A Test Knitting Story: Elara Cardigan

My third test knit for Emily of em.knits, and I'm so glad I signed up.

Usually I don't use patterns. They're generally not made to fit me (especially commercial or vintage ones), so I've got pretty good at working out the stitches and constructions from a few pictures of whatever I want to make. Cables make it even easier to get an idea of the stitch count and measurements.

But Emily's patterns are different. The first time I saw a picture of the sample knit I stared at it for a few minutes completely confused. I knew I needed to get in on this test and see what she had done. And I was pleasantly surprised that she had spaces available in my size.

As clever as I think I am, I admit I would never have been able to replicate it from images alone. I had assumed you cast on at the neckline and then made a shit-tonne of increases either side of the shoulders to build the yoke. I imagined it could probably also be knit in panels where the shoulder cables were part of the sleeve caps (like the old 1940s patterns do sometimes). Totally wrong!

Emily, much more sensibly, opted for picking up stitches and German short rows to create the same effect but with stronger seams at the shoulder so the cables won't stretch out of shape over time. It’s clear she knows what she's doing. I totally get why designers exist and charge for their work. It's genuinely brilliant having all the short row maths done for you in advance.

This was my first time using superwash yarn and I’d been warned a million times that it stretches so I purposefully make the body and arms shorter than necessary. It felt very silly making the sleeves three quarter length but it paid off when blocked.

The top button on this cardigan is very special to me. I’ve been following this creator who shares about her grandmother-in-law who is stuck in Tulkarm in the West Bank. I never got to learn Tatreez from my own Palestinian grandma so she has been very comforting. I bought this from her last month with this cardigan in mind and it works perfectly.

It peaked at 29०C today - it’s doesn’t get much higher than that over here - but I just had to try it on. This is going to become such a staple wardrobe piece this autumn and if I'm not careful this blog will slowly turn into an Emily fanpage.

Extra Thick Chrimbo Socks Pattern

These weren't originally designed to be Christmas sock. The star motif was inspired by an old Fair Isle jumper and the foot was just made of all the same colours. It's entirely made of yarn from stash: whatever colours that clashed enough to be noticeable from a distance. My actual goal with these socks was to create a design that was twice as thick as a regular DK sock. That's why every round has some type of fair isle colourwork: The floats pad out the sock. Mum in her new favourite socks If you've been following my patterns you will know that my mum has Raynaud's and needs the extra material to keep the warmth in her fingers and toes. You can check out the last pattern I made for her here . This pattern uses 5 colours. Try to make them all very different so the pattern will stand out and not blend together. A great way to test if they are going to blend together is to take a picture of all the balls of yarn in a black and white filter. Anything that has the same ...

Romney Mittens Pattern

Named after the yarn used, I spun this Kent Romney into a heavy Aran yarn last year to made a jumper, and this is how I made use of the scraps. The contrast colour is a natural Jacob (also handspun). This of course can be made with any yarn from commercial to handspun. Anything that fits the gauge will do. The sample is a gift for my mother and so this pattern is designed with a small hand in mind and may not suit a man. Though if you are confident knitter you are welcome to experiment changing the stitch counts to fit your intended hand. The pattern repeats are very simple and easy to extend over a wider stitch count. Adding length can also be done by simply repeating the chart as needed. Gauge: 16 stitches per 4 inches You will need: 6mm DPNs or circulars Tapestry needle Stitch marker Abbreviations: MC - main colour CC - contrast colour st(s) - stitch(es) R - round k- knit m1r - make one right ssk - slip slip knit *Pattern starts here* Using the main colour, cast on 24 sts and ...

My First Pattern: Watermelon Brooch

A cute and quick crochet project to use up scraps and show your support for Watermelonia 🔻 Materials: DK or Worsted weight yarn (less than 10g of each): MC Red CC1 White CC2 Green CC3 Black Stuffing or scraps (optional) 3.25mm hook Darning needle Scissors Safety pin Start with MC. Make a sliding loop. R1: ch1 (this counts as first stitch), sc5, sl st into first stitch to complete round (6sts) R2: ch1, 2sc in every st, sl st into first st (12sts) R3: ch1, [2sc in next st, sc in next st], repeat [] to end, sl st into first st (18sts) R4: ch1, [2sc in next st, sc in next two sts], repeat [] to end, sl st into first st (24sts) R5: ch1, [2sc in next st, sc in next three sts], repeat [] to end, sl st into first st (30sts) Break yarn. Join CC1 R6: ch1, [2sc in next st, sc in four sts], repeat [] to end, sl st into first st (36sts) Break yarn. Join CC2 R7: ch1, [2sc in next st, sc in next five sts], repeat [] to end, sl st into first st (42sts) Break yarn with 50cm tail. Use needl...

Midnight Knits

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