tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22095209643711737462024-03-19T08:07:55.755+00:00Renée And The Cat's MeowRenéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-54616929245172445082018-06-30T12:25:00.006+01:002018-06-30T19:07:08.268+01:00A Norwegian Jumper for PapaI don't knit for other people very often. I only knit for people if I am absolutely sure that they are "knitworthy", I can find a project that I will enjoy knitting and that I know for sure they will wear it. My mom is very knitworthy, for instance, but then she is a crocheter and knitter herself. My dad had been hinting that he would like a hand knit sweater for a while but because it was hard for me to knit when my <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.com/2018/06/back-from-dead-when-life-gives-you.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">CD symptoms</span></a> reached their peak, I didn't feel like I could handle knitting a grown man's jumper. But when I went home for Christmas my dad asked for a colorwork jumper for his birthday (which is at the end of January). By that time my symptoms had improved significantly so knitting wasn't really an issue for me anymore. I showed him a couple of patterns that fit his description and he chose this Drops pattern called <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/0-809-mens-jumper-with-norwegian-pattern" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"Nordic Midnight"</span></a> (which is basically their knock off version of the traditional Norwegian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariusgenser" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Mariusgenser</span></a>) and he wanted it in the same colors.<br />
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Since my dad does a lot of manual labour (he is a caretaker at a school and also does a lot of gardening and woodwork in his free time) I wanted to use a more "workhorse" type of yarn, so I went with Dorps Lima. I just finished knitting an <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/arboreal" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Arboreal</span></a> for myself in the same yarn so I already knew it can easily be chucked into the washing machine (an important requirement I think, for a single man in his 60s). And as a bonus I could cast it on straight away since I already knew my gauge. I'm not a huge fan of white-white in yarn but unfortunately the off-white and light beige colors were out of stock so I had to go white instead. (We'll have to wait and see if it will actually stay white, hah.)<br />
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This was only the second time I used a Drops pattern and I have to say that I am not a fan of how their patterns are written. Drops likes to do a lot of *Do this then this* AT THE SAME TIME *do this then this* which can get a little confusing. But I appreciate the fact that they are free and are available in over 10 languages, so complaining about the way they are written does seem a bit unfair. For an experienced knitter like me it's not really that much of an issue but I wouldn't recommend them to a beginner.<br />
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The only part I had a slight issue with was the sleeves. You knit the sleeves in the round, until just a row or 3 into the colorwork. Then you don't decrease any stitches for the sleeve head. Instead, you simply switch to knitting flat and cast on 1 stitch at each end for the seaming. The vertical opening that you get is then sewn to the armhole decreases of the body. But because I didn't realize this the opening in my sleeve heads ended up being way too long for the armholes and I couldn't set the sleeves in properly. Rather than ripping out all of the colorwork I simply seamed up the opening as much as I needed to to get it to fit in the armholes.<br />
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Other than the slight sleeve issue this was a lovely straightforward "brainless" knit. It was exactly the kind of project that I needed at the time, since 80% of the jumper is just simple stockinette, round and round, but then you get that little bit of fun, simple colorwork at the end.<br />
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One thing I really want to take a moment to talk about is <b>two-handed</b> stranded colorwork knitting. When I first learned to knit stranded, I immediately taught myself to knit two-handed. It seemed like such a great skill to have and not to mention, a lot quicker than having to constantly drop the yarn and pick up the other color. My tension has always been a little wonky, but I just assumed that it was going to get better over time. After knitting my Arboreal though, I really wasn't very happy with the way my colorwork looked and I finally had to conclude that the tension between my left and my right hand was just too different, no matter how much I tried to get them to be even. So when I knitted this jumper, I knitted everything with just my right hand... and my stranded colorwork has never looked so even! It's rather silly because I feel like I had to overcome a sense of pride to actually make this step. It somehow feels that "all the pro's do it with two hands, so that's the way to go", which of course is rather silly. Seeing Eli (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/Skeindeerknits" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Skeindeer knits</span></a>) and <a href="https://youtu.be/4_Em5fz00S0" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Arne and Carlos</span></a> talk about this in their podcasts did help to ease my slight sense of failure. So knitting colorwork with one hand is now the way to go for me. It might be a little slower, but my knitting just looks so much better that it is worth it for me. I am learning to tension both yarns over my index finger at the same time to make it a little faster but I'm not great at that yet. And in the end, it's not a competition, now is it?<br />
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My dad hasn't seen the jumper yet because sending it over was a little pricey so I'm taking it with me when I go home later this summer.. But I have no doubt that he'll love it!<br />
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<b>Pattern:</b> 0-809 <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/0-809-mens-jumper-with-norwegian-pattern" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Nordic Midnight</span></a> by Drops Design<br />
<b>Yarn:</b> Drops Lima in Navy blue (9016), White (1101), Light brown (5310)Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-71523683708807178042018-06-05T12:11:00.000+01:002018-06-05T20:57:39.436+01:00Back from the dead - When life gives you lemons...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh Hi!</td></tr>
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... You make a cannon and shoot them back into Life's ugly face. I am still working on that canon but I'm getting there...</div>
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Those of you who have been following me for a while will have undoubtedly realized that I stopped posting around September 2016. This break was never intentional, although after the one year mark I seriously doubted whether I would ever start posting again. Over the past week or two however, I gained quite a few new followers on my blog and it made me feel a little guilty. (I'd love to know how you guys found me because there is no clear source visible in my statistics!) That - combined with a slightly improved health situation - made me decide that it's time to breathe some life back into this sad, neglected little corner of the internet. Coincidentally, my blog also turned 5 years old in May! In this first post I just wanted to share what has happened in the past year and a half.</div>
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Between the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017 my relationship ended. The breakup wasn't my decisions and ended up being very messy and painful. I had never been alone in my adult life and at the first sign of a breakup I was suffering from panic attacks at the thought of losing my best friend and my rock, and being alone in a "strange" country (we moved to the UK for his job). However, I quickly found out that I was stronger than I thought I was. My colleagues at work were incredibly supportive and I made some of the best friends I have had in years and went on trips and holidays I otherwise probably would never have gone.</div>
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Fast forward to summer 2017, things were actually going pretty well for me in all fronts; emotionally, socially and at work. Then I woke up one day with a bad pain in my neck and shoulders, and a weird sensation as if my head wanted to move on its own. I didn't pay too much attention to it and just assumed that it would go away on it's own. But it didn't... and after a few weeks I finally decided to go to the doctor. He told me that one of the muscles in my neck was stuck in a spasm and I had to do frequent exercises and stretches and I was put on a muscle relaxant. By the time September rolled around the symptoms were still getting worse until I had to stop working - because of the pain but also because it simply became too impractical. From that point my symptoms started to develop even more rapidly. My head just constantly wanted to jerk to the right and I lost almost all other motion in my neck. Because the muscle spasm was mostly triggered by motion, I became afraid to move at all - even just moving an arm - so I spend all day every day on my sofa or bed with my head propped up against a pillow. Sleeping became incredibly difficult too; whenever I lay on my back my head would often jerk to the right (which was very painful), if I lay on my left side my head would bounce off the pillow, turning up towards my right shoulder. If I lay on my right side my face kept getting pushed into my pillow. Going outside was torture. Whenever I walked, my head got pushed into my right shoulder. Even when I tried to push it back with my hand I couldn't get my head back to the center. This caused pain and discomfort, but worst of all, I felt like a freak and people weren't exactly being subtle when they were staring at me. All of this added up together was giving me severe anxiety.</div>
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My doctor told me it looked like I was developing <a href="https://www.dystonia-foundation.org/what-is-dystonia/forms-of-dystonia/focal-dystonias/cervical-dystonia/more-on-cervical-dystonia" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Cervical Dystonia</span></a>. Reading up on this, it was obvious to me that this was exactly what was going on. But reading things like "chronic", "no cure" and even "generalized dystonia" (full body spasms) didn't exactly help to make me feel better and made my anxiety even worse. After living like this for about two months I finally told myself to snap out of it. I managed to flick a switch in my brain and was somehow able to cast off the anxiety. After trying a few different medications my doctor finally found one that gave me some relief. I saw a few different specialist who all dismissed me because they couldn't help me, until I was finally referred to a neurologists in the hospital. Unfortunately they had a long waiting list so it took 6 months before I finally had my appointment, 2 weeks ago. He Immediately confirmed that it is Cervical Dystonia (also known as Spasmodic Torticollis) and injected botox into the affected muscles. The first botox injections have to be a low dose in case there are any side effects so the effects are very minor at the moment. </div>
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Although the official outlook is that I am now most likely disabled for life, I am convinced that I will beat this thing at some point. There are a number of treatments that have benefited other patients so I am determent to try as many of them as I can. There is one main treatment out there that centers around <a href="https://biomechanical-dystonia.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">TMJ/TMD being the cause of the dystonia</span></a>. But I won't go into any further detail about that because I don't want to bore you guys! After all, you're here for the knitting and sewing stuff ;)</div>
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<b>Now on to that lemon cannon I am building... </b></div>
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Pretty much since the day I started knitting, I was thinking of designing knitting patterns myself. But with a full time job I was never quite sure how I would find the time for it. When my symptoms were at their worst I could barely do anything. Even knitting was difficult. But since my situation has improved to a point where I am able to sit somewhat comfortably at a desk again, I realized that I would never get a better opportunity than this to finally start designing! So I am currently working on a jumper out of cotton yarn for summer, then I have one lined up for autumn, and I'm playing around with some ideas for winter (preferably one jumper and one cardigan). Naturally, they will all have that vintage flair that you are used to seeing from me.</div>
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It's funny how these horrible things that happen in our lives often have a way of enriching our lives at the same time. I have discovered that my mind is a lot stronger than I ever thought it was and I have done and experienced things I never thought I would. I don't know how often I will be posting at the moment. Knitting is barely an issue for me anymore but some days sitting at the computer still is. However I have started doing a little bit of sewing again too, so hopefully I'll have some knitting as well as sewing to share with you like I used to do. When I am ready to start publishing my knitting patterns I will probably do a bit of re-branding and might change the name of the blog, but nothing is set in stone yet. </div>
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If there are any of you out there who are also suffering from a disability or chronic illness while still staying creative with knitting and/or sewing I would love to hear how you get on!</div>
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Stay strong <3</div>
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xx</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-30522249640730086982016-09-10T11:00:00.000+01:002016-09-10T11:00:31.159+01:00Finished: Sock UpdateHere I am sharing yet another sock update (don't worry, I am not suddenly a crazy fast sock knitter, I was just very behind on posting!). These are my socks for July, August and September. Only 3 more to go!<br />
