Transeasonal boy's cabled jumper, Sirdar Baby Bamboo 346

Knitting for the conservative Australian male is not for the faint hearted knitter. This venture can also be complicated by certain people who complain vigorously that most things itch.
Despite these challenges, I claim success. This has been worn quite a few times already.

The pattern is (mostly) from Sirdar's Baby Bamboo too, book 346, which despite the title and the beautiful infant on the front ,includes patterns up to a generous size 7 years.

The sizes are in fact so generous, that for my (admittedly slim) 12 year old son, I needed only to change the length of the jumper (body and sleeves) from the size 7 to have a jumper that is a relaxed fit in all directions.

 I did intend to make the sleeves to fit when the cuff was folded back, in an attempt to gain some longevity from the jumper, but the yarn relaxed a little with wear, so I am hoping some growth comes along to correct this minor fitting issue.

For a boy's jumper, this was fun to knit. The cable is only on the front as written, but by adapting the pattern to knit in the round from the bottom up, this cable is enough to keep things interesting up to the armscye, and I added a bit of cable to the upper back for additional knitting pleasure. I tried to introduce a little cable to the sleeve to prevent knitting doldrums, but this was "too fancy" according to the recipient.

I used the Baby Bamboo yarn for the jumper, this being rated completely non itchy by the boy, and coming in a wide variety of colours. This one is 150, Denim Dungaree, which sounds suitably boyish. The last colour I used for him was called "Coo", which is not something I mentioned to him when we were discussing colour options.
The yarn is tried and true at our house, being just warm enough for Queensland Spring and Autumn evenings, and machine washable (on delicate wool wash).

Mitred blanket of many colours

in retrospect (that means, once i recovered from weaving in ends and sewing the strips together) I really enjoyed making the Jo Sharp Mitred Blanket (enlarged), and almost immediately started a new version, which started out as a tasteful subdued version in pale blue, cream and darkest brown.

This was to coordinate with an Ikea print which is on the covers of the armchairs in my daughter's flat.

Somehow, all the other colours in the Ikea print crept into the blanket - and some more shades that didn't exactly match the print snuck in as well. Fortunately there are another 2 armchairs in a dark neutral where I can drape the blanket instead.

I find it quite easy to get carried away with stripes and colour creeping.

I did plan these colours, so the blanket had a 9 patch appearance, but when you see the thing overall, I can't see the 9 patch.

It seems to have become one of those scrappy colourful blankets that are cheerful and warm, but not terribly sophisticated, and that is just fine with me.

Mostly I have used Sirdar Baby Bamboo, Jo Sharp Soho Summer Cotton, Heirloom Capri and Aslan Trends Glaciar Del Celio. These are all 8ply (DK/light worsted) with less than 50% wool content. I wanted a no-itch blanket for the people who don't cope well with animal fibres against their skin, and it seems to be working, there is an "it itches" boy inside this, and I didn't hear a single complaint. Maybe I should start another one....

Peggy Sue Addiction

I made another one. I might be addicted. This is such a quick little cardigan. Peggy Sue by Linda Wilgus again, in Baby Bamboo again.
I still didn't get to wear it, but this time, I had actually made it for someone else. My older daughter has 2 versions, and this one is for my younger daughter.

 

I love the twisted cable detail on the sleeves

I love the fitted waist using the same cable

and like how the cardigan looks good both buttoned and worn open.

Its lucky for me that Baby Bamboo comes in so many colours. .

Peggy Sue Two

Last year, I made my daughter a little navy blue cardigan from the free pattern by Linda Wilgus, Peggy Sue. She has been wearing it frequently, and I coveted it myself, so I started to knit one, in the next size up, in Flirt. This yarn by Sirdar has the same composition as the very popular Baby Bamboo, 80% Bamboo, 20% Wool (I used the Baby Bamboo last time), but the Flirt yarn is marketed as being in a  more adult colour palette (personally, I think the Baby Bamboo colours are mostly excellent for grown-ups), and has its own pattern book for women.
I chose a quite beautiful purple, called "Hypnotic" (255). Like the Baby Bamboo, this yarn has a very slight sheen when knitted up. I was thinking I would like the cardigan for casual social events during summer  - a BBQ at a friend's house, or something like that.

The teenage fashion panel approved greatly of the colour, and for Christmas, my daughter was given a lovely print blouse with exactly the same shade of purple in it.
It was not very surprising that the cardigan ended up in her wardrobe.



