Best Of - Small Girl Cardigans

So small girl cardigans are something I know a little about. Over the years I would have made at least….hold on a sec….I just went to Ravelry and counted….at least 30 of them. I have actually made more than 30 as I am sometimes too lazy to post them on Ravelry, or don't get around to taking photos of them before a child mucks them up. There are so many patterns to choose from and yet at the moment, I keep coming back to the same one. Knit after knit after knit. 

The pattern in question is Granny's Favourite by Georgie Hallam, who you all know is one of our teachers. She released it last September* and at last count I had made four. Five soon as I have just been asked to make another by my daughter, as her original has been worn so much it is starting to look a little too well worn (read: stained) and small. You may remember that version from last year as we used her cardigan on our postcard.

So what do I love about it.

1. The fit.

The yoke has a beautiful shape that both emphasises the beautiful lacework and their shoulders at the same time. It only has three buttons which gives a lovely swing shape which is great over frocks. Plus at the start of the pattern Georgie gives you great advice on how to get a good fit, rather than just suggesting that you knit for age. 

The cardigan in the photo at the top of the post (Rav details here) was actually knitted for my niece, who is two years younger than the girl in the photos. But it still fits and that is one of the things I love about it - it's longevity. Due to the circular yoke hugging the shoulders, and the fact that as she grows the sleeves just move from full length to 3/4, then you have a garment that looks good on a range of ages. Often a cardigan that is too big just looks too big - this doesn't.

2. How fun it is to knit

I love how quick and simple the yoke is once you get going. And when you have made it a few times you can knit the yoke in your sleep. Quick and addictive. Then, once the yoke is complete you don't want to stop, because you want to see a finished knit because the yoke is so pretty. 

3. The details 

Two things in particular here. The first is the slip stitch edge which means that the button bands don't curl. This technique is so clever and simple and yet I hadn't come across it until I made this pattern. 

I mean look at that - this is the inside and that little seam means no flipping button bands - Georgie is a genius.

The second is the technique that Georgie suggests when you start knitting the body and sleeves top-down from the yoke. Normally this results in a hole that you have to darn up at the end. This technique means that there are absolutely no holes and a beautiful join. I now use this technique everywhere.

You can just see the join on the left hand side facing us.

4. The yoke!

I mean - c'mon! Timeless and beautiful. Old fashioned - but not in a lumpy way. It has a refined heirloom feel to it. Pretty without being fussy. 

The last one I made - there is a photo on instagram here - was the newborn size. Super quick and super super sweet.  

Now I know this post started by saying small girl cardiganS with an "s" and I have only given you one. So here is a couple of others I love ….

For babies - my all time favourite, would knit it over and over again even though it is a bit of a bugger to start the yoke, would have to be Maile. It is just a beautiful pattern. Read other people's notes on Rav. They will help. I have three versions of it on my project page if you fancy a look at some others. Not for beginners though (a suggestion for beginners in a minute!) as the join may make you want to give up knitting altogether. And that is never good for the soul.

For small girls an absolute favourite is Little Buds. I have only knitted this once. And we managed to lose it (I blame the child!) but for garter squishiness which looks fabulous on small girls I love this. I do plan on doing it again at some stage. In real life I spend a lot of time squeezing this child, but with this cardy on she was practically irresistible. She may have got a little impatient with me. I may have ignored her impatience due to the irresistibility of the garter.

For slightly older girls another favourite is Go Buffalo. I have actually made two of these (only one on Rav) and plan on making more. I love how it sits on her shoulders and the tomboyness of the V. Super cute. I made a few alterations to the neckline to make the V a bit deeper so check those out if you like what you see. I also used garter stitch for the button bands and gathered cuffs. Modification can be addictive….even with a great pattern.

And finally for beginners - I would try In Threes. I have never made one but have started a few friends off with them, as they make the move from scarves to garment knitting. The combination of the worsted weight yarn and the simple sleeveless shape means they race through them, to a very satisfying result.

I'd love to hear about your favourites if you have one. I'm always on the lookout for something new to try….

