Secret Garden Cropped Cardi

SECRET GARDEN CROPPED CARDI FREE PATTERN
 

Yesterday Gaby and I organized a quick photosession of the little black cardigan I knitted for her this summer. As I mentioned, Gaby spent the summer in a two months' practice at Cambridge university, so I had to improvise the fit, trying the cardigan myself. I should confess that I am as pleased as punch with the general outlook and the fit of the cardigan on her, it's better than I imagined it to be!

I am taking part in a Design Along voting on Ravelry, so I wrote the pattern for the cardigan for size S and I'm offering it free here. I thought I could grade it for other sizes, but that would require testing and I simply don't have the time for such a big endevour. However if size S suits you or if you are experienced enough to grade it to your desired size, I'm happy to provide the pattern.

Pattern: Secret Garden Cropped Cardi
Yarn: Performance Cotton Gem 330 g
Needle: 3.25 mm, 3.5 mm
Time to knit: two weeks

My husband proposed the name Secret Garden, as the columns of ssk and yo looked to him like the steel bars of a fence, through which you could see the cables (trees) of a garden.

Bonus Sweater - The Pattern

I finished my Bonus Sweater and as a bonus to my Bulgarian readers I decided to write my notes into a free design. It is only one size - small (bust 82 cm), but I hope it could be of use to someone and I believe it wouldn't be difficult to adjust it to other sizes.
I often design my own patterns, but writing them up is quite a different trade. Anyway I hope I've managed to write it understandably and I might even consider translating it in English, if I can find some free time.

BONUS SWEATER - FREE PATTERN (Bulgarian)

I'm really pleased with how the sweater turned out and I am quite tempted to repeat the pattern with other colors as well, may be make one for me. Gaby has promised me a modeled photosession soon, so stay tuned :)

BONUS SWEATER (download)

Celtic Knot Mini Dog Sweater

I've written down another sweater for my friend's mini dog. I like knitting for this loveable dog so much - easy knitting and instant gratification. I hope you'll enjoy my new pattern as much as I did!

Pattern: Celtic Knot Mini Dog Sweater
Yarn: Alize Lanagold Classic 80g, 200 m or any other worsted weight yarn
Needle: 4 mm (US 6)
Time to knit: two days
The pattern if FREE and DOWNLOADABLE and includes a chart and row by row instructions.

DOWNLOAD CELTIC KNOT MINI DOG SWEATER

I also took plenty of pictures during the process to clarify the pattern. The pdf includes row by row instructions and the chart, and here's the short version of the pattern in pictures:

Cast on 54 sts, leaving a 50 cm tail for mattress stitch. Work 17 rows in 2x2 rib, starting and finishing with 2 purl stitches.

Заплетете 54 бр, като оставите около 50 см конец за зашиване. Плетете 17 реда ластик 2х2, като започнете и завършите с две опакови бримки.

On row 18 (WS) add 10 new stitches to the central part for the Celtic Knot Chart:
p16, k1, kfb, pfb, p1, k2, p2, kfb, kfb, pfb, pfb, kfb, kfb, p2, k2, p1, pfb, kfb, k1, p16

На ред 18 от схемата добавете 10 бримки към схемата: 
16о, 1л, 1л отпред и отзад (добавя една бримка), 1о отпред и отзад, 1о, 2л, 2о, 1л отпред и отзад, 1л отпред и отзад, 1о отпред и отзад, 1о отпред и отзад, 1л отпред и отзад, 1л отпред и отзад,2о, 2л, 1о, 1о отпред и отзад, 1л отпред и отзад, 1л, 16о

If you follow the increases as written, you should get this configuration of stitches on the right side of your knitting, which will allow the knit and purl stitches from the rib to flow uninterrupted into the Celtic knot chart:

Ако спазите добавянето на бримки както е описано, опаковите и лицевите от ластика преминават плавно и без прекъсване в схемата на келтския възел:

Work in chart for 18 more rows, a total of 36 rows:

Плетете още 18 реда по схемата, общо 36 реда:

On row 37 split the knitting into three sections for the front leg openings: a small stockinette st section of only 7 stitches, worked for 13 rows:

На ред 37 плетката се разделя на три части за отворите за предните крака: отдясно се плете малка секция, която се свива до 7 лицеви бримки, общо 13 реда:

Instead of cutting the yarn, you can slip stitch it with a crochet hook along the edge of the leg opening to bring it to the beginning of the middle section:

Вместо да срязвате конеца, можете да го спуснете със залепени бримки до началото на средната секция:

Then work the middle section for 13 rows:

Плетете по схемата средната секция нови 13 реда:

And the last stockinette st section of 7 stitches. On row 50 the three sections are knit together again, adding the decreased stitches:

След това плетете отделно и последната секция от 7 бримки. На ред 50 трите секции се събират заедно, като на 49 и 50 ред се добавят свитите бримки:

From row 50 to row 68 the sweater is knit as one section over 64 stitches. On row 69 begin the decreases, which form the hind part of the sweater.