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#7 <b>Soft Beige</b><br />
This is actually the second pair I have knitted with this yarn. The first pair where for my mom for her birthday in July, but I loved this color so much that I had to knit a pair for myself straight away. The yarn is Bergere de France Goomy 50 in the "imprim beige" colorway.<br />
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#8 <b>Speckled loveliness</b><br />
This is another sock blank from Sewknitobsessed, where I also got the purple sock blank from. I loved this one even more because of the lovely speckled effect it gives. The very pretty heel comes from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanilla-is-the-new-black"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Vanilla is the New Black</span></a> by Anneh Fletcher. It is a super easy heel to knit and super pretty. I was surprised how well it fits me because I have a high arch. Needless to say I will definitely be using this one more often!<br />
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#9 <b>Fall Night</b><br />
I'm sure this one needs no explanation because it's such a popular yarn - it's the Regia Arne and Carlos yarn in the Fall Night colorway. Just like it's sister - the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/favorite-socks-2"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Summer Night</span></a> socks - I knitted them with white contrasting heels and toes to break up the pattern a bit. For this one I also tried something new: I continued the slip-stitch pattern trough the heel turn. I am curious to see if this will make the heel last longer.<br />
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<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-56996672422647545242016-09-07T19:28:00.000+01:002016-09-07T19:49:39.784+01:00Finished: 1950's Fair Isle Cardigan!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so excited to finally share pictures of my 1950's fair isle cardigan with you! Ever since I finished it a few weeks ago I have been so eager to share it with you, but I simply didn't get round to taking photo's - until now! Just a slight warning: this is going to be a long post!<br />
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<b>Preparations</b><br />
After knitting the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/finished-1940s-swedish-cardigan-or-my.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Swedish 1940's cardigan</span></a> with steeks, I gained a lot of confidence as well as a new obsession. Even though summer was coming and I had planned to make some summer knits, all I could think of was colorwork. Finally I decided to give in, but now came the hard part: what to knit?! I realized that I really wanted to go all the way: proper fair isle. So I settled for a lovely 1950's Fair Isle cardigan: Bestway B2637.<br />
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Then came the color picking process. I never really liked the original colors but I figured that changing just the "main" color (the blue) might change the entire look of the pattern. So I did a bit of photoshopping to see what would happen and discovered that I was right. I think I could have actually picked any of the colors and ended up with a lovely palette but I decided to go with brown. So I replaced the bright blue with dark brown and the light blue with light brown. I kept all the other colors the same. When I made the first swatch however, I found that the 'true red' and 'true green' didn't fit in with the rest of the dark earthy-toned palette so I made a second swatch, replacing them with the dark red and dark green.<br />
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<b>The body</b><br />
I cast on for the body flat rather than in the round, because when I knitted my previous steeked cardigan I noticed that the steek adds a lot of bulk at the ribbing and also has a tendency to peek out at the hem. So I knitted the ribbing flat, then joined in the round when I started the fair isle pattern. The body has a 9 stitch steek at the center front and for each armhole. The fact that this cardigan has a V neck makes knitting in the round a lot easier because you don't have to cast on a steek for the neckline or switch to knitting flat. Only when I got to the shoulder shaping I had to switch to knitting flat, but this is only for a few rows.<br />
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My gauge changed a little when I was knitting the body and at first I was afraid that it would end up being too big. The size I aimed for was 33"(my bust is 32") but the final size is 34" which is something I can definitely live with.<br />
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<b>The sleeves</b><br />
Trough two previously knitted versions of this cardigan on Ravelry I discovered "Siamese sleeves" and decided that I was going to knit the sleeves that way too. Rather than knitting each sleeve separately - whether it be flat or in the round - where you end up with a lot of ends to weave in, you knit the two sleeves together as one big tube with steeks to seperate them. When you're finished knitting you just cut the steeks which also cuts all the ends off. Then you just seam them as if they where knitted flat. It does create slightly bulky seams, but it makes the knitting so much easier and faster and it uses less yarn.<br />
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I did knit each of the cuffs flat first, then cast on extra stitches for the steeks, joined them together and started knitting in the round. I realized though, that next time I am knitting sleeves like this, I will start them at the fair isle pattern, in the round with a provisional cast on, then when they are cut and seamed together, knit the cuffs down in the round. This takes away the annoying seam at the cuff and also makes it easier to get the perfect sleeve length.<br />
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Getting the length for the sleeves right while still making sure that the pattern would line up was something I really struggled with. Originally, the pattern increases to the full number of sleeve stitches directly after the cuff, but you knit the first repeat of the fair isle pattern on smaller needles to compensate. But this made the sleeves way to big for me and I almost got a bishop sleeve effect. I calculated that with my gauge I could easily take one pattern repeat off and still have the right size at the upper arm. So I ripped back to the cuff, increased to one pattern repeat less that the original, then knitted the first repeat on 2.75mm, the second on 3.25mm and the third on 3.75 (which is the size I used for the body). Unfortunately I noticed that the sleeve did seem a bit tight at the upper arm after all, so I went up another needle size and knitted the rest of the sleeve on 4mm. Definitely not something I would recommend doing, because this makes it a lot more difficult to get the sleeve head to match the armhole. In retrospect I should have just increased stitches rather than needle size, but hey, you live and learn, right? The fact that the fair isle pattern on the sleeves did end up matching the body's while also having the right length was just pure luck.<br />
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<b>The steeks</b><br />
The center front, armhole and sleeve seam steeks where all 9 sts wide. The sleeve head steeks where only 7 sts wide because I was running out of yarn and hoped to save some yarn this way (it didn't - I ended up having to order more). I made the steeks 9 stitches wide to ensure I would have enough room to switch colors, while still being able to cut those stitches where I joined the new color off when I cut the steek open (to make sure that all the loose ends would be cut off as well).<br />
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Because I wanted the sleeve seams and sleeve cap seams to have the least amount of bulk, I wanted to cut the steeks off as short as I possibly could. So I did some extra reinforcing before cutting: First, I crocheted along the stitch where I was going to cut, then I did a backstitch in the stitch next to it and then I also did a running stitch in the stitch next to that one. Then I cut all the steeks to 2.5 stitches wide.<br />
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<b>Finishing</b><br />
All the pieces where seamed together with mattress stitch, as I always do with seamed garments. I ended up having a little bit of extra fabric left over at the top of the sleeve heads so I gathered them in slightly by skipping stitches while seaming. The button band is knitted separately and then sewn to the opening and the neckline. I was sewing on the button band as I was knitting it to make sure the buttonholes ended up in the right place and to make sure the button band was exactly the right length.<br />
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<b>Pattern:</b> Bestway B2637<br />
<b>Yarn:</b> Knit Picks Palette in Cream, Cornmeal, Garnet Heather, Hare Heather, Ivy, Merlot Heather, Turmeric, Wheat Heather<br />
<b>Started:</b> May 16<br />
<b>Finished:</b> August 15<br />
<b>Buttons: </b>Vintage plastic, Ebay<br />
<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-37513813823588075472016-09-06T17:36:00.000+01:002016-09-06T17:36:08.279+01:00Finished: Sock Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I do apologize for the lack of posts lately - I have started working full time and on top of that managed to catch a virus that decided to linger for a few weeks, so I have simply been too tired to do anything next to work. But I have a week off from work now, so I am getting a couple of posts ready for you guys! In order not to bore you with an overload of sock posts, I decided to just post a "sock update" every once in a while with a couple of pairs of socks that I have finished lately. This year I am aiming to knit 12 pairs of socks for myself, motivated by the Box of Socks KAL that Kristin of the <a href="http://www.yarngasmpodcast.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Yarngasm Podcast</span></a> is hosting. I have finished 9 pairs so far so I am pretty much on schedule.<br />
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#4 <b>Honey Badger Socks</b><br />
These where knit with Baerenwolle Baerfoot Sock in the Sakura colorway. The pattern is called the Honey Badger socks. I have to fully admit that I am a total copycat - I saw this pattern on Ravelry knit up in this exact yarn by someone else and I fell so in love with the combination that I just <i>had </i>to knit them too.<br />
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#5<b> Galaxy Socks</b><br />
I got very intrigued by all the sock blanks I saw on the podcasts and really wanted to try one for myself. I found a lovely seller on Etsy called Sewknitobsessed who was selling very affordable hand dyed sock blanks so I immediately ordered two. When they I arrived I just had to cast on the purple one straight away because I was so excited to see what it would look like as a sock. And it did not disappoint! I just love the way they turned out. The colors combined with the sparkling stellina reminded me of the photo's taken by the Hubble Telescope so I named them my Galaxy Socks.<br />
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#6<b> Daphne Socks</b><br />
I originally knitted these for the Cookie Jar KAL hosted by Candice (from Pinfeathers & Purls) and Laura (from The Fawn Knits) but I actually forgot to enter them in the finished objects thread - oops! The pattern I used is "Daphne" by Cookie A and it is knitted with The Wool Barn - Tweed Sock in a lovely silvery gray color. I absolutely love these sock, they are so pretty and will be such a wonderful accessory for my autumn/winter wardrobe. I need more lacy sock!<br />
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<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-8728497203821128412016-07-19T21:07:00.001+01:002016-07-19T21:07:46.676+01:00I'm in the Fruity Knitting Podcast!A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Andrea and Andrew from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCry9BOQv1BhE5k9c9oHnxTw/featured"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Fruity Knitting</span></a> podcast, asking whether I would like to appear in their "Knitters of the World" segment. As a viewer of the podcast I was absolutely thrilled and - despite my shyness saying NONONO- immediately said yes. Fast forward a couple of weeks later, Fruity Knitting episode 9 is now live, featuring yours truly! I am absolutely amazed by the way they have put the segment together and by their incredibly kind words. It was a truly heartwarming and fun experience. Thank you, Andrew and Andrea!<br />
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To watch the episode click <a href="https://youtu.be/3DplAyfA0kI"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>Here</b></span></a><br />
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<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-1397805237638218482016-07-05T19:31:00.000+01:002016-07-05T19:31:43.026+01:00On The Needles: A 1950's Fair Isle Cardigan<div>
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After knitting my first stranded colorwork cardigan with steeks, I really wanted to cast on a new colorwork project straight away. After hemming an hawing about what to knit next, I decided that I really wanted to challenge myself and take the next step to multi-colored stranded knitting. I have this lovely 1950's Bestway pattern in my collection for a Fair Isle cardigan which I decided on making - my first real fair isle. As with most of these patterns, the original is knitted flat. Naturally I decided to knit it in the round instead, with steeks for the center front and armholes. Luckily it is a V neck cardigan so I can just continue the center front steek all the way up and I don't have to worry about the neckline shaping. The yarn I am using is Knitpicks Palette, which is a yarn that I have been wanting to try for a while and I really like it for colorwork.</div>
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I have just finished the body and cast on for the sleeves. I have decided to knit "siamese sleeves" where you knit the two sleeves as one piece with steeks to separate them. I got this idea from the wonderful <a href="http://bygumbygolly.com/2011/11/my-lovely-stranded-cardigan/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Tasha</span></a> who has knitted this cardigan as well and, as always, documented the process in great detail. I am afraid it will make the sleeve seams rather bulky, but it should make the knitting itself much easier and quicker, plus it uses up less yarn! Now that I know I can do this it has become very addictive and I simply cannot wait to knit ALL the fair isle garments!</div>
