Bestway 2024 - 1940's Green Cardigan

There's certainly no denying that 2014 was a busy year on the jumper front.  Thank you for your lovely comments on my last post; I'm glad you enjoyed looking at all the pictures as much as I did :o)

Over a year ago, I decided I wouldn't take commission orders anymore.  Problems with non-paying customers, issues with customers changing their mind once I'd started, or even worse, customers not liking the design of the piece, despite it having been their choice, put me off the process.  I kept knitting, but I knitted the patterns that I wanted, in the wool I wanted and in the colours I wanted! 

After a much needed break of doing as I pleased, and after countless emails asking whether I would knit to order, I decided to change the way I took commissions.  I now take payment for the wool upfront, am more particular about the type of wool I will use, and most important of all, I've learnt to say no when someone asks me to knit something that I really don't want to knit.

I had the pleasure of knitting for some truly fantastic people last year.  My final commission piece for 2014 was no exception, and was probably one of my favourite to work on.  It was knitted in a glorious shade of green and was, in the most part, all stocking stitch, so a nice quick knit.  

It was knitted in Adriafil Azzurra and the pattern was a Bestway pattern from the late 1940's.

I've knitted a few cardigans in the past, but I've never done one that required so many buttons.  Nine matching vintage buttons proved quite tricky, most of my sets had either four or eight, but I raided my own personal stash and found the perfect vintage set, heavy carved ones from the 1930's. Pretty, don't you think??

The pattern was nice and easy to follow, no little quirks or tricky bits.  It knitted up quite quickly (I was running it alongside another woolly), and everything fitted together nicely when it came to making it up.  The thing that took me the longest was the placket, it seemed to go on forever!!!

The cardigan has a new home with the very talented Kitty Lou who is an incredible seamstress who has an Etsy shop, Kitty Lou Vintage, which you can find here.

Mr Y is back to work on the 5th, so normal routine will resume.  I can't wait to start my next commission!

xx

Farewell 2014; You Kept Us Busy!

Teetering on the dawning of another new year; a time to look back at what the last 365 days brought us. 

So how was 2014 for you?  I hope it treated you kindly!  Will you be celebrating at the stroke of twelve?  Me? Well I’ll be in my PJs, having consumed a takeaway, watching Foyle’s War and eating chocolates; such a rock and roll lifestyle!! :o)

There is something about the New Year that I adore.  The blankness of the pages in my diary and a crisp new calendar hanging on the kitchen wall; a whole 365 days worth of potential just waiting for us!

In the most part, with the exception of the blip in the summer with my Mr’s work life, this year has been joyous, filled with family fun, friends and much laughter, and when I compare the ride we’ve had to others close to us, we’ve had it easy, and for that I am thankful, and feel incredibly blessed.

The girls have grown another year older, their little personalities beginning to shine through just a little more each time they grow.  C, a book loving, soft hearted, fun loving child, she has been my little rock this year; great company, and such a great conversationalist! 

M, my forever baby, cheeky, a giggler, wears her heart on her sleeve and often lives in her own little world.

We’ve been on our adventures with them, had fun, and learnt more than any school could have taught them.  Home educating them is a gift and pleasure.

From a productive point of view, it was another bumper jumper year; over 20 woollies knitted and sold to fabulous customers both here and overseas. 

Lots of my little felt posies also crossed the miles as far and wide as Australia and the USA.

I also added more than a few knitting patterns to my collection, so there will be lots more woollies coming in 2015!!  Oh to have the time to knit them all :o)

2015 is already shaping up to be another good year.  I’ve given up making resolutions, after all, I’ll only end up breaking them.  Instead I’ll be making a list of things I hope to do, and places I hope to take those girls of mine.

To each and every one of, thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and for your wonderful comments and kind emails, especially those of you who got in contact over the summer.  I genuinely hope that 2015 is kind to you, and that it is everything you hope it will be.

xx

Time to Relax

Well, what wonderful weather we have been having here in England.  The summer has most certainly arrived, although I must admit that the mercury has crept a little too high for me, 32 degrees is just too much for a snow Queen like me.  So, to escaped the heat of the town, we have headed West were it is still gloriously sunny, but not quite so scorchio! 

Things are very much on the up in our happy household.  Mr Y made the best decision ever and walked away from his job.  Not an easy choice, as he has enjoyed 12 years there and has made many firm friends, but new adventures are afoot, and come September, he starts in a new place, a more positive and less destructive environment, and he cannot wait; exciting times ahead!

So before the craziness of fairs and events gets into full swing, we thought we’d take a little trip to Mr Y’s home.  We love it down here in Cornwall.  The pace of life is so much slower.  We have no routines, very few chores to do, the scenery is incredible, and while the house is happily nestled in the heart of the village, the beach is just a few miles away.  And, well, when the sun is shining, everything looks just a little bit brighter don’t you think?

Cornwall offers some truly incredible places to visit.  From wrecks to ruins, grand houses to rugged coastal walks.  As long time members of the National Trust, and having recently joined English Heritage again, we’ve certainly been making good use of the cards.  The British holiday season hasn’t fully kicked off everywhere, with many schools only breaking up today, so attractions have been relatively quiet; very much to our liking.

We haven’t done any vintage hunting, but I hope to rectify that later in the week with trips to Penzance and Lostwithiel, two of my favourite hunting haunts :o) To be fair, Cornwall offers relatively slim pickings on the 1940’s front.  There are countless places to pick up pieces of china and the like, but let’s face it; there are only so many “things” a person can pack into an already bulging home!!

In the evenings I’ve been keeping equally busy, and obviously I couldn’t let crafting fall entirely by the wayside, so I’m working on finishing off this rather natty knitted jerkin.

