Soft Contrast Cardigan: perfect for the school run!

I've been busy over the past few months working on secret projects, so it's a delight to finally be able to share one with you!

My Soft Contrast Cardigan* is right up my street: longline cardigans are the perfect casual piece to have on hand for quick trips out of the house or for cozying up with a cup of coffee. I designed the cardigan with the school run in mind - a garment to have to hand when you need to nip out of the house, but it's just too warm to need a coat. This cardigan uses marling for a blocked look that creates a soft contrast between the cream and the black (not tried marling before? It's really easy, you just work with two strands of yarn at the same time to mix the colours up).

If you fancy a brighter look, you could try marling coloured yarns to make a really eye-catching garment.

One other feature this cardigan has is a deal-maker for me: pockets! I love a cardigan with pockets, so had to add some - perfect for carrying your keys and maybe a snack for a quick trip out of the house.

The yarn for the Soft Contrast Cardigan is West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply,* whish is my favourite sock yarn. The yarn combines British wool with nylon, perfect for making a garment that is simultaneously warm and breathable, and will stand up to wear and tear.

You can get the pattern for Soft Contrast Cardigan in the August 2020 issue of I Like Knitting, an ezine that is available via a subscription model. If you would like to support me while you subscribe, please consider using my affiliate link.*

Want to add the pattern to your Ravelry favourites or queue? You can find the pattern page here.

********

Time: 1 month pattern

Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: Finished Bust Size 30.25 (33.75, 38.25, 41.75, 46.25, 49.75, 54.25, 57.75, 62.25, 65.75)” to fit bust 28 (32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64)”

0-2.25” positive ease recommended.

Shown in size 33.75”

Gauge: 18 sts and 25 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st using yarn held double after wet blocking
Materials

Yarn: West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply (75% Wool, 25% Nylon; 436 yards [400 meters]/100 grams): 010 Milk Bottle (A, 3 (3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5)  balls), 099 Liquorice (B, 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6) balls)

Needles: US size 8 (5.0 mm) 40” and 16” circular, US size 7 (4.5 mm) DPNs

Notions: Markers (6), removable markers (2), spare needles/waste yarn for holding live sts, spare needle for joining rows of live sts

Pattern Notes
This cardigan is knitted from the top down with set-in sleeves.

Pockets are worked into the fabric of the cardigan towards the hem.

The stitches for the sleeves are picked up around the armholes and the sleeves are knitted down to the cuffs.

The cardigan is finished with an applied i-cord edging that is worked at the end.

The cardigan is knitted using two strands of 4 ply yarn held double, with the top and bottom sections being marled in two strands of the same color and the middle portion being knitted in one strand of each color.

*Affiliate link.

All images copyright I Like Knitting.

Do the twist: Barley Twist Cardigan available now!

One of the things I have been focussing on for the past couple of months is getting some of my patterns that were originally published in magazines re-released so they can be enjoyed by a wider audience. One such pattern is my Barley Twist cardigan, which was originally published in Knit Now magazine at the end of last year. At that point the pattern was available in only one size (0–3 months), and one of the things I was keen on for its re-release was expanding the size range, which I have done. As of today, the pattern is available in my Ravelry store in sizes 3 months to 12 years (covering chest sizes 40.5 cm [16.25 in] to 76 cm [30.5 in]).

The Barley Twist cardigan is my take on a traditional raglan children's cardigan. Sometimes I want to knit something simple, but with little details that maintain my interest as a knitter: the Barley Twist cardigan does exactly that. The raglan lines feature cabled details, and the A-line shape stops the body being endless stocking stitch! The cardigan is named for the cables along the raglan lines.

The cardigan is knitted top-down, and the yoke is knitted back and forth in reverse stocking stitch with a cable detail along the raglan lines, then the sleeve stitches are held and the body knitted back and forth. The body includes increases to create a gentle A-line shape, and the buttonholes and button-bands are knitted at the same time as the body and yoke. Once the body is complete, the sleeve stitches are returned to the needles, and the sleeves are knitted in the round. Instructions are given for both long and short-sleeved options.