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I will write an in-depth post about the entire process once it's finished - I thought that might be helpful and interesting to some of you. </div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-44608113375473889372016-05-12T17:41:00.000+01:002016-05-12T17:41:00.322+01:00Finished: 1940's Swedish Cardigan, or: My First Steek!I couldn't be more excited about the Finished Object I am showing you today, I honestly think that this is my favorite hand knit to date. It has sparked a serious colorwork obsession.<br />
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The cardigan pattern comes from a Dutch knitting magazine called Nitwell, edition Fall 1946. Or rather: it is actually a Swedish magazine called Stickat that was translated to Dutch and published under the name Nitwell. (If you watch the wonderful <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Bz2BLhQJ-nf8XoDjnZI-A/videos"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Kammebornia podcast</span></a> you'll see one of the original Swedish Stickat magazines in the intro, of which I also have a Dutch version.)<br />
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After my experience with the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/finished-2015-christmas-sweater-1940s.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Christmas Jumper</span></a>, I knew I would want to avoid having to purl colorwork as much as I could. Unfortunately - as most of my fellow vintage knitters will probably know - despite the fact that "fair isle" was very populair in the 1940's due to rationing, the patterns themselves generally aren't constructed in the traditional Fair Isle way. They are usually knitted flat and seamed rather than knitted in the round with steeks. So was the case with this pattern. So I made the decision to convert it to circular knitting and then steeking it to make a cardigan, something I had never done before. To help me get started, I read some entries on Kate Davies' blog and purchased Alice Starmore's book of Fair Isle Knitting.<br />
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<b>Gauge</b><br />
The original pattern is knitted at 27 sts per 4 inches, but the yarn I used - Cascade 220 fingering - is rather thin and with 3.5 mm needles I got a gauge of 36 sts. per inch in stranded knitting. I didn't want to go up more needle sizes because I was afraid that the fabric would be too open so I went with the 36 sts and re-calculated the whole pattern. (In retrospect I could have easily gone for a looser gauge). Annoyingly it meant that I had to knit the non stranded parts on 2.75 mm needles to get the same gauge and for the body I had just over 300 stitches on the needles. Needless to say, the cardigan took quite a while to knit!<br />
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<b>Construction</b><br />
I decided to steek the center front and the armholes with a 9 stitch wide steek. I started knitting in the round right from the beginning but have since discovered that it is better to knit the ribbing flat, that way you don't have the steeks potentially sticking out at the bottom and it reduces bulk. I knitted the body in the round up to the neckline. This is where the colorwork actually stops, so I just knitted flat from there on. I had also been dying to try <a href="http://bygumbygolly.com/2013/10/how-to-knit-seamless-set-in-sleeves-from-the-top-down/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Tasha's wonderful tutorial</span></a> on knitting seamless 'set in' sleeves, where you pick up the stitches around the armhole and knit the sleeves down in the round, but still get sleeve cap shaping as for a traditional set-in sleeve by using short rows. When I was knitting the sleeves I was actually very close to ripping them out because they where puckering around the armhole, but luckily I decided to be lazy and just left it, hoping that it would block out, which it did.<br />
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For the steeks I opted for a crocheted reinforcement and cutting the steeks open was probably one of the most fun and rewarding things I have done in knitting - definitely not scary! I do still need to finish the steeks somehow - either sew them down or cover them with a cute ribbon. I knitted the sleeve cuffs and waist ribbing in a 1 x 1 twisted rib (where you knit the knit sts trough the back loop) because I have been wanting to try that out for garments, but to be honest I think I like the look of a plain rib better. For garments anyway.<br />
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I do still need to get better at getting an even gauge in stranded knitting. When I was knitting on this cardigan I got quite a lot of puckering in the colorwork (luckily 95% has disappeared with blocking). I also made the mistake of switching the yarns from one hand to the other - if you look at the upper chest section of the colorwork you will actually see some sort of striping which was caused by switching the yarns. But I foresee a lot more colorwork knitting in my future, so I'm sure I'll get plenty of practice ;)<br />
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<b>Pattern:</b> "Sportjakje" from Nitwell, Fall 1946<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Cascade 220 Fingering - Burgundy and Doeskin Heather<br /><b>Started:</b> Fabruary 22<br /><b>Finished:</b> May 8<br /><b>Used:</b> Doeskin Heather: 4.72 skeins = 1180.0 meters (1290.4 yards), 236 grams / Burgundy: 1.3 skeins = 325.0 meters (355.4 yards), 65 grams<br /><b>Buttons: </b>Vintage glass, eBay<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-65180491250250178022016-04-26T17:19:00.000+01:002016-04-26T17:36:04.174+01:00Finished: a Weasley Jumper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Katie of the Inside Number 23 podcast announced that she would be hosting a Harry Potter KAL (knit along) I just knew I HAD to make a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-weasley-sweater"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Weasley Jumper</span></a>. I realized that it would actually be a very welcome knit since my wardrobe was lacking a nice baggy sweater to wear around the house - I only had one and that one has almost been worn to shreds now.<br />
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I've also been wanting a tweed sweater for ages so I decided to place an order with Knit Picks now that they ship to the UK (and free from £25!). I got Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed, which is a worsted weight yarn. The pattern is actually designed for Aran weight so I knit one size bigger to get the right measurements for me.</div>
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It was my first time doing intarsia. At the beginning it was a bit of a mess because I was too stubborn (or lazy) to cut the yarn off the ball and wind in onto some bobbins. At one point I was knitting with 5 balls at the same time. But I had to rip it back and restart because I didn't center the R properly so this time I did wind them around some makeshift cardboard bobbins. I definitely learned my lesson for the next time I'm doing intarsia!<br />
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For the chart I used the R from <a href="http://www.lilliputandkitty.co.uk/2014/03/times-new-roman-large-capital-letters.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">this</span></a> website, but stretched it out a little to make it wider so that it would look more like the R on Ron's sweater in the movie.</div>
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<b>Pattern:</b> <span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-weasley-sweater">The <span style="color: #ea9999;">Weasley Sweater</span></a></span> - by Alison Hansel<br />
<b>Yarn:</b> Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed - Barn Door Heather and Brass Heather<br />
<b>Started:</b> March 12th<br />
<b>Finished:</b> April 14th<br />
<b>Used:</b> Red: 8.5 skeins = 50.3 meters (55.0 yards), 425 grams / Yellow: 0.08 skeins = 92.5 meters (101.2 yards), 4 grams<br />
<b>Mods:</b> None</div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-37994224857070903812016-04-08T15:47:00.000+01:002016-04-08T15:47:07.812+01:00Finished: Socks!I have fallen in love with sock knitting. If you would have told me I would be knitting socks back when I started knitting, I would have never believed you. As I've mentioned in the past I was somewhat of a garment-knitter snob. I only wanted to knit garments - sock knitting was for granny's. Why on earth would you want to knit socks? Which is kind of ironic considering the fact that most non-knitters consider knitting in general to be a 'granny thing' - you'd think I would be more open-minded. I guess, like most people, I had the stereotypical mental image of thick, scratchy, itchy, socks.<br />
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I'm not sure when I started to warm up to the idea of knitting socks. I guess, when I started to open up to the idea of knitting other things than just garments, socks just naturally came along with it. But when I started watching knitting podcasts and I saw so many gorgeous pairs of hand knitted socks pass the screen I finally started to realize that they are actually an accessory that can add a fun or cute touch to your outfit.<br />
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I was still a little bit intimidated by the idea of sock knitting. By watching all the podcasts I heard so many unfamiliar terms, like 'heel flap and gusset', 'fish lips kiss heel', 'heel turn', 'gusset decreases', 'after thought heel' etc., etc. - sock knitting just sounded very involved. But come december, I just couldn't resist any longer. I already had some sock yarn in my stash - Drops Fabel - which I purchased ages ago for another project but the yarn wasn't right for it (I didn't know what sock yarn was when I ordered it). I had to order needles but unfortunately the needles I wanted - 100 cm KnitPro Zings - where out of stock everywhere and I had to wait for them to come back in. Finally, at the beginning of January I cast on my first pair of socks.<br />
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My first experience of knitting socks actually wasn't great. Fortunately I realized that this had nothing to do with the concept of knitting socks - it was the yarn. Drops Fabel is rather rough. I found it uncomfortable to knit with and I also don't really like the way it feels on my feet. I also found the colour rather boring, so that is why I turned them into short socks. It was a good test run though, and the socks turned out quite well. It gave me a chance to test the fit and tweak the pattern to make my own recipe. The pattern I used was Voolenvine's <span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/favorite-socks-2">Favorite Socks</a> </span>and I also watched the Craftsy class Essential Techniques for Sock Knitting by Ann Budd. I highly recommend this class if you want to learn sock knitting because I think it helps to have a visual explanation for things like turning the heel and picking up stitches for the gusset.<br />
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My second pair of socks was on the needles quickly after. This time I used the now very famous Regia Arne and Carlos yarn in the Summer Night colorway. The yarn was a birthday/Christmas gift from my mom. I had seen some people on Ravelry who knitted it with white contrasting heels and toes and I did the same. I did use Drops Fabel again but for just heels and toes the yarn is fine. I found my first pair of socks a bit too tight around the foot and the toes so I went from a standard 64 sts to 68 sts. Then I knit the socks just past the end of my pinky toe before starting the toe decreases. I only decreased to 36 sts, making the toe quite flat but it just really fits my feet a lot better than a more pointy toe.<br />
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On to the third pair of socks. I wanted to use a self striping yarn again and got some Bergere de France Goomy 50 in "Imprim Prun". I decided it would be fun to make up my own pattern for these so I designed something with cables. (Bizzarly enough I was browsing Ravelry a few days ago for some sock patterns and found an almost identical pattern!) I made one more tweak in the fit this time: I didn't really like the way that the heels of the other socks fit, so I decided to give the "Dutch heel" a try (how appropriate!) and I fits me só much better! This will definitely be my go-to heel from now on. These socks took a lot longer to finish because the cables where very tedious to knit, I think due to the tight gauge, so I got a little fed up with them half way through.<br />
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By now I have already acquired a sizable amount of sock yarn, including some lovely hand dyed yarn from indie dyers like Baerenwolle and The Wool Barn. I really blame the knitting podcasts for the all enabling! Needless to say, you will be seeing many more socks on this blog (don't worry, I still mainly consider myself a garment knitter and am still obsessed with vintage knitting!). The pair of sock I currently have on my needle are for the mister - to my surprise as per his request. They are just a boring pair of black socks so I am definitely trying to plough trough them as quick as I can so that I can move on to the shiny hand dyed sock yarn! </div>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-13232960983869738142016-03-23T15:33:00.000+00:002016-03-23T15:33:38.909+00:00Next Season's Knitting Plans: S/S 2016Spring is here! (Well in theory anyway, I have yet to detect spring-y weather where I live.) I always find it harder to think about/plan warm weather knits than cold weather knits. Which, I guess, makes sense since you don't generally want to wear wool in the summer anyway. And so my "to-knit list" for warmer weather is significantly shorter than the one for cold weather. When I wrote my post about <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/next-seasons-knitting-plans.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">cold weather knitting plans</span></a>, you guys really seemed to enjoy that and even though I didn't follow up on all of the knitting plans in that list, it really helped me to put some of the project ideas that are floating around in my head in order. So I figured I would make it a recurring thing.<br />
