Recycled yarn, hooray!

See this jumper?


Now you don't!



aaaand jumper!

Pattern:Ubernatural, from magknits

Needles: Addi Turbo 10s, 10 mm DPNS and 8 mm circular and DPNS for the ribbling

Time sucked: Three days

Modifications: I knitted the sleeves longer by knitting 20 rows in stocking stitch on 10mms before switching to rib, slightly lenghthened the body, and nipped in the waist.

I am ADDICTED to the top-down raglan now. Addicted! So quick! No seaming! You can gauge the measurements precisely as you go along! It may not be the most slimming jumper ever, but I wear it every other day at the moment. I found the pattern pretty straightforward, once I had found the pattern corrections. Before that, I admit I was crying over my circulars for a bit. But only for a bit.

Recycling is not just for yarn

Recycled jumper tote, using an old Penney's jumper. I have a horrendously low IQ, and spent hours last night trying to work out the spatial logistics of how to line the bag and which side to sew on. Nightmare, I tell you, but it gives the bag so much more structure. Also, it looks cuter.
Pattern: Made more or less according to the instructions for a recycled sweater tote given here, but with a square bottom, and lined.

Materials: old Penney's (Primark, for UK readers) lambswool stripey raglan, patchwork cotton for lining.

Time sucked: Two somewhat frenzied evenings.

I like it. I wear it with pride.

Rebecca lace jumper

Pattern: Model number 40, from Rebecca knitting magazine no. 40.

Yarn: The original is knitted in pink cashmere, and I calculated that to use the yarn required would work out at about 220 euros.

220! I might JUST pay that for a jumper hand-knitted by Vivienne Westwood, but certainly NOT one cobbled together by me. So it's knitted in a discontinued Prestige yarn that I scored on eBay, hence the slightly unexpected bright orange colour: Bluefaced Leicester Hog DK, it says, 70% wool 30% silk.

Modifications: I also only had 550 grammes of this, and it turns out that it's a really heavy yarn: I didn't want to knit the jumper with flared sleeves anyway, because they annoy me, but I had to shorten them considerably to make the yarn last. But I think it looks pretty damn nice with short sleeves too - which also means I can wear it right away even though it's May already.

Time sucked: About a month, on and off

The pattern and lace chart was very easy to follow, and I think the lace is gorgeous. The only quibbles I have is a slight problem understanding how to increase on the sleeves - are you supposed to increase in pattern, or have a section of plain stocking stitch growing on each side of the sleeve as you increase? and the fact that the pattern only comes in one size, 38/40 (10/12 Irish/UK size). I was slightly worried that it wouldn't stretch to fit me, but blocked, it did. However, it fits pretty snugly, so I'm not sure how large a range of sizes it would fit.

Overall, a MUCH more fun knit than any plain stocking stitch jumper I've knitted, AND it turned out really flattering. This is the first thing that I've knitted that feels as though it is more fabulous than anything I could buy in the shops. I'm delighted.