The arthritis in my wrists and hands has been playing up lately, making hand quilting impossible; so I have decided to hibernate the 'Welsh Quilt' for now.
While I may not be able to hand quilt, I can knit! In fact knitting with wooden needles is really good exercise for your hands, especially if you suffer from arthritis. I decided to start simple as it's a while since I knitted anything. This is a very clever pattern for a cardigan which is knitted in one piece from the top down.
You can find the pattern on Ravelry
HERE
I am knitting with a gorgeous mix of merino wool, silk and cashmere; this is 'Pashmina' by
Madelinetosh in a gorgeous plum colour 'Purple Basil'
I am really enjoying sitting in front of the fire in the evenings and knitting away...
I have also spent quite a bit of time looking at patterns on Ravelry and doing a little stash enhancement - wouldn't want to run out of things to knit would I?
This is a gorgeous native British yarn from
Blacker Yarns all of their yarns are from regional and rare British sheep and spun at their mill in Cornwall. This is from Gotland sheep and is a wonderful natural mottled silver colour
In the accompanying leaflet they say that if you give them the batch number of your yarn, they can tell you where the fleece was raised - really? I had to try, apparently I am the first person who has ever asked! I had a lovely email from them telling me:
"The fibre in your batch is from the 2013 clip of Sue’s very own Gotland flock, based near St. Austell in Cornwall. It was spun on our mill near Launceston – like all our yarns."
My yarn came from these sheep!
I am really looking forward to knitting with it and I am already looking out for other rare breed yarns.
Beautiful sweater and I love the plum color yarn!
ReplyDeleteThat cardigan looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI hope your hands feel some better soon.
Have a nice weekend.
Marja
I have the same issue sometimes with my wrist and thumbs. I put my quilt down for a week and now my applique finger...that I use to push the needle...is sore and wants a break from applique, and I think I can quilt again, since I had a rest. Your cardigan yarn is gorgeous and the finish will be lovely :) It's nice to have a variety of things to turn to!
ReplyDeleteI have the same issue sometimes with my wrist and thumbs. I put my quilt down for a week and now my applique finger...that I use to push the needle...is sore and wants a break from applique, and I think I can quilt again, since I had a rest. Your cardigan yarn is gorgeous and the finish will be lovely :) It's nice to have a variety of things to turn to!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cardigan love your colours Elaine!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that your wrists are causing you pain, but it's good that you are still able to do some sort of crafting. The wool you've chosen for your cardigan is beautiful and the pattern looks a pretty complex for someone who says they haven't knitted in a while!
ReplyDeleteukcitycrafter@live.co.uk
How wonderful to know where it came from. You might even be able to find a picture of the sheep to contemplate while you are knitting!
ReplyDeleteOh now that is so cool, to be able to find out where your yarn came from exactly! Very nice! Pretty color too! And I love the sweater you are knitting. The color is beautiful too! I'm glad knitting works for you. I do enjoy knitting a lot.
ReplyDeleteYour purple yard is beautiful, just love the color! Hopefully your arthritis will subside and you can alternate between the two projects. Blessings, Gretchen
ReplyDelete