My Career As A Knitwear Designer (ha ha ha)!

I’ve decided to make more knitting designs. Work is quiet, which allows me time to map things out and think things through and calculate. So I’ve made a cardigan design and graded it into 16 sizes, from really little little to fairly big big. 

I started with a kiddies version, quite successfully too I thought, (it’s cute and I’m happy about it), then set about to do the young adult size. Yay isolation!

This one has slightly different background colours. I did the body, bottom up to the underarms and just for a break, decided to make a hat. Again I’ve varied the colours and the patterning to showcase other possibilities (and not be bored myself). But, I ran out of the main colour. It’s from Shetland and I’m in Australia so whilst I was ordering I thought I may as well choose the colours for my bigger cardigan. Which I did. 

As it turns out, Scotland has a temporary ban on international postage, so while that’s happening I went back and started the sleeves to finish the other. 

I cast on and worked the cuff, then got into the fair isle band motifs before realizing I’d left out the first band. So I pulled it back to the rib and started it properly. I got back as far as I’d gone before, some 10 cm of pattern past a deep rib but it looked too baggy. Not what I want. Unpicked it. 

Going back to my original charts I fussed over all of the adult sized sleeves... which is really, really arduous because the program I then use is sooo slow on my stupid, stupid laptop and it kills me. It took ages to generate my new improved sleeve. An evening. 

Cast on again. 

I like to cast on with 3mm needles then drop back to 2.5 mm for the ribbing but I forgot so pulled it out.  Next day... Cast on properly with 3mm but (grrr) forgot (grrrrr) to (grrrrrrr) change down...

SO I started again. Inner calm, inner calm... 62 stitches. Yes. Managed a neat, well practiced cast on with 3mm followed by a beautifully tidy (deep) cuff in 2.5mm’s. Beautiful. The size looked right for a 6. Great. Sleeves don’t take long, I’ll be done soon.

I want you to know that all of this happens between many other tasks, train trips and work and family and perusing my emails. It’s a few of days of disjointedness. I thought, right, I’d Better Just Make Sure and pulled out the pattern to be 100% and hey! The pattern said (mother-flippin’) (stop swearing) seventy (mother-flippin’) two!!!! Not. 62.

Shoving down a rising beserk, I ripped back my little neat cuff. Again. For the 5th or 4th or 10th time! Unravelled it yet again...

I pulled out the original graph. The very original paper calculations, not the stupid, arduously made print out with my fair isle plonked in. And yes, guess what? 62 was in fact CORRECT! Time to tear up the wrong print outs, with vigor.

You’ll be proud of me because I didn’t swear (out loud) and I didn’t cry (on the inside). I either overcame my feelings of rage and disappointment and boredom, or suppressed them deeply and just got up, packed a bag for the train trip in the morning and went to bed.

Before I did go to bed I thought I’d get out a fresh ball of wool for the cuffs, since I’d worn the other ragged and it might be better to bury it deep inside the fair isle. So I grabbed another and saw that I was going to run out before I finished the cardigan and needed to order another couple. But Scotland... mail...

Never mind... suck it up (you stupid, stupid idiot)...

This morning I had a nice walk before I caught the train to the city. I listened to a great podcast about early female pilots in Australia, whilst walking through the pretty bush. Lovely! On the train I set up a show I’m watching on my propped iPad, cast on 62 stitches neatly with 3mm needles then dug in my bag to change to 2.5’s and guess what? I’d left them at home.

Very Nearly Completely Finished!

I can’t believe it’s finished! After 5 years! I really let it sit in the cupboard for a very long time, now made a concerted effort to finish.  

I followed Hazel Tindale’s method and picked one stitch per row along the front steeks, for the bands, but didn’t reduce the numbers in the first row. I’m a tight corrugated rib knitter anyway. 
I ignored Meg Swanson’s good advice and did the whole rib band in one hit. Meg suggested I do the fronts and neck in one go, then add the waist as I wanted it twice as long. It would have been neater. But... I thought I’d give it a try in one go, so I did the waist, broke off yarn, started again and did a second row. Then turned with a double increase and ribbed up the front, double increase to go around the neck and the same for the other front… Then turned to do the waist for the third time, and on to go all the way around again. Lastly broke off yarn and did another waist. That is, for each row of front and neck banding I did 2 rows of waist. 
I had to pick up a couple of stitches to cover it. 
You can see in the pictures that I ought to have taken Meg’s advice! It’s a bit wonky as I said, but I’m very happy with it anyway and doubt I’ll notice it after a bit. 
The ribbon was in my stash, from at least 20 years ago. Vintage ribbon that is so perfect I couldn’t believe it. And with only a few centimeters spare! 
So, the original pattern was to be a jumper, but it was a bit small so I steeked it to become a cardigan, thus making it both bigger and oddly proportioned. 
I haven’t tried it on yet but it looks ok.