Here she is wearing it to go out to a "Colour" themed party




Here she is wearing it with her work clothes.
It really is a most versatile cardigan, and I still want one for myself!

Once again, I modified the pattern. This time I lengthened the waist twisted rib slightly again used short rows to raise the back neckline.
I started knitting another one almost immediately, and will show you what happened to that one shortly.

Peggy Sue in Bamboo

I love this pattern, Peggy Sue by Linda Wilgus (free download on ravelry).



I've made it in Sirdar Baby Bamboo (80% bamboo, 20% wool DK) for my daughter, in the size XS with a few judicious additions and operator errors alternate design decisions. It took only 5 balls, with mere centimetres of yarn left over, so I am feeling very thrifty about it all.



Most of my changes were at the back. This cardigan is knitted from the top down, and as written has a very straight neckline. In order for the neckline to sit higher at the back than at the front, I added 10 short rows, tapering at the sleeve increases at the back.



I also found the cardigan to be a little tight for my daughter across the back (the advantage of knitting from the top down is trying-on opportunities), so added a few stitches here also.

In the pattern, the waist cabling starts at the bottom of the ribs. I was knitting away merrily in stocking stitch on automatic pilot and failed to refer adequately to my pattern at a crucial moment. This means that I had knit nearly 9 inches of stocking stitch instead of about 9 cm, so my waist cabling is a little shallow, due to a dislike of frogging perfectly good knitting.

This does not bother me particularly, as I still think the cardigan looks great - with jeans, shorts or even with office clothes.

 

Jo Sharp Knit Issue 7 Ra-Ra Cape Construction part 1

My daughter really fancied the Ra-Ra Cape from Knit Issue 7.



This pattern calls for 10 different balls of yarn in 5 separate pieces loosely joined by 3 i-cords. Reading through the pattern, I noted that several of these shades were only used for a relatively small amount of knitting. I decided to make a version of this pattern from mostly remnant yarn, to get an idea of the amounts needed.



Section 1 and 2
I used Alpaca Silk Georgette, Kelp, 1 ball for both sections. I used Sirdar baby bamboo, Willow to edge section 1.

Section 1 was straightforward, and a pretty lace pattern. The pattern calls for lightly ironing this piece before assembly. Instead I dampened the piece and gently stretched it to shape, pinning the section to my ironing board to dry overnight. I feel that this displays the lace pattern to advantage, without the risk of distorting the piece by ironing.

Section 2 is simple crochet. The crochet instructions in this pattern are written in USA style. I found this a bit annoying. The pattern book is published in Australia, and it is an error, in my opinion, to publish in this country, for distribution in this country, using non-Australian terms without noting this use in the pattern.

In spite of translating from USA to Australian/British crochet terms, I found that using the ASG for the crochet ruffle rather than the mohair indicated (or maybe not having a tension gauge to aspire to) left me with a crochet ruffle far less wide than the blocked knitted lace ruffle. I added a shell edging to increase the width.

RS: 1dc,*miss 1 stitch, 5tr into next stitch, miss 1 stitch, 1dc into next stitch: rep from*



Section 3
This is the only part of the garment for which a tension is given. Using the tension gauge, this piece is 60cm in length.
There is an error in this section. The first 6 rows are correct, except for the double asterisks at the end of row 6, which should be ignored.

Rows 7 - 12 Rep rows 1 to 6.
Rows 13 - 17 Rep rows 1 to 5.
Cast off in rib pattern.

I used Alpaca Silk Georgette in Kelp, and Aslan Trends Glaciar Del Cielo, in colour Green Tea for section 3

Section 5 and 6 were constructed as written, using the same Rare Comfort Kid mohair shade for both (Damask) (C and D), with the other yarns being Silkroad DK Tweed in Magnolia (this is yarn E in the pattern, and I used it as yarn E), substituting Aslan Trends Artesenal in Champagne for yarn F, and using the Green Tea cotton (I), the Baby Bamboo Willow yarn (J) and Jo Sharp Soho Summer Cotton in Crete (H) as the three cottons.

The i- cords were made from the Baby Bamboo, in Willow, and in the Magnolia shade of the Silk Road DK tweed. The crochet flowers (translated from American again) were made in the Green Tea cotton.

I then started the assembly. This was not straightforward, as the diagrams are not to scale.


