Wednesday, June 25, 2014

School Knit








Once upon a time, long, long ago, I blogged about knitting. Truth be told, it was the knitting that got me into the blogging. My return to the needles in my late 20s saw me seeking out new techniques online, which is how I discovered the knitting blog, which led me to the sewing blog, the mummy blog, the any-kind-you-will blog. And eventually I was inspired to start my own blog.

So the knitting did beget the blog, and the blog, in turn, did beget the knitting. I knitted for the love of it, and to feed the growing obsession with yarns and patterns and the finish line. I knitted to clothe and warm other people's babies, and then my own babies, and, ever so occasionally, and far less successfully, me. The blog, meanwhile, was the impetus to keep going, to record, to show off, to share.

And then the blog led me to selling my knitting. And it was wonderful and grand and all things good. But all other knitting ceased. My children grew out of the last of my handknits and nothing has replaced them. No cardigans, no jumpers, no core-warming vests, no funny stripy leg warmers. 

My Lola started kindergarten last year and I couldn't bring myself to dress her in the standard issue acrylic V-neck. While she wore through a few fleecy hoodies, I got my hands on some superwash wool and found a pattern. Winter arrived, and left, and still she wore the hoodies.

This year I was determined to get it done. My hands weren't used to knitting on smaller needles. I wasn't used to reading an actual pattern. I worked at it in bursts, between the hats. I relaxed as we languished in a long, not-very-cold autumn. But when winter hit good and proper, I knew I had to finish.

My big girl, no longer a kindergartener, but a first-grader with a gappy smile and an obsession with books, finally has a handknit cardigan to keep her warm in the schoolyard. Now, back to the hats...


Pattern: Granny's Favourite by Georgie Hallam
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Navy
Ravelry notes here.

15 comments:

  1. So pretty--love these classic cardis!

    ReplyDelete
  2. beautiful knit and a beautiful smile :) I love how blogging moves fluidly reflecting our lives and where we are at any given moment in time :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a cute cardi and beautiful pictures! I love the lace pattern- I will look up the pattern and bookmark it for future use :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. oh it's gorgeous! I love that pattern but then I love tiKKi's patterns full stop! well done! my sister and I both had handknitted cardigans in primary school that were gorgeous and I still remember them and the lovely buttons on them. I am sure your little miss will do the same!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Perfect for the weather right now. The cardigan looks gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great cardigan, I am sure your daughter will cherish it. Or take it for granted like mine do. I something think it is easier to let them wear hoodies, but there is nothing better than knitting for your family.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So lovely that you have made this for your daughter..........and love the missing teeth, it's takes a while to get used to those smiles...adorable just the same. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's such a beautiful cardi Greer, and i always love how you spin a yarn ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is so beautiful, I absolutely love it in navy! Pictures like this make me want to learn to knit.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Stunning Greer!!! That must have been a very satisfying knit. Love the Navy, always nice when the School colours are are nice, unlike the brown I had to wear at Infants School :-) Mel x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lovely.
    C wore the cardigan his great grandmother knitted for him today…she makes him one every year for his birthday…I hope the tradition continues for many years to come..so special.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this cardigan :) I'm still finding my way through this gorgeous craft and loving discovering new patterns, techniques etc. Your knits have always inspired me Greer! I'm just about ready to give a cardigan a go.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My girl has grown out of her hand knitted cardigan, I have just got back into knitting a cardigan I started for myself 2 yrs ago - next its time for a new one for her - love the pattern you have chosen.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is gorgeous, Greer. My knitting skills are very basic - cast on, knit, cast off - but it's definitely a goal of mine to learn more advanced techniques (and how to read a pattern). Once it's Poet's turn to go to school I'd love to knit her a card like this for the cooler months (or I'll get my mum to do it!) x

    ReplyDelete

I love comments. Thanks for yours!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...