От ред 50 до ред 68 пуловерът отново се плете като едно цяло от 64 бримки. От ред 69 започвате да свивате за оформяне на задната част на пуловера.

On Row 92 the ten additional stitches of the Celtic Knot chart are decreased and the chart is transformed back to 2x2 rib. Only 22 stitches are left on the needle:

На ред 92 допълнителните 10 бримки в схемата на келтския възел се свиват и схемата се прелива обратно в ластик 2х2. На куката остават само 22 бримки:

The two edges of the sweater are sewn together (I prefer mattress stitch) to form a tube:

Двата края на плетивото се зашиват и оформят тръба:

Then the rib around the hind legs is knit in the round, picking 27 stitches along the left and 27 stitches along the right edge of the curve for a total of 22 + 27 + 27 = 76 stitches of 2x2 rib. Knit the rib for 10 rounds and cast off rib-wise.

В задния край на тръбата се плете ластик 2х2 в кръг. Извадете по 27 бримки от двете страни на плетката и заедно с 22 бримки на куката плетете общо 76 бримки ластик за 10 реда. Закрийте всички бримки еластично - опаковите опаково и лицевите лицево.

Pick up 28 stitches around the leg opening and knit 2x2 rib for 10 rows. Cast off rib-wise.

Извадете 28 бримки около  отвора за крака и плетете ластик 2х2 за 10 реда. Закрийте бримките еластично.

Repeat with the second leg opening:

Повторете и за втория крак:

And you have a fancy little dog sweater :) The circumference of the sweater is 32 cm and the total length from rib to rib is 40 cm.

Обиколката на пуловера е 32 см, а цялата дължина от ластик до ластик е 40 см.

DOWNLOAD CELTIC KNOT MINI DOG SWEATER

WIP - Black Maluka

The idea for my new cardigan came to me a couple of days ago. The previous day I had been browsing and browsing through my queues and favorites on Ravelry, trying to choose a pattern for a cotton cardigan. And - nothing. Not a single pattern tingled the urge to grab the needles and cast on. Then, on the following morning I remembered Carolyn's two stockinette stitch fitted cardigans - I love their quiet simplicity and elegance and they are so versatile. The black cardigan is a garment Gaby's been wanting for school and it needed to be exactly that - simple and versatile. So now I knew what I needed to knit was actually a stockinette stitch cardigan with some waist shaping and a beautiful border. And the first thing that came to mind was Maluka - a free shawl pattern I knitted last autumn. The design creates a border, from which one picks the stitches for the shawl - and in my case - for the body of the cardigan. Now I got my fingers itching to knit :)

This time I'm keeping very detailed notes on all of my calculations, so if the muse does not leave me, I might actually write down the pattern for the cardigan. It's knitting up very quickly - I've already reached the underarms and finished one front.
And here are only a few other ideas for borders:
Welcome to the Jungle - that's really beautiful
French Cancan - great lace border
Piper's Journey - that one might go well with a garter stitch cardigan
Chinook Scarf - a plainer border, sort of a simplified version of Maluka
Victory Wrap - this is easy and effective too

Three-Spiral Hat

Yesterday I took the opportunity while shooting the cardigan to take a few pictures of the new hat I made for one of Gaby's friends. The three-colored hat is an idea I've been playing with in my mind for some time and it finally got realized.

Pattern: Three-spiral hat (personal pattern)
Yarn: Alize Lanagold Solids (grey and coral), Alize Superlana Solids (white in two threads)
Needle: 4 mm
Time to knit: two days

The idea of the hat is that the three colors run in parallel spirals and there's no jogging of the stripes. The difference between regular striped knitting and this spiral knitting is, that in fact you knit not in rounds, but three parallel spirals.

The hat from the inside - no crossing threads, no jogging stripes:

This is the beginning of the three-row spiral. Cast on 90 sts and knit 1x1 rib for 15 rounds. Then knit one round of the rib color. Knit one round of the second color. Knit one round of the third color. Continue the next round with the first color, always observing the sequence of the colors. At the end finish all the three rounds at the same place. For the crown shaping I decided to make the decreases in the grey rows - a total of nine evenly distributed decreases per row, repeated eight times (start with 90 sts and finish with 18 sts). No decreases in the white and coral rows. I added a white pompom for splendor  - my first hand-made pompom! I also added a small label to cover the beginning of the spirals, which in my view, is the only weak spot of the pattern, as the new colors spring from nothing. A matching badge or a brooch could also do the trick and add some interest to the hat.

All in all, I'm very happy with this project, the recipient liked it and wore it today to school (according to the reports I got :). With the relevant choice of colors and a corresponding badge I think this pattern could make a nice patriotic or sports club fan hat too.