King Cole Cardigan in Opium Leaf: for Eldest Mudlet

May 3, 2014 by Elaine 5 Comments

The yarn is making its’ own pattern

Last time she was here Eldest Mudlet browsed through available patterns online and chose the design and yarn she wanted me to use once I had finished Middle Mudlets stripey jumper. She had really like my blue top which had been knitted up in King Cole Opium yarn, shade Cobalt but wasn’t over keen on the idea of have an identical top, albeit in a different colour, to her ancient mum. In the event she found another King Cole pattern (3687) which was for the Opium range of yarn and opted for that with a lovely green yarn, officially classified as ‘Leaf’.

A King Cole Opium, two design pattern (3687)

The pattern, yarn and a set of 6mm bamboo needles were ordered on Wednesday and arrived yesterday (Friday). The pattern has two design options – a long waistcoat and a shorter, short sleeved cardigan. Eldest Mudlet really liked the cardigan but preferred the length of the waistcoat which wasn’t that much of an issue, as I could easily knit the extra length of the waistcoat into the cardigan and so I ordered an extra ball of the yarn to facilitate this change.

Eldest Mudlet opted for this design but with the length of the other

The actual pattern is knitted up in stocking stitch ( 1 row of knitted stitches followed by 1 row of purl stitches) with a 1×1 rib (that’s knit 1 stitch then purl 1 stitch rib) but the lovely feel of the yarn and the pattern it creates as it is knitted up, makes it a nice, easy and quick knit which should help alleviate the monotony of the basic stocking stitch.

As I had already had one text from my first born child with words along the lines of “Non stop knitting from now please“, I settled down last night and cast on the back section. By the time my eyes were too tired to see straight and my brain had forgotten how to knit, I had completed a good 4 inches of work and so I put it aside.

The stocking stitch is knitted on 6mm needles

I’ll get more done today but I have a cake to bake for Middle Mudlets belated birthday party tomorrow and as she has chosen a ‘Book Worm’ cake, the decorating may prove a little difficult and time consuming but we shall see.

Add to that the fact that Mud intends taking Annies head off to replace the gaskets which is a job I will have to help with AND the fact that Little Mudlets’ new bike has arrived and we have promised the girls another bike ride at some point today, oh and not forgetting one or two pressing jobs awaiting my attention in the vegetable patch, I think it is safe to say that it’s going to be a very busy day.