Yesterday, through the slight haze of a beer induced headache, it came to my attention that Jason was playing his cricket semi-final. "Not a problem" I thinks to myself, "he should have fun and I will laze about the house pretending not to see the refuse from the night before, watching some TV and generally being sloth-like". Then the non-hungover voice spoke words of reason. "If Jason is playing in the semi-final then that means that he has, at best, three weeks of cricket left and, if he loses, today and tomorrow!"
"Today and tomorrow?" hungover Jacki thinks. Not that I hoped he would lose but I have to admit that the hungover Jacki was rather pleased with the thought of the season being nearly over. "But you are making him a cricket vest" says non-hungover Jacki "and if he loses this game he won't play again until next summer. Wouldn't it be nicer if you finished it for tomorrow?"
Hungover Jacki thought about this for a moment (or ten) and agreed that "yes, that would be nice" and my sloth-likeness turned into knitting-like-a-manic-to-finish-the-vest-todayness.
I knitted like a woman possessed. I made up the pattern as I went. I messed up the pattern, frogged back and made it up again. But Everest was climbed! At 12.30am last night the blocking started and it was finished this morning under (thankfully) brilliant Autumn sun.
At 12 noon Jason pranced off to cricket in his new vest. Okay the back was still a mite damp but other than that it was finished!
I love the centre cable, it looks oh so fancy (but really wasn't that hard) and I would like to report that the whole thing was done without a cable needle. Do yourself a favour - learn to cable without a cable needle! You will never go back.
If I am to be honest the neck finish is so-so and a more finicky person would do it again, but Jase is happy and thus I am happy.
Well, I guess you know that you have neglected your blog when even your mother tells you "it has been a long time since you posted anything on your knitting blog thing". Yep, she calls it a blog thing. Those wacky older people, sorry, I mean people "of a certain age".
Now that I have ensured that my mother is going to kill me, disown me or refuse to babysit the kids; I suppose I should move on to something interesting.
Problem is, there hasn't really been that much of interest happening. Of course stuff has been happening. Hell, I have a husband and three kids. Stuff is ALWAYS happening. But nothing "blog-worthy" seems to have gone down. FOs have been thin on the ground owing to school information nights, housework, a social life, trips away and life in general.
I did finish a cardi but I really need to take nicer photos of it to blog it properly. I'll get back to it okay?
I have started a few things. A jumper for me is in the naughty corner owing to a rogue stitch at the underarm that refuses to cooperate. We will have a stern talk at some stage and it might survive through to completion. I have also frogged Jason's cricket vest after many complaints as to its incorrect sizing (okay it was a little snug) and I have restarted a new version. Here is a progress shot with showy big central cable....
I also have a pair of socks on the go after seeing them on the Yarn Harlot's blog called Sleepy Hollow. Yes I do feel like a bit of a Harlot Harlot following Steph but if you look at them you have to admit they are darn nice socks and I am intrigued with the gusset technique. Is it really my fault that I get a little excited by a new gusset technique? I never said I wasn't geeky. Look, there isn't much to see but here you go (I only started last night okay).
Well there you go Mum, I updated the "blog thing", my apologies for my slackness but sometimes real life gets in the way of cyber life - thankfully.
Just a quick photo of my baby's first day of school. After a slightly rocky start to the day (his big brothers were so excited that they got Rohan a little emotionally overwrought), he has had a fabulous first two days and can barely wait to go back Thursday.
It is amazing how many people have asked me if I am sad that Rohan is now at school. Hell no! He was so ready to go and it is great to see your children enter the new phases of their lives. Not to mention that now that all of them are at school I also enter a new phase of my life. For the first time in 10 years I can leave work and come straight home without picking up anyone (woohoo) and I have Fridays completely to myself to do things.
Look at all my big boys. How damn cute are they?
Oh, and do excuse the big wet patch on Bevo's shirt. I unfairly insisted that he wash off the large amount of toothpaste that he had deposited there.
After some thought and such I decided that I like my concept of offering one size of a pattern for free and multiple sizes at a cost. With this in mind I decided that I should publish a size of the Tayla Jade for nix, nothing, nada! For no good reason I have chosen the size 4. Sizes 1 through 10 are still available for the low, low price of $5, click here to purchase.
So here you go!
Size 4
Finished Chest Measurement (without ease): 58.5cm
Materials and Notions:
3 balls of Anchor Magicline (70m per 50g ball) or equivalent 10ply (worsted) cotton.
4.5mm Circular needle (40 or 50cm for sizes 1-6 or 80cm for larger sizes).
4.5mm straight or DPNs if preferred for the straps.
Darning needle
2 Stitch markers
Gauge: 18sts / 10cm
Glossary
CO – cast on
pm – place marker
s2,k1,psso – slip two stitches as if to knit two together, knit the next stitch and then pass the two slipped stitches over.
yo – yarn over
K2tog – knit two stitches together
ssk – slip two stitches and then knit together through the back of the stitches.
BO – bind off
The Knitting
Starting at the bottom:
Cast on 110 sts using the circular needle, place a marker and join to work in round. I would recommend a long tailed cast on or similarly stretchy edge.
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: Purl
Round 3: Knit
Round 4: Purl
Round 5: Knit
Begin Lace Pattern:
Following either the chart or written lace instructions, work 5 repeats of the 8 rounds.
Written lace instructions:
Round 1: [k1, yo, k3, s2,k1,psso, k3, yo]repeat to end of round
Round 2: knit all stitches
Round 3: [k2, yo, k2, s2,k1,psso, k2, yo, k1]repeat to end of round
Round 4: knit all stitches
Round 5: [k3, yo, k1, s2,k1,psso, k1, yo, k2]repeat to end of round
Round 6: knit all stitches
Round 7: [k4, yo, s2,k1,psso, yo, k3]repeat to end of round
Round 8: knit all stitches
The Bodice:
Round 1: [K20, K2tog] to end of round.
Round 2: K50, pm, *p1, K1*to one stitch before end of round, p1
Continue repeating round 2 until bodice section measures 7 cms.
The Top:
Round 1: knit to second marker, BO remaining stitches in the round.
From here on in the garment is worked back and forth on the remaining stitches.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: k4, p to 4 sts before the end of the row, K4
Row 3: k4, ssk, k to 6 sts before the end of the row, k2tog, k4
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until 30 sts remain.
Work 6 rows of garter stitch
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The Straps:
Row 1: K4, turn
Row 2: Continue on those 4 stitches until strap is approx 30 cms long or desired length
Row 3: ssk, k2tog
Row 4: k2tog
Cut yarn and thread through the remaining stitch
Rejoin yarn beside completed strap, BO all bar 4 stitches and repeat rows 2 and 3 for other strap.
Finishing:
Weave in ends and block.Trust me; blocking does make all the difference. For the uninitiated, this really just means wash your TJ and lay it out nice and flat to dry, pulling the lace out open.See not that scary at all!
This pattern is provided for your own personal use. You may knit it for yourself, as a gift, a swap or for charity. This pattern is not intended for commercial use. Any intended commercial use requires permission in writing and the payment of a small license fee.
If I am to be honest the neck finish is so-so and a more finicky person would do it again, but Jase is happy and thus I am happy.
