Addison Embroidery
at the
Vicarage

I love this pattern and have made about 6 in various different sizes, but I have always been unhappy about how big the neck was. I first amended the neckline here  but didn’t note down the details fully, so I knitted another one and below is what I did. Both jumpers fit perfectly. Though the neck is higher, with the help of a super stretchy bind off there’s still plenty of room to get the jumper over the head. The super stretchy bind off is also pleasingly attractive. So, it’s win, win…As my granddaughter is not yet a year old, the next few years will no doubt find me working out instructions for a higher neck for the smaller sizes. Bet you can’t wait…

Debbie Bliss: Two colour raglan sweater (From Baby Cashmerino Bk 5) with higher neckline

The pattern for Two Colour Raglan Sweater comes from Debbie Bliss’s book: Baby Cashmerino 5

This is for the largest size only – age 4-5

Here are detailed instructions for anyone who loves this versatile pattern but finds the neck to be too big and loose. In essence, you continue all 4 pattern pieces – back, front, 2 sleeves – for a further 4 rows and slightly change the way the front is shaped.

Back Last 2 lines now: Repeat the last 2 rows 19 times, leaving 36 stitches. (Pattern says 17 times, 40 stitches).

Sleeves Last 2 lines now: Repeat the last 2 rows 23 times. Leave rem. 12 stitches on spare needle. (Pattern says 21 times, leaving 16 stitches on spare needle).

Front Follow pattern until ‘Shape front neck’ and do the following instead.

1st row: k2, skpo, k8, k2tog, k1, turn and work on these 13 stitches only for the first side of front neck.

2nd row: p to end

3rd row: k2, skpo, k6, k2tog, k1 (11 stitches)

4th row: p to end

5th row: k2, skpo, k4, k2tog, k1 (9 stitches)

6th row: p to end

7th row: k2, skpo, k2, k2tog, k1 (7 stitches)

8th row: p to end

9th row: k2, skpo, k2tog, k1 (5 stitches)

10th row: p to end

11th row:k2, k2tog, k1 (4 stitches)

12th row: p to end

13th row: k2, k2tog (3 stitches)

14th row: p to end

Leave these 3 stitches on a safety pin.

With right side facing, slip centre 20 stitches on to a holder, rejoin yarn to remaining 15 stitches.

1st row: k1, skpo, k8, k2tog, k2 (13 stitches)

2nd row: p to end

3rd row: k1, skpo, k6,  k2tog, k2 (11 stitches)

4th row: p to end

5th row: k1, skpo, k4, k2tog, k2 (9 stitches)

6th row:  p to end

7th row: k1, skpo, k2, k2tog, k2 (7 stitches)

8th row: p to end

9th row: k1, skpo, k2tog, k2 (5 stitches)

10th row: p to end

11th row:k1, skpo, k2 (4 stitches)

12th row: p to end

13th row:k1, skpo, k1 (3 stitches)

14th row: p to end

Leave these 3 stitches on a safety pin.

Debbie Bliss: Two colour raglan sweater (From Baby Cashmerino Bk 5) with higher neckline

Neckband                                                                                                                                                                                                     With right side facing, 3.25mm circular needles and wool of choice, k 11 sts from left sleeve, k last st tog with first st on left front safety pin, k2, pick up and k9 stitches down left front neck, k across 20 sts on centre front holder, pick up and k10 stitches up right front neck, k2, k last st on right front safety pin tog with first st on right sleeve, k 10, k last st tog with first st on back, k35. (102 sts).  Rib row” k1,p1 to end. repeat this row 8 times more.                                                                                                                                               Cast off with Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind off (find it on YouTube).

Saturday 17 February:

And here is the small person wearing his latest jumper on today’s visit to London zoo.

Well done to the Royal Mail! I only posted this on Friday afternoon, probably around 3pm and yet it plopped through the letterbox in London on Saturday morning.

Small person visiting London Zoo wearing his new two colour raglan sweater (Debbie Bliss, Baby Cashmerino Book 5)

‘All rhinos are grey’ embroidery (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)

Daughter No 3 chastised me recently for not receiving much – well, ok, any –  of my embroidery. She’s right, but as with daughter No 2, she hasn’t because both have been living the sort of life where heaping more possessions on them seemed a bad idea. Then daughter No 3 further reminded me that I had long promised I would embroider her a rhino (and I know Daughter  No 3, is echoing this with her request for a cow), so blow to all my overthinking, I’d better get on with a rhino and make up for my neglect.

Detail : ‘All rhinos are grey’ embroidery (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)

I can never remember the difference between the two main species of rhino (there are 5 in all) – the white and the black, but one helpful thing I have learnt is that the difference has nothing to do with colour. Both are grey – well, usually a browny grey as they do enjoy a regular mud bath which, to be fair to them,  is also helpful in protecting their skin from flies and even too much sun.

Detail: ‘All rhinos are grey’ embroidery (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)

The major difference between the white and the black rhino is, however, shape of the mouth and interestingly from this many of the other differences follow.

Detail : ‘All rhinos are grey’ embroidery (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)

The white rhino: Between a half and a third bigger than the black rhino with a barrel like body. A wide, flat squarish, very muscular lip declares its possessor to be a grass grazer, as does the usual posture – hoover like, head down close to the ground as it mows its way through the voluminous amounts of grass needed to fuel an animal of such a size. A rather flat back is interrupted by a little distinctive hump about three quarters of the way along.  Eyesight is generally poor and with a nose habitually close to the ground, its ears have evolved to be the most important sensor of danger. Long and funnel like to catch and amplify sounds, these are constantly on the move, pivoting and twitching like little radar dishes, even when the animal is at rest. The first horn tends to be longer than the more stunted looking second horn. The white rhino is thought of as being more placid, although some think this is because, being an animal grazing on areas of open grassland, they have more warning of advancing danger. White rhino poo is a morrass of half digested matter and looks much like the product of a day’s domestic lawn mowing, although dark, almost black because of the presence of high levels of melanin found in the grass.

Detail: ‘All rhinos are grey’ embroidery (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)

The black rhino, with its pointed, hook-like lip (prehensile and with the dexterity reminiscent of an, albeit abbreviated, elephant’s trunk) has little problem with picking fruit and leaves from even spine-covered trees and shrubs. Such a feeding pattern has made the neck strong and the head is often held high, especially if there is a hint of danger. Small ears indicate no over reliance on hearing which is  just one of the senses at its disposal. The animal’s fabled aggression may in part be due way the head is held high, permitting eye contact but it may also be  because it is easier to get close to a black rhino as it feeds in the thickness of thorn bushes. The two horns are similar in length. Black rhino poo is also full of partially digested material but remarkably this visibly includes large parts of twigs or small branches – all of which are ground off at a perfect 45 degree angle – and what a digestive tract they must have to avoid punctures!

Detail: ‘All rhinos are grey’ embroidery (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)

I think I have embroidered a white rhino – head down, barrel bodied, slight bump towards the tail, one horn longer but that was more by luck than judgement!

Thanks to this blog from London Zoo (or ZFL as we now have to call it) by Amy Attenborough (what else could she be but a zoologist with a name like that). Do look at it for photographs and diagrams which show the differences more clearly than I can.