I’ve been making very slow progress with the cardigan this week. I knit in that very English “throwing” way, so switching colour every stitch is quite a slow process. I’ve watched some videos, and tried to work in a more continental style, holding a colour in each hand, or each colour wrapped around a different finger, but having knit “my way” for over 3 decades, this is one new trick this old dog can’t learn. So my slow, ploddy, throwing style is the way forward, the very slow way forward!
I’ve found that using up all the tiny scraps and oddments to make this cardigan has been very therapeutic, and I’ve stuck to my promise to not buy any yarn. It hasn’t stopped me “window shopping” though, and I’ve eyed up some very lovely yarns that I’d love to buy, to fill the space created by using all of these odd pieces! So far, no purchases though!
The weaving in of the ends has been fun – I’m still doing them as I go, but I found that the first batch I did, I was probably a bit enthusiastic in securing them, and the fabric is quite stiff and bulky for the first few cms. at each end. I’m now trying to be a little more delicate, so that the ends don’t add as much bulk to the edges.
We’ve now got pockets! I knitted 2 plain squares – I figured that as they’re down inside the pocket, they don’t need to follow the pattern of the cardigan, so I just used a dark lilac that I have a bigger ball of. At least there aren’t loads of ends to sew in from those, just the long cast off tail that I used to whip stitch the pocket in place at the back.
I think the next update will be when I reach the underarms, so that there’s something new to show you – I’m not sure it’ll be finished by Easter, let’s see how we get on!
-Michelle x