Here it is. The Build a Better V, a pattern re-do to make the bottom edges flat instead of pointy.
The first Build A … pattern was the Build a V. A baby and child sized garter stitch pattern for Any Gauge of yarn.
The second one was the Build a Bigger V for adults. I wanted a rounded bottom edge so worked the increases down the front and back further and further away from the centre markers (orange markers). That seemed to work.
So I took what I did for the adult version and applied it to the baby/child sized version and here it is: the Build a Better V.
Each of the different parts of the cardigan is in a different colour. This is totally unnecessary ( I had bits of DK weight yarn so that’s what I used). It would look great in one colour. But I am not knitting another version.
One big check mark on my to-do list. I hope you enjoy making this for a special little person.
I’m sure the knitting rule is that if you finish 2 projects you are allowed to cast on 5 more. That’s right, isn’t it? I’m quite sure it is.
So here are my two finished objects. I’m feeling the joy of being at the finish line.
My tea cozy is done. I used an aran weight plus a sports weight held together for the top and 3 sports weight yarns held together for the straight body section. As I had mentioned, I am an incredibly tight crocheter so the funny horizontal lines are because I can’t get my crochet hook under the 2 legs of the stitches to make a single crochet, so I just go into the top leg. It works for me and I like how it looks. Have I inadvertently stumbled on a real crochet stitch?
My second FO is my Reversible Ribbon wrap/scarf. Yay. It is easy knitting but an 80″/203cm long wrap is still a large project. I’m all set for winter now. I’ll wrap this around my neck, outside my coat, to hold my hood in place and cover part of my face. I am already warm and toasty just thinking about it.
I added a second contrast colour and am really happy that I did. I’m sending an update for the Reversible Ribbon out with the finished photos in it.
Does a little sweater that still needs to be blocked and the buttons sewn on count as a FO? Sure it does.
This is going to be called the Build A Better V, a baby/child sized garter stitch cardigan. It is a redo of the Build a V without the pointy bit at the bottom. I used left-over DK weight yarn (from the rainbow sweater). The extra bonus is that the different colours show the different parts of the cardigan. Four buttons to sew on and I’m done.
Now I am in a dither. What to cast on?! Maybe that, wait this would be good, wow, look at that. You know how this goes.
I made one decision.
I cast on Winter’s Finery by Romni Hill. I wanted to try some rustic sport weight wool I have from Lichen and Lace. I want to see how it works for a shawl. The pattern is written for fingering weight yarn, so with the sports weight I’m using a 4.5mm needle. What a relief to be using a larger needle. Everything else I’ve been knitting lately has been with 3.25mm needles. I’m really happy to be zipping along with this one.
Now, back to ravelry to contemplate some new projects. See ya, Deb
Yup, that’s what’s been happening here. I didn’t realize how frustrated I was until …
I was knitting away on my Build a Better V and everything was going well until I ran out of navy yarn. Yes, arggh, right after knitting one sleeve I realized I didn’t have enough to do a second sleeve. OK, normally that doesn’t bother me that much. I can regroup. I found some yellow wool and made the second sleeve.
Great. I’m happy with that. Then … I tried to unravel the first sleeve and couldn’t do it very easily because of the cast off I used. So, I got the scissor out and I cut it off.
I never do this. I would normally have worked on that cast off edge and unraveled the entire sleeve. I’m not even that upset about this particular sweater. My general frustration is compounded by several projects that are not going well.
I am now working on the second sleeve. I’m astonished at myself. I obviously need to take a vigorous walk or something.
If you want to hear the whole sorry story, here is my youtube podcast.
Last weekend I went to a knitting retreat I have been going to since 2008 (I think that date is right?). Except for the missing covid years, I have only miss it two other times. One of the missing years was last year and I can’t tell you how happy I was to go this year and see all my friends. Even though I only see them once a year it is a joy to be back knitting, chatting, laughing and eating like there was no break at all.
That’s not much of a photo but you get the idea. Imagine all the seats taken with women telling funny stories and knitting or crocheting.
We were in a new location. If you’ve been following me over the last summer you know this sort of place makes me very happy. Knitting, water, trees and friends. Perfect.
Have you been to a knitting retreat? Did you love it? If you haven’t I would highly recommend them.
I got quite a bit of knitting done on my Build a Better V, the re-do of the Build A V baby/child pattern. You may notice that it’s a different colour than the last post. I knit the back panel and half the front panel in blue, thinking the whole time that it was a little stiff and thick. It didn’t occur to me for quite a long time that I was working with worsted weight yarn and I meant to be using DK. Ooops. Duh. There was some mix up of yarn weights in my stash I guess. I should know better than depend on my organizational skills.
So here is the new one. The back panel is green and you can see how working the centre increases further and further apart from each other is creating a flat centre section which will make the bottom edge fairly flat when finished.
The two front panels are red, obviously, with the same increase set up, and the sides are navy. These are all left over balls of yarn.
With the navy I picked up stiches along one of the fronts and down the back. Then I knit the side to the width I will need for the finished cardigan. I have started the sleeve too.
Once it’s folded at the shoulder it will look more like this.
The other side should be finished by next week. Oh my, the pleasure of knitting something tiny!!!
I’m taking another look at one of my older patterns. My daughter’s friend has had a baby and I thought I would knit a Build a V baby sweater. It’s a garter stitch Gauge-Free pattern so you can dive into your stash and start knitting.
But my daughter didn’t like the V at the bottom. I’m not sure I do either.
This is the back view.
If you just look at that back centre panel, you can see the V shape of the garter stitch. The V is formed by increasing 1 stitch on either side of a centre marker, every other row, and working a corresponding decrease at the beginning and end of the same row as you work down the back.
