It’s been a while since I had a new piece of knitting to present, but I have one now.

The knitting was straightforward, and I finished that a few weeks ago. The seaming was easy. It was the decorative darning that slowed me down. It wasn’t difficult at all but it was dull, and I had to focus and not look up in a way that I don’t with knitting to keep it correct and reasonably neat.

It was worth it – and I love the finished effect – but never again!

I should recap.

I had three balls of Rowan Felted Tweed Aran in a lovely shade of green left over when I finished my Heike. I knew what I wanted to do straight away. I wanted to order some more yarn and knit a lovely pattern that I’d seen on the cover of The Knitter.

(It was written for a different yarn, but when I looked it up on Ravelry I was pretty sure that the substitution should be fine. And it was.)

Gladioli by Emma Vining

“This sweater was inspired by the beautiful Gladioli that I watched slowly emerge from tiny buds to gorgeous flowers. The sweater has a centre panel of three gladioli ‘stalks’ with different coloured buds. The buds are made using cables and the colour is added after knitting and blocking using a weave darning technique. The base of each bud is then closed by wrapping the cable stitches to pull them together. “

I love the designer’s ethos – and I have several more of her patterns in mind for the future.

This pattern was very cleverly thought out and designed. All I did was follow the pattern exactly as it was written, and my only problem was that I didn’t spot from the start that there were errors in the chart in the magazine and that I needed to check the errata. After that it was plain sailing, and I saw the lovely logic of the pattern.

I used some pink Rowan All Seasons Cotton that was left over from a cardigan I knitted years and years ago for the buds. It took more yarn than I thought it would, and so did the wrapping at the base of the buds.

I used some pink Rowan All Seasons Cotton that was left over from a cardigan I knitted years and years ago for the buds. It took more yarn than I thought it would, and so did the wrapping at the base of the buds.

The wrapping pulled in the fabric in those places, so the sweater looks a little odd when it’s laid out, but it works when it’s worn. Mine is quite fitted, and I think it needed to be to smooth out the fabric.

I know I could block it, but I like it being a little 3-d, and I’m worried I’d block the life out of it. I think I’ll see what happens the first time I have to wash it ….

As things stand I’m happy. I like it, the fit is exactly what I hoped it would be, and yesterday it passed the ‘mother’s knitting home test’.

Now I just need the temperature to dip just a little more!