The Mohair Sweater

FINALLY I have finished the mohair sweater that I was commissioned to make for a very good friend of mine.

The friend in question has a taste for quality, hence the choice of wool: mohair. She needed a replacement of an old favourite and couldn't find the same one anywhere. I mentioned that I love knitting and she jumped at the opportunity. The pattern I used can be found here, the wool here.

There's Ruby making sure I'm doing a good job.

The most annoying part of any knitting project is blocking and sewing it all up:

Blocking, for those who don't know, is the process of flattening out your work and making it the right shape. The technique I used was to gently hand wash the pieces, and then to pin it out neatly onto a towel, letting it dry properly. I  did the front and back first because I had to stitch the shoulders together and knit the polo-neck straight onto the work.

For the sleeves I had a brain wave left it on the Aga, it dried a LOT quicker than the front and back.

 And then the absolute worst part - for me anyway - is sewing it all up. However, anything is ok if Ruby is keeping me company.

Here it is all wrapped up nicely - despite the fact that it was ripped open immediately, as my my friend was so excited to see it.

I have decided my new 'design name' is "A Fatcat Creation". My nick name (and all my user names) is Hatbat the Fat Cat, so I felt it was fitting. I don't even like cats... I also have a friend who has created a new cocktail, and on my suggestion he is naming it 'The Fat Cat'. Yesssssssss.

I have already moved onto my next project. It is another jumper... but it is in chunky wool this time so will grow a LOT faster.



After the chunky knit sweater I will be moving onto another chunky project. Miffy made a blanket a while ago using chunky, green wool. She has given me the left-overs (of which there is a considerable amount) and I am going to make something out of it...

Any ideas for what I could make.....?

Knit News

Look at that sheepish face. She takes any opportunity to lie on something comfy, even if that's my clothes.

I have begun the jumper that I have been commissioned to make. It's looking great! However when I go home tonight I'm going to unravel it all...

The reason I'm unravelling it is because the pattern and the wool don't work together. This pattern needs aron weight wool and although this wool is advertised as such it is definitely far too skinny, it looks and feels like a double knit to me, so I have found a new pattern that will work much better. The lady I'm making it for wants it to be a cozy, baggy jumper for the winter, so too small will not do.

Look how much work I've done already... it's going to be painful to unravel all of those rows... 

In other knit news: I've started Emily's headband. The one I made her wasn't good enough apparently, so now I'm using this wool that she's chosen from my stash and I've made the pattern even better.

It never looks that neat until it's stitched up and made into the proper headband, but I'm pleased with it so far.

That's it for today's update, I can't wait to get home and unravel all of my hard work and start again.....