Felicia x

* Georgie released an update which is a bit more concise than the first iteration so make sure you have the latest version.

What are you making?

So my wifi situation tonight involves sitting in the dark near a campsite reception. Luckily there are no mozzies, but it means I can't finish the post I was writing.

So I thought I would ask - what are you making at the moment? If you are coming to this year's retreat I'd love to hear if you are making something special (there is absolutely no need to do this but I know some of you will!) And if you aren't coming, I'd love to hear what you are making to wear.

Before last year's retreat I was so nervous about you all enjoying yourselves that I didn't have the headspace to even think about making something special to wear. Luckily I had a fairly substantial handmade wardrobe to dip into :) ! Second time around, because I know we can pull off a really special weekend, I have a little time to do a spot of The Craft Sessions 2014 knitting!! 

I'm limited to what I have with me - luckily that involves the two yarns above. And while the blue-ness and grey-ness of them is making me feel just a little bit predictable, I'm OK with that because they are the most stunning versions of blue and grey. Looking at that photo above just makes me happy. 

The blue Shilasdair is well on the way to becoming Maeve. Although, I am slightly nervous about the fact I am knitting a shrug. While the pattern is sublime, I was a teenager in the 80s. Those of you that were with me in that decade will know what I'm talking about. I'm trying not to think about it too much.

The grey Isager is going to become another Carrie Bostick Hoge pattern called the Imogen Cowl. I have had this in my queue for-ev-er, so I am glad that I finally have a yarn and some time to focus on it. It isn't exactly kid friendly knitting but I hope I should be able to do a few rows in the car here and there.

So I'm looking for some inspiration for when I get back. Not having access to a sewing machine for over 3 months is proving a little frustrating so I am looking to live vicariously through you. Are there any new patterns out there that are tickling your fancy? Are you knitting up a storm?

I'd love to hear….what are you making?

Felicia x

The Great Colourwork Monogamy Strategy

So before we had our first baby, we went to a “Having a Baby” class. A great class with a great teacher – she had wisdom etched in the lines of her face - which is what you want. At the time, with our heads full of the sparkle and static of having our first baby, I didn’t understand that one of the things she taught me, was going to be one of those pieces of self knowledge that changes your life forever.

Sitting crossed legged on the floor, facing our partners, she asked us this simple question. “In stressful times, what is your natural reaction – fight or flight?” Now as I am hhmmming and ahhhmming, my partner is grinning and almost guffawing. Obvious to him and not so much to me, until that moment.

I am a runner. I run metaphorically and I run physically away from the pain. Any pain*. And although I am not a natural runner (if you meet me one day that will make sense) I can run fast when the need arises. When I have a problem, am feeling uncomfortable or unsure, I avoid the whole schmozzle and go to a happy place somewhere else. A little bit “run away, run away”, a little bit “ignore it, it will go away” crossed with a little bit “if it can’t catch me it doesn’t exist”.  

Running can look like lots of things. I can turn anything negative into something positive (otherwise known as running). I can find “solutions” to things that don’t need solving (more running). I can just pretend something isn’t a problem at all but pretending it doesn’t exist (and even more running). I do happy. I don’t do any of that other stuff. Or at least I used to.

About now I can hear you start thinking “but what about the crafting” and “who cares about babies”. And so here comes the lifechanging bit. Learning that piece of information (fight or flight), and really understanding what I do in any situation that is uncomfortable/sad/blah/blah - means that I now have much greater control over my life. Now I watch myself start to run, and often I stage a coup!

And so was born The Great Colourwork Monogamy Strategy. Otherwise known as Monogamy is The New Black.

I’ve talked about my love for multiple projects before on this blog. I think I even titled the post “Multiple projects are the way forward” and I totally still believe it. Some projects for comfort, some for utility, some for presents, some for art etc. Crafting to fit the need or mood you have on the day. Crafting for your life.

However in this case I knew that having multiple projects wasn’t going to get the job done. I knew that this sweater was going to be uncomfortable for me. And I knew I would avoid it. Even though I really wanted to see the outcome, I would avoid the discomfort.