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First of all, to have a little look back at the cold weather knitting plans: I managed to knit 4 out of 6 items on the list! I knitted the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/finished-dragon-scale-cardigan.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">lacy cardigan</span></a>, the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/finished-tri-cable-stitch-jumper.html" style="color: #ea9999;">cabled cardigan</a>, the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/finished-2015-christmas-sweater-1940s.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Christmas sweater</span></a> and the colorwork cardigan. I am a little behind on schedule because I had originally planned to start knitting for warmer weather in march, but I am still working on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/sportjakje"><span style="color: #ea9999;">colorwork cardigan</span></a> and I am also knitting an unplanned jumper. The unplanned jumper is a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/the-weasley-sweater"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Weasley jumper</span></a> that I am knitting for the Harry Potter KAL hosted by the super lovely Katie of the the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf75baDZnYUEWtz2O0gujYg/videos" style="color: #ea9999;">Inside Number 23 podcast</a>.<br />
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I am hoping to have both of those finished at the beginning of April, after which I will switch to warmer weather knitting. Like last year I am planning to switch back to cold weather knitting again in September so that gives me 5 months of warmer weather knitting. I am going to allow myself a little more slack this time and only plan 4 project since I expect to lose my knitting mojo a little during the summer - I have for the past two years anyway.<br />
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<u>1. Baggy cardigan</u><br />
When I posted about my finished butterscotch cardigan (pictured below) I mentioned that I had worn that cardigan a lot during spring and summer and that I definitely needed another one. I am either going to design a cardigan myself or I am going to kit the same cardigan again but with a different stitch pattern.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/v-neck-cardigan-37"><span style="color: #ea9999;">V-Neck Cardigan</span></a></div>
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<u>2. Long sleeve jumper</u><br />
I've been wanting to knit a second version the of Elinor Jumper, but this time with a little more ease and in a cotton blend yarn to make it a little more summer friendly.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elinor-jumper"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Elinor Jumper</span></a></div>
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<u>3. 3/4 sleeve jumper</u><br />
I have also been thinking of re-doing the Althea jumper I made last summer, which turned out too fitted. It fits, I can wear it, but it's very tiny and I find it very hard to wear it with anything. This time I have more experience with cotton yarn so I can prevent the mistakes I made last time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/althea-6"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Althea</span></a></div>
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<u>4. Short sleeve sweater/top</u><br />
For the last item I want to knit something with short sleeves but I haven't really decided what I want to knit yet. There are a couple of patterns I am considering. The Fair Isle Yoke jumper actually has my preference but it's not the most practical garment for warmer weather..<br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fair-isle-yoke"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Fair Isle Yoke</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/youthful-cardigan"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Youthful Cardigan</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/2811-bellecond-blouse"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Bellecond Blouse</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/waterlily-7"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Waterlily</span></a></div>
<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-86730901017107391162016-03-15T16:14:00.000+00:002016-03-15T16:14:38.636+00:00Finished: Tri-cable Stitch JumperI have been wanting a cozy cabled jumper for ages, so I was happy when I finally got around to knitting the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tri-cable-stitch-jumper"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"Tri-cable Stitch Jumper"</span></a> - another pattern from one of the <i>A Sitch In Time</i> books (Vol. 2) by Susan Crawford. It's a 1930's knitting pattern that Susan has reproduced for modern yarns and sizing.<br />
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I immediately knew I wanted to knit this cardigan in brown, I just couldn't see it in any other color. The only problem was that I had two sweater quantities of brown yarn in my stash that I could use: Drops Alpaca and Malabrigo Sock. But after a lot of hemming and hawing and making some swatches, I realized I am simply a fuzzy yarn type of girl. Malabrigo sock feels and looks very luxurious and has an amazing stitch definition, but the "smoothness" of the yarn just doesn't do it for me. I want fuzz!<br />
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Knitting this cardigan was pretty much smooth sailing. The stitch pattern is very easy which made it even more surprising that it took me this long to knit it. I only had one little mishap, where I accidentally purled a wrong side row on the garter stitch button band instead of knitting it and didn't find out until the front was finished. Oh well!<br />
I also had a moment after blocking where I was a bit shocked at how low the neckline was sitting. It seemed to me that even with the neckband added the neckline would be very low at the front. But luckily when I sewed the neckband on it turned out to be fine.<br />
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I am very happy to have another cardigan to add to my wardrobe. I definitely need more because I've noticed that I am much more inclined to wear cardigans than jumper/pullovers. Luckily <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/sportjakje"><span style="color: #ea9999;">the next one</span></a> is well on it's way!<br />
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<b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/tri-cable-stitch-jumper"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Tri-Cable Stitch Jumper</span></a> - from A Stitch In Time Vol. 2 by Susan Crawford<br />
<b>Yarn:</b> Drops Alpaca - Color 601 (Dark Brown)<br />
<b>Started:</b> January 7th<br />
<b>Finished:</b> March 5th<br />
<b>Used:</b> 7 skeins, 350 gr. , 1161 meters, 1270 yards<br />
<b>Buttons:</b> Wood, eBay<br />
<b>Mods:</b> NoneRenéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-15829738600269499482016-01-05T20:18:00.001+00:002016-01-05T20:18:21.149+00:00Finished: 2015 Christmas Sweater - 1940s Reindeer Sports Jumper<div>
Just before Christmas 2014 I came up with the idea to knit myself a Christmas sweater every year. It was already too late to cast on at that point, so I was finally able to start my new tradition this Christmas. At first I considered knitting <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-perfect-christmas-jumper"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Perfect Christmas Jumper</span></a> by Susan Crawford, but it seemed like too obvious a choice, since so many people have already knitted it. So I looked a bit further and was reminded of a pattern in my Ravelry favourites called the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reindeer-sports-jumper"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Reindeer Sports Jumper</span></a>.</div>
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Since this was my very first attempt at stranded colour knitting, and because this jumper was mostly for fun, I decided to use acrylic from my stash. Quality wasn't that important for me with this project and I didn't want to waste lovely wool in case my first stranded knitting attempt turned out disastrous. I had both a red acrylic 4 ply as well as a navy blue 4 ply in my stash in a sweaters quantity so I swatched with both. After a long internal debate I decided to go with red. However, after knitting the ribbing for the waistband and starting the actual pattern, I suddenly realised something was off. I re-checked my gauge swatch and discovered I had calculated my gauge wrong. The red yarn is actually more like a sport weight and I simply could not get the gauge I needed without the fabric getting much too thick and stiff. So I ripped it all out and switch to the navy blue instead. In the end I am glad I had to switch to the blue because I actually like the colour a lot better! Although I started well in time on October 11th, I actually finished it on Christmas morning :') When I was working on the sleeves (I knit them at the same time) I got little fed up with the triangles and wasn't very motivated to work on it for a while. I also had to re-knit the sleeve heads because they where way too big (in the end they still where, but I managed to ease them in).<br />
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My first attempt at stranded colour knitting turned out better than I expected, but I definitely need to improve my skills a lot more. At first, I caught some floats at the same stitch in a few rows because I figured it would give a neat result, but I soon learned that this is something you should <i>not</i> do. You need to stagger them as much as possible instead. This is why a lot of the white is peeking trough between the reindeer. I also made my floats too tight at the reindeer, not taking into account that the blue yarn has a lot less 'bounce' than the white yarn, and thus had to be looser on the back. It is causing some puckering at the reindeer which you can kind of see in the first picture. I also made my longest floats too long (only 6 sts.), evident by the major snag you see in the innards picture below, where I caught my nail on it. One thing I also learned from this project: I am definitely knitting colour work in the round from now on! Purling was incredibly tedious.<br />
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I'm guessing that this design was very popular in the 1940's. The picture that the original pattern uses is a photo of actress Joan Lorring from Warner Bros. They seemed to have reproduced the pattern from the picture but slightly inaccurately. The pattern's snouts of the reindeer are not as pointy as in the picture and the ground that the reindeer are standing on is quite different. The same jumper also appeared in the Sears and Roebuck catalogue of 1946 (which pre-dates the pattern from 1949), but here the pattern on the sleeves mimics that of the body in stead of having the triangles all over. (I would LOVE to knit that jumper in the middle for next year, by the way!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2wPoAwe1-7cEhst_EHBhLZHMH_RnflaiV3cY34noEFNcFQQ-VIeCBs2w5rIxWrGoClFeNw7JPncrKx3iLV3BUrWPSnMI4hQHrdFEL1KrCMf_uu5mB4Efy5ZILXseqTmUmi_dAV26wIic/s1600/Reindeer+Sports+Jumper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Reindeer Sports Jumper" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2wPoAwe1-7cEhst_EHBhLZHMH_RnflaiV3cY34noEFNcFQQ-VIeCBs2w5rIxWrGoClFeNw7JPncrKx3iLV3BUrWPSnMI4hQHrdFEL1KrCMf_uu5mB4Efy5ZILXseqTmUmi_dAV26wIic/s1600/Reindeer+Sports+Jumper.JPG" title="Reindeer Sports Jumper" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reindeer Sports Jumper, Australian Home Journal, 1949</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpjcCvD29nW_21N22LmiWx_bCBpJ0l8fEpB0LGy1tBtExC4xgo4GdqcRMQEN5iBf8tCUNNJp27vuLZrE2ErNU78Y05fw0ELJb3uIs4v61YzbEZVqP_E7uHo91aAlvnwALy8_bG-ljk6A/s1600/sweaters_1946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpjcCvD29nW_21N22LmiWx_bCBpJ0l8fEpB0LGy1tBtExC4xgo4GdqcRMQEN5iBf8tCUNNJp27vuLZrE2ErNU78Y05fw0ELJb3uIs4v61YzbEZVqP_E7uHo91aAlvnwALy8_bG-ljk6A/s1600/sweaters_1946.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sears and Roebuck, 1946, via <a href="http://blog.tuppencehapenny.co.uk/2013/01/style-inspiration-1940s-sweater-girls.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Tuppence Ha'penny</span></a></td></tr>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-54953565133644686212015-12-30T19:44:00.000+00:002016-01-04T20:06:49.108+00:00Free 1940s Knitting Pattern: All Purpose Sweater (Cardigan)I wanted to make a post with an overview of my makes of 2015, but since I haven't even photographed half of them, that seemed rather useless! I have hardly sewn at all in the last year which was mostly due to my new job, but I did get even more obsessed with knitting. My (blogging) resolution for 2016 will be to catch up with some long overdue finished object posts! I also definitely hope to get back to sewing more, because I do miss it and still have loads of gaps to fill in my (vintage inspired) wardrobe.<br />
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Instead, here is a short summary of my 2015 knitting year in review:<br />
- December marks 2 years of knitting (has it only been 2 years?!)<br />
- I finished <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia"><span style="color: #ea9999;">14 projects</span></a> (more than one per month, yay! For comparison, in my first year I only made 5)<br />
- I knitted 6 jumpers.<br />
- I knitted 2 cardigans.<br />
- I knitted 5 shawls/scarfs.<br />
- I made my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/wood-hollow-mittens"><span style="color: #ea9999;">first pair of mittens</span></a> (hello, new addiction!).<br />
- I knitted my first stranded colour work project (definitely need some skill improving there).<br />
- I taught myself to knit differently and with 1 strand in each hand for colourwork.<br />
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It has also been a while since I last shared a knitting pattern with you all, so I picked a lovely cabled, embroidered cardigan with a Tyrolean feel to it. It was published in Needlewoman and Needlecraft in April 1949. I am not a 100% sure what the weight of the original yarn (W.B. Kwiknit) was, but I found another pattern written for the same wool that was worked with the same needles at 5 sts per inch, so it seems to be a worsted weight. I think Cascade 220 would probably work very well for this cardigan. Unfortunately I was not able to clean up the scan as I usually do since I no longer have access to Photoshop (I am <i>trying </i>to get along with Gimp). I also wasn't able to put it together as a PDF like I usually do, so I uploaded the pages separately on Flickr.<br />
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<b>MATERIALS.</b><br />
