Rowan "Lichen" Aran

There's nothing like a few long train journeys down to Devon to get on with a lot of knitting! Finally, after what must be about 8 or 9 months (on and off) I've finished my new cardigan. This one was a chore so I'll admit there were a few breaks, but once I got stuck in again I found I couldn't motivate myself to do much else!
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Rowan Big Wool Cardigan

This pattern is from one of the Rowan Studio books. I wanted to make a cardigan thick enough to be worn as a jacket, and this is definately warm enough. It was supposed to be the other way round (seams on the inside) but the way the pattern was meant that the collar wanted to turn in. After trying it on inside out I much prefer it with the seams showing, so that's how it is now. I can't decide on where the buttons are going though, I keep moving them around, I'm sure they'll find a home sooner or later!

Rowan "Lichen" Aran

I love this cardigan. Its fun to knit and looks really impressive, but its really time consuming and I just want it now!



I've discovered that knitting on circulars is definately the way forward for big stuff like this. It makes it 10 times easier to carry around and it means the weight is in the middle and not on each arm when it starts getting big. Also, my tip for cable - use a hairgrip rather than a cable needle - it stays there easier without slipping out and you're much less likely to drop a stitch :-)

This pattern is from Rowan Knitting and Crochet Magazine Issue 40

Last Year's Other Aran Cardigan

I must have finished this in February as it practically saved my life in Poland, yet I also never gor around to uploading photos of this cardigan either. The wool is Rowan, I bought it cheap about 5 years ago as it was discontinued (I don't even remember what it was called). This cardi I based on the shape of the first aran I made, but basically made it up as I went along (and no, I didn't think to write any of it down.) I wanted a high neck so I could wear it under a coat and avoid having to wear a scarf, but I also wanted something that would look slightly like a jacket top when it was half open. So this neckine design was born, buttoned up to the top it is snuggly and warm, or half open is smart and a little bit different. I looked everywhere for the chunky buttons, and eventually found them at the Stitches and Crafts show at the Brighton Centre.

Last Years Aran Cardigan

So.. It was October 2008 when I blogged about the aran hoodie I was making, out of the old dress I found in a charity shop and unravelled. I actually finished it within 3 months and was wearing it at christmas (2008), yet failed to post any pictures of the finished result. Its a shame as I've had so many compliments on it (though unfortunately my photography is never that great when I'm taking pictures of myself, hence the reason I've cropped out my gormless face.)

Cardi

Ok so apparently wool dissolves in bleach, maybe I'm the last to find out, and it turns out the dress is infact acrylic. But it looks like wool so I'm not sure I care. Anyway after I'm done with it its going to look like this:



Looky here!!

October brings aran...

I'm not sure if its wool or not. I tried agitating it in some soapy water and it didn't do much, but it doesn't feel like acrylic. I'm talking about this hideous dress I bought in a charity shop at the weekend.

I'm really excited about this new project, I'm planning to make this cardigan which was in a back issue of knit1 magazine which they sent me for free when i asked where i could buy it in the uk! And it turned up today. I told myself i have to make another bear first and that I'm going to unravel the wool properly, put it into skeins and wash it. Tiresome, but I think it'll be worth it.

Watch this space :-)