Actually, this weekend there are 2 finished objects, but I can’t show you one of them yet. It’s a gift for someone who reads the blog and generally stalks me online, so I will have to wait until after it’s given to show off.
This, however, has already been handed over, so I can show it off without fear of spoiling anything.
The pattern for That Weasley Girl is inspired by the cardigan that Ginny Weasley wears to the Quidditch world cup in one of the Harry potter films.
Image from "Vault 713 ~ a wizarding experience"
In finally taking the time to look up the cardi, I’m pleased to find I’ve gone for a colour scheme closer to the original than the pattern used, and that’s without actually knowing what the original cardigan was like.
So, having been dragged out of bed a bit early on Saturday (actually, that’s not fair – I was up before Joel since I was awake, which quite frankly threw us all) and so thought I would use the time to tackle this.
Yes kids, that’s a close-enough-blue zip and a blue cardigan, waiting to be united through the medium of pins and thread.
Pins. This brought out some OCD. See how the pins go in rainbow-ish sequence and match on each side. Even though they will be there for at most a day.
The sewing in went quite quickly. I followed a line of stitches both on the way up at the edge, and then on the way down near the teeth. So, when Lily came back from her exciting weekend away (with Brownies), we were able to take these happy-girl photos.
Initially when making this I complained (if not out loud, then inwardly) that the pattern was more of a recipe and left out some crucial details (such as when to divide for the arms), but overall I think it’s made me a better knitter. I understand more about pattern construction, and it has allowed me to customise the pattern so that it “fits” the way Lily appears to like it – i.e. without much ease around the chest) and also to accommodate her (apparently freakishly long) arms.
I did an i-chord instead of plaiting the hood tie, which made sewing it into the hood a bit dicey (because that made it fatter), but other than that I largely followed the (skeleton) instructions.
The yarn was a bargain (Sirdar Click Aran) I picked up at Aintree, and as it happens I have just under half of it left. The yarn is the right gauge for the Cayuga set which I may well make for myself (matching hat & gloves, mmmm) and is also the right gauge for a little something I just whipped up for a friend and quite fancy one myself, actually. Fingers crossed there’s enough to do both!
Oh, and I nearly forgot, there’s a matching hat for the cardigan.
Because sometimes, a hood just isn’t enough.
And Joel made up for me getting up earlier than him on Saturday by this morning waking me up mid-dream and demanding that I get up because Daddy had refused. I was Sleeping With The Rats because Joel had requested a night in our bed so that he could cuddle a parent all night long. So, fair play, Daddy had probably been fully cuddled out by 07:30 when he came in to me.