The Cravat-necked sweater; a bit of vintage warmth

Time for a bit of knitting.  This is the Cravat-necked sweater from Runway Knits.  It is a very simple sweater, just stocking stitch and rib, and I would say is a pretty easy knit for the knitting beginner.    I bought my book second hand for a few pounds on Amazon.  The have a copy for 79p at the moment.

The cravat is knitted separately as a sort of ribbed rectangle and then just sewed on.  The only difficulty I had was setting the sleeve cap which was a bit square shaped and has left the shoulder a bit puffed up.

I knit the size 35", which should work out at 3" of negative ease (though I knit rather loosely and so I usually do size down).  I took one inch out of the bodice length as I have a high waist.

I love the  shape giving you such a fitted waist and I'm pretty happy with the fit.  I am wearing it here with my Butterick 5391 skirt and I wore this outfit to work today with a black jacket.

I love this wool.  I knitted my sweater in Sublime Extra Fine Merino DK and it is lovely.  So snuggly, soft and warm.  I had this sweater on during the dog walk today and I had to take my coat off because I was so warm!  The cravat, being a high neck makes it even warmer.  This wool is a delight to knit with and has excellent stitch definition if you like that pronounced look.  I realise I look a bit like a sweater girl here!  I guess this style definitely accentuates your assets!

Sorry about the poor quality photos, and the rather odd lines (which aren't there in real life), but I think Tess is trying to say she is bored waiting for her walk!

I knit quite a lot when I'm infront of the telli (I hate not having something to do with my hands).    Other knitting projects are on my Ravelry page.  I might well knit this one again in the future, perhaps in a mustard colour.  Are you knitting anything at the moment? Thanks for your comments, it is lovely to hear from others.

Hetty KAL finished!

Cor,  my knitting productivity looks unbelievable!  Not quite true,  I haven't finished another cardigan in only week, but it has only taken about 2 1/2weeks  and it is finished on time for the Hetty knit-along.  This is the Hetty cardigan, which was a really different pattern to anything I have knitted before.  First you knit the back, then you pick up stitches at the shoulder, knit down to the armhole, cast on more stitches and end up with the whole of the body on your needle

Then you pick up stitches around the arm holes and knit the sleeves in the round

 
Then add the bands and you've only the buttons to choose (went for the top ones)

.... et voila with no seams to sew you have a cardigan.

This isn't blocked so I will post some better photos next week being worn.  The pattern was quite complicated, and I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner (it may have been me -  though there were certainly others on the ravelry group forum who also struggled).   Having said that I love the fit and I ordered my wool for another of the designers patterns, because I haven't seen any others which have a  lovely fitted waist like this (infact mine was a bit small and I had to make a wider band, plus there will be some stretching at the blocking stage).  It's a great silhouette for vintage clothes such as high waisted trousers or a fuller skirt.  The wool is Blackstone tweed and I feel mixed about it, I thought it was going to be a more mustardy colour - it does have little flecks of purple and teal (yes still in the teal theme).

For those of you who are Molly Makes readers you may recognise the foxy broach.  I rarely make the free gift on magazines and I am reminded why, the materials are usually not of a good quality and in this case the felt wasn't great, the thread kept tangling, the needle wouldn't go through the felt and the pin is really cheap, still it is quite jolly!

A new friend came to stay this week!  Yes, I splashed out and bought an overlocker.

 

Here is a view of the inside of my lining for my new look jacket - yes I even overlocked the inside of a lining, just because I could, look how neat ....

 

 

So all was going well and then I had to change the colour of thread, I managed  quite well even threading one of the needles ... result ... and then .... disaster.  I don't know whether it's because I am now working with crepe de chine or what but the effect is certainly not right.  I'll have to get on the internet and spend some quality time with my new friend .... or more likely I'll take it with me to my workshop class (at the shop where I bought it)  for some advice.

