My allergies have flared up and thus there is no lace knitting today…
… so we are knitting little people clothing! :)
I’ve currently working on a little spring cardi as D is in desperate need of one for daily playground excursions. I bought some Patons Washed Haze DK at Kemps in Sunderland for 49p a ball with the intention of making a little lace number for the little girl. After a failed attempt at another cardigan (mostly due to pattern errors and me not following my instincts) I cast on for the Eyelet Yoke Cardigan via Lion Brand.
It’s a nice little cardigan and very straight forward, which is probably for the best since I’m changing up a bunch of things including the gauge (I’m using a DK rather than an Aran) and knitting it seamlessly (since I usually don’t do seams I don’t need to). I’m about the attach the second sleeve into the body to work the yoke, so it is going quite quickly, too.
I’ve reworked all the number both for the stitches and the rows for a 25” finished chest, which is in between the 1 and 2 year old size. I want something loose enough to be comfortable but not oversized. With any luck she’ll be able to wear it next year, albeit with three-quarter sleeves.
I was a bit uncertain about the yarn, but for 49p a ball, I was willing to give it a chance. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I had to go down a needle size to 3.75mm to get a nice fabric. Funnily enough it got me gauge as well, something that floors me as I’m a tight knitter and usually have to go up a needle size. However, the swatch grew slightly and came out exactly to the gauge on the ball band, and it has a nice hand and drape. It knits an awful lot like Rowan All Seasons Cotton, something that shouldn’t surprise me as the content and construction are almost identical, although I’m quite certain I already hear the Rowan fans sharpening their pitchforks for saying so. Conveniently it also comes in Aran weight and thus might be a good substitute for Lion Brand Cotton Ease which is hard to come by in the UK. It’s a shame I didn’t get the Aran since it would have meant a lot less pattern modifications.
So it goes.