Another New Design
And no, I’m not a grandmother
This week, Purl Soho published a new design created by me—the Growing Garden Cardigan.
Long-time readers might remember when I published a review of Purl Soho’s Cotton Chirp. It was just over a year ago. I enjoyed working with the yarn so much, I knit up the prototype of this little cardigan and pitched the design to the Purl Soho team.
Why did it take a year for this pattern to be published? When Cotton Chirp was launched, it was available in sets of four color-coordinated 25g mini-skeins. The only color available in 100g skeins was Heirloom White. But Purl Soho already had plans to expand the color range in the larger skeins, and they decided to hold this design until the full range of colors was available.
This pattern includes sizes from newborn to 24 months. You need only 1 bundle of Cotton Chirp DK Minis plus 1 or 2 of the full-sized Cotton Chirp DK balls. Purl Soho is offering the pattern for free on their website.
FYI: These links are not affiliate links. I was paid for this design by Purl Soho. I will receive no additional compensation if you make a purchase using these links.
This little cardi is knit in one piece from the top down in an all-over slip stitch pattern. This is a project well within the abilities of an adventurous beginner. Because it’s small, it knits up fast. But fair warning: You will have lots of ends to weave in. Every round of colored dots results in two ends to weave. I think it’s worth that little chore to get those spots of color dancing over the fabric.
Someone pointed out that this is the third baby sweater I’ve had published this month and asked if I was becoming a grandmother. Fortunately, the answer is no. While I’m more than old enough for this to be a reasonable question, my only child shows no inclination to procreate anytime soon. And while I’m not opposed to being a grandma, the stereotypical burning desire for grandchildren seems to have passed me by.
What I am is a designer for hire. When a yarn company asks me to design baby projects, as Quince & Co. did, I’m glad to say yes. I’m also resourceful. After swatching for the review of Cotton Chirp, I knew the yarn I had leftover was enough to make a baby sweater, but not something larger. So, a baby sweater it became.
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton is one of the most compelling novels I’ve read this year.
Named with a wink at Macbeth, Birnam Wood is a socialist guerilla gardening collective in Christchurch, New Zealand, who plants crops on overlooked parcels of land. Using supplies and materials they salvage (or steal), they give most of their surplus produce to food banks. The group is perpetually teetering on the brink of insolvency in their quest to subvert the concept of private property and provide organic produce to those who might otherwise be hungry.
Mira, the leader of this merry band, now has her eye on an abandoned sheep farm several hundred kilometers south. There she meets an enigmatic American industrialist named Robert Lemoine who tells her he has bought the farm in order to build a luxury doomsday bunker. He offers financial support for the group, believing their farming will provide cover for his activities.
But what are his activities, really? And how far will he go to keep them hidden? Will Mira and her Birnam Wood crew compromise their principles for the chance at legitimacy and financial stability? What will happen when Lemoine’s rapacious capitalism collides with Birnam Wood’s idealism?
This is an intense (and lengthy) psychological thriller that examines the discrepancy between good intentions and pragmatic action and explores the unintended consequences of compromise.
Things that caught my eye…
The Quilters is a lovely short documentary about a group of men at a Missouri maximum-security prison who sew quilts for foster children as part of a Restorative Justice Program. I guarantee it will touch your heart. Watch it on Netflix.
Astronaut Don Pettit returned from the International Space Station with wondrous photographs and videos. There is a beautiful sense of play and delight in these images. It reminded me of a recent read – Orbital, by Samatha Harvey, which I reviewed back in March.
As a lover of the printed word, I was fascinated by this documentary about the development and decline of the Linotype machine. Is it a little geeky? Yes, and I’m here for it.
As always, I appreciate your inviting me into your world. A bunch of new subscribers joined us this week—Welcome!
Continue the conversation: Are you a year-round knitter or a seasonal knitter? When I owned a yarn store in Northern California, I always thought a yarn shop plus a garden center would be the perfect combination to smooth out seasonal fluctuations in revenue. If your knitting is sidelined during the summer, what activities replace it? If you knit all summer long, does the season influence your choice of project? Tell me about it in the comments.
Oh, this is just a delightful pattern - so gorgeous
I was pleased to subscribe just last week. And an email from Purl Soho on the same day showed this lovely sweater. I'm hoping for a great-grandchild in the next few years but thought so much of this pattern, I didn't want to wait so I ordered the yarn yesterday. While reading the sweater details, I recognized the Designer's name. Small world! Many thanks to you and Purl Soho.