 

Bobby's Fair Isle Tam o'Shanter Pattern

Just published the pattern on Ravelry and Etsy. Thanks Jen Next Door and Anna for modelling the tams for me! xxx

Re Vamp of an Old Jumper

I’ve recently discovered ‘Fruity Knitting ‘ on You Tube and have learnt a great deal, including how to Edit or Alter garments that do not fit.
This is my first jumper. After having knitted a heap of face washers and deciding I could probably actually make a garment, I did this. Circa 2009.
It is Kate Davies’s Paper Dolls. I’ve knit it again and that one was too small! Note To Self: Recreate the colours of the second, too small version in another attempt.
So, with confidence borne of watching a few FN episodes where Andrea, the hostess (etc) cut and Kitchener Stitched back together a panel of a cardigan, I realised I could keep the doll section of the old, tatty Paper Dolls and a fair amount of the wool from the body (in order to have a similarly faded blue) and rework the entirety of the jumper, Top Down!

So, you slip your cable through a row of knitting, in this case I’ve started with a row just below the pattern, then snip a single stitch of the row under your cable. Then you painstakingly pull the loose end out, loop by loop.

I scribbled a bit of an idea at work yesterday, in my trusty notebook companion (which I must read to see what else I intended to do this weekend)...

I thought I should do a row or two of the blue, then could add a band of... even mohair? Or a blend with a different texture than the original? Perhaps in a shelly pink? Plus, rather than keep to the quiet blue and pink, I could add flashes of orange or sunset yellows to give it a new angle. We'll see.

Anyhow, it's fun to do this. I haven't the heart to throw it out and because it's a roundel, it doesn't suit cutting up for one of my Wagga's.

Wish me luck.

My First Ever Knitting Pattern

Pattern available at my Etsy shop.

Traditional Fair Isle patterning is a world of countless possibilities! 
These Wristwarmers are a play on shading and have been inspired both by my love of traditional knitting design and an all-consuming love fest with the many, many beautiful colours of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift yarn.
How we place our shades and how many colours we choose... the positioning of lights and darks... Each will completely alter the appearance of a single pattern.
You may, of course, use any 4 ply for your own version. I sometimes like to mix fluffy or shiny yarns in with heathers etc. It’s a good project for stash-diving, or better, a happy excuse to buy new colours. 
I have added a black and white chart in case you want to mess about colouring in your own version. Get the kids involved. Remembering that each pair or grouping of colours needs to play well together and you're off and running. 
It's the funnest!