I changed how I did these centre panels when I wrote the adult version: Build a Bigger V.
You can see that it’s slightly rounded at the bottom. At least there is no very deep V at the centre bottom.
So I am going to smash these two patterns together and hopefully come up with a better baby/child version.
Here is the beginning. This is the back panel. It started with an increase on either side of the centre yellow marker. Then as I progress down the back I am working the increases worked before and after the centre marker further and further apart.
You can already see that it’s rounding at the bottom. I am knitting with my fingers crossed (difficult), hoping this is going to work out.
Taking bits and pieces from the adult version and adding it to the baby version is a bit of a trick but I think it will be make a better cardigan in the end.
Meanwhile I am still on sleeve island on two adult sweaters and not enjoying it much. Maybe I will knit vests from now on!!!
Cheers, Deb
Cabin Fever patterns by Deb & Lyn If you are also looking for baby/children patterns, we did a lot of them. Check them out.
I’ve decided to put my future patterns out for free. I am finding that as soon as I’ve finished the knitting and writing, I really want to get it out to you. The time involved in the publication of a properly priced pattern puts this off for many, many months. It’s more than I want to be involved in right now that I am more or less retired. My friend, Dana, has knit this and given me a couple of much needed corrections. Thanks Dana.
Here is a video tour of the Any Gauge 6×6 Cardigan pattern.
Download your pattern at my ravelry store. I hope you enjoy knitting it. I’m here if you have any questions: debgemmellmods@gmail.com. I knit mine, the purple one, in Shelridge DK and the gold one, for my daughter, is in Estelle Worsted.
It’s time to tidy up before Christmas. So here is where I’m at. Look at this. The Contiguous Drop Shoulder is almost done. I’m so excited. Only the cuffs to go. Watch for the pattern on my ravelry site because it should be up for free as soon as I can get a proper photo.
The sweater colours are a little brighter than this. At 7am,there is not much choice in lighting. I have to leave at 8 to go to curling. But I wanted to show you that the sleeves are almost done. Yahoo. Did I already say I was excited? I’m excited!
I also finished my christmas knitting. One pair of double mittens (one pair stuffed inside the other) of my Any Gauge Mittens. (discount MITTENS is still in effect).
That’s a wrap. Have a wonderful Holiday Season. See you on the other side. I am already planning my next sweater. How about you?
I finished my purple 6×6 cardigan just before (actually the day before) I went to Ireland. That was a firm deadline that I definitely needed to get it done and I was so happy to have it with me.
I wore it for 12 days straight and it was so comfy (dk wool by Shelridge Yarns in Iris colourway). I stuffed it in bags, rolled it up for a pillow on the plane and pulled it over my head every morning, never undoing the buttons (which would explain why I knit more pullovers than cardigans). It was an amazing travel companion. I felt at home even though I was far away.
Ireland is a wonderful country full of very friendly people. We had a marvelous trip with Inishfree Music tours with David Francey (a canadian singer/songwriter). This was a trip on our bucket list and exceeded expectations.
Now curling season has begun and I think I need a new curling sweater. The one I have has a hole in the front (a zipper catch). I could fix it or I could knit a new sweater. Any guesses?
My sweater is at the test knitting stage so soon it will be published.
I just finished knitting two sweaters. It seemed like I was knitting sleeves forever. Note to self, knit the sleeves first!
The pattern is written and today, after a final read through, it will go off to my test knitters. Yes, the process of getting patterns published is l-o-n-g.
And then there is the crash.
What should I knit now? There are no idle needles allowed around here. I scroll through ravelry for hours. I’ll knit this, no this one looks really interesting, or maybe the pattern that’s been sitting in my library for 10 years???
I need a break from designing so this is when I knit someone else’s pattern.
I knit one of the Easy Over Socks by Holli Yeoh. I will knit some more but would like a longer cuff. It’s really inventive, has a new-to-me heel and only uses small amounts of sock yarn, bonus.
Now I’m knitting a lace shawl, the Mossblossom by wool.and.pine.designs. I find having to pay attention to a chart really relaxing. I mentioned all that sleeve knitting, right? This, for me, is the carrot.
What’s your reward for getting through the tough parts of your project?
Look at that. This 6×6 Cardigan is finished. Yes, I am doing the bring and brag thing. I’m so happy to be done.
Is finishing a moment for you too?
Now I am button shopping. I used removable markers to hold the sweater together for this photo. What do you think – purple buttons or something bright, like orange, to contrast with the sweater?
The othere up side to finishing is that I get to cast on something new. Hallelujah!
Sweaters take a long time to knit, and I was really working at sticking to it. Now, I will block it and sew on the buttons, as soon as I buy some, that is.
The relief to be able to start something new is great!!!
I know I’ll be really glad I have long sleeves on this sweater. I know that, but … sleeves, OMG, do they have to take soooo long?
About 4 years ago I started this: Two Sleeves on 2 circs. It’s the same as working socks two at a time. If you’ve done that, this might be for you.
No second sleeve syndrome for me.
So here I am with the purple sleeves of my 6×6 Cardigan. I knit one inch of knitting on each sleeve separately. Then I slipped the stitches of the sleeves onto two circular needles with the underarm sections facing each other. (You might be able to see that one circular has a blue cord and the other has a red cord.) I put a big pin in the fabric at the underarms of the sleeves to hold them in position on the two circular needles. I’m only about 2″ in so far, with many hours ahead of me.
You know that I really, really, want to cast on something new right now. I’m resisting so far. I can do this, I can, I can?!
Deb Gemmell: Top Down, Gauge Free and more 