Debbie Bliss pattern for 2 colour raglan jumper (back to front!)
During our move last summer, I came upon a half finished baby coat which had been started by daughter No 2 but abandoned because work, life, and other such frivolous things got in the way. I threw the coat and rest of the wool it in a bag with a clutch of our favourite lavender anti-moth sachets and forgot about it until I came across it a couple of months ago. Ever attempting to be frugal and in a drive to use up rather than throw away, I thought I would make the small person a jumper for Christmas. Of course, as with many of my handmade Christmas presents, I began work on it in the new year. A couple of evenings on the sofa unwinding the knitting and cutting out the ravages of moths’ feasting left me with the equivalent of 3 x 50g balls of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino – a bit curly and kinked but nevertheless perfectly serviceable. There were also another 3 x 50g balls pristine and totally untouched by the moths, but somehow I was drawn to making use of the salvaged wool.
Debbie Bliss two coloured raglan jumper
The resulting jumper in itself is fine even if the kinks in the rescued wool gave it a bit of a bumpy texture but, the proof of the pudding being in the eating, it is particularly pleasurable that the wearing has been a great success. In fact the youngling hasn’t had it off his back since I finished it on Thursday evening – hence the poor photos of the jumper off the body as I had to snatch it and photograph it in low light in the morning before it went back on the little body again.
Debbie Bliss pattern for 2 colour raglan jumper: close up of neck edge cast off with extra loose casting off (see text)
The pattern is the classic Debbie Bliss one, first knitted here.
Debbie Bliss two colour raglan sweater
and then here (see picture above). This time, however, I chose a few rows of rib at the bottom of the jumper and on the sleeves – the jumper as in the pattern is quite wide and in this cold weather I like the way ribbing fits more snugly. As the neckline on the first two jumpers I made always seemed rather loose, I knitted a few more rows before I cast off. I also like the loose stretchy cast off I found on You Tube here.
In London for six months already yet domestic duties and consuming hobbies mean we sad pair have hardly ventured outside Islington. (Well, that’s not quite true for my husband now I think of it as he spends up to 3 days a week in the National Gallery Library or researching in other august institutions – so it’s just me who’s the sad one then!) Anyway, I was delighted to hear our local priest had arranged a visit to St Paul’s Cathedral for his own parishioners along with those from the nearby Catholic Church. Going as a church group of course meant that we got in free, which was lovely – but even better we were saved the depressing experience of entering our diocesan mother church through a turnstile to the sound of rattling coins. We did have to chuckle however when, asking for a little space to have a short service at the culmination of our visit, there was a bit of muttering as to it being a bit of an inconvenient request, what with all the other visitors. A pause for though, revealed the illogicality and uncharitable nature of this view and the delightful little side Chapel of St Michael and St George (with Grinling Gibbons carving) was duly made available to us!
Now back to knitting something much smaller.
8 Comments
I’m coming in August for a week of choir residency at St. Paul’s, so I shall think of you as I also dodge the turnstiles! 😀 The jumper is darling. Down with moths.
Your knitting is much more adventurous than mine – perhaps I’ll get there one day.
Perhaps we could meet for coffee in St Paul’s Crypt in August!
It’s clearly a great success, if small person is so attached to it!
The jumper was not worn today for the first time for a week – and I think he’s grown again as it looks much smaller on him than it did last Thursday!
Definitely a January pastime, this knitting lark..! I too have picked up the needles again recently, after a friend told me about a website which gives instructions for tiny garments and blankets for a charity supporting families who experience a stillbirth. Since I no longer have any Small Persons to appreciate my efforts (they are more preoccupied these days with the labels inside their sweaters, sadly), this is a much more worthwhile activity. How lovely for you Mary, that your Small Person is enjoying the wearing of yours so much!
What a good reason to take up knitting again.
Of course the other great advantage about knitting for the under 5s is that the garment is soon finished.
It would be dreadful to slog through some intricate pattern only to find the teenage recipient isn’t enamoured with the end result.
Mary it is just lovely to read your posts again, I am tryimg to have a catch up of my favourite blogs over the school summer holiday, as I never seem to get time to read blogs now.
I know you will be amused to read that I am actually planning to make a pot of tea and some toast shortly and settle down to read all your posts from this year as a treat.
What a beautiful little jumper, amd how flattering that it has become an instant favourite. Small children, as we know, do not flatter to deceive so you know it is genuine! X
Lovely to hear from you too Penny and very flattering to think the blog will be accompanying your pot of tea as a treat.
Enjoy your boys bing home for the summer.