My woolly pursuits have been less than I had hoped for, because it has simply been too darned hot to knit for any great length of time.  So when my hands can no longer handle the wool, I’ve picked up a needle of the sewing variety and finished off a dress for each of the girls. 

The print isn’t my favourite, but they adore it.  I’m sure the neon pink, yellow, orange and green dresses and shell suits (yes that was my childhood!)  I wore as a child in the mid 1980’s weren’t my mum’s choice either, but I thought I looked the business, and neither she nor my dad ever criticised what I wore.  My mum is a great advocate of allowing children the freedom to be exactly that; children.  So I’m trying to channel her freedom of spirit and trying not to care what other people might think.

We aren’t Suffolk bound just yet, there are pasties and ice-creams to be eaten and more adventures to be had before we head back to normality. 

Knit For Victory - My Finished Forties Fair Isle Pullover!!

So today is the last day of the Knit For Victory knit along, which was run by Tasha who blogs at By Gum, By Golly, and do you know what, I actually completed my pullover!!!!

It was touch and go whether I would get there, but I’m so pleased I did.  When I decided to knit another fair isle for my dad, I knew I wanted to work with a pattern that was relatively simple, one that would only require me to work with 2 colours at a time and, more importantly, one that didn’t need to be sized up!  The only one that fitted the bill was this Bairns-Wear one, from the late 1930’s/early 1940’s.

Back in the autumn, I acquired a number of skeins of original vintage wool in some rather delectable shades.  The wool on the skeins was very fine, equivalent to a modern 3 ply, and the only suitable neutral shade I could find was Azzurra, from the Adriafil range.  It’s a 70% wool 30% acrylic mix and, despite my initial concerns, it actually worked well alongside the vintage pure wool. 

In the first instance, I started out well and remembered to take a photograph of how far I’d got each evening.  By the time I reached the second side of the neck, and had to reverse the instructions (which made my brain hurt!), I totally forgot about taking photographs!  Here are the ones I did manage to take.

I didn’t finish the colour work on the front until early morning on Tuesday January 28^th.  I pinned and blocked it the same day, and was really pleased with how it came out.

  

Rather than the Fair Isle back that the pattern called for, I did a plain back in just the Azzurra, which I finished only yesterday!  The rib around the neck was done yesterday afternoon, while the girls were at the library with their grandma, and the armhole rib was finished at 11.30 last night.  I stitched it up, and gave it a final press, this morning!  I cut it fine, to say the least, but I got there in the end, and here it is in all its colourful glory! 

His birthday isn’t until the 26th February, so I don’t have a picture of him wearing it, but I will try and get one in the Spring. 

Before I started the pullover, I did a few other projects, all of which were given as Christmas presents.  I knitted a beret for each of my girls.  C had the navy and red, while M had the green and red.  They were knitted from a 1950’s pattern, which I decreased in size by using smaller needles.  The yarn was a pure wool by Red Heart.  It knits up beautifully, and I shall definitely use it again.

I knitted a tea cosy for my mum using up some DK from my stash.  As soon as I saw the pattern, I knew I had to knit it up, after all, it had felt anemones on!!!  Sorry for the rubbish photograph.  I only remembered to photograph it at my mum's house, late last night.

Last, but by no means least, is the scarf I knitted for my dad.  The pattern was wartime, and the wool was 4 ply, pure wool. 

 

I've really enjoyed seeing how everyone elses projects have progressed and seeing everyones fantastic knitting skills :o)

x  . 

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A Frilly Forties Affair - 1942 jumper

Well, what’s this then?  Could it be yet another jumper?  I know, I’ve surprised myself too.  No regular jumper postings for weeks and then two come along within days of each other.  I wouldn’t get too used to it though :o)!!

In truth, this one was actually completed in 2012 but it is such a fiddly little beastie to sew up that I’ve been trying to ignore it.  Out of sight, out of mind and all that!  You see, there are 12 pieces to the jumper and the 240 stitch long frills are tricky to attach.  Also, being such a dark brown, it wasn't something I could sew up in the evenings as I needed daylight.  As it is currently raining, snowing and hailing (how does that happen all at once?) light is somewhat of a problem and so I apologise for the poor quality of the shots that are coming up.

The pattern comes from a 1942 Stitchcraft magazine.  It was featured on the front cover which means we get to see the original in all its colourful glory.  I’d love to find just the right shades of green to replicate the original.

I chose Stylecraft double knit using dark brown as the main and copper as the contrast – a nice combination I think.  From a wool usage point of view, it didn’t use as much as I thought it would and only took 330g of dark brown and 140g of copper which leaves me plenty to make a two colour turban to match! :o)

The stitch is more simple than it looks.  The pattern is basically stocking stitch with a row of slip stitches that you carry over 3 rows before shifting them forwards or backwards on the 4^th row depending whether you want a zig or zag!

The neckline called for a row of double crochet, something I can just about manage, and the back opening is finished neatly with 3 original vintage buttons.

I do have an admission to make.  The frilly bits should have been cast off in the contrast yarn to give an added bit of detail.  I can’t remember the reason why they weren’t but I don’t think it really matters, they still look lovely.

The design is one of my wartime favourites, which is why it's been done 5 times before! :o)  This is a lovely lady wearing my favourite green colourway :o)

It never hangs around long and I'm hoping that this new colourway will be snapped up just as quickly!  With the weather taking a turn for the worse, it could be your perfect winter warmer :o)

In response to a couple of questions I got on my previous jumper post;  Yes I do actually sell my jumpers.  Primarily, I sell genuine 1940’s civilian clothing, shoes, hats etc but as a sideline, and a very popular one at that, I do sell the jumpers either at 1940’s events or occasionally on my Facebook page which you can find HERE.