When I found the Bronte Cardigan pattern by Martin Storey on Ravelry it fitted my criteria of 1) double knitting yarn 2) Cropped length 3) interesting texture with cables and moss stitch features. I made the first one back in July this year before getting side-tracked into dressmaking. It was not until early September that I re-visited the pattern.

I ordered the double knitting yarn in a Brown Tweed from a seller on eBay and set off making the back. This part was a relatively quick knit as it featured the fancy rib followed by a lacy band and then double moss stitch for the remainder. Next came the fronts. I was especially looking forward to these as they featured the textured cables and a diamond pattern. This is just the type of knitting that I enjoy. I have to say that I am a convert to working from charts. In the past I have always knitted Aran-style and cable patterns from text. To see the pattern in a graphic way helps enormously in seeing how it develops.

I knew from the previous make that I would have to change the increasing so that the underarm sleeve was no longer than 17 inches and even that was generous for my arms. I have reduced the increasing so that they occur every 7 rows rather than the 8 quoted in the pattern instructions. The sleeves of this version are still very slightly too long but certainly ‘liveable’.

I have a particular dislike of picking up stitches for front bands and so I added 10 stitches to the rib section and once I changed needle. size, left those stitches on a holder. Once I had completed knitting the front I returned to the stitches on the holder, increased by 2 stitches and worked a double faux cable band until I reached the neck edge. I joined up with the stitches on that holder to make the neckband. I did have to pick up some stitches for the neckband but that was quite simple and easy, before continuing with the faux cable pattern. I love how this brings all the design features together.

I had over 100grms of the yarn left so am now knitting a coordinating hat to my self-designed Blackberry stitch banded hat pattern!

Project #60 completed 24^th October 2020

In between the Lemon printed Penny dress and the Lewis & Irene printed cotton Sundress was project #37. This has taken a while to come to the blog as it is a hand-knitted cropped cardigan.I found the Bronte pattern by Martin Storey on Ravelry and it fitted my criteria of 1) double knitting yarn, 2) Cropped length 3) interesting texture with cables and moss stitch features.

I ordered the Light Stone-coloured yarn from Knitters Network and set off making the back. This part was a relatively quick knit as it featured the fancy rib followed by a lacy band and then double moss stitch for the main part. Next came the fronts. I was especially looking forward to these as they featured the textured cables and a diamond pattern. Again once I had mastered the pattern, working for the first time from a chart, the fronts were quickly completed.

Now onto the sleeves. I knitted the first sleeve exactly to the instructions, increasing and decreasing as directed. The sleeve turned out very long – we are talking orangutans! Now I know that I have short arms but this was ridiculous.

I knew that I would have to change the increasing so that the underarm sleeve was no longer than 17 inches and even that was generous for my arms. Having altered the rate of increasing so that I still ended up with the correct number of stitches when ready to knit the top of the sleeves I completed my 2^nd sleeve. This worked out really well. So now I had two sleeves, one very long and one just right. I unpicked the 1^st sleeve back to the rib and then re-knit according to my revised plan. Lovely – two matching sleeves!

Once I had completed the 2nd/3rd sleeve I was ready to stitch the cardigan together for which I used a back stitch.

I have a particular dislike of picking up stitches for front bands and so I knitted two separate bands featuring a couple of the faux cables. I did have to pick up some stitches for the neckband, but only a few and continued with the faux cable pattern.

I love how this brings all the design features together. I don’t know if I will add buttons but in any event, buttonholes are not required as I can slip the buttons through the faux cable pattern.

I have enjoyed this project so much that I have already started on version 2 using a darker Brown-coloured yarn which should be just right for the Autumn.

Project #37 cpmpleted 28^th July 2020

A change from sewing – this stitching is knitting! I like to wear a cropped cardigan with my sleeveless dresses as this makes them multi-seasonal. Usually I buy competitively priced jersey shrugs from eBay but on this occasion I decided to knit my own. I used King Cole pattern #4125 purchased from an eBay seller and Double Knitting acrylic yarn bought from ‘The Range’.

I chose a Dark Teal-coloured yarn and decided to knit the plain stocking stitch version rather than the textured as I wanted a very simple, straightforward project. I know that my knitted projects usually take a very long time to complete.

On this occasion, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown I have spent several hours a day knitting and thus the project has been completed in record time! Although I will never wear the cardigan buttoned up, I did make buttonholes and attached buttons which are pretty floral printed ones from my button stash.

I am very pleased with the end result. I have some 400 grms of yarn remaining so will combine with another colour to make up the 500grms required to make another #4125 in the future.

project #35 completed 28th May 2020