The cardigan is knitted in aran-weight yarn (all three samples shown are knitted in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino Aran* [100% merino wool; 80 m (87 yds) per 50 g ball] because I am completely in love with the yarn!), making it a quick and straightforward knit. And the size range means this is a pattern you can go to again and again.

Fancy picking up a copy? Head to the pattern page! And if you use the code TWIST you can get the pattern for the introductory price of £3.75 (the code is valid until 11.59pm BST, Tuesday 18th July 2017, after which the pattern will cost £4.50).

Image copyright Practical Publishing

*Affiliate link.

New designs: I Like Knitting magazine, April 2017

This week's new patterns are all about the bunnies! The April issue of I Like Knitting magazine has a section called Some Bunny Loves You, which includes several patterns featuring Bunny motifs, perfect for spring.

First up we have my Peter Rabbit Pillow and Blanket set. 

The Peter Rabbit Pillow and Blanket feature the same motif: a rabbit silhouette with a fluffy tail. Both designs are knitted using the intarsia technique on a stocking stitch background, and would make a perfect nursery set.

The designs are knitted in chunky weight yarn (Hayfield Baby Chunky and Sirdar Snowflake Chunky) so are quick to knit. The set is shown with a pink background, but could be knitted in any colour - I think the bunnies would be perfect on a purple or green background.

And secondly we have my Baby Bunnies Cardigan.

The Baby Bunnies Cardigan features a border of cabled bunnies knitted in stranded colourwork on a background of reverse stocking stitch. The cardigan is knitted in stocking stitch from the top down with a garter stitch border, raglan shoulders and buttons down the front. The pattern is written in sizes 2-10 years, to fit bust sizes 21–28 inches (52.5–70 cm).

The cardigan is knitted in Drops Merino Extra Fine, a DK weight 100% Merino yarn that comes in a huge array of colours and is excellent value.

All the patterns are available in the April 2017 edition of I Like Knitting Magazine, an e-zine that can be accessed either online or via the I Like Knitting website. Subscriptions are available from $19.97.

*This post contains affiliate links for both Love Knitting and I Like Knitting magazine. See the Policies and disclaimers page for more information.*

Want to add these patterns to your Ravelry queue or favourites? Here are the links:

Peter Rabbit Pillow
Peter Rabbit Blanket
Baby Bunnies cardigan
 

All images in this post copyright I Like Knitting magazine.

Half term hiatus

This week is half term (mid-term break), so knitting has taken a bit of back seat as I am distracted by other things. I do have two projects on the go though, both straightforward stocking stitch that can be done while entertaining children/being driven to events/whilst shattered and winding down in the evening.

The first project is a cardigan for me that I cast on last weekend, the Antler cardigan by Tin Can Knits. The cardigan is knitted bottom up, so I have a lot of stocking stitch to do before I get onto the cables. I've almost got to the end of the first sleeve, and once I've measured my arm and worked out how long I want the sleeve to be, I'll cast on the second as a few days of portable knitting.

 

The second project is, somewhat predictably, a pair of socks. I always have a pair of vanilla (non-patterned) socks with me that can be worked on whenever I am held up somewhere or have a few spare minutes. The current pair are knitted in Halloween striped yarn that I bought from Rosie's Moments at Yarndale. Purple is my favourite colour (you couldn't have guessed from the colour of the cardigan), and while I don't generally do anything Halloween-related, I couldn't resist these stripes when I saw them (going against my policy of looking at everything available at a big event, then making a decision). The yarn is lovely to work with, and I've used a Fish Lips Kiss heel (which I recommend, it's nice and easy to memorise) to avoid disrupting the stripes with a gusset. I'm at the very end of the first sock, and am about to cast on the second, so I doubt these will be done in time for Halloween, but really don't mind as these will get a lot of wear as soon as they're off the needles.

Do you also find that knitting with children around requires simpler projects? Let me see your current projects.