Izzy, wizzy, let's get busy! Sooty cardigan and blanket

Did you know that Sooty has been on TV screens for over 70 years? I wonder whether any of the current children’s television programmes will be as recognisable in 70 years as they are today? If you have fond childhood memories of Sooty that you want to share with your children or grandchildren, I have a real treat for you: let me introduce, the Sooty cardigan and blanket set!

Both items in the set use intarsia to incorporate Sooty’s face and magic hat. I added a lot of the smaller details using duplicate stitch, which saved me quite a lot of tangles!

The cardigan is knitted flat and seamed, and is written for five sizes [0-3 (3-6, 6-12, 12-18, 18-24) months]. The blanket is knitted flat on a long circular needle, and comes in three sizes [small (medium, large)].

Both items are knitted in King Cole Merino Blend DK,* which is a superwash pure wool yarn. I love using it for baby knits because it comes in lots of colours, blocks well, and is machine washable. The pattern is written to a standard DK gauge though, so if you prefer using acrylic, why not look at King Cole Pricewise DK* instead?

The patterns can be found in the Joyful Baby Knits with Sooty Supplement that comes with issue 130 of Knit Now magazine, which goes on sale today.**

Want to add the patterns to your Ravelry favourites or queue? You can find the patterns here:

Cardigan***

Blanket***

Don’t want to hunt the shops for a copy? You can order a print copy online here (while stocks last).

*Affiliate link.

**Note that for copyright reasons, the supplement is only available with UK print editions of the magazine. If the patterns take your fancy, make sure you pick up a copy now!

***Ravelry link: may affect people with photosensitivity; proceed with caution.

All images copyright Practical Publishing, used with permission.

Another chance to get your hands on my Sooty children's jumper pattern!

I'm sure many of you recognise Sooty, the distinctive yellow hand puppet who has starred in various incarnations of his own show over many years (apparently he first appeared on TV in 1952!). Several years ago, I was asked by Knit Now magazine to create a children's jumper pattern featuring the character, and the pattern appeared in the Baby Knits supplement included with issue 57. Obviously, that was quite a long time ago (February 2016), but if you missed the pattern then, you have another chance to get your hands on a copy as the pattern has been republished in Issue 99 of Knit Now, which is on sale now.

The jumper is knitted flat and seamed, with the Sooty motif knitted in to the front using the intarsia technique. There are quite a lot of fine details in the picture, and I added a lot of these at the end using duplicate stitch, so feel free to combine intarsia and embroidery if that makes it easier for you to work. The collar is knitted in the round at the end after the jumper has been seamed.

The pattern is written for 4 sizes: 2, 4, 6 and 8 years, with finished chest sizes of 60, 68, 72 and 74 cm. I recommend choosing a size approximately 7.5 cm larger than the recipient's chest measurement.

The original sample is knitted in Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK,* which is lovely and soft and real treat to work with. If you fancy using something a little more budget-friendly, why not try Stylecraft Special DK,* or Paintbox Yarns Simply DK,* both of which are 100% acrylic and come in a fabulous array of colours. You'll only need very small amounts of the contrast colours, so this could be an excellent opportunity to use up some of those oddments of yarn you might have lying around.

Want to get your hands on a copy of the pattern? You'll need to pick up a copy of Knit Now issue 99, which is available now in the UK, or can be ordered online via the More Mags website. The pattern is also avaiable in digital copies of the magazine.

*Affiliate link.

Images copyright Practical Publishing.