A-Line Cardigans

When Deb wrote "Morgan's Cardigan" for our Teens & Tweens book, we had no idea how popular that cardigan was going to be! Morgan (Deb's daughter) was more than pleased with her cropped sleeve version and I loved wearing the largest size to shows. However, at every show I wore it I kept on hearing "oh, love that cardigan but I'd need it in a larger size".

"Morgan's Cardigan" (largest size)
and the "A-Line" Cardigan (small).

So, after me repeating this to Deb several times, she re-wrote the cardigan in adult sizes - and it's lovely! It's called the A-Line Cardigan #624 and here it is on the left. It's in worsted weight yarn so a fairly quick knit and very versatile.
I can tell you, from personal wear, that this is a terrific cardigan and I wear it a lot! You can wear it with jeans, with nice pants or a skirt for a dressier look and it looks great over a dress as well.
I'm just starting a second one for me in a lime green merino from Abuelita Yarns (I like this yarn so much we're going to be carrying it ourselves).
The three-quarter length sleeves, as shown, work perfectly for me but you can have it as a cap sleeve or a long sleeve - whichever you prefer! The lengths are written as petite, average or tall but, again, you can knit whichever length suits.
It's on Patternfish for download.
But that is not the end! Deb got quite a number of emails asking about re-sizing the cardigan to Plus sizes.

Here is our friend Jennifer, in her cardigan
 that Deb knit for her.

After doing some research and talking to a number of interested knitters in the plus size range, she's re-written the cardigan to Plus sizes from 1X to 5X. The A-Line PLUS Cardigan #625 has the same sleeve and length options along with additional fitting options for the fuller figure.
You can download the pattern from Patternfish here.
I believe there's a KAL (Knit-A-Long) being organised for the A-Line PLUS but I'll let Deb fill you in on that.
Deb's been doing (as you know if you've been keeping up with the blog) a lot of research on plus sizing and has been getting a lot of input from Julie. It's been really interesting to hear her work through the fitting options and design challenges. Look out for the results next year in book form!
-Lyn

I'm knitting my last little baby sweater for the new book. At least I'm going to shortly cast on and then I will be knitting it. I've saved one of my favourite stitch patterns until the end, the waffle stitch. It's easy, it's effective, I think it looks great.

Waffle Stitch:
Row 1:  *K2, P2; repeat.
Row 2:  *P2, K2; repeat.
Rows 3 & 4:  Knit.

This cardigan is from the Teens and Tweens book and then we did an adult version too.

I've also used it in the Need A Sock? book.

Waffle Stitch:  'in the round'
Rounds 1 & 2:  *K2, P2; repeat.
Round 3:  Knit.
Round 4:  Purl.

And now this same stitch pattern is going to adorn a baby sweater. I can't get enough of it.

Do you have stitch patterns that you love to do? Which ones are they?
-Deb

We're going to the Fair

It is the season for Fall Fairs. And although going on kiddie rides and eating cotton candy is fun we're passing all that up to go to the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters Fair. Hoorah. It's going to be fun and busy and we'll get to see lots of friends there too.

Right now I am taking a blogging break before I do the final check on 2 new patterns we'll have ready for Saturday at the Fair.

I've done the Morgan's cardigan out of the Teens and Tweens book in adult sizes. The pattern now goes up to a 50" bust. Yay. I was tempted to call this pattern 'Me too' since so many knitters who have the teens book also wanted this for themselves. Now you can.

And Sophy (our cabinfever shipping goddess) designed a beautiful shawl which I am almost finished knitting in blue. I hope to have it done for Saturday but it will be close. The pattern is ready though. This is a combination of triangles and rectangles and really interesting to knit up.

It might look complicated but it's not. You begin at the centre neck and work 2 sets of Chart A just like a regular triangle shawl. Then, this is the interesting part, you begin Chart A again at the beginning, centre and end of the row and work Chart B in between them. This changes the shape altogether. Chart C is easy because it just extends Chart A so the triangle is bigger here. You can see that triangle in the centre of the shawl. And then you work the border (D). I am right at the last bit of Chart C & Chart B sections. Next the Border and I'm home-free.

It sits beautifully on your shoulders because of the shape. Is this cool or what. I need to get back to work on my blue one. Hope to see you at the Fair.

-Deb

It's Here!

Yes! Teens & Tweens has arrived! Here are a couple of images from the book. I'll post all the colour pages on the gallery on the web site.

The Cabled Hoodie above, Kendra's Tunic below:

The Waffle Scarf & Mittlets, below left, Mirror Stripes Pullover, below right & bottom left, and the Tam & Zigag Scarf bottom right:

Now to update the web site!

-Lynda

Teens & Tweens

While Deb and I are working on the editing I thought I'd let you see the cover! It's a family affair, the girl on the left is Thomasin, daughter of Sophy, our Shipping Goddess and accessories designer. Michaela, top right, is the daughter of our photographer, Leanne, along with her girlfriend. The middle boy is Oscar, Sophy's nephew. The boy at the bottom right, is Leanne's son, Chris! 

The cover and inside colour pages went to the printer today and fingers crossed I got it all right. We actually print on two different presses - the colour pages on a huge offset printer that prints a gazillion pages a minute and the inside pattern pages on a smaller digital printer.


OK, now back to editing as Sophy found some changes I need to make!


- Lynda

Quite often on a big project things seem to stall for a while. That's a little scary when a deadline is coming up. But the Teen booklet has recently picked up speed and we are rolling downhill now. Bernice is testknitting my A-line cardigan.

This will be the shorter version of the long cardigan I made. And Dana is working on Bernice's Hoodie.

She's most of the way up the Back Panel here. Next week the sweaters might be finished (fingers crossed) and to move the patterns along I'm going to be editing and crunching numbers over the weekend. Bernice has offered to introduce me to spread sheets, new territory for me and exciting stuff indeed. I'm totally serious, this could make pattern writing much easier in the future.

-Deb