Wednesday 18 September

With a return to more regular blogging I want to revive my WIP Wednesday too. I make a LOT more than I show on this blog. In fact, it started as a craft blog, but has slowly evolved into more of a general diary. I would quite like to be better at recording my makes - in fact, every year I have a New Year's resolution to keep my Ravelry project page up to date. In reality I find I want to do a photoshoot, the weather's never right or I forget my camera or it's got dark, I'm already three projects further along and I lose the urge to post about it. Maybe my WIP Wednesday will help - or maybe I should start a FO Friday...?

Anyway, enough rambling, onto my project. It's not really a WIP anymore, as in fact it's blocking in my conservatory and all that's left to do is sew the three buttons on. But I haven't got anything else on the needles right now, so this is what you're going to get!

It's been a little warmer here today than in the last few days (brrrr it was cold in the evenings, specially as I'm resisting turning the heating on for a few more weeks yet) and the jacket is probably almost ready to come off the towel.
The pattern is Harriet's Jacket by Elizabeth McCarten, a Canadian designer whose designs I'd seen before and always liked. For years I haven't knitted a full garment as too many times I'd spend months and months on something, only to find that I didn't like the finished sweater as it wouldn't fit quite right or didn't look as I'd imagined. I followed Liz's blog as she designed this cardigan and liked it so much that I couldn't get it out of my head. After knitting my Gladys cardi, which was quite successful (and needs another blog post!), I bit the bullet and bought yarn for Harriet's Jacket. I started back in August, in fact, I knitted lots of it on the ferry back from Holland, and cast off last Monday during 14yo's ballet lesson. It was a very quick knit and I enjoyed every moment of it. The construction is very ingenious - you start at the cuff and work your way up the sleeve on a circular needle. In the past, circular needles and I haven't been on the best of terms, but I looked into the magic loop method and once I'd mastered that, I was away. Actually, you can hardly say 'mastered', as it is so simple. When the sleeve is the right length, and the great thing about circular needles is that you can try it on as you go, you increase stitches for under the arm and from there you knit the front and back half. You knit another sleeve just like that, then attach the two halves in the center back. Next up is the collar, and then the peplum. I knit mine a little longer as I'm tall (almost 6ft).
As I said, I cast off on Monday night and all that was left to do was sew in ends - no sewing up at all! Brilliant...

Looking at my photo and photos on the pattern I realise I've blocked mine a little wrong, as the bottom needs to be at an angle. I may just re-block it, because the increases at the side sit a little oddly at the moment.

I've tried it on and it's slightly bigger than I'd hoped (despite getting perfect gauge) but it's very warm and comfortable and I'm looking forward to wearing it. It looks fabulous on 14yo, so I'm hoping she'll be willing to model it this weekend for some proper modelled photos!

Now what to knit next... I've got a little project lined up - a crochet pincushion on the top of a jar for 14yo's Fashion and Textiles lessons, but after that - definitely another full garment, but what...?