Baby Tulip Cardigan

I have been hard at work on this new knitting pattern, which I am calling Baby Tulip Cardigan. It has taken a lot of thought, and knitting. Cardigans just seem the best sort of garment for a baby, with none of that squeezing over the head of a jumper. The tulips are smaller than those on my Tulip Hat, but knitted in a very similar way. Each flower uses two separate lengths of yarn - one for the leaves and one for the flower, which are not carried between the flowers on the reverse of the work. I love the look of the raised flowers, but put them only on the front of the cardigan, as I felt they might be a bit bumpy on the back for a lying or sitting baby.

The pattern comes with instructions for four sizes (0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-12 months). I have written sized patterns before, but this one was slightly more complicated, as the flowers had to be placed on each version. (The pattern contains a lot of brackets, and I hope will be fairly straightforward to follow.)

 

 

I have knitted Size 1, 2 and 4 - each one in a different DK wool that I had in my stash. Some of the places where I sell suggest that you will do better by recommending a specific brand of yarn, but I thought knitting with different yarns was a good way to test the pattern. The cardigan only takes 70g to 120g of main shade wool, depending on the size you knit, plus small amounts for the flowers, so it really is a good way to use up some yarn left over from another project. I used Stylecraft Sweet Dreams for Size 1, some North Ronaldsay DK for Size 2, and some Rowan Designer DK which I think came from my sister for Size 4. (Just looked this up, and apparantly it was discontinued in the 1980's, so that has been in my stash for a while!)

 

I like them all, and am rather fond of Size 4 - with each flower being a different colour, and the different coloured buttons at the front. Spent a lot of time in a haberdashery picking these out.

  

 

 

But what now to do with all these baby garments. I don't seem to know anyone with a baby, so apart from no baby models, I have ended up putting my samples in my Etsy Shop, along with my sample Tulip Hats.

The pattern is available on Ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting.

My resolve was to design more knitting this year, although I have been a little distracted by printing, walking, and now the gardening year is beginning! I have quite a few more ideas brewing, so time to start my next design.

Baby Car Cardigan and Hat

 

I have been making a cardigan and hat for one of my workmates, who is expecting a baby with his partner in October. He loves cars, so I decided to add a bit to this cardigan and hat set. The pattern I used is on Ravely as Cardigan and Pompom Hat by Sirdar.

I did find the pattern a little confusing, as the front sections are cast off, and then stitches are picked up, and a yoke is knitted. It does seem it would have been better to have put the stitches on holders, as done for the back and arms. If I knit again this is what I would do.

 

I enjoyed adding the car, which my daughter helped me design with a grid. We have gone for sporty (with a fin), but not racing car. The wheels are embroidered on afterwards with two rings of chain stitch, as I thought it would be easier to make good circles this way. Wish the car on the back was a bit higher up. I also added a checkered flag to the rib on the hat, and sort of wish I had done this to the cardigan as well. Too late now. The wool I used is some lovely soft merino in DK from Blacker Yarns, and oddments for the cars. I had fun looking for car buttons, which I found on Etsy. 

Although the baby is not due for a week or two I think I am pretty safe posting these pictures, as I am sure he does not spend the weekends looking a craft blogs.

 

Windy Day Baby Cardigan

 

One more photo of the latest version of my Windy Day Baby Cardigan. This cardigan was for my colleague's grandaughter, who is now back at home after some time in hospital. Looking pretty as a picture.

There are more details of the wool I used and a link to the pattern here.

Back in London now, and at my job in school. Pleased that I am booked for the vaccine tomorrow.

 

Just a reminder that there is still loads of time join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for March. I would love to see what you have been working on.

 

Windy Day Cardigan - Baby Marble

I have been busy making just one more Windy Day Baby Cardigan from my new pattern. I am so pleased with how this one has turned out. It is in the largest size, 6-9 months. The wool is James C. Brett Baby Marble DK. It was fun to knit and see the colours change, and I think because the pattern is all garter stitch and fairly plain, it suits a pretty wool like this. I am very much looking forward to giving this cardigan to its new owner soon.

And just to mention the buttons, which are the reason it has taken me so long to get this cardigan to the finish. They are some more of my homemade applewood buttons. I am going to try and do some real close up photos in a separate post, but these buttons will be in a new section of my Etsy shop soon.

 

Just a reminder that there is still loads of time join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for March. I would love to see what you have been working on.

 

 

 
 

Windy Day Baby Cardigan

 

I've been hinting for a little while that I've been working on a garment, and I am at last ready to publish my new baby cardigan pattern. For quite a while I had the idea to knit a cardigan in just one piece, really with the idea of minimising the sewing up, which a lot of people seem to really hate.

 

It has taken quite a while to get this pattern done, but it finally written up in 3 sizes (0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-9 months). I really wanted to write my pattern this time with the instructions for each size in brackets, but some how I couldn't manage this, so each size is written out separately, so you get a lot of pages in your pattern. The other complication is that the wrap over is different for boy/girl. Instead of writing these out separately, which would have made the pattern even longer, there are instructions for shaping, and at the end of each size instructions on which rows to make your buttonholes for either a boy or girl.

For some of my test knits I was in London, with my button supplies, but for the one above I had the added problem of no buttons available. When you can only go out for essential shopping, it does make you wonder about the definition of essential. So with a bit of help from my husband the buttons you can see above were handmade from some applewood. I am in the process of making some more of these for my shop, and will write about this more in another post.

Knitted in Rico Baby Classic dk Light Grey

 

You could knit this cardigan with any double knit wool, but I would recommend using Rico Baby Classic dk, or James C. Brett Baby Marble. I have almost finished another cardigan in the second wool, and will post a few pictures in a day or so. 

On some of my samples I have added a bit of embroidery on the neckline. This isn't included in the pattern, but there are tips on my blog on how to use some simple embroidery stitches on your knitting.

So the pattern for the Windy Day Baby Cardigan will be available on ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting later today. Fortunately a have had quite a few baby births among my friends and family, so all these cardigans have found homes. 

 

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for February. I would love to see what you have been working on.