Discomfort because I don’t know that much about colourwork. I don’t know for sure how to combine colours and patterns to achieve the effect (gorgeous!) that I want. It could just as easily turn out to be really ugly. And I like getting things right. Discomfort because I don’t have the internet like I normally would. I couldn’t check my “how-tos” at a moments notice when I wasn’t sure about something technical, like what to do with a float longer than five stitches. And while I was ready to “Rip with Joy” because I wanted to make this jumper something I could be proud of, I knew that there was no way to do this without making lots and lots of mistakes. And mistakes are sometimes uncomfortable. And many many mistakes can take me well into running mode.

Almost finished!

After getting a little way into the knitting  – and realising it had sat in the pile for a good month untouched because I wasn’t sure what to do next – I knew that I needed to act. In this case staging a coup meant looking at all the things I was doing instead of the cardigan and getting rid of them. It was clear that the solution boiled down to some monogamy. I needed nowhere else to turn in my time of need. 

No sweet little Pebble vest calling to me with its ease, constancy and guarantee of a good result.** No brand new, me-designed sweater for the girlchild which I had swatched for in a brilliant blue. No other options. That way the only option available to me – as I would still have to knit – would be to get on and do the colourwork. Sometimes that would mean I would have to sit with the discomfort of not knowing what to do and not knowing what was right. Because I was monogamous. Take that you runner you! You have nowhere to hide.

After posting the instagram picture (from the start of this post) where I thought I was nearly finished, I realised it still didn’t sit right and that I would have to rip it out again. I ripped the yoke three more times after that last photo; at least five times in total. Then I did the neck and got that wrong. And then ripped it and did it again.

This is not the way I normally work. I would rip once and then walk away for a while to recoup. Monogamy was totally working for me. I had to think about the problem rather than avoid it. I had to try different options and step into the unknown*** with no guarantee it would work. I had to be brave. And tenacious. And all the other words you don’t get to be if you are busy running and being happy.

And I feel pretty proud. I’m thinking I might try monogamy again the next time I really want to achieve something difficult.

A week or so ago my monogamy finished (read: was tossed aside with joy) and I am yet to finish the sweater. But I didn’t start anything else until the hard part was done. All that is left to do is the steek and the bands. And they are purely technical. No hard decisions left. Just a requirement for a bit of time and space and light, which are currently in short supply as we are between countries and campsites. When it is done, I’ll get back to you with a little steeking post.

What monogamy was tossed aside for….

In the mean time – do you feel like telling me about how many projects you have on the go?  Or are you a one project kind of gal? Ever tried monogamy?

Felicia x 

* Hence why it is a useful thing to understand if you are about to give birth to a baby.

** I had actually just started one, that I then pulled out – only 3 inches or so – just so it couldn’t sing it’s siren song to me.

*** Indianna Jones style obviously.

The third class and a winner

So first things first! Thank you all for all your lovely birthday wishes. I really loved hearing from so many of you and it gave me some perspective on why you come to this space to read. 

And so without further ado - the books will be heading out to Justine who left the following comment on the blog.

“Congratulations on a huge 12 months !!! I have learnt so much through your posts and look forward to a whole lot more to come ....Thank you for always challenging the way I think and go about my ‘making’. ”

— Justine

Thanks Justine!

And now one more good thing to tell you about today. For those of you coming (or thinking of coming!) then we have one more completely optional class for the Saturday afternoon. It will be run by the super clever Julia Billings and it is the perfect class for all you fibre lovers. Whether you are a crocheter or a knitter or a weaver, having an understanding of what Jules will be sharing will massively increase the amount of success you have with your projects…..

Fibre 101 with Julia Billings

We have access to such a huge array of yarns that choosing the right yarn for a knitting or crochet project can be overwhelming... and yet yarn choice can be the difference between a garment you love and wear forever and a frustrating mess. This class is designed to teach you how to work out the type of yarn best suited to your project and how to find it. Julia will explore the various types of natural fibres and the processes involved in turning them into yarn including scouring, spinning and dyeing. You will learn how these processes influence how a yarn looks, feels and behaves during and after knitting. 