17 ozs. <i>(500 gr.)</i> W.B. Kwiknit. A pair of nos. 7 <i>(4.5 mm) </i> and 10 <i>(3.25 mm)</i> knitting needles. Small balls of ply wool in bright shades. 9 buttons.<br />
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<b>MEASUREMENTS.</b><br />
To fit 34 ins. bust. Length 19 ins. Sleeve seam 18 ins.<br />
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<b>TENSION.</b><br />
One pattern = 2 inches (unpressed).<br />
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Get the pattern <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/109462304@N07/albums/72157662275806559"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a><br />
Listed on Ravelry <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/all-purpose-sweater"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a><br />
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<b>I wish you all a happy new year! I hope 2015 has been good to you, and if not, I hope 2016 will be kinder to you <3</b><br />
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<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-89208661227243699812015-11-20T17:12:00.000+00:002015-11-20T17:12:01.607+00:00Finished: Dragon Scale CardiganA while ago, I picked up this lovely 1940's pattern through eBay: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ladys-jumper-cardigan-4"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Sirdar no. 1193</span></a>. The original pattern is designed for a 38" bust but I liked it so much that the rather extreme resizing I had to do for my 31.5" bust was worth it. I really wanted to knit this one in green and I also decided that I wanted to knit it in a more unusual shade of green. I settled on Artesano Alpaca Silk 4 ply in the Lily Pad colorway and was really excited when I received it because the yarn is really beautiful. I made the first swatch quite a while ago, around march I think, but I wasn't in right frame of mind to deal with the resizing and I had doubts about my yarn choice. I don't remember why, but I didn't like the way my swatch looked. Finally in August I decided I really wanted to knit it up and that the yarn was fine. I couldn't remember what needle size I had used for the first swatch so I ended up having to knit 3 more swatches before I got the gauge I needed.<br />
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I ended up knitting 5 pattern repeats on the back and 2.5 on each front. I had to completely rewrite the armholes and thus sleeve head shaping. I have done this before, but in previous projects I always just winged it (and often had to rip back the sleeve head and re-knit it to get it to fit) but this time I decided to do it properly and used the <a href="http://bygumbygolly.com/2011/03/briar-rose-vintage-kal-knitted-sleeve/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">wonderful tutorial</span></a> that Tasha from By Gum, By Golly wrote (I used the math method). (Although be aware: I noticed that there are a few typo's in it that could cause some confusion but if you read her instructions carefully you'll notice them.) This gave me a perfectly fitting sleeve head in one go and I was really pleased!<br />
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While I was working on this cardigan I suddenly realized that the stitch pattern in combination with the green color made the fabric look just like a dragon's scale. So I thought: how can I not name this the Dragon Scale cardigan?<br />
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Originally, the pattern has a very strange way of working the button band. After you've worked the ribbing for the waist, you put the 8 sts for the button band on a stitch holder and when the fronts are finished you pick the 8 sts back up and knit the button band separately. And by the way - nowhere in the pattern does it tell you to sew the button bands on to the fronts?! This method seemed incredibly tedious to me and I have been wanting to make a button band by picking up and knitting so that's what I decided to do. I just did a simple K 1, P 1 rib. Looking back, I could've picked up fewer stitches because the ribbing is very dense, but it's fine and I'm very pleased with my first try.<br />
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The buttons I used are coconut shell. I also used these for the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/finished-butterscotch-lacy-cardigan.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Butterscotch Cardigan</span></a> but this time opted for the dark side of the buttons (they are dark on one side and light on the other). I am absolutely in love with this cardigan because it is so beautiful and the alpaca silk yarn makes it look and feel quite luxurious. Unfortunately, this yarn PILLS LIKE CRAZY. Somehow you can't really see it in the picture but it already started pilling after the first day! So I just have to restrain myself and not wear it too often :(<br />
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<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-32597458490820401572015-11-11T14:29:00.001+00:002015-11-11T14:29:51.859+00:00A New Way of Knitting<div dir="ltr">
I have been waiting and waiting for an opportunity to photograph a couple of finished items to show you guys. But it seems that every day I have been off from work for the past two weeks it's been raining or just <i>very </i>overcast and crazy dark in my house, making it completely impossible to take pictures! So instead, I thought I'd tide you over with a little update on the knitting front. </div>
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A month ago I made the decision to stop being a monogamous knitter. I was always afraid that if I worked on more than one project at a time I would end up not finishing things. But at times only working on one project at a time could get very frustrating when I got stuck. If I made a mistake and had to think about how to fix it, or otherwise had to make a decision, I had to put the project aside which meant I would sometimes not knit for days. And for someone who has become so obsessed with knitting, not knitting for a couple of days is very frustrating ; )<br />
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I am now working on 3 projects, which seems to be the perfect number. This way I can work on one garment + 2 accessories (shawl, socks, mitts..) and I can make sure that one project is relatively easy for those days where I don't want to think too much.<br />
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Because I am now knitting on more than one project, I also required another change: project bags! I used to just have a basket in which I kept all of my knitting stuff - the project I was working on and all of my notions. But from watching knitting podcasts I discovered the practical solution that is project bags. And being a seamstress as well as a knitter I naturally made my own.<br />
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Another major change I made was the way I knit. I learned to knit English style, letting go of the needle when wrapping the yarn every time. I new that continental could be more efficient but I didn't really feel like swapping from my right to my left hand. Over a year ago I found out about<span style="color: #ea9999;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y547Q5Hjcuo">'flicking'</a></span> through Stacy from Very Pink Knits on Youtube. It's been something I wanted to learn ever since, but last month I finally took the time to just take some random yarn and practice, practice, practice. It was definitely a struggle at first and it took every bit of willpower in me to not just quit, but after about 3 days of practising plain stockinette I finally got the hang of it. And by now it has made a major difference in my speed. Especially when I knit stockinette or garter I knit quite a bit faster than I used to be able to. It has also really helped with two colour knitting. I started to learn continental as well so now I am able to hold the main colour in my right hand and the second colour in my left. I do still struggle a lot with continental purling though, and have actually been purling the second colour the Portuguese way!</div>
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So, on to projects. First of all I have been working steadily on the Christmas Jumper. In my last post I mentioned that I had a hard time deciding between the classic Christmas red or navy blue. I ended up going with red, but when I finished the ribbing and wanted to increase for the body, I checked the number of stitches I needed again an suddenly realized something was off. I re-measured my gauge swatch and realized that I had calculated my gauge wrong. The red yarn was simply too thick and would never work for the 8 sts per inch I needed - unless perhaps if I used 2.5mm needles which did not seem very comfortable. Knitting with 2.75mm needles was already a struggle with this yarn. So I frogged it and started over with the navy blue yarn, which gave me the correct gauge on 3 mm. And I must say I am actually quite happy this happened because I like the blue so much better! I finished the front and am currently about halfway trough the back.<br />
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The other project I'm working on is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/autumn-leaves-stole"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Autumn Leaves Stole</span></a> by Jared Flood. I'm knitting it in Cascade 220 in the most perfect shade of mustard yellow (not very accurately represented in the picture - it's much darker). Unfortunately I just finished the first half of the stole but have already used more than half of the yarn.<br />
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The third project I'm working on is a second version of the Canopy shawl, again in Drops Alpaca but this time in a lovely aubergine colour.<br />
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Hopefully I will be back soon with an actual finished project to show you, but if not I will just have to entertain you with some free knitting patterns to tide you over!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-91968969131642509582015-10-06T20:39:00.000+01:002015-10-06T20:39:53.366+01:00Finished: Swedish Spring, or My first Shawl & What's On The NeedlesWhen I was finishing up my latest cardigan (the 1940s lacy <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ladys-jumper-cardigan-4"><span style="color: #ea9999;">chevron stitch cardigan</span></a> I mentioned in my <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/next-seasons-knitting-plans.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">knitting plans post</span></a>) and was thinking about what to knit next, I started to realize that I was very tired of only ever knitting cardigans and jumpers/sweaters. Every time the same process of knitting the front, the back and two sleeves and then having to seam it all together - I was just tired of it. I really needed a different project with a little more instant gratification. I have been watching a lot of knitting podcasts lately and when I saw all the shawls that everyone was knitting I immediately realized that a shawl was exactly what I needed to knit as a next project, especially with the cold season approaching.<br />
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Ironically, when I started knitting, I noticed how a lot of knitters mostly or only knit shawls and/or socks. And I just didn't understand: how many socks or shawls do you need? I guess you could say I was a bit of a 'garment knitting snob'. I think I even said out loud to my boyfriend that I would never knit socks or shawls. Well I've certainly come around! Not only have I started knitting shawls - I really want to start knitting socks as well. Lesson learned - never say never!<br />
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I looked up different shawl patterns on Ravelry, but decided to go for the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/swedish-spring"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Swedish Spring</span></a> shawl by Maria from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDNjJkFYzIQkDcH_myhdehA/feed"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Stitched in Sweden</span></a> podcast. It looked really lovely when she showed it in her video and the pattern was rated as fairly easy on Ravelry so I figured it would be a good one to start with. Also, the shawl is knitted with a fingering (4 ply) weight yarn so I was able to use some yarn from my stash: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in the color Tiger's Eye Mix.<br />
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I really, <i>really </i>enjoyed knitting this shawl. It was, as I expected, exactly the type of project I needed. Quick, easy, and most importantly: very different from a sweater or cardigan. It only took me 6 days to knit so it gave me the instant gratification I was yearning for as well.<br />
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Although I do really love how the shawl turned out, I'm not happy about the yarn. It is very rough (not itchy or scratchy, just rough), I had 3 joins in a single skein and I had major dye bleed when I soaked it. It is a sock yarn and for actually knitting socks I guess it would be okay, but considering the price of <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">£</span>9,25 per 100 gr skein I think you can get much nicer yarns than this. It's fine for a first shawl, and it will be fine for my first socks, but I would never buy it again. I could live with the dye bleeding and the joins don't bother me that much either, but I really don't like how the yarn feels. Don't get me wrong though - I will still wear the crap out of this shawl!<br />
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After my first shawl success I was hooked and I now totally understand why so many knitters knit so many shawls. I immediately started on the next one, which is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/canopy-3"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Canopy</span></a> shawl by Melody from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9YtBe1TtD-kBPcf12c59Q"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Mandarine's</span></a>. I'm knitting this with Drops Alpaca in dark green (the actual color is a lot darker than it looks in the picture) and I am totally loving this yarn. It doesn't have the greatest stitch definition but it is sooooo soft. With this shawl I'm also joining in with the shawl season KAL (#shawlseasonkal).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolWcwkcl9vsT2jGN1uoVzR9mBtklwmyP-eR6ARZIAoq2OW4yXnP2RYqyztwxnc0Jga-Yk00yGWNyqjESw-9_rCU9zmd6kMQmojNlVXVCrDMO26Foh9R9RoVMAHprD5AdAMBBSrBsAlnco/s1600/IMG_20151006_161632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canopy Shawl in progress" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolWcwkcl9vsT2jGN1uoVzR9mBtklwmyP-eR6ARZIAoq2OW4yXnP2RYqyztwxnc0Jga-Yk00yGWNyqjESw-9_rCU9zmd6kMQmojNlVXVCrDMO26Foh9R9RoVMAHprD5AdAMBBSrBsAlnco/s640/IMG_20151006_161632.jpg" title="Canopy Shawl Drops Alpaca " /></a></div>
