The Little Red Cardigan

Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic comments on my last post.  I've been absent from blogging for a number of days.  I seem to have been kept busy here lately.  I can now share with you the little red cardigan. I am finally finished.  I have no idea why it's taken me so long to knit a baby's cardigan!!  This was knitted with the Heirloom Baby Wool in 4 ply that I purchased from Pick Up Stitches in Kyneton.  It knitted up beautifully, and I'm totally thrilled with the result.

I hope this close-up will show you the little reverse stocking stitch relief pattern.  I rather like the back of it, but thought I'd go with the 'designer' and do as directed.  I do however much prefer to work my ribs as a twisted rib, ie knit and purl into the back of the stitches.  I find I like the finished result.

This design was taken from a very old knitting book I've carted around with me for years.  It has even had a run-in with some hungry mice [notice the corner that has been chewed!!].  I think I was given these books by an aunt years ago.

I've made this to fit 6-9 months, as it's to be a gift for an expected infant - early next year.  The booklet says 3ply, but I have a feeling that today's 4ply is yesterday's 3ply if you get my drift, as my knitting tension was as given in the book.  I encountered a couple of new things with this little pattern.  I had never knitted a band along with the fronts for a V-necked cardigan, but loved the way this was done.  The instructions also suggested to use turning rows every 1½ inches to avoid the sagging that occurs with knitted on borders.  I honestly had never heard of this.  It worked well I must say.  It's actually nice to see a proper set-in sleeve application, rather than that dropped shoulder line effect so common to newer designs.  

I think I'll make a little pair of denim pants to wear with this [I have some quite soft, thinner denim], and have found this really old flannel in my stash which I thought would make a super soft lining for said denim pants.  Now I just need to find that Burda Baby book with the really cool baby duds pattern in it!!

Thank you again to everyone who cares to leave such lovely comments.  I do appreciate the time it takes to do so.  I also appreciate the emails I've received in the last few days asking after me.  I know I have been absent from my blog for a while, so thank you ladies for caring to ask after me.  All is well, I am just busy with animals and outside lately.  I have lots more of this lovely wool, so hope to get another little piece underway soon.