well after it has been blocked.

Here is another example just because ...

This shows that we have 3 and 3/4 stitches in the last bit. Giving us 23.75 stitches as the gauge.

One final example. This large gauge knitting often is tricky because the yarn stretches so much. Make sure it is relaxed when you count. And don't do what I am doing in the picture and counting when it is on the needle....

3. Counting rows

In the Learn to Read Your Knitting - Part 2 post we talked about counting rows. The best way I've found is to mark the first V you are counting with a pin in the hole of the stitch. Then stretch the fabric slightly before using the needle tip to count the Vs going upwards. Stretching the fabric width-wise and length-wise makes the individual stitches easy to see. You can also use pins here to mark 5 rows to make it easier, or you have a lot of rows to count.

Same two examples for you - which I like because they are both lightly hairy yarn (both contain alpaca) and are slightly harder to read - which is good because you can see that using this stretching pin "trick" you can easily see the stitches.

Counting the Vs.

The other thing that will help is to put a contrasting colour on the table behind the knitting when you are trying to count. Then when you stretch the knitting you can more clearly see the holes. If you have light coloured knitting use a dark fabric and vice versa.

I didn't realise before I wrote the post but the key to counting is 5.....who knew?

I really hope that was helpful. Try the counting 5s thing. It really is lifechanging. Let me know if you like it.

Felicia x