I’ve been knitting for a while. It’s a thing I do.

I recently-ish started a policy of having something on the needles for someone else most of the time. Apart form when I’m in between the projects for other people.

Lately, my thoughts have turned to Lily and the few mummy-made sweaters she has available. I made her a poncho a few months back, but after an initial very happy reception it’s spent a lot of time in the cupboard.

Largely I’m at ease with that. I remind myself that I enjoy the process. It’s rare that something is not enjoyable to knit, and it’s also rare that I spend “proper” money on yarn for something for the children, so we can live with something not being worn out.

Many moons ago I made Lily a cardigan using a sirdar demin self-patterning yarn. When I’d finished it, she said it was lovely, but it wasn’t pink enough. So I gave it away.

Since then she’s moved on from the pink a bit, but I’ve learnt my lesson. I wanted to knit her the same cardigan, only the yarn I had enough of in the stash was turquoise. I checked that a turquoise sweater would be acceptable. Turns out, she thought it would be.

So, allowing both of us a bit of room, I started on the age 10-11. As previously documented, the skirt around the bottom felt like it would take for ever. So I decided that, seeing as this was going well, we would stick witht he length of the 10-11 age size, but, given that there is absolutely nothing spare on Lily, we might go with the 8-9 width. This meant I could stop knitting 5cm earlier on an interminable length of stocking stitch.

However, once this skirty length was finished, it seemed to grow amazingly quickly.

I was really pleased to be able to use my new favourite cast on – the alternate cable cast on – for starting the sleeves. I loves it, I do. And after some practise, I can do it without having to do it all in one go, keeping track of whether I’m purling or knitting and woe betide all of us if I lose my place.

The next problem I created for myself was to try to find a matching bind-off. I knew about sewn kitchener bind-off, but the instructions I was aware of (on knitty.com) were an adaptation for working in the round. I interpreted them fully incorrectly for working in the straight, but the results came out quite pretty ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT GRRR so they stayed.

I found the proper instructions which basically said to do the set-up rows, then split onto 2 needles, then graft. This made sense. So I started doing it on the button bands (see how I’m missing out the dull bits, Dad?!) and sadly it pulled in by about 1/3rd, completely distorting the cardigan…

By this time, I just wanted to finish, so I did a normal bind off. And after all the other faffing, it was simple and looked fine. DEEP SIGH.

I’d been in dilemmas about the join between the sideways skirt and the upright body and had consulted both @CurlyMinx and Mark at knitwise. I think my eventual solution may have included suggestions from both of them, so thanks to you both for being top sounding boards.

The pink yarn is from The Stash, the buttons are from Knit Wise and were purchased as a pack to get the buttons used in my other recent project for Lily, which I haven’t blogged about yet 😉

Anyway, the reveal:

the front… and the back:

I even ironed it before taking a picture of it.

I’m insanely pleased with how this has turned out. I’ve shown these pictures to *everyone*. If you know me and you haven’t seen these, you clearly haven’t seen me in the past week.

35 days. The beginning bit felt like a *very* long time, but it was worth the glorious finish.

And the bonus? Lily says she likes it.