As section 3 is 60cm long, and Section 5 is attached to it for 20 cm, followed by a 25 cm gap, then attached for an unspecified length, it is important to note that Section 5 is attached at least 3/4 of the way along the length of Section 3, not 1/2 way along as Diagram 1 would indicate. (I unpicked ;( )



I found that Section 4 was slightly gathered to Section 3 to achieve the 13cm unattached edge at the left.



I found all the i-cords rather too long in this garment. In retrospect, I could have made them a third shorter with no problems for wear by an average sized woman.

I will write about the next assembly steps in a further post.

Baby Bamboo 370 , Happy Little Stripes

The next Christmas gift completed is a cardigan for a 6 year old niece. I have used the pattern Stripey caridgan B, from Sirdar 370, Little Stripes and Brights, making a size 6-7.




I used the same colours of Baby Bamboo as the last cardigan, as this present is for the older sister of the previous niece, and I think it is pretty to have a common theme in sibling clothing for occasional use.



The finished cardigan looks quite plain, but I am happy with this appearance. I think my niece will be able to wear this cardigan with a dress, or jeans, and this will give her more use from the garment.
In the pattern, there is a knitted flower attached to the cardigan. I have made this flower, but cannot take a photograph of it today, as the camera battery has inconveniently gone flat. I have made a pony tail ornament with the flower, and will make another few as brooches, so that the cardigan can be dressed up or down.

Sirdar Baby Bamboo Ruffly Bolero

I want to write a few posts about my Christmas Present knitting. Every year, I try to have a few things knitted well in advance, but I always knit presents through November and December.
This year, I am hoping to knit a few summer cardigans for as many of my 8 nieces as time allows. Here is the first cab off the rank.



This cardigan is from Sirdar book 352, Seaside Babies.


I have knit a short sleeved version of the Ruffle trimmed bolero pictured on the front cover. I have deviated only slightly from the pattern, making a size 4-5 for a 5 year old niece, using stripes in the ruffle and sleeves of the short sleeved version, and choosing blues and greens (133 Willow, 138 Waterbaby and 143 Playful) in the Baby Bamboo DK.
This is a very quick knit, just right for whiling away the time whilst spectating at cricket practice. This is just as well, as there are 7 niece garments to go - and my mother wants a glamorous scarf to wear in the evening....

Baby Blanket in Baby Bamboo

When I came into the shop the other day, I saw this new display by Sharon.


(I told you she was keen on baby things right at the moment)

It is made from Sirdar Baby Bamboo shade 155, Limey. This shade is not on the website shop yet, but I will have it up soon.



The pattern is simple, but the stitch changes give it lovely texture and make the blanket interesting to knit.



The pattern book is Baby Bamboo Too, 346

More Gympie Show results

I found the camera, so here is a more happy post. Lynne is right, frogging mohair is not an easy job! I may need to just finish the shrug after all. It is thinking about its bad behaviour whilst resting in a too hard bag at the moment.

Here is another of Hannah's successful show projects.


She knit this in a week, as she decided at the last minute not to include her socks in the high school knitting section, and needed a substitute entry. The cardigan is made from Baby Bamboo, pretty much to the pattern, although she has substituted willow green for one of the pink border shades. I think the green really makes it pop.

International model

Personally, I feel that Sirdar Baby Bamboo is the perfect weight for Queensland knitting. However, I should not be Australiacentric about this yarn, Sharon has been knitting delightful jumpers and cardigans for her gorgeous grandson Tiaga, who lives in Japan, and fortunately for me, Tiaga's mum says he is allowed to model these on the blog.



Here is Tiaga in a nice manly cable cardigan from a now out of print pattern book that Sharon happened to have in her stash, in the colourway Tom Thumb. Apparently it keeps him beautifully warm, even in wintery Japan.
Maybe we will have some spring in Japan photos later (Sharon has been eyeing off all the new colours). Doesn't Tiaga do a great modeling job? I think he needs a spring jacket, not that I am enabling you or anything Sharon. :)

Crochet Blanket

Last year, a lovely family from South Australia visited the shop. Leesa was buying her birthday present, supplies to work on her new crochet hobby whilst on holiday.
She picked out a gorgeous combination of yarns - Artesenal, baby bamboo, and glaciar del cielo.
Leesa has kindly sent me a photograph of her gorgeous crochet blanket. I am always thrilled to see how projects turn out, particularly when I am able to work with someone to find alternative yarns for a pattern (also known as playing with yarn, which is just about my favourite thing). I love how the colours and different patterned squares work together in Leesa's blanket.

I am sure this will be wonderful to snuggle under as the weather gets colder.