 

Though it looks like I had a busy week I actually wasn't well and had to take 2 days off work (not like me at all) and too ill to do any sewing, even missed my class, but I did watch the whole of series 1 of Bomb girls which I enjoyed, especially the fashions.    This week I will be working on my new look jacket and also my Anna dress and I've lots of other plans.  What are you working on?

 

More landgirls; a vintage teal cardigan

Happy Monday!   Last weekend included a full day of sewing at my monthly workshop, enjoyable, but not very productive.  I am making the New Look jacket from Gertie's book and this has meant tracing the pattern.  The first time I traced a size too small and so I have had to do this twice .... it's taken hours .... and so boring.  Hats off to those of you who trace patterns either because you use Burda etc. or to save your patterns.  I really can't be bothered and £6-£12 for a pattern seems like a bargain at the moment!  I think I have spent about 12 hours so far and all I have done is made the bodice lining!

So does this mean no finished project this week?  No, not at all, but its over to knitting this week.  I have finished my Debbie Bliss Landgirls cardigan.  This is how it should look

 

 

...and this is my version

 

 

 

There is a rather unusual square shoulder and rather different sleeve with cable at the top and a long run of rib, rather medieval!

 

 

 

 

Sorry the pics are on my dummy and it really isn't showing it off, but I still haven't sorted my remote control for the camera!  Anyway I like the cardi, not perfect but definitely wearable and warm, soft and comfy.  Autumn teal item no. 2 ticked off my list.  I knitted a size 32 (clearly substantially smaller than me!) and it is still a little loser than I like!  At least I know now that for Debbie Bliss patterns I need to knit the smallest size.

 

I'm looking forward to Dan and Gemma getting home a week on Wednesday, until then how lovely are these photos they have sent me.  They are getting lots of hands-on experience; a lot of dressing foot wounds and ulcers and giving health talks, not a very romantic way to spend your honeymoon but what a wonderful valuable experience.  Three very cool guys!

 

 

and Gemma with her lovely new short hair cut and her gorgeous friend.

 

Till next week, and thank you for reading and especially if you took the time to leave a comment which I love reading.



What more fair-isle!

You know how I said I was finished with fair-isle .... not for long.  I just couldn't keep away but not so intense this time, far less ends to weave in.


In keeping with my recent retro obsession the pattern was from
Debbie Bliss Land-Girl booklet and actually the cover pattern.  This took about 2 weeks to knit (though I was on holiday) and used 4 ply rialto, which is a wool I really enjoy using.  I did try to be a "good girl" and get my tension right, but despite trying two sizes of needles I still didn't quite get it right, so I just knitted the smallest size (32") whereas I measure 37" and guess what .... it's a perfect fit.  I really love it, soft and comfy to wear and the best fitting jumper I have ever knitted.  This is strange as this jumper is actually the same pattern in the body as the striped jumper I knitted earlier and look how huge that came out.  One of the changes I made was to reduce the length of the body by at least an inch and that made a huge difference to the amount of bagging.  I now have a basic T pattern which I think I could use for any number of short-sleeved sweaters, maybe I'll have a go at designing my own.

 

 

The yoke is knitted in one piece at the end, so there wasn't a lot of having to pick up stitches, which I hate .You can see this best during the blocking .....

And here it is on ..... the turban was a bit of an homage to the landgirls ..... not to be worn outside the house!

So all in all this is probably the sweater I most like from those I have knitted .and I'm so pleased to have finally made something with a good fit ... so flushed with success I am straight on to a cardigan from the same book.


I had a particularly lovely walk today, a sunny day at last!

.... and even enjoyed a few sweet juicy blackberries.  This one s on the way to my mouth!

 

I didn't do much else for the bankholiday weekend.  A bit of sewing ....  I've started a New Look suit from Gertie's book of better sewing, so more of that soon.  And of course the Great British Bake Off is back ... interesting selection and some truly awful baking as well as some great ideas!   Did you do anything exciting?