I love everything about this class and just wish it had been around 10 years ago when I was a newborn knitter. It would have saved me so much pain and angst.

See you on Friday.

Felicia x

A question of unbalance*?

So I’m a little bit in love with Kate Tucker (actually a lot) . I know many of you out there will understand. Her painting’s are …..well I have no words except love. I get excited every time I look at one. And then I heard her speak a little at BHB2013 about making time for your creativity in the midst of motherhood and it made me love her even more. But I'll tell you about that some other day.

So I am on the mailing list from the gallery she is represented by and they just sent me a preview catalogue of her latest exhibition Unstable Elements. As expected, in the catalogue is a little bit of a discussion about her process for this body of work and she said this….

“In these works I tried to push everything and I resisted resolution and balance. Yet, despite this, everything seems to find its resolution. They have their own force towards it. I spent a lot of time painting over areas that were perfectly fine because they were not doing what I wanted them to do. Intellectually, I was exploring how I might bring more failure into the images.”

— Kate Tucker's catalogue for her latest exhibition "Unstable Elements"

She wants to bring more failure into the images and resist the resolution and balance.

Wow!

The idea of intentionally failing to find balance is so interesting to me as I suspect that it is often where the magic lies.** And is totally outside my comfort zone.

I’m still trying to do more quilting but I’m finding there is a vast difference between the quilts I love, and what I think I would feel comfortable making. Every design I try to draw is symmetrical and balanced. When I look at my visual diary on pinterest the quilts I love often lack symmetry and/or lack balance, but when I am making something myself the urge to balance is almost overwhelming. The idea of making something that is unbalanced is quite unsettling. And yet it it often what I am drawn to when I am looking at someone else’s work. What is that about?

I know that when I look at Kate’s work then that is the bit I find exciting. It is the bit that draws you in and keeps you interested. And this may sound like an odd leap – but it makes me think of times in my life when as a whole I/my life was a little on the unbalanced side. Thinking back I still find the chaos of it interesting when compared to daily life as a more harmonious mothering 40yo. In this case I definitely don't want to go back there but it was more interesting on many levels.

Kate goes on to say;

“Colour is obviously a very important part of my process. I don’t choose colours because they necessarily look good together. The colours are chosen intuitively, but I also seek discomfort. I don’t think, ‘That beige will look good with that blue.’ I am more likely to stand back from it and blur my eyes and think, ‘What would I not expect to see in there?’”

— "Unstable Elements" Catalogue

This last statement is so completely contrary to how I craft - I am always looking for harmony - for things to “go”. But again, it's not what I like when I look at other people’s work.

Kate finishes with this;

“Every time you pick up the brush you have to make a choice, and I get excited about making the difficult choice not to resolve what is there but to unbalance it. That way you end up with something that is the documentation of an inquiry that has been really free. Every single bit was an active interesting moment. There are no dead zones.”

— "Unstable Elements" catalogue

Free, active interesting moments and no dead zones. Wow!

I have no answers today – only questions.

Is it fear of making a mistake that makes me stick to the safe? Harmony seems easier to make than discord. You can tell when something "goes" but to make something not go and still have it work (the magic?) …..Is it something only genius' are capable of? Is it actually a problem that there is a difference between what I like and what I make?

Is this something you think about? Does balance bother you? And what are you attracted to – harmony or discord? Do you actively seek out one or the other in your craft?

Another interesting idea to come out of the visual diary. So thanks Anna x! And thanks Kate!

Felicia x

PS. I've heard from some people that they are having trouble leaving comments on the blog. If this has happened to you can you email me at thecraftsessions@gmail.com. I really want to try to resolve it and need your help..

* A quick note to all you lovely grammar lovers. I know the word isn't unbalance but I liked the fact that using unbalance made me feel the same as how a lack of balance makes me feel. Y'know??

**I’m totally seeing an image from Season 2 of Girls where she is having the interview with the magazine editor about “your comfort zone” and “the magic”.