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The other project I'm about to start is my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reindeer-sports-jumper"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Christmas Sweater</span></a>. I decided that a Christmas sweater would actually be better as a first stranded colorwork project, because I wouldn't mind it as much if my tension is all screwed up, since it's just a christmas sweater. So I can practice on this first and then move on to nicer projects. I've swatched with both red & white and navy blue & white and I'm still trying to decide which color I should go for.. there is my analysis paralysis again!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyLDILzHs0j1i94AZ7qqx0tHut8QzbWaKh2COYk_KMQsB76-ftL3E7zpPXpLvxUR5-0r6axbXOmt5PoGxuWY8jAPBPcKH0jNBomKsDrM4WaMeAjnioUMPP2QRM6huzjY0AfimFVcJjyan/s1600/IMG_20151006_152852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img alt="1940s reindeer sports jumper swatch" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyLDILzHs0j1i94AZ7qqx0tHut8QzbWaKh2COYk_KMQsB76-ftL3E7zpPXpLvxUR5-0r6axbXOmt5PoGxuWY8jAPBPcKH0jNBomKsDrM4WaMeAjnioUMPP2QRM6huzjY0AfimFVcJjyan/s640/IMG_20151006_152852.jpg" title="1940s reindeer sports jumper" /> </a> </div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-66937131769789750652015-10-02T11:38:00.001+01:002015-10-02T11:38:19.604+01:00Finished: Butterscotch Lacy CardiganWell, long time no blog! I have some good news though, I will finally get back to more regular blogging from now on. As you know my computer was broken (well, still is) and we do have another one, but it's my boyfriend's and he needed that to work on his transfer thesis (and for relaxation he games). But he finally finished that and uni has started again which means he will be working from his office more often instead of being home all the time. So I finally get the chance to use his computer! I'm also sorry I haven't commented on anyone's posts lately, but I promise, I do read them!<br />
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So today I finally have a finished object to share with you! The pictures aren't in my 'regular format' - I had to take pictures with my dress form as a model this time and I'm not able to edit them either. But whatever, it's about the garment, right?<br />
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The original motivation to knit this cardigan came from a 1930's picture I saw somewhere a while ago. In the picture a lady was wearing a lovely lacy, baggy, v neck cardigan (why I didn't save/pin the picture I don't know). I started searching for a 1930s or 1940s pattern for something similar but couldn't find anything. Then this pattern popped up on eBay and I decided it was close enough. The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/v-neck-cardigan-37"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Wendy #4062</span></a>. It has no date on it, but I'd guess it's from the early 90's.<br />
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<a href="http://images4-b.ravelrycache.com/uploads/melanostalgia/297513245/Wendy_4062_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images4-b.ravelrycache.com/uploads/melanostalgia/297513245/Wendy_4062_medium2.jpg" /></a></div>
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The pattern originally has bobbles all over, but after swatching I realised that I would like the cardigan better without bobbles, so I left them out. The yarn I used was - again - Stylecraft Life 4 ply in Butterscotch. I cast on on April 12 and finished it on May 24. As far as I can remember I knitted up the pattern pretty much exactly as written except that I swapped the 2x2 rib for a 1x1 rib. I love this cardigan so much and it has been so very practical as well. I'd forgotten how much I love a baggy fit and I'd also forgotten how much I love cardigans. I will probably knit up a second version come spring, though I might replace the stitch pattern with another design for a bit more variation.<br />
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I'll be back soon with another finished project. This time it's something that wasn't on my list to knit at all!<br />
<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-5634771748724851472015-08-17T15:50:00.000+01:002015-08-17T15:50:05.005+01:00Next season's knitting plans<div dir="ltr">
This year I managed to get some good summer knitting done. It started with the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/v-neck-cardigan"><span style="color: #ea9999;">butterscotch lacy cardigan</span></a> I knitted (and you unfortunately haven't seen yet). This cardigan has proven to be absolutely perfect for when I cycle to work in the morning or back home again in the evening (I work a lot of late shifts). It's been my second most-worn me-made so far (first place goes to the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/short-sleeved-sweater"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Lumber Jacket</span></a>). I guess this clearly means I need more of the same for next year. </div>
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After the cardigan I thought it was time for a summer jumper. This pattern, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/althea"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"Althea"</span></a>, had been high on my list so I decided to knit it with cotton. The cotton has a beautiful stitch definition and I absolutely love the way it makes the stitch pattern look. I finished this one over a week ago and unfortunately it turned out a lot more fitted and shorter than I intended. It's still very pretty though.<br />
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For the past three weeks I have been knitting away swiftly on what I have decided will be my last summer project for this year. It's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/melanostalgia/short-sleeved-sweater"><span style="color: #ea9999;">another cotton jumper</span></a>, but this one has a baggy fit and is knitted in DK. I must say that DK is a nice change from the constant 4ply knitting I have been doing, which I must admit can become a little tedious.</div>
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Meanwile, as I've nearly finished my last summer project, I am thinking about fall and winter knitting projects. I'd like to switch back to spring/summer knitting again in march, which means I have about 6 months of cold-weather knitting. On average it takes me about a month to finish 1 project, so that's 6 projects (leaving no room for delays)... and my Top Priority to-knit list is already much longer than that! I have seriously stopped purchasing knitting patterns for now because I already have so many that I want to knit.. and I am very prone to analysis paralysis (even more so with sewing) so I don't need to make it worse by adding even more choices!</div>
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I figured it would be a good idea to make a clear overview of my wants and needs for cold weather knitting in this post just to straighten things out for myself. I've tried very hard to think of my 6 most important (or most desired) projects.</div>
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(This list is not necessarily in the order I want/plan to knit them)</div>
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<u>1. Lacy cardigan</u></div>
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I want to add at least one more lacy cardigan to my wardrobe, but this time in a completely different colour. This will actually be my next project because it's more fall than winter appropriate. I've chosen Artesano Alpaca Silk 4 ply in <a href="https://www.artesanoyarns.co.uk/4-ply-Wool-Yarns/4-ply-Alpaca-Silk-All-Colours/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"Lillypad"</span></a> and will be knitting Sirdar #1193.</div>
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/059/1/7851314/il_fullxfull.742898780_9t1f.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Sirdar 1193 1940s lace cardigan" border="0" height="640" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/059/1/7851314/il_fullxfull.742898780_9t1f.jpg" title="Sirdar 1193 1940s lace cardigan" width="430" /></a></div>
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<u>2. Plain jumper</u></div>
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I have been craving a completely plain high-waisted jumper that isn't too fitted. It is especially inspired by the lovely picture below. I even already have the yarn for it, again Artesano Alpaca Silk 4 ply in "Dolphin" which is almost the exact colour in the picture. The pattern I'll be using is from the same 1937 Jack Frost Blouse Book as <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/free-vintage-knitting-pattern-1930s_26.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">this pattern</span></a>.</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a3/32/e3/a332e3450202f7e8f6cfd40431950e52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1940s plain knitted jumper" border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a3/32/e3/a332e3450202f7e8f6cfd40431950e52.jpg" title="1940s plain knitted jumper" width="504" /></a></div>
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<u>3. Tyrolean Cardigan</u></div>
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I have been deeply in love with Tyrolean style cardigans since I started knitting and I don't really know why I've waited so long to actually knit one. I have 2 patterns in my collection that I really want to knit so I'm hoping I might be able to squeeze in both.These two actually happen to be not your typical Tyrolean cardigans with embroidered flowers etc.</div>
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/049/2/7851314/il_fullxfull.692502249_2uat.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="1930s Tyrolean Cardigan with smocking" border="0" height="640" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/049/2/7851314/il_fullxfull.692502249_2uat.jpg" title="1930s Tyrolean Cardigan with smocking" width="506" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6M2cIMbNT3Neo7xWqM0xlQGhwOlF3QdVctun_ovSHi7XQuW7GO3daSJocIh2hY0qJHyMZRvXyw33TX6gHt9xBJ1H37EVgH7R4mjFncS40bxKRnHRua6GeNImzhslaBDTzkNOVBjJ7Ugp/s1600/Bestway+1797+Tyrolean+Cardigan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bestway 1797 Tyrolean jumper cardigan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6M2cIMbNT3Neo7xWqM0xlQGhwOlF3QdVctun_ovSHi7XQuW7GO3daSJocIh2hY0qJHyMZRvXyw33TX6gHt9xBJ1H37EVgH7R4mjFncS40bxKRnHRua6GeNImzhslaBDTzkNOVBjJ7Ugp/s640/Bestway+1797+Tyrolean+Cardigan.jpg" title="Bestway 1797 Tyrolean jumper cardigan" width="404" /></a></div>
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(woah, I only just realized that these models look like twins! )<br />
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<u>4. Colourwork</u></div>
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I finally want to knit my first (stranded) colourwork project and I have pretty much decided that I will knit one of the lovely cardigans from the NitWell book I shared in my previous post. It only uses two colours, doesn't have any colourwork on the sleeves and has a simple stitch pattern that's easily adjustable in size if needed so it seemed like a good pattern to start with.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3q_x7taOM8YtKIa-JgQ0_A6RKsK_NrRLvueNpyHrr2LU5vDL4_xWNr8sPpfVua6grCBkEdR7gRx1n69czGJD8kBt8Txc-Fd4jAjnXtpE_C_52nQwLF_9_SEBcijN5gflcI6wsl40w4iK/s1600/2015-06-25+21.01.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1940s swedish cardigan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3q_x7taOM8YtKIa-JgQ0_A6RKsK_NrRLvueNpyHrr2LU5vDL4_xWNr8sPpfVua6grCBkEdR7gRx1n69czGJD8kBt8Txc-Fd4jAjnXtpE_C_52nQwLF_9_SEBcijN5gflcI6wsl40w4iK/s640/2015-06-25+21.01.52.jpg" title="1940s swedish cardigan" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>5. Cabled winter cardigan</u></div>
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Another thing I have been craving is a warm and cozy cabled cardigan that will be perfect for winter. I am most probably going to knit Susan Crawford's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tri-cable-stitch-jumper" style="color: #ea9999;">Tri-Cable Stitch Jumper</a> from a Stitch in Time vol. 2 in dark brown.</div>
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<u>6. Christmas sweater/jumper</u></div>
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I want to start a tradition this year where I knit a (vintage) Christmas jumper every year. I'm not necessarily very fond of Christmas, but I always enjoy the kitschy-ness of Christmas sweaters/jumpers. I haven't settled on a design yet but I'm considering this 1940s <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reindeer-sports-jumper"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"Reindeer Sports-Jumper"</span></a>.</div>
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<a href="http://rarerborealis.com/wordpressblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/reindeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1940s reindeer christmas jumper" border="0" src="http://rarerborealis.com/wordpressblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/reindeer.jpg" height="640" title="1940s reindeer christmas jumper" width="500" /></a></div>
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And then there are so many other things I want and need to knit, ugh! I also wanted to start knitting socks and gloves/mitts this year but how I am ever going to fit that in, I don't know.. I need to knit faster!</div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-49039556325378934132015-07-02T15:32:00.000+01:002015-07-02T15:50:37.093+01:00Knitting pattern collection: Nitwell knitting books - Fall 1946<div dir="ltr">
Hi guys! I'm really sorry about the long blog silence! My computer started acting weird a few weeks ago and then pretty much stopped working. My boyfriend was confident he would be able to fix it but in the mean time he had a deadline and then we went on holiday so the computer wasn't looked at until last weekend. As it turns out, the problem isn't actually that simple and I pretty much need a new computer. I was <i>really</i> bummed because I finally saved up to buy a fabulous new sewing machine next month. For now, I've decided to buy a tablet (we've been wanting one anyway) so now at least I'm able to do some light blogging again and comment on other peoples' (for some reason I wasn't able to on my phone and my boyfriend uses his computer for work).</div>
