hand knit Archives - Handmade by Carolyn

pink cushions

15/09/2024 5:08 pm \ Leave a Comment \ Carolyn

Hello! My latest knitting project has been some cushion covers… I’ve had two cushions on our front bench for years, which had became bleached over time to a very unattractive dirty-greige. I took out the inserts and started planning some new covers…

I could have sewn new covers, however… well, why not knit up some of my wool stash instead? You might recognise this orange-y coral pink cushion cover as my April knitting project. It was a neck warmer but I really didn’t like it in the end. I unravelled the whole thing and re-knitted it… and I much prefer it like this. The resulting cushion cover was quite small so I had to downsize the cushion insert, however I really like it that the two cushions are now different sizes from each other; adds to the casual randomness of the appearance of them now!

This bright unicorn-pastel one was from a stash given to me by my daughter-in-law Lainey… anyone remember the Flurry yarn? I don’t know about outside Australia, but here there was a short-lived fashion for wearing scarves made from this type of wool. There was actually just over three balls of the same colour way in the box Lainey gave to me, which I thought could be enough for a cushion cover. I felt it looked quite nice with the other cushion too. The gods were smiling upon me, because there was the perfect amount for a second cover, with zero leftovers. I knitting in the round, then grafted with Kitchener stitch at the bottom end, I then stuffed in the old cushion insert and stitched up the top end with the leftover wool. So no, you can’t get the cushion inserts out again without undoing a seam, but I’ll probably just hand wash the cover and insert all together and I’m sure it will be fine.

I photographed one of the old covers because it made me chuckle a bit… they used to be dark purple, and those dark purple circles are where the buttons used to be and thus were protected from the sun. Also, because I’m very thrifty I saved the buttons too… guess which button was sewn inside the cushion and thus also protected from the sun?!

Some other maintenance issues:

I made these beige trousers a couple of years ago, using the Closet Core patterns Mitchell pattern.

They initially had got a pink wash, and then a deeper pink dye, and I proceeded to wear them about 10 times during their first year. Then, after about 6 months in the wardrobe without getting another wear, now I’ve dyed them again; navy blue. It’s like having new trousers! btw, I’m wearing them with three different Booragoon tops in these pictures! a white one, pink one, and navy one. Honestly, I wear my Booragoon tops a lot!

Our Carolyn & Cassie Booragoon top pattern is available here

Maintenance issues 2: I did a little mending recently which I though to take pictures of… I wear this dark pink T-shirt a lot and love the colour, the fabric is merino from the Fabric Store in colour Red Clay. It’s so upsetting when a favourite T-shirt develops holes! in spite of lots of mothball thingies they still seem to find their way in sometimes… Honestly, I’d buy more of this fabric and make another top if I had too, it’s such a favourite for me.

Anyway, I did some flower-style mending … it’s not too awful, I think and at least I’ll be able to keep wearing it. I’ve learnt over time that it’s best to mend little holes like this early, before they grow bigger, which they most definitely will before you know it!

Posted in: crafty stuff, knitting \ Tagged: Closet Core patterns, cushion, dyeing, hand knit, hand knitting, knitting, mending, Mitchell trousers

little pink jumper

30/08/2024 2:54 pm \ 3 Comments \ Carolyn

I’ve knitted a little jumper… this is made completely from scraps and leftover wool from other projects and the (still) large bag of bits and pieces that Mum gave me a couple of years ago. Something from nothing! Seriously, my favourite sort of thing to make…

the unpromising beginnings…

I started out following a pattern, but before long ended up frogging and reknitting the entire thing just following my gut instinct. It’s a simple raglan design, top down, in the round, with double increases at the two sleeve junctions every row until the underarm, otherwise no shaping. Top down meant I could keep knitting until I ran out of wool; which to be honest happened a little sooner than ideal! Ideally I would have liked it a little longer, and with longer sleeves too, but well… c’est la vie.

To Craig, I’d voiced my concerns that I was going to run out of wool and he replied that I could just go and buy some more… so logical! But of course completely defeating the purpose of using up Le Stash! Honestly, sometimes I feel like the stash-reduction project is maybe just a martyred pursuit… but, you know. Also a virtuous one too, sometimes. I used up every single scrap of yarn pictured above, except for one small ball that I decided the colour looked a little off against the others.

