Sailor Girl

This is a modified version of a little girl’s cardigan which I saw knitted up as a sample at the Knitting & Stitching Show at the RDS, Dublin, in 2006. I just HAD TO MAKE IT!!!! It's in Sublime Merino Silk Aran with a lovely drape and sheen.

Sidebar: I got the pattern and yarn from the Sadly Missed Wool Shop in Bray, Co. Wicklow. Sniff! A moment's silence please....



However.....

.....the original design was for plain stocking stitch all the way, and I knew it would drive me nuts and I might not finish it….horrors! As well as that, I thought Little Monkey would be more likely to wear it if she had a part in it, so we picked the edge pattern from Nicky Epstein’s book of edgings.



It was the hardest one in the book and it took a few weeks before I mastered it. (It’s also LOADED with bobbles - yeuch!) I added the vertical stripe of yarn overs just for interest. It might be a bit overkill, but I like it. The yarn is lovely, silky soft and no pilling at all. A bit splitty, but worth it.





There were some tricky moments. As I was missing the moss-stitch edging from the original, I improvised a cable edging to run along the sides of the collar and turn into the ties. Works well I think.

A friend supplied the perfect buttons. See, you should look in other people’s stashes more often. And yes, she does wear it…sometimes. Little Monkey that is, not my button friend. Thank Goodness Little Mouse (DD2) can wear it too so I’ve an excuse to keep it when Little Monkey grows out of it! Any day now...




(Yes, I know the photos are dreadful, sorry, I did me best.)



On the other hand, don't ye like my Habitat tablecloth? Makes a nice backdrop methinks.

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