Tag Archives: Sirdar Denim Cardigan

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!

Posted in: sewing \ Tagged: arthur, Carolyn & Cassie Pattern Co, daily outfit, hand knit, hand knitting, knitting, own design, shirt, sirdar denim cardigan

another little scrappy cardigan

23/03/2024 9:07 pm \ 6 Comments \ Carolyn

Hello! I’m back wth my March knitting project; this one is of course a cardigan for my oldest grandson Arthur…

It’s the same Sirdar pattern that I used for Theo’s cardigan, one size up. You might have noticed it’s the same colour pattern too… with seven double rows of each colour offset with each other. When you start out with a plan like this, using scrap yarns, then it’s always going to be a bit of a gamble that the quantities of wool colours are going to actually be enough to see it through. Fortunately I was very lucky again that it worked out!

Arthur has quite delicate colouring compared to his cousin; blond hair and blue eyes, pale skin, so I know these lighter, clear colours would be really nice on him. I’ll come back and post a picture of him wearing it, come winter time. 🙂

In Arthur’s words “it’s beautiful, like a rainbow” sigh! Higher praise is just not possible!

Now; when I posted Theo’s cardigan, remember I promised to post pictures improving how to join the sleeves to the body to continue in one piece without stretching out the underarm bit?

btw; I know this explanation is not going to make much sense unless you’re actually knitting a thing like this, but it’s mostly to remind myself if I ever need to do this again…

So, up until this point I’ve knitted the body ie. back and two fronts, in one piece and cast off the underarm stitches. Each sleeve has been knitted flat exactly to the pattern to the underarm. Then I take a needle and knit the right front and half a sleeve, then take a (long) fresh needle and knit the other half of the sleeve, the back, and half the other sleeve, then take another fresh shorter needle and knit the other half of the sleeve and the left front. So; the three sections join up on the middle outer edge of each sleeve; and I commence knitting the cardigan from the armholes up, decreasing the raglan seams across the whole piece. The only seams needing to be stitched at the end are the underarm and sleeve seams.

Posted in: knitting \ Tagged: arthur, cardigan, hand knitting, knitting, sirdar denim cardigan

little scrappy cardigan

29/02/2024 8:49 pm \ 5 Comments \ Carolyn

Phew! My February knitting project was finished in the nick of time! Honestly now, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep up with my resolution of one knitting project per month this year, my hands might not be able to cope… but I’m still going to give it my best shot!

This is a little cardigan destined for Theo; I bought this pattern online; the Sirda Denim Cardigan. I made the second size and all yarns are scraps and leftovers from my still very large bag of scrap yarns. The buttons are coconut shell buttons, also from stash. I know, I know; sorry! the “stash” is becoming a tiresome mantra by now, but honestly I could keep working form my scraps and stash all year and may not still get through it!

I made this exactly to the pattern … except! (there’s always an exception, hehe) I knitted the body in one piece, as opposed to back, right front and left front; and then added in the sleeves and continued with the raglan seams in one piece; so essential it becomes a bottom-up, all-in-one knit. The only seams are the sleeve seams and under the arms. I felt rather clever about this. #undeservedSelfBackPat but have to admit that it made the underarms maybe a little looser than I would have liked, due to the natural stretching that occurs at this point when you join the body and two sleeves together to continue knitting above the underarms. If I was going to do this again, which I most probably will, I will re-work the needle arrangement so as to alleviate the pressure on the underarm, and post some pictures. 🙂

I’m so pleased with how the colours and stripes worked out!!

Here are some fun links though; the yellow mustard is leftovers from my mustard cowl, here...

the navy blue is leftovers from my ghost horses jumper, here. It’s slightly frustrating that the navy blue looks so black in this photo, but I promise it does look more blue in real life!

all other yarns are inherited from my mother. A few were also featured in my January project for Gilbert, namely the mustard, and the deeper brown used in the borders of this cardigan. Hehe, I know this all sounds rather pedantic to be documenting to this extent but it gives me joy to do so, so you know… 🙂

Oh! speaking of that, I finally have a picture of Gilbert wearing the baby jumper and beanie I made for his baby shower last year… how adorably cute is he?!!