I sat up to see in the New Year with Jools Holland’s Hootenanny [singing along with The Proclaimers ‘500 miles’] knitting away furiously. “I am NOT going to bed till this is all knitted!” I said. ‘This’ being my Christmas holiday project. I have relaxed a lot in front of the TV during our week at Cornerstones, making myself a tunic, and was determined to finish it before I came home. Well, I did – although I admit that I did the final sewing up in the car on the A47 yesterday morning! My friend Janice lent me the pattern [thanks J] so I won’t be able to wear this one if I do more supply at her school – but I did enjoy making it. It is the first time in ages that I have wrestled with a cable needle. Bob says I mutter a lot whilst manipulating the wool and needles, and he hesitates to start a conversation. Anyway – all done now and ready to wear…
Photo taken at wrong angle, making it look awfully ‘hippy’-it’s not!
Technical details – the pattern is James C Brett # JB128, and the wool is the recommended ‘Marble Chunky’MC28 [the pattern shows MC31] – it took me two balls** to do the 36/38” size and cost around £5 a ball from Twinkles in Leicester Forest East.
**Janice made hers without pockets as she ran out of yarn – I made mine slightly shorter than the pattern suggests [cos I am little!] and I ran out whilst knitting the pocket tops. I did them with one row less than recommended, and had to sew up with an alternative yarn. The pattern says you need 2 balls for 32/34, and 3 for 36/38 so I am not surprised I only just managed it. I’ve also tacked the pockets closed, as Bob thinks they will gape [he is right] but I’ve left a gap, to slide in an ‘emergency hankie’.
Trying to cable knit and watch TV at the same time is far too complicated. My next project is going to have to be simpler, I think.
Love the tunic, thanks for the details. You did well sewing up in the car, I'd have been feeling nauseous from looking down all the time & only occasionally looking up and seeing everything swiftly pass by. Lovely tunic, Vee x
ReplyDeleteI love knitting plain projects in front of the tv and it looks amazingly gorgeous - and cable plus tv is tough! It is also looks amazingly warm and comfy. I love James Brett yarn as well. Wannabe Sybil xxx
ReplyDeleteThis is fab and I'm impressed with anything done on circular needles. I feel sorry for your poor hubby when you are doing your mutterings, you should tell him to ask you my favourite question "Am I needed for this conversation, or are you managing with just yourself...?"
ReplyDeleteI also laughed at the 'emergency hankie' and the singalong and thought how sad to admit that, then I wondered if you knew all the words or did you put the subtitles on the tv for the bits you couldn't remember like I did that night....hmmm?
Glad your festive break has gone so well and productively.
It wasn't on circular needles- just two regular ones and a short kinky cable needle [they probably have a proper name]
DeleteI just sing along cheerfully making up words if I cannot remember the proper ones.
Winter is my favorite time for knitting in front of the TV, and I love making cables. Your tunic looks soft and lovely. Enjoy it!
ReplyDeletexofrances
I love the tunic! I've never tried knitting cable, it's on my list of things to master.
ReplyDeletex x x
Very welldone!!! A lovely item! I was taught to do the basic.knit stitch by husband's mum this holiday and attempted to do in the car coming back down from Hexham and got in SUCH a mess!!! There's two large holes in my work so far!!
ReplyDeleteI think you really need to get the hang of basic knitting before you try knitting and driving at the same time [or were you in the passenger seat?]
ReplyDeleteAnd here's me finally finishing PC's "Christmas" cable scarf and planning my smug ta-da blog post. Sigh. One's meagre accomplishment is always outshined by another more accomplished!
ReplyDeletePublish it anyway - to look after two boys and all the other stuff you have had going on is a major accomplishment in itself - to manage cable-knitting at the same time is amazing. I was on holiday and could just sit and knit. Furthermore PCs scarf is probably extremely long so would have required much patience.
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