I’m quite happy with how the yarns worked out distributed across the jumper, not too much concentrated across any particular section. When it came to changing the colours, I knitted a few centimetres past the previous colour change before changing to the new colour, so that there wouldn’t be a build up of knots and bulky weave-ins concentrated in one area; and this worked well too. I wove in all ends as I was going along, and am always thankful at the end of any project whenever I think to do this! Seriously, a life saver!

The thing is… I already have a vaguely similar jumper to this one, that is quite precious to me since the yarn was a gift from a dear friend. Do I even need another little pink jumper?! It is actually not too bad looking, I think; and very warm, and comfortable to wear. Serendipitously, Mum admired it the first day I wore it, so I may give it to her.

I’m also super happy I managed to finish this one a few days before my end of the month deadline! Yay! My knit/month pledge has turned out to be quite gruelling to be honest, and it’s difficult to fit in so much knitting. To look on the bright side, I’m two thirds of the way through, and only have four projects to go!

Details: I also made my ivory top worn underneath, and my jeans too…

Posted in: knitting, Uncategorized \ Tagged: hand knit, hand knitting, jumper, own design

little sludgy cardigan

31/07/2024 11:54 am \ 3 Comments \ Carolyn

…once again slithering in under the wire on the last day of the month with my knit-of-the-month! For July’s effort I made a new little cardigan. This is yarn that I bought during our hiking trip to Italy 12 years ago! astounding really, I can’t believe it’s been that long! there was a tiny little craft store in Menagio, Lake Como, and that’s where I found it. I posted about that trip on my blog back here…

I’m so thrilled this yarn has finally been realised into a wearable thing, because it’s actually lovely. It is Lang Yarns Maxi Tosca, col. 5706 which is genuinely made in Italy, believe it or not! I was pretty thrilled to find homegrown produce, because souvenir shopping does not always result in such joys, sadly. I bought 6 x 50g balls, and managed to use almost the whole lot while adding one extra pattern repeat to the length. There is just a fairly small quantity leftover.

I chose an old favourite, the Miette pattern by Andy Satterlund; a pattern that since its debut was later rebranded as the Crumb and is now sadly unavailable. Actually the designer has retired all her patterns and you can’t get any of them any more, which is quite sad.

I’ve made the Miette pattern five times now, customising slightly by the time I got to the last one, and referred to my previous notes to make this one the same way. Namely this post. The main adjustment I make is to switch the bust shaping to under the arm. I did include the lacework but kinda regret it, if I’m being honest… in a variegated yarn such as this it doesn’t stand out as much as you’d like, and then when you do notice it it somehow detracts from the loveliness of the colours in the yarn. Definitely something for me to keep in mind for future lacework knitting…

Buttons! is it weird to say the buttons could be my favourite part of the whole thing? yes, pretty weird since I actually think my new cardigan is allover a very satisfying thing. The buttons feels super satisfying though since I made these too… !

so you know I’m trying to use what I have rather than buy anything new… well I hunted through my, still rather large, button stash for nine matching buttons, and even contemplated using non-matching buttons but couldn’t even make that work. I’d almost accepted that I was going to have to head out and buy new buttons but then remembered my modelling clay. Yay! I’ve used this to make buttons before, specifically for this coat here; and even to make the jewellery for my Queen Rutella cosplay, here. I thought I’d been painting them once finished… however was rather thrilled when I realised the final baked colour of them was actually perfect for my cardigan as is. Such luck! I just painted on a clear varnish finish to protect them and bob’s your uncle! SO happy with how they look on my new cardigan.

worn here with a ivory tee, sludgy skirt and tights, all made by me…

Posted in: knitting, Uncategorized \ Tagged: cardigan, Clara, daily outfit, hand knit, hand knitting, knitting, Miette

purple cardigan

31/05/2024 8:42 pm \ Leave a Comment \ Carolyn

I’ve knitted a new cardigan!