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Anyway, I don't want to bore you any longer with my luxury problems so let's get to the actual post!</div>
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I have been purchasing loads of Dutch knitting pattern books and magazines trough a Dutch auction site. I have them sent to my mom and when she can fill up a box she sends them to me. So every time I have to be patient before I can actually see them. We went to the Netherlands for our holiday so this time I was able to bring home the latest purchases. One particular knitting book series that I hadn't heard of before I bought them is Nitwell. This one really stands out because the designs are pretty amazing and some of the patterns are pictured in amazing color photography. The Nitwell books are actually Swedish (then translated to Dutch but still printed in Sweden). It definitely explains the abundance of beautiful colorwork designs, though the book also mentions that this is specifically done because yarn was still scarce, so you could use remnants instead. The 4 books I now have in my collection are Fall 1946, Spring 1947, Fall 1947 and Spring 1948. I really hope I will be able to find more of these books and get a complete collection, though I am afraid that's not going to be likely since Dutch knitting books are relatively rare to begin with. This particular issue has so many amazing designs that my brain went on overload the first time I flipped through it. I know showing these to you is a bit of a tease since the patterns are in Dutch, but I do intent to translate a few of them (I just need to find the time!).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztlb80mu-2rtUdwZFlLKk2Xcd28lzGMeU7CryMwQ05_insRtgP2h5l82A3uGqwyBYfZiJPHS5P5B0f6L5Hr82AniAPe5yCafVJflprMRqNEs2z2l8b73CPMtjbe1xUgoPZ4YblGpr9UNf/s1600/2015-06-25%25252020.56.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztlb80mu-2rtUdwZFlLKk2Xcd28lzGMeU7CryMwQ05_insRtgP2h5l82A3uGqwyBYfZiJPHS5P5B0f6L5Hr82AniAPe5yCafVJflprMRqNEs2z2l8b73CPMtjbe1xUgoPZ4YblGpr9UNf/s640/2015-06-25%25252020.56.33.jpg" title="Nitwell knitting book fall 1946" /> </a> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"This jumper is knitted in grey and white"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QJ_CR8JVk01pT8hqEi0ancEw4uMyPMNVuHejQuXJygCshBKN_PKHWTgIRiFEj5t9N9PSJnpBG7f1JjejQUUT_V9_xb0W_Ht_6So2kbKCW-UV74Zo_AjbmOzLB2lFTDHD3lI8HC47rQei/s640/2015-06-25%25252020.59.52.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="nitwell knitting book" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">" "White Flowers" Flattering jacket in an old knitting pattern from Öland"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUHPKRZGcTd709LJVFabBu70dN0vCcPRdNQuJ5LRT9sXCuMiSVDJ1ByiDC3bbGoSKmp2bYYEXngiMkoFYOwvxtQg_nlHrCtkzx9WAmD7j7km6_s3fIS8ZIHoQHclyc0OgLBxRDE2iE3K2/s640/2015-06-25%25252021.01.52.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="nitwell knitting book" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sports jacket With and old Swedish folk art motif"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUHPKRZGcTd709LJVFabBu70dN0vCcPRdNQuJ5LRT9sXCuMiSVDJ1ByiDC3bbGoSKmp2bYYEXngiMkoFYOwvxtQg_nlHrCtkzx9WAmD7j7km6_s3fIS8ZIHoQHclyc0OgLBxRDE2iE3K2/s1600/2015-06-25%25252021.01.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziO11k3870QXHc0pxLDfwN4zfkn47H1b_-avXqWU9hzB7wEMO0EK00zY4WgzjQBOZPEkNsKZ68yP3RmXTq9HnJg60iW5h2VfOtMDNghmlEfgTFSreqjPHvrA_88usfOciLoBEl7MJITHY/s640/2015-07-02%25252014.53.10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="nitwell knitting book fall 1946" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">""The Rings" Sports jacket in red and beige"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziO11k3870QXHc0pxLDfwN4zfkn47H1b_-avXqWU9hzB7wEMO0EK00zY4WgzjQBOZPEkNsKZ68yP3RmXTq9HnJg60iW5h2VfOtMDNghmlEfgTFSreqjPHvrA_88usfOciLoBEl7MJITHY/s1600/2015-07-02%25252014.53.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBUOZWrZrOVWat0o78qgTRQSbCRbLD0Mrjx1EaL2xQLMxUfxvAQxZCzuBjvTEF3__CFOdqxhn5zroODk0c71VcwvxAvRojmemQbJRlzbHfIl6x-fzreg59o-4p4TauXyKRCk7lFgbE91I/s640/2015-06-25%25252021.05.45.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="nitwell knitting book" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Triangular shawl in lace knitting"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBUOZWrZrOVWat0o78qgTRQSbCRbLD0Mrjx1EaL2xQLMxUfxvAQxZCzuBjvTEF3__CFOdqxhn5zroODk0c71VcwvxAvRojmemQbJRlzbHfIl6x-fzreg59o-4p4TauXyKRCk7lFgbE91I/s1600/2015-06-25%25252021.05.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcGiBt1fmdw3Pru7tMqTeoqonu93xuF7kQ_1_uOn6ijNoCSED926Ke1l3t7pynfJJZ_aoYYSF31Q0iZyWHDDEUWYciyxEB6CpjdLtOotCwpNzWWebLkGaPjhXMokgmhnev8T6yjN5qiqo/s640/2015-07-02%25252014.54.10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="nitwell knitting book" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sports jumper in yellow and white"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdKqzQveJdleJ332u_DU7tuySH1fm1htjwlGgfJDh2IgTXVhXLqsPek7GKPWX_q7fQcNReO_L_gAtDzNibckLHPwgOJvQIlBpNiLFE74NPMcqJf9JRceqWahxYWPTEtIy8wMoHY6ao4fz/s1600/2015-07-02%25252014.54.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdKqzQveJdleJ332u_DU7tuySH1fm1htjwlGgfJDh2IgTXVhXLqsPek7GKPWX_q7fQcNReO_L_gAtDzNibckLHPwgOJvQIlBpNiLFE74NPMcqJf9JRceqWahxYWPTEtIy8wMoHY6ao4fz/s640/2015-07-02%25252014.54.51.jpg" title="nitwell knitting book" /> </a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirnT-tWwCm0ts4wngtB5Ke2jj4LZKYpjveTafXzJXRSlcYs_CM9egCd7bizxhMYGFQhH0FZZ5iq9H3Jrx1jRlpsO0q-oaiBRRhIOW5bTNEQ_EWHeywRi2CBLZOoHosTIRG8ynbh_xgLCW/s1600/2015-06-25%25252021.10.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirnT-tWwCm0ts4wngtB5Ke2jj4LZKYpjveTafXzJXRSlcYs_CM9egCd7bizxhMYGFQhH0FZZ5iq9H3Jrx1jRlpsO0q-oaiBRRhIOW5bTNEQ_EWHeywRi2CBLZOoHosTIRG8ynbh_xgLCW/s640/2015-06-25%25252021.10.01.jpg" title="nitwell knitting book" /></a></div>
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-83182406749209199592015-05-26T15:44:00.001+01:002015-05-26T15:46:28.624+01:00Free Vintage Knitting Pattern: 1930's Cashmere BlouseToday's lovely pattern comes from the Jack Frost Blouse Book, Volume 25 from 1937. The Jack Frost patterns have a very interesting way of constructing the sleeves: Stitches are picked up along the shoulder and then worked back and forth, picking up more stitches until the entire armhole edge is picked up - very similar to <a href="http://bygumbygolly.com/2013/10/how-to-knit-seamless-set-in-sleeves-from-the-top-down/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Tasha's method</span></a>. However, the sleeves are worked flat instead, not in the round.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Zf8p3ZeQILUTJRM2o3bFBhVTg/view?usp=sharing"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Click here</span></a> to download the PDF. Listed on Ravelry <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/claire-17"><span style="color: #ea9999;">here</span></a>.<br />
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<b>Size 14 (32” bust) </b><br />
1 Pr. Standard No. 2 (2.75 mm) Needles - 14 in.
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1 Pr. Standard No. 3 (3.25 mm) Needles - 14 in.<br />
Scale: 8 sts. to 1 in.<br />
Jack Frost Cashmere De-Laine - 6 1oz. Balls (=170 grams)<br />
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<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-32141266608333629492015-05-20T17:19:00.000+01:002015-05-21T15:22:26.909+01:00Free 1940s Knitting Pattern: Man's Cycling JerkinSo - you guys know I'm Dutch, right? I don't know how common knowledge this is, but in The Netherlands we cycle. A lot. We are in fact, <a href="https://www.spokefly.com/blog/top-10-countries-bicycles-per-capita/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">the number 1 cycling country</span></a> in the world. Now, I was always aware that cycling was more common in my country than in other countries, but it wasn't until I moved to the UK that I realized how big the difference actually is. I must say, I was quite shocked to see how few people cycle here, and how bad the roads are for cyclists.<br />
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It took me an entire year to find the courage to buy a bike and start cycling. In that year, I learned how much cycling is actually a part of me and my culture and I realized how much I loved cycling. So when this 1940s Bestway knitting pattern popped up on eBay, I let out a little scream and I just hád to have it. Aside from my completely biased opinion about the cycling theme, I also thought that this design is pretty unique in general. It's a nice change from all the standard men's sweater patterns and I have personally hardly ever come across any 1940s novelty designs for men.<br />
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I'm going to knit this one for myself - despite being for a 37-39 and 40-42" chest I think it should be perfectly doable to replace the DK weight yarn with a sport weight and knit it at circa 26-27 sts per 4"/10 cm for a 34" bust.<br />
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To download the PDF pattern <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Zf8p3ZeQILVWxEekhjLUx4Y3M/view?usp=sharing"><span style="color: #ea9999;">click here</span></a>. Also listed on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mans-cycling-jerkin"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Ravelry</span></a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“This warm and delightful pullover is knitted with collar, cuffs and Fair Isle cycle design in a contrasting shade - brown and natural were chosen for the original. The neck can be worn open or closed.”</blockquote>
<b>FOR THE 40 TO 42-INCH CHEST SIZE</b><br />
<b>Measurements:</b><br />
To suit a 40-42 inch chest ; length, 21½ inches ; sleeve seam, 19 inches (with cuff turned back).<br />
<br />
<b>Materials:</b><br />
Of Patons Moorland Knitting (a thick knitting wool), allow 14 ozs. <i>(400 gr)</i> in brown and 4 ozs. <i>(115 gr)</i> natural ; 1 pair each of No 8 <i>(4 mm)</i> and No 10 <i>(3.25 mm)</i> knitting needles ; a 9-inch zip fastener. (Garment can also be made in 3 ply fingering used double troughout, but allow 2 ozs. less of the main wool.)<br />
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<b>Tension:</b><br />
Over the stocking-stitch, 11 sts. to 2 inches and 7 rows to 1 inch.<br />
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<b>THE 37 TO 39-INCH CHEST SIZE</b><br />
<b>Measurements:</b><br />
To suit a 37 to 39-inch chest size ; length from shoulder, 19½ inches ; sleeve seam, 19 inches (with cuff turned back).<br />
<br />
<b>Materials: </b><br />
As given for 40 to 42-inch chest size, but No. 9 <i>(3,75 mm)</i> and No. 11 <i>(3 mm)</i> knitting needles instead of No. 8 and No. 10.<br />
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<b>Tension:</b><br />
6 sts. and 8 rows to 1 inch over the stocking-stitch.<br />
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Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-6369179854113097682015-05-14T14:36:00.002+01:002015-05-15T13:11:46.168+01:00Free Pattern for a 1940s Lacy Jumper in Leaf PatternThe first of the free patterns I'm treating you to today is this pretty little lace jumper from Bestway 1318. Knitted in a lovely leaf pattern (although it reminds me more of the end of an arrow) with short sleeves and a turn-down collar. Perfect for the coming season!<br />
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<b>Materials.</b><br />
6 ozs. <i>(170 gr.)</i> of "Emu" 3-ply Pure Botany fingering; a pair of No. 9 <i>(3.75 mm)</i> and No. 12 <i>(2.75 mm)</i> knitting needles; a No. 12 crochet hook; 3 old buttons or button moulds about ½ inch in diameter.<br />
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<b>Tension and Measurements.</b><br />
Worked at a tension of one repeat of a pattern to 1¾ inches in width, the measurements on the diagram are attained after light pressing. (Bust 34”; length 18”; sleeve seam 4”)<br />
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You can download the pattern <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Zf8p3ZeQILOTh2bVZTWUZSUnM/view?usp=sharing"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a>. Listed on Ravelry <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-jumper-in-leaf-pattern"><span style="color: #ea9999;">here</span></a>.<br />
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<br />Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-27451624884717497802015-05-10T20:54:00.000+01:002015-05-15T13:14:21.422+01:002 Year Blog Anniversary! A brand new blog & Project roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCsAKy4NmdFuvCcXDYF-1zbSsNazvWfDnK4iXWgs8FKB7DgoHrHTKbmE7Cb4AFv3xMKYU9K5z_41AVRiMuWDfzSnJfWyRL-eShVtSTsEUYUrnMCiSW6LgEL0HU2Tzgzsg0xBd2VDl7swt/s1600/bettman-corbis-vintage-nye-photograph-two-women-try-hard-but-cannot-seem-to-cheer-up-jerry-therrien-bartender-at-the-copacobana-in-1946-via-dailymail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCsAKy4NmdFuvCcXDYF-1zbSsNazvWfDnK4iXWgs8FKB7DgoHrHTKbmE7Cb4AFv3xMKYU9K5z_41AVRiMuWDfzSnJfWyRL-eShVtSTsEUYUrnMCiSW6LgEL0HU2Tzgzsg0xBd2VDl7swt/s1600/bettman-corbis-vintage-nye-photograph-two-women-try-hard-but-cannot-seem-to-cheer-up-jerry-therrien-bartender-at-the-copacobana-in-1946-via-dailymail.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Today is the day that marks the 2nd anniversary of my blog! In order to celebrate, I've been working behind the scenes to give my blog a much needed make-over and upgrade. How do you like the new fancy schmancy design huh?! I still need to design a new banner and make a few tweaks, but so far I'm pretty pleased. I now have some handy buttons on the top that will help you find the type of content you're looking for.<br />
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Just like <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/1-year-blog-sewing-anniversary.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">last year</span></a> I wanted to look back at the past blogging year by doing a project round-up. First, let's take a look at the goal I set for myself last year: (Or wait - maybe not, 'cause it's slightly embarrassing)<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<b style="text-decoration: underline;">By May 10th, 2015 I will try to have finished 24 (sewn) garments.</b> So that's 2 garments a month. I think that should be doable!"</blockquote>
