Friday 15 May 2009

Easter Tortoiseshell Cardigan

Last night I finished my Easter cardigan, my first proper knitted garment (I don't count the tiny hand warmers) and the first time I have followed a pattern. I am very glad to have it finished... here it is blocking this morning.


The cardigan is riddled with mistakes, mainly made during the making up... how annoying is this stage? I can totally appreciate now why people have a love for seamless knitting, and knitting in the round. However, even with all it's mistakes, I think it is quite cute... just about passable! The size is 3-6 months and I don't think the style is right for such a little one. In hindsight I would have looked harder for a pattern that was looser - more of a bed jacket. I don't think a tiny baby really wants to be in something with ribbed cuffs or waistband.

I did find the making up of this was very difficult, there were a lot of pieces and it felt very fiddly... it being my first pattern, I'm not sure if this is the norm or not? I have learnt a huge amount, through my successes and errors on this. Hopefully it will get some wear from the next baby in the family (due any day), and I think that only then will I be able to judge the success of this cardigan.

Yesterday I also finished another quilt. Another baby one, just like the first. Again, as a gift for the next new cousin. Here is a picture of it all folded nicely on top of... what's that?


...on top of my brand new spanking sewing machine... hurrah! I LOVE it. It is a Janome Memory Craft 4800 and is a dream. My little Elna got me going on sewing, but it was time for something a bit more serious.


One of the marvelous things about the new machine is how quiet it is. My last one was so noisy it sounded like a jump jet taking off and so when I woke up early, and the boy was still sleeping I never wanted to sew as the vibrations would shake Mil awake in the next room, but no more!

Yesterday morning I got up early and pulled out my Millie Moon quilt which has been sitting untouched since September. Time to get this one finished now I have a sewing machine that can cope with it.


I would also like to say a big thank you to Fieldy who posted me her latest edition of Sew Hip. Fieldy operates a 'pass it on' system with her Sew Hip subscription, picking one commenter a month at random to post her latest issue to, once she has read it. It feels like I never get picked for anything (but we probably all feel like that, no?), and I try not to splurge on magazines too often, so what a treat, thank you Fieldy!

2 comments:

Rhiannon said...

Hurray for new sewing machines :D This one looks particuarly lovely and shiny :)

xx

angharad handmade said...

The new machine looks fantastic! I must admit I have been window shopping a lot just lately and love the look of the Janome machines. I still have quite a few pennies left to save though!