Kate's Alice, The Journey

Well, I've been working on this jumper
(or 'sweater' for the foreigners) for some time now. Starting with the swatch (which is not representative of guage because every second row is a purl row) to give me the colours...
Oh, no that's right, I started with choosing the colours... hang on. I'll go back...
I've heard recently that Alice Starmore is a bit sniffy concerning any alterations to her patterns (see 'Sweater Quest' by Adrienne Martini for a funny, interesting and thorough look at things pertaining to her year long quest knitting Starmore's Mary Tudor. Read it, it's funny because it's true).
Since I didn't know I was being controversial, I set about to choose completely different colours and another shape for my Thoroughbred. 
I actually really really love Alice's colours, and if I was my (red-headed) children, I would choose them verbatim, in a moment. But as I don't want to look like I've just (barely) recovered from a serious bout of Hepatitis B, and I really, really love the design, I pulled out my entire stash of 2 and 4 ply wools (of which there are many) to rethink the sheme.
I used to buy wool mainly for embroidery and so have loads of single skeins, perfect for Fair Isle.
I also have a colour card from Jamieson's in Shetland, which the 1989 Vogue pattern used (if I remember correctly, better be careful of what I say). So after highlighting my pattern (or, my working photocopy. Which is legitimate use by the way, so long as I don't sell it or otherwise) into foreground/background, I pulled out the appropriate original colour swatches and put them in order. 2 rows: background, foreground.
This is where Alice's fabulousness comes in. Every combo (and they're staggered, so each colour is matched with 2 others) works beautifully. Sings, as they say. Saint Matthew's Passion, even.
Then some brain gymnastics... how to completely alter the colours? Light to dark and dark to light.
I dumped my wool boxes onto the floor (having cleared a space by shoving other projects to the perimeters).
A backdrop of greens and duck-egg blues, going into yellows and chartreuse? Start with your Must Use colours. I lay them out in a row. Now pinks? Reds? Orange? Matching Alice's values (light to dark-dark to light) and trying to make each row sing. Mine's probably more Yma Sumac. 
This took ages and some tea. Lots of rearranging, which is fun.
I threw in a couple of contrast rows... purple, and blue dots etc. And fluro orange. More contrast than Alice, I'd expect.
The colours start to talk to you themselves so you let go of the original reference after a bit.
So, yep, did the sample and was very happy. Frame worthy, in fact.

The overall plan is to vary the yarns as I go along, getting lighter and softer then brighter or hairier etc. Largely to keep myself amused.

I didn't notice that I'd made a complete rainbow until I photographed my working wool box.

Originally, I intended to do a sample with what I had in The Stash, then replicate it all with Australian Tapestry wools. But, the mohair row looked good, and the Marta's Yarns orange does not exist anywhere in the world (now that she's gone), so it quickly became a fiddle-about wool range project. i.e. a fun thing. No bossiness of (self imposed) regularity.

I should add here that I do have one rule (ish). Once chosen, I won't unpick a colour. I choose carefully, but have to admit that occasionally I lost the 'singing' bit of the equation by varying the red or the green or whatever. (Note to self: Don't just think of how the red to pink or orange works, but how it then relates to the background and vice versa). I can't think of a musical equivalent to this row or two but I am reminded of a 'Music to Breastfeed your Baby' CD that bored the shit out of anyone with decent taste in music.
Fortunatley, I cut and sticky-taped a little swatch of my original choices to the key chart, so I can revert to that when I get frightened and lost.

I started a top-down jumper, using Annalisa as the shape (shown above), since no way am I wearing a box like the original Thoroughbred vest. This is not the 80's and my once stick-thin figure has padded out somewhat.
To jump a huge part of this story, I didn't like the shape (too pointy) and for other big reasons (mysterious and never to be shared publicly) I ended up started again using Kate Davie's 'Bluebells', bottom up this time.
I'm Hopeless at Maths. So I decided to draw out the pattern onto graph and scribble in the squiggles, then highlight the foreground. To embrace moronic-simplicity and embrace my love of stationary and fine-tipped pens. When I finish a row, I highlight it in a different colour. It looks nice and is very satisfying to mark out a row.
I'm playing with colour a lot and it's not so bright down at the hem, but will get brighter near the neck. Also, I've been seduced by silk mohairs etc. (any excuse to buy more wool). 
The further I get along, the more often I use 2 strands of 2 ply, rather than straight 4 ply (this is something I do in my embroidery too), maybe a 2 ply mohair with a 2 ply wool. You get a pretty subtelty.
Now I'm onto the freaking sleeves. Fair Isle on DPN's is a nightmare so I tried to do Magic Loop, which was a nightmare since I kept losing my loops and have no Youtube nor knitty friend on the train to help. So I've reverted to 2 short circular needles and will see how I go.

The free-style decision is to do each sleeve with little or no regard to the main. I guess the pinks and eggshells are unchanging (I forgot to tell you that before), which keeps it real. I think I'll also not regard the first sleeve too much when I do the second either, maybe. Maybe not? And add some initials for a point of difference.
We'll see.
So that's it so far. I'll keep you posted. The thing is, you can read this or not read this, but I hope it's not too boring, but wanted to write down my thinking, for when the dementia sets in.
xxx

Thoroughbred / Bluebells

 Look ever here for the blether: bobbyla's Thoroughbred Take 2