Ha! Nope. I started off really well, sewing some 6 items in 3 months, exactly according to my goal. But it was then that I fell into a sewing slump, which was partially due to the fact that I started to realize that I was never going to be able to keep this up with my jobless budget. I was pushing way too much towards quantity over quality. I started getting majorly frustrated with the limited quality fabric choices in my budget and ended up hardly sewing at all since last August. Now y'all know I've finally had a job since February and I am happy to say that I am finally sewing again thanks to my much increased budget.<br />
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It's thanks to my steady knitting that I have still been able to add a few handmade items to my wardrobe. Let's look at the Hits first, and the Misses/UFO's later.<br />
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<h2>
May 2014</h2>
<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/finished-simplicity-3364-1940s-palazzo.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Simplicity 3364</span></a> - 1940s gathered palazzo pants<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4bXe8EuCx8OTsd8ustzY1NASvRsslRq2rjltH-JoDePD810_nsBX-Lb4OEMI-zdC0ZygL9QUFmj1-8r2PObNvNqdmWwd7Lg1YPCWuyPYdLPSRXTPQAPoiDMwjEetXHigAuzewtASeqqJ/s1600/IMG_5884_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4bXe8EuCx8OTsd8ustzY1NASvRsslRq2rjltH-JoDePD810_nsBX-Lb4OEMI-zdC0ZygL9QUFmj1-8r2PObNvNqdmWwd7Lg1YPCWuyPYdLPSRXTPQAPoiDMwjEetXHigAuzewtASeqqJ/s1600/IMG_5884_adj.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/finished-summery-1940s-slacks.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Simplicity 3688</span></a> - reproduction 1940s slacks<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjGhXTb-nblfA7xmyLFa2IW4WpMgTjz9eUvmXTUpMGytFWERm-xUX7ZX8UuvKknH4MfFe5ffO9lEIoqyz-S88TrOg00ZBYIKAxJk06Yu86pUVUiRq89fw1VntjRSKoyKEUTveggtb4lN4/s1600/IMG_6062_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjGhXTb-nblfA7xmyLFa2IW4WpMgTjz9eUvmXTUpMGytFWERm-xUX7ZX8UuvKknH4MfFe5ffO9lEIoqyz-S88TrOg00ZBYIKAxJk06Yu86pUVUiRq89fw1VntjRSKoyKEUTveggtb4lN4/s1600/IMG_6062_adj.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h2>
June 2014</h2>
<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/finished-early-1940s-blouse-simplicity.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Simplicity 3364 - blouse</span></a> (with a waistband hack)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kKpzZocasXZrbHT7r-SMDXmCeQUX_gEr7_e__jkamQ8lFk61ustsfHNc8gyJyADLPp661w28ZGWvRKsCAh8TV_C-C8gfh3GSaIu0q1kxUtvUs-tLMsBOJ4QnxPCOov0yTHOvbGHIH4aL/s1600/IMG_6352_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kKpzZocasXZrbHT7r-SMDXmCeQUX_gEr7_e__jkamQ8lFk61ustsfHNc8gyJyADLPp661w28ZGWvRKsCAh8TV_C-C8gfh3GSaIu0q1kxUtvUs-tLMsBOJ4QnxPCOov0yTHOvbGHIH4aL/s1600/IMG_6352_adj.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/finished-1940s-hooded-blouse-advance.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Advance 2943</span></a> - hooded 1940s blouse<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQeMFydBzh1rxh3dDA7IlR7eETV-TMIB0uMWGO3UiKnOXYI4Ba4g90XVFQCbhvEn0OaGOFsHY4C9Znbct_gHDvNuXIHIdnqEsijHbIVp9ZSgYTHJJhfpxLGcw2HaG2YSJAf54fBmdfS8o/s1600/Advance+2943+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQeMFydBzh1rxh3dDA7IlR7eETV-TMIB0uMWGO3UiKnOXYI4Ba4g90XVFQCbhvEn0OaGOFsHY4C9Znbct_gHDvNuXIHIdnqEsijHbIVp9ZSgYTHJJhfpxLGcw2HaG2YSJAf54fBmdfS8o/s1600/Advance+2943+4.jpg" /></a></div>
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July 2014</h2>
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Simplicity 3884 - 1940s dirndl skirt with pockets.</h4>
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I've actually never shared this project on the blog, and yet it is one of my most successful sews! The fabric I used for this project is a very lightweight poly cotton and works extremely well for the warmest of summer days. I've worn it tons last summer and actually got multiple compliments of strangers on the street!</div>
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<a href="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7663/17309136888_4b2e0f82a0_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7663/17309136888_4b2e0f82a0_o.jpg" /></a></div>
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November/December 2014</h2>
<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/finished-in-vintage-tone-1940s-knitted.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">In Vintage Tone</span></a> - 1940s jumper<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF_ufuQfntECsuq7NcXnaviETzlCXsd-ZPfoh9A9WBXCAdS6BUq3X9bxGXohoE60GR_T9Xxl66XFgzpg2I4Dbgaz0j5Q-wvg8Aq2_NBr6TkvHffJ0UZbt72m3Tif8fbMR3-K6MfKuPDKa/s1600/IMG_6587_k+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF_ufuQfntECsuq7NcXnaviETzlCXsd-ZPfoh9A9WBXCAdS6BUq3X9bxGXohoE60GR_T9Xxl66XFgzpg2I4Dbgaz0j5Q-wvg8Aq2_NBr6TkvHffJ0UZbt72m3Tif8fbMR3-K6MfKuPDKa/s1600/IMG_6587_k+crop.jpg" /></a></div>
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January 2015</h2>
<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/finished-navy-blue-1940s-jumper-life.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Smart Jumper in Diamond Weave</span></a> - 1940s jumper<br />
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<a href="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8582/16405168775_8caba311e1_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8582/16405168775_8caba311e1_o.jpg" /></a></div>
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February 2015</h2>
<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/finished-my-first-lace-1940s-lace-jumper.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Elinor</span></a> - 1940s lace jumper<br />
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<a href="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8601/16663930405_941a4ba42d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8601/16663930405_941a4ba42d_o.jpg" /></a></div>
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March 2015 </h2>
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/finished-butterscotch-alicious-jan.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Jan Sweate</span></a>r</span> - reproduced 1930s jumper<br />
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<a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7654/17066288461_aa5b9d8cc5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7654/17066288461_aa5b9d8cc5_o.jpg" /></a></div>
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April 2015</h2>
<a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/finished-victory-jumper-to-cure.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Your Victory Jumper</span></a> - 1945 jumper to celebrate the end of WWII<br />
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<a href="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8804/17015898229_8ddf191071_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8804/17015898229_8ddf191071_o.jpg" /></a></div>
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Misses & UFOs</h2>
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Simplicity 3884 - blouse</h4>
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As you can see on the picture, the fit of this blouse is just all sorts of wrong. Actually, I think this is mostly a fabric problem rather than a fit problem. It seems that this blouse will simply only work with an <i>extremely</i> drapey fabric. Despite the way it looks in the picture the fabric I used was already quite soft and drapey but it still gets pushed into awkward shapes. I'm planning to redo it with some soft jersey. </div>
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<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5329/17497398131_dc05fbbb7e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5329/17497398131_dc05fbbb7e_o.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sun-Glo Tailored Chic - 1940s knitted dress</h4>
This one took me about 4 months of knitting, only to discover that it was going to be too big. I still haven't found the motivation to cut & sew to make it fit, and honestly - I doubt if I ever will finish it. I definitely still love the pattern but I think I will redo it sometime in the future when I have a knitting machine (which I hope to have next year).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPsMMHP3RQTPfasPtodi04C-Vfl71qMzFvCF88vwcXlAM6pEyA1HaHURJ62DT-UZ-Un_YQnwjRTxXKm2cH8VQfD17zvk__5mMEOEMJRVJRV-0xOjXA2NY5jkTjiIaeDQFgCoHjHWABoAg/s1600/sun-glo+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPsMMHP3RQTPfasPtodi04C-Vfl71qMzFvCF88vwcXlAM6pEyA1HaHURJ62DT-UZ-Un_YQnwjRTxXKm2cH8VQfD17zvk__5mMEOEMJRVJRV-0xOjXA2NY5jkTjiIaeDQFgCoHjHWABoAg/s1600/sun-glo+dress.jpg" /></a></div>
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Butterick 5281 - Reproduction 1940s dress.</h4>
I started this one in November and still haven't finished it. All I have left to do is hem the lining and add a closure to the sleeves and neckline, yet I still haven't found the motivation to finish it! (Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the uncompleted dress that I can share at the moment.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyBhZgw3lp6x4vPpSdNAATlvTI-yjTmg5ksEs5w1isBzhSRLzUAHsu8vAwgwmx8KgjiVRgutlSg5KnAcAsA3cvHtzsPI1_Y4t2PymEXTN0QPTj-fbcF0TM-alDA7e0VCCepUlfWfLmfMa/s1600/IMG_6384_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyBhZgw3lp6x4vPpSdNAATlvTI-yjTmg5ksEs5w1isBzhSRLzUAHsu8vAwgwmx8KgjiVRgutlSg5KnAcAsA3cvHtzsPI1_Y4t2PymEXTN0QPTj-fbcF0TM-alDA7e0VCCepUlfWfLmfMa/s1600/IMG_6384_adj.jpg" /></a></div>
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Right, so that's everything I made (or attempted to make) in the past year! I'm not going to set a goal again for myself this year, let's just fully get back in the sewing game first. I do have a treat for you guys - to celebrate my blog's anniversary I will be sharing a few lovely vintage knitting patterns in the coming days, so stay tuned!<br />
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Lots of love,<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">Renée</span></h2>
Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2209520964371173746.post-59815501799618057672015-04-19T20:50:00.001+01:002015-04-27T21:58:12.889+01:00Finished: A Victory Jumper to Cure HomesicknessI am going to bore you guys today with a project you have seen a million times already. On Ravelry alone I am literally the 100th person to add this jumper to their project list! Of course it is non other than the famous Victory Jumper.<br />
On the 5th of May we celebrate “Bevrijdingsdag” (Liberation day) in The Netherlands. After Kingsday (formerly Queensday) it is pretty much our biggest national holiday. There are free music festivals in almost every city to 'celebrate freedom' and military (veteran) parades in some of the important war-related places. I really miss this holiday now that I live abroad. Since our national flag is also red, white and blue I have been planning since last year to knit the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/your-victory-jumper">Victory Jumper</a> so I can kind of celebrate in spirit.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/109462304@N07/16994611747" title="Victory Jumper by Renée R, on Flickr"><img alt="Victory Jumper" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7638/16994611747_e39842a023_o.jpg" width="700" /></a>
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The pattern is written for a 33-34" bust and at first I decided to knit it as is for a slightly looser fit. However, when I finished the armhole shaping, the cross chest/cross back measurement was way too big. So I ripped out quite a bit and only increased 12 sts at the side seams in stead of the original 28. <br />
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I didn't like the original tight fitting sleeves, so I changed them a bit by working an increase row after the ribbing, rather than working the increases every few rows along the sides. Then I also made the sleeve heads slightly bigger than they originally where and 'eased' them into the armholes by skipping stitches during sewing. This creates a slightly looser fitting sleeve with very subtle volume at the top, which I prefer from the original. I had actually hoped they would have been even puffier so in retrospect I should have increased even more stitches.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/109462304@N07/17015898229" title="Victory Jumper by Renée R, on Flickr"><img alt="Victory Jumper" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8804/17015898229_8ddf191071_o.jpg" width="700" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/109462304@N07/17015897679" title="Victory Jumper by Renée R, on Flickr"><img alt="Victory Jumper" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7627/17015897679_17947b7f93_o.jpg" width="700" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/109462304@N07/16579610804" title="Victory Jumper by Renée R, on Flickr"><img alt="Victory Jumper" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8757/16579610804_29e43e09ed_o.jpg" width="700" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/109462304@N07/17176108436" title="Victory Jumper by Renée R, on Flickr"><img alt="Victory Jumper" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8765/17176108436_a5d738449b_o.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The yarn I used is, again, Stylecraft Life 4 ply in Navy, Cream and Cardinal. I got really excited about this yarn after knitting the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/finished-my-first-lace-1940s-lace-jumper.html">Elinor Jumper</a> and then again for the <a href="http://reneeandthecatsmeow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/finished-butterscotch-alicious-jan.html">Jan Sweater</a>. This yarn is 25% wool, 75% acrylic and definitely a more budget-end yarn, which I was forced to with my pre-job low budget. However, since I liked this yarn so much and this jumper was more of a fun knit, I figured this yarn would do perfectly. Unfortunately it seems that the quality of the yarn is not at all consistent within its own range. The Ice Blue I used for the lace sweater and the Butterscotch I used for the Jan sweater are both delightfully soft and don't feel like your typical acrylic. But unfortunately the Cream and Navy ones have a very different texture. They are rougher, very acrylic-y and also a tad thicker than the other colors. Luckily it does turn softer after pressing with steam, but still, I was quite disappointed.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All together I am happy with another successful knit to add to my wardrobe. I don't expect to wear this one a lot - it's a bit.. 'louder' than what I usually wear - but it was a fun and reasonably quick knit and I look forward to actually celebrating may 5th again in the future with my Victory Jumper :)</span>Renéehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11016410341840628429noreply@blogger.com9