Piosa Complete

I am so pleased with myself. I’ll be honest this isn’t the best photograph to be showing it off. However, I have finished the Piosa cardigan by East London Knit. It’s also my first cardigan. I have to admit that the tutorials that came along with the pattern gave me the confidence to bite the bullet and knit my first garment. I think I would have put off my challenge to myself had it not been for this. The tutorials kept me right and I do appreciate the extra work that went into the design of this pattern as a result. I also enjoyed it. It’s a lot of knitting (compared to socks) but I was never bored. Instead I was eager to keep going and see there result of each stage of the pattern. Even without the tutorials the pattern is very easy to follow thanks to its clear instructions. If you break down the sections there wasn’t really much in it that I hadn’t done before just not together for a large garment. If anyone else wants to try something like this go ahead. I can highly recommend it.

I did make some changes and felt confident to do so. First of all I added length. The cardigan is a more cropped length than I like. So I added 20 extra rows to it. The good thing with it was that I could try it on as I went to see how happy I was with the length. I also held off on the pockets to the end to ensure that I had enough yarn (although I really wanted those pockets). Thankfully I did have enough. I also didn’t add buttons. I love buttons and I’m not afraid of button holes. I just tend not to use them on my cardigans and so I decided against adding them. I am so happy with the end result and I am proud of myself. I think my mum would have been too.

The yarn is Nua Worsted by Carol Feller of Stolen Stitches. It’s beautiful to knit with and the colour choices made it difficult to choose. In the end I went with Unexpected Macaw because it’s a blue that goes with most things and one that I wouldn’t normally pick first. I am so happy with my choice.

Now that I have finished may first cardigan I am now about to start my first top. I bought this pattern from The Loveliest Yarn Company a while ago. I love the lace design and the 3/4 sleeve. I thought it would be perfect to wear on management days in work (before current times when it’s best not to wear your own clothing in work). Let’s be honest here. If there was anything that initially attracted me to the pattern it’s the colour. My sister made that comment the other day. “You bought that because of the colour didn’t you? It’s a Karen colour.” Yep, I did indeed. As I really wanted to knit it in the colour in the photograph I was sadly unable to order my yarn from the same place (which is a shame as Michelle had the deep pink in her recent sale). It is a lace weight yarn and therefore there is a huge difference between this and the worsted that I was knitting with. Both the pattern and the yarn is by West Yorkshire Spinners.

So tonight, I plan to wind the yarn and knit up my swatch. Wish me luck and watch this space.

Piosa Part 3

My cardigan is really coming along. This image shows you that I had started the hem. I had an extra skein of yarn and so I used it to add length to the body. The good thing about this is that I can try it on as I go. I was glad that I added that length to it. It was nice in its original form but I like length to all of my tops and the extra has this sitting exactly where I like it. I know this because since taking this photograph I have finished the hem and cast it off.

In fact I am now on to part four. I decided to start the sleeves before the pockets in case I didn’t have enough yarn (despite that extra skein). I really want the pockets so I very much hope that I do. I think I will but not getting my hopes up in order to not be disappointed. I will probably be one of the last to finish this but that’s okay. I am enjoying the process and I have been enjoying seeing others finish theirs. It encourages me to keep going. Although I haven’t lost my enthusiasm for it. Without wanting to be too optimistic, if I keep going at my current rate I might have it completely finished by the end of next week.

Piosa KAL Part 1 & 2

Part four of this fab KAL by East London Knit came out this week. While I am sure that many people are powering through this latest instalment. I am working my way through part two. As this is my first garment I am being extra careful not to make mistakes. Therefore I am working on it only when I am off. At least for the sections that require concentration.

So I am proudly showing you my first swatch. Actually not my first swatch but my first that was done specifically to measure my gauge. I am proud to say that my gauge is the same as the pattern recommendation. Proud because as a newbie it means I don’t need to worry about deciding whether to change needle size or change the size of the pattern I had decided to go with. Drug calculations no problem. This hurts my brain (probably because I’ve never had to do it). Anyway, I was saved this time and I love my little swatch. I even blocked it.

Part three was already out when I was waiting for a day off to watch the YouTube video on how to do German short rows. I have done short rows in the past but never German. Up until that point I had done the cord, picked up stitches and the first two rows. Once I was past the short rows I was able to do a few rows each night after work. I’m afraid I couldn’t stay awake long enough to do more than that. Since the above photo I have finished with the back down to the armholes and I’m about to put the stitches onto some scrap yarn before I make a start on the front. Feeling proud of myself so far.

I am currently knitting a pair of socks for myself in between. After that though I think I will get back to the scarf and shawl that I had been working on before Lockdown. Then when I have finished my cardigan I have plans for a jumper. Can’t wait but I really shouldn’t count my chickens just yet.

Today is a special day for my family and it seems apt that I should post about my knitting. Today is the fifth anniversary of having lost my mum to Pancreatic cancer. Most people who knew her know her for her love of red and her love of knitting. She was an avid knitter and could knit up jumpers in the space of a week. I think she would be proud of me for knitting my first cardigan as well as wondering what took me so long. The photo below was taken by my dad from their holiday in Portugal, a place she loved. Anyway, I plan to continue knitting and have a cheeky glass of her favourite red while watching one of her favourite films. Hope you are all safe.

East London Knits Knit-A-Long

I promised a post about the knit a-long I was participating in and here it is. It’s a cardigan and the design is called Piosa by Renee Callahan of East London Knits. I love her designs and I thought taking part in something like this would be a good way to knit my first garment. I haven’t shown you a full image of it because it’s not mine to share. These images are from the pattern itself so I have zoomed in to small parts of it. I can tell you it is pretty and has pockets! I think I will definitely be challenged here. It’s not a mystery knit. You know what the final product will look like. However, the pattern is being released in four parts (I think four parts). Plus it has tutorial videos which I think will be helpful for me. I have knit my swatch but I’ve still to block it so no photo’s from me yet. I also haven’t started the cardigan itself yet as I had to order some needles. I made the stupid assumption that I had them all. I do not. They have now been ordered so by then I will have my swatch blocked and will have watched the next tutorial.

The suggested yarn is Nua worsted by Carol Feller of Stolen Stitches. I decided not to make life difficult for myself by choosing a different yarn. The colour I’ve chosen is called Unexpected Macaw. It is such a beautiful yarn. So soft and I loved knitting with it on that small swatch. I can only imagine wearing a full cardigan in this. Some of you will see this and think that is a Karen colour. Believe it or not there was another colour which was more of a signature Karen. My sister was able to point it out straight away. I wanted to go for something slightly different but one that would go with most of my clothes. I think I picked right even if it’s not completely out of my colour comfort zone.

I hope that you are still all managing to stay sane while shut away and safe if you are having to leave for work. I’ve been fairly tired and my sock knitting has slowed down a little. I am on my last pair for my nurse friends and I am going to move on to a pair for my sister. Next post I hope to show you some of the yarn I have purchased for this months small business support. For now though I am off for some family zoom chat. Stay safe everyone.