This is cardigan A from the book Japanese Knitting, by Michiyo, translated by Gayle Roehm. The yarn is Jansen by Mod Vera, colour 80421344, it’s a yarn made for Spotlight which is where I bought it of course. Not the most wonderful yarn in the world but I bought it anticipating the boredom of possible lockdowns during the early days of Covid. It was a bit mohair-y, by which I mean that it stuck to itself and had such a degree of fluffiness the needle had trouble getting between the stitches sometimes.

So yes, I said “new” above, but actually this is a project whose beginnings hark back to 4 long years ago… I bought the yarn in a hurry and then began quite slowly. I got the back and one front knitted then the cardigan lay undisturbed for a few years. Yes, I’m so ashamed! Anyway, progress was painfully sporadic before I picked it up again this month for May’s knitting project. I haven’t forgotten my pledge to complete a project a month! although it is going to be a more difficult task than I first thought. If I hadn’t already knitted a fair chunk of this over the last few years it’s doubtful I would have been able to finish it. As it was I was knitting like a maniac for the last week or so.

My new purple cardigan is thick and warm and I feel extremely cosy in it. It has no closure so I’m going to have to pin it closed if I don’t want it hanging open, but that’s ok. I like it open too. I realised I forgot to take a photo of the back but it’s other plain, just stocking stitch. All the interest is in those lovely, richly patterned sleeves.

I’m extremely happy to get this bulky project out of my knitting basket and into the wardrobe! This was a good ten balls worth of wool, which is a substantial reduction of the stash. It was a lot of work, but I’m so happy!!

I’m wearing it today with my Closet Core patterns Ginger jeans, and an old white tee that was an adaption of the Closet Core Nettie.

Aaaaand, apropos of nothing really, but I also have to confess that I’ve decided that I really do hate April’s project and am probably going to rework that one. Hmmm. How am I going to reduce the stash if I keep making such self-defeating decisions?!

Posted in: knitting \ Tagged: hand knit, hand knitting, Japanese Knitting book, Knitted, knitting

a weird new top

24/05/2024 12:57 pm \ 7 Comments \ Carolyn

Hello! I’ve made a new shirt/top; it’s a little weird but it’s an idea I’ve had in my head for a long time and have been quietly working on realising it. I’ve actually been making this shirt for over a month! it’s still not quite there but this iteration has helped me to firm up the idea even further, so it’s all good! This will most likely become a new sewing pattern for our Carolyn & Cassie oevre…

I used a white slubby cotton that has been in my stash for ages, awaiting a good project. I really love this stuff and have made lots of things using it in various colour ways over the years. It’s originally from Fabulous Fabrics and I’m pretty happy that they still have it available in lots of colours to this day.

I drew up the design myself and it still needs a little work but I’m fairly happy so far. My idea is to have a shirt with the traditional collar, collar stand and opening button placket to be offset over the shoulder. I really like how this part of it turned out! I made the sleeves not quite full length, and there is a short, bias bound slit opening and traditional cuff. This may or may not change as time goes on, I’m not 100% sold on this. I added two patch breast pockets to the front because it all looked a little bare without them, but the pocket situation is still a work in progress too. Reset assured there will be pockets in some form or another though! Most of my time has been in perfecting the collar and collar stand and I’m very happy with how this bit looks. Although I forgot to button it all the way up while taking my photos here it’s still very comfortable fully buttoned up. Hurrah!

I stitched on black buttons for a contrasting look; also from stash and originally from Spotlight probably. These don’t really match each other but they’re all black and two-holed, and the same size so you wouldn’t really notice the difference without knowing.

I made the hem gently curved and love how this looks.

Watch this space!

I’m wearing today for me-made May here with my beloved Closet Core Morgan jeans and raspberry silk jacket made years ago using V 2894…

You can also see this jacket worn in 6 different ways in this post here… and wow, I’ve just reminded myself how long it’s been since I did something like that! It was actually fun, maybe I should do one again!

Oh, and my daughter in law Kelly kindly sent me a few pictures of Arthur wearing his new cardigan, that I finished at the end of March. He looks so cute! In his words “it’s beautiful, like a rainbow”. Words to totally warm the cockles of his granny’s heart. What a sweetie!