In my last post I gave you a history of how I started to crochet. Today, it's all about the knitting.
When I was younger, probably around 12 years old, my mum attempted to teach me how to knit... It did not go well. I couldn't cast on, I couldn't bind off, I could only just about do the knit stitch (with many a dropped stitch, and "Mum, I don't know what I've done - here fix it!").
Fast forward 20 years, and after learning to crochet, I asked my mum to teach me how to knit again. So one evening, she came around, we sat and she taught me the basics: casting on, knit, purl, binding off. I hated it! I was so confident with my crochet work with one hook, and now I was horribly inept at yarn manipulation with two needles. It felt like I was all fingers and thumbs.
I wouldn't give in though, I remembered what is was like when I first taught myself to crochet. I could do this! I kept at it, making garter stitch and stockinette stitch dish cloths like a mad woman, and after a couple of weeks or so, I improved my tension and felt more comfortable with knitting and ready to venture into a pattern.
My knitting has come a long way since then, although I will never be a speedy knitter and still do the, " Mum, I don't know what I've done - here, fix it!". For that reason, I tend to stick with double knit yarn and chunky-ish needles (between size 5 & 7) when I create my own patterns.
The pattern below works up relatively quickly, I think it took me two evenings to create, and is adorable.
Wrap Around Prem Cardigan
Materials
- Double knit yarn
- Size 7 (4.5mm) needles
- Darning needle
- 2 or 4 buttons
Cast on 28
Rows 1-6: knit (garter stitch)
Rows 7 - 16: stockinette stitch
Row 17: cast on 7, knit
Row 18: cast on 7, purl
Row 19: cast on 7 knit
Row 20: cast on 7, k4, p48, k4
Row 21: knit
Row 22: k4, p48, k4
Row 23: knit
Row 24: k4, p48, k4
Row 25: knit
Row 26: k4, p48, k4
Row 27: knit
Row 28: k4, p10, k28, p10, k4
Row 29: knit
Row 30: k4, p10, k28, p10, k4
Row 31: knit
Row 32: k4, p10, k28, p10, k4
Row 33: k18, place those stitches onto a stitch holder, bind off 20, k18
Left sleeve and front panel
Row 34: k4, p10, k4
Row 35: k1, yarn forward, k1, k16
Row 36: k4, p11, k4
Row 37: k1, yarn forward, k1, k17
Row 38: k4, p12, k4
Row 39: k1, yarn forward, k1, k18
Row 40: k4, p13, k4
Row 41: k1, yarn forward, k1, k19
Row 42: k4, p14, k4
Row 43: k1, yarn forward, k1, k20
Row 44: k4, p15, k4
Row 45: k1, yarn forward, k1, k21
Row 46: k4, p16, k4
Row 47: k1, yarn forward, k1, k22
Row 48: bind off 7, p14, k4
Row 49: k1, yarn forward, k1, k16
Row 50: bind off 7, p8 k4
Row 51: k1, yarn forward, k1, k10
Row 52: p9, k4
Row 53: k1, yarn forward, k1, k11
Row 54: p10, k4
Row 55: k1, yarn forward, k1, k12
Row 56: p11, k4
Row 57: k1, yarn forward, k1, k13
Row 58: p12, k4
Row 59: k1, yarn forward, k1, k14
Row 60: p13, k4
Row 61: k1, yarn forward, k1, k15
Row 62: p14, k4
Row 63: k1, yarn forward, k1, k16
Row 64: knit
Row 65: k1, yarn forward, k1, k17
Row 66: knit
Row 67: k1, yarn forward, k1, k18
Row 68: knit
Bind off in knit
Right sleeve and front panel
Transfer held stitches back onto needle
Row 34: k4, p10, k4
Row 35: k17, yarn forward, k1
Row 36: k4, p11, k4
Row 37: k18, yarn forward, k1
Row 38: k4, p12, k4
Row 39: k19, yarn forward, k1
Row 40: k4, p13, k4
Row 41: k20, yarn forward, k1
Row 42: k4, p14, k4
Row 43: k21, yarn forward, k1
Row 44: k4, p15, k4
Row 45: k22, yarn forward, k1
Row 46: k4, p16, k4
Row 47: k23, yarn forward, k1
Row 48: bind off 7, p14, k4
Row 49: k17, yarn forward, k1
Row 50: bind off 7, p8 k4
Row 51: k11, yarn forward, k1
Row 52: p9, k4
Row 53: k12, yarn forward, k1
Row 54: p10, k4
Row 55: k13, yarn forward, k1
Row 56: p11, k4
Row 57: k14, yarn forward, k1
Row 58: p12, k4
Row 59: k15, yarn forward, k1
Row 60: p13, k4
Row 61: k16, yarn forward, k1
Row 62: p14, k4
Row 63: k17, yarn forward, k1
Row 64: knit
Row 65: k18, yarn forward, k1
Row 66: knit
Row 67: k19, yarn forward, k1
Row 68: knit
Bind off in knit
Sew the seams up to form sleeves and to join the back panel to the front panels (I used a mattress seam, but use whichever method according to your preference)
Attach 2 buttons, using the yarn forward increases as button holes.
Alternatively, you can attach 4 buttons so that the cardigan can be buttoned up either way.
And there you have it! Happy Knitting!
And